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@##$*,,,,, ,,,,,*$##@
##@¶#$$»,, ,,»$$#¶@##
#@¶#$$*»,, ,,»*$$#¶@#
@¶$*,,,,,, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,,,,,,*$¶@
##$$***»,, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,,»***$$##
#@¶#$$*»,, SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,,»*$$#¶@#
##¶#$$*»,, DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,,»*$$#¶##
¶###$$*»,, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,,»*$$###¶
#$***»,,,, CIGARETTES. ,,,,»***$#
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#@¶#$$*»,, ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶ ,,»*$$#¶@#
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###$*,,,,, WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ,,,,,*$###
#$$$»,,,,, THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ,,,,,»$$$#
#@¶#$$*»,, FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ,,»*$$#¶@#
@###$$*»,, TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ,,»*$$###@
#$*»,,,,,, MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ,,,,,,»*$#
#@¶#$$*»,, LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ,,»*$$#¶@#
#@¶#$$*»,, THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ,,»*$$#¶@#
#@¶#$$*»,, ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ,,»*$$#¶@#
¶$*,,,,,,, RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ,,,,,,,*$¶
¶#$$»»»,,, OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ,,,»»»$$#¶
##¶#$$*»,, SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ,,»*$$#¶##
#@¶#$$*»,, ,,»*$$#¶@#
¶##$$$*»,, AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ,,»*$$$##¶
##@¶#$*»,, WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ,,»*$#¶@##
@#$»,,,,,, THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ,,,,,,»$#@
¶$$**,,,,, OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ,,,,,**$$¶
#$*»,,,,,, MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ,,,,,,»*$#
#@¶#$$*»,, MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ,,»*$$#¶@#
¶$$»,,,,,, ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ,,,,,,»$$¶
@¶¶#$$*»,, ,,»*$$#¶¶@
#$*»,,,,,, I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ,,,,,,»*$#
@@¶#$$*»,, MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ,,»*$$#¶@@
#@¶#$$*»,, ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ,,»*$$#¶@#
¶##$$*,,,, ,,,,*$$##¶
#@¶#$$*»,, ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶ ,,»*$$#¶@#
@#$*,,,,,, ,,,,,,*$#@
@@¶#$$*»,, WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ,,»*$$#¶@@
##@¶#$*»,, KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ,,»*$#¶@##
###$$*»,,, BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ,,,»*$$###
@¶#$»,,,,, CALL?" ,,,,,»$#¶@
#@¶#$$*»,, ,,»*$$#¶@#
#@¶#$$*»,, AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ,,»*$$#¶@#
#@¶#$$*»,, THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ,,»*$$#¶@#
#@¶#$$*»,, AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ,,»*$$#¶@#
@¶¶#$$*»,, PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ,,»*$$#¶¶@
#$$»,,,,,, REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ,,,,,,»$$#
@@¶#$$*»,, WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ,,»*$$#¶@@
#$$$***»,, AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ,,»***$$$#
#@¶#$$*»,, FEW TIMES. ,,»*$$#¶@#
##¶#$$*»,, ,,»*$$#¶##
#@¶#$$*»,, I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ,,»*$$#¶@#
@#$*,,,,,, KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,,,,,,*$#@
¶$$$**»,,, ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ,,,»**$$$¶
¶##$**,,,, SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,,,,**$##¶
#@¶#$$*»,, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,,»*$$#¶@#
#$$*,,,,,, DETOUR?" ,,,,,,*$$#
#@¶#$$*»,, ,,»*$$#¶@#
¶$$*,,,,,, ,,,,,,*$$¶
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