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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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#@¶¤£%:~:, 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. ,:~:%£¤¶@@
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##@¶£%:~:, 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. ,:~:%££¤¤¤
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##¶¤£%:~:, I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ,:~:%£¤¶##
¤%~~,,,,,, MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ,,,,,,~~%¤
@¤£::::~:, ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ,:~::::£¤@
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¶¶¶¤£%:~:, ,:~:%£¤¶¶¶
@¶¶¤£%:~:, WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ,:~:%£¤¶¶@
#@¶¤£%:~:, KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ,:~:%£¤¶@#
¶¤£::~,,,, BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ,,,,~::£¤¶
##@¤£%:~:, CALL?" ,:~:%£¤@##
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#@¶¤£%:~:, 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. ,,,:~:££¤¶
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@¤¤¤£%:~:, 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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