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¨¨¨¨¨^~†%£ 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 @##£%†~^¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨^~†%£ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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