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@@£**=;=-. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND .-=;=**£@@
@@@£*=;=-. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING .-=;=*£@@@
£==;--.... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ....--;==£
£*;=...... CIGARETTES. ......=;*£
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##@£*=;=-. 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. ...-=;;**@
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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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