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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 .......-~†
$†~-...... MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ......-~†$
$$†~-..... ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. .....-~†$$
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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 .......-~†
$†~-...... REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ......-~†$
$$†~-..... WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW .....-~†$$
£$$†~-.... AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ....-~†$$£
££$$†~-... FEW TIMES. ...-~†$$££
#££$$†~-.. ..-~†$$££#
##££$$†~-. I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME .-~†$$££##
#££$$†~-.. KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ..-~†$$££#
££$$†~-... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ...-~†$$££
£$$†~-.... SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ....-~†$$£
$$†~-..... AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A .....-~†$$
$†~-...... DETOUR?" ......-~†$
†~-....... .......-~†
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