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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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~;
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~
;~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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