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@#£%*†»^,, ,,^»†*%£#@
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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. ,^»†*%£#@#
@#£%*†»^,, ,,^»†*%£#@
#£%*†»^,,, 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?" ,,^»†*%£#@
#@#£%*†»^, ,^»†*%£#@#
@#£%*†»^,, 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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£%*†»^,,,, ,,,,^»†*%£
#£%*†»^,,, ,,,^»†*%£#
@#£%*†»^,, ,,^»†*%£#@
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