&†\----,,, ,,,----\†&
##¶&$†\--, ,--\†$&¶##
##¶&$†\--, ,--\†$&¶##
##¶&$†\--, ,--\†$&¶##
¶&$\---,,, ,,,---\$&¶
¶¶$\-,,,,, 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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