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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. ,,,,,,,,,,
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:,,,,,,,,, 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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