§,,§,,,§,§                                          ,§,§,,§,§§
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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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