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¨¨¨¨¨:~†%% 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. %%†~:¨¨¨¨¨
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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 #£§%%†~:¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨:~†%% 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. £§%%†~:¨¨¨
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¨:~†%%§£## 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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