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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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.......-†% %†-.......
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