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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. #¨##¨##¨#¨
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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. ¨#¨#¨¨¨¨#¨
##¨#¨#¨¨#¨ ####¨¨¨###
¨#####¨### 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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