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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. .~»†%%£###
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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.                .~»†%%@£##
##£@%%†»~.                                          .~»†%%@£##
£%†»...... 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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