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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 ,,:=/*&£##
###£&*/=:, 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?" ,,:=/*&£##
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##£&*/=:,, 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 ,:=/*&£###
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###£&*/=:, WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ,:=/*&£###
##£&*/=:,, AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ,,:=/*&£##
###£&*/=:, FEW TIMES. ,:=/*&£###
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##£&*/=:,, 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 ,:=/*&£###
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