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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.         ###@%=:~:,
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,:~:=%@@£# 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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