,-»*%@@£¶¶                                          ¶¶£@@%*»-,
,-»**%@@¶#                                          #¶@@%**»-,
,-»*%@£¶##                                          ##¶£@%*»-,
,,-»*%@££¶                                          ¶££@%*»-,,
,-»*%@£¶##                                          ##¶£@%*»-,
,-»*%@£¶##  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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,,,,,-*%£#                                          #£%*-,,,,,