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