§%†-,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,-†%§
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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. ,.-=†%§£##
##£§%†=-.,                                          ,.-=†%§£##
#§%=....,,      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      ,,....=%§#
##£§%†=-.,                                          ,.-=†%§£##
§%=...,,,, 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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