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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. ,,,,,,,^=;
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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. ,,,,,,,^=;
=^,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,^=
;=^,,,,,,, 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?" ,,,,^=;†£#
##£†;=^,,, ,,,^=;†£##
###£†;=^,, 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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