§,,,§,§,§§                                          §§§,,,§§,§
§§,,,,,,§§                                          §,§§,,§§,§
,§§,,,,,§,                                          ,,§§§,§§,§
,§§§,,,,,,                                          ,,§,§,§§,,
,§,§§,,,,,                                          §,,,,,§§§,
,,,§§§,,,,  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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