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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. ,,,,~-*†¤§
£§¤†*-~,,, ,,,~-*†¤§£
#£§¤†*-~,, ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ,,~-*†¤§£#
##£§¤†*-~, ,~-*†¤§£##
#£§¤†*-~,, 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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