##@§$%/»., ,.»/%$§@##
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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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