§**~~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~~**§
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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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