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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. ^=-.......
......-=^† †^=-......
.....-=^†$ ############################## $†^=-.....
....-=^†$& &$†^=-....
...-=^†$&# 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, $†^=-.....
......-=^† KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY †^=-......
.......-=^ BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ^=-.......
........-= CALL?" =-........
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.......... AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ..........
.......... THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ..........
.......... AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ..........
.........- PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A -.........
........-= REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH =-........
.......-=^ WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ^=-.......
......-=^† AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A †^=-......
.....-=^†$ 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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