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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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£#¤^»:,,,, ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ,,,,:»^¤#£
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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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