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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.         #@@£*%;«-¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨«%£@ 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.         ££%«««¨¨¨¨
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¨-«;;;***@ 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.                #@@£*%;«-¨
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¨-«;%*£@@@ 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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