¨¨¨¨¨»=%¶# #¶%=»¨¨¨¨¨
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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?" ¶¶%%==»»:¨
¨:»=%%§¶## ##¶§%%=»:¨
¨:»=%%§¶## 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?" ##¶§%%=»:¨
¨¨¨¨:=%%%¶ ¶%%%=:¨¨¨¨
¨:»=%%§¶## ##¶§%%=»:¨
¨:»=%%§¶## ##¶§%%=»:¨
¨¨¨¨¨»==%§ §%==»¨¨¨¨¨
¨:»=%%§¶## ##¶§%%=»:¨