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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. ££££*%;«-¨
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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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