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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?" @@#$†^«,¨¨
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