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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. ¨&&&¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨¨&¨¨¨ 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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