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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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,,,,^§%££#      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      #££%§^,,,,
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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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