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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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