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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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¨~~/$%&£@@ @@£&%$/~~¨