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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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£¤&*;~.,,, ,,,.~;*&¤£
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