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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. ¨:»;=%¤@@@
###¤%=;»:¨ ¨:»;=%¤###
¤%%%%=;»:¨ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ¨:»;=%%%%¤
¤%%%;:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:;%%%¤
##@¤%=;»:¨ 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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