¤*^~,..... .....,~^*¤
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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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