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###@£@=:~, 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 ,,~:=@£@##
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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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