#@#§†:«-¨¨ ¨¨-«:†§#@#
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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?" ¨¨¨-«:†§#@
#@#§†:«-¨¨ ¨¨-«:†§#@#
##@#§†:«-¨ ¨-«:†§#@##
#@#§†:«-¨¨ ¨¨-«:†§#@#
@#§†:«-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-«:†§#@
#§†:«-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-«:†§#