,,,,,^;;%£                                          £%;;^,,,,,
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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.         ###£§%;~^,
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,^~~~;;§## I CALL IT IN ON  THE  WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ##§;;~~~^,
,^~;%§£### MANY  OTHERS  AWAKE,  THEY KNOW  NOTHING ###£§%;~^,
,^~;%§£### ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR  CONCERNED AS WELL. ###£§%;~^,
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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?"                  ####§%;~^,
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,,^~~%%££# 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.                ££%%~^,,,,
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,^~;%§£### 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 ###£§%;~^,
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