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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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