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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. ¨¨£¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
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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 ££¨¨¨¨¨¨¨£
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