¨¨,»*$§§££                                          ££§§$*»,¨¨
¨,»*$§££##                                          ##££§$*»,¨
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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 £§*»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»*$§££## reply in the same language.  even though ##££§$*»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»$££ we both  have headphones i can't  follow ££$»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»*$§££## at all, but i hear  the word "missile" a ##££§$*»,¨
¨,»*$§££##                few times.                ##££§$*»,¨
¨¨¨,»»$$§£                                          £§$$»»,¨¨¨
¨,»*$§§£££ i'm almost snoozing  again at  the  time £££§§$*»,¨
¨,»*$§££## karl puts down the  headphones and slaps ##££§$*»,¨
¨¨¨¨»$$§£# me  on my back.  "allright boy.  i  just #£§$$»¨¨¨¨
¨,»*$§££## sold  a  missile." he  practically beams ##££§$*»,¨
¨,»*$$$$$£ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna  make a £$$$$$*»,¨
¨,»*$§££##                 detour?"                 ##££§$*»,¨
¨,»*$§§§§£                                          £§§§§$*»,¨
¨,»*$§££##                                          ##££§$*»,¨
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¨,»*$§§£££                                          £££§§$*»,¨