:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
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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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