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...££.££££ along the rusty cargo cars like some ..£££.££££
£..£.££... species of ferrophage insect. up and ..£..££...
££.£££.£.. down the train, checking bolts, oiling ..££.£.£..
£.££..£££. joints, drinking coffee, smoking ..£.£££££.
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....£..£££ 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 .£.££££..£
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.£.£.£.£££ served me good and well. ££.££.£££.
.£££££££.. ..££.££..£
££......£. and then one night, there's a missile. £.£.££.£.£
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££.£..£.££ middle of the night at that? not £.££££...£
..£££.£££. entirely... comfortable. .££...£..£
£.£..££..£ .£.£..££.£
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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. ..££.£..£.
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£.£.££..£. 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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