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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.         ¨.~\*£#£##
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#*~..¨¨¨¨¨ 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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