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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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