¨¨¨---\^@£                                          £@^\---¨¨¨
¨--\^@#£##                                          ##£#@^\--¨
¨--\^@###£                                          £###@^\--¨
¨¨¨---\@@£                                          £@@\---¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-\@#                                          #@\-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨---^###  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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¨--\^@##£#                                          #£##@^\--¨
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