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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. ¨~»†%%££##
@£%%†~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~†%%£@
##££%%†»~¨      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      ¨~»†%%££##
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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.                ¨¨~~»»»†%£
£%†»¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨»†%£
#@££%%†»~¨ 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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