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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. †;=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=;†£ £†;=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=;†£§ 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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