......*$££ ££$*......
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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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