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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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