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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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