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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. £££,,,,£££
,££,,£££££                                          ££,,££,,£,
,,,,,,££££      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      ,,,,,,,,,,
£££££,,£££                                          ££££££££££
££££,,,,£, 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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