¨~-;§%@@££                                          ££@@%§;-~¨
¨~-;§%@£@#                                          #@£@%§;-~¨
¨~-;§%@@££                                          ££@@%§;-~¨
¨~-;;;%@@@                                          @@@%;;;-~¨
¨~-;§%@£@@                                          @@£@%§;-~¨
¨~-;§%@£@#  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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¨¨¨¨¨~;§@@                                          @@§;~¨¨¨¨¨