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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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£,,,£££,£,      ##############################      ,£,,,,,,£,
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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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