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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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