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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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