¨-~/^££££¶                                          ¶££££^/~-¨
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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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