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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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