¶@$:«^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^«:$@¶
#¶@$:«^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^«:$@¶#
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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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