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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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££¨¨£¨££¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨£¨££
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