,,,££,,,,£                                          ££,£,,,£,£
£,,£££,,,,                                          ££,,£,,,,,
,£,£,££,,,                                          £££,,£,,,,
,,,,,£££,,                                          £,££,,£,,,
,,,,,£,££,                                          ,,£££,,£,,
,,,,,,,£££  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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