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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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