¨:==†££@##                                          ##@££†==:¨
¨:==†££@##                                          ##@££†==:¨
¨:==££@###                                          ###@££==:¨
¨:==†££@##                                          ##@££†==:¨
¨:==†££###                                          ###££†==:¨
¨:==†££££@  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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