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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 ,,,,,££,,£
,££,,,,££,                 detour?"                 ££££,,,,,,
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