¨¨¨¨¨-%£££                                          £££%-¨¨¨¨¨
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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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