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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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