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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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