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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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