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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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