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..~^^^%%%¤ THE ALVAR FIELDS ¤%%%^^^~..
..~^%$¤¶## $$$##########$$$ ##¶¤$%^~..
..~^%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%^~..
...~~~^%¤¤ FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, THIRTY ODD ¤¤%^~~~...
..~^%$$¤¤¤ KILOMETERS. FROM WEST TO EAST, FOUR ¤¤¤$$%^~..
..~^%$¤¶¶# THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL TO STONE, #¶¶¤$%^~..
..~^%$¤### A FOOT OR TWO. NO ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO ###¤$%^~..
....~~^^%¤ DUST CAN LINGER. ¤%^^~~....
.......^$¤ ¤$^.......
..~^%$¤¶## HERE IS EARTH, CLAY, AND STURDY LOW ##¶¤$%^~..
..~^^%%$¤¶ PLANTS. BUSHES FRAME THE STRIP. THE ¶¤$%%^^~..
..~^%$¤¶## EARTH IS BARE IN PATCHES AS LARGE AS ##¶¤$%^~..
..~^%$¤¶## YOU AND ME. ##¶¤$%^~..
..~^%$¤¶## ##¶¤$%^~..
..~^%$¤### CROSS IT TO GET TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T ###¤$%^~..
..~^%$¤¶## TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE. ##¶¤$%^~..
.......^%¤ ¤%^.......
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......~%¤¶ ¶¤%~......
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