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#*=~~~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~~~=*#
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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. ¨~~=**####
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#*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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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#**~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~**#