..~†%*@¶## ##¶@*%†~..
..~†%****¶ ¶****%†~..
..~†%***¶¶ ¶¶***%†~..
..~†%*@¶## ##¶@*%†~..
..~†%*@¶## ##¶@*%†~..
....~%%**@ ................ @**%%~....
..~†%*@¶## 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. ¶@*†~.....
.....~%%@¶ ¶@%%~.....
..~†%*@@@¶ ¶@@@*%†~..
..~†%*@### ###@*%†~..
..~†%***@@ @@***%†~..
...~~~~†*¶ ¶*†~~~~...
..~†%*@¶## ##¶@*%†~..