...~«:$%##                                          ##%$:«~...
....~«:$%#                                          #%$:«~....
.....~«:$%                                          %$:«~.....
......~«:$                                          $:«~......
.......~«:                                          :«~.......
........~«          . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .         «~........
.........~       .  .«««    « «#« «    «««.  .      ~.........
..........         . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........  a secret roundabout: in what used to be ..........
.........~ brazil or china. fenced in, secluded by  ~.........
........~«  special plants growing unusually tall.  «~........
.......~«:    spelled in by purposeful symmetry,    :«~.......
......~«:$     roads like symbols, aligned with     $:«~......
.....~«:$%  ley lines. dialed in with well-rounded  %$:«~.....
....~«:$%#             gps coordinates.             #%$:«~....
...~«:$%##                                          ##%$:«~...
..~«:$%###               ... ~ : ~ ...              ###%$:«~..
.~«:$%####                                          ####%$:«~.
..~«:$%###    a dangerous game: the roundabout is   ###%$:«~..
...~«:$%##   important to some large constellation  ##%$:«~...
....~«:$%#       of intents and bureaucracies.      #%$:«~....
.....~«:$%  governments and companies are creatures %$:«~.....
......~«:$     in a way. yet people sneak small     $:«~......
.......~«:   between their claws, and hide in the   :«~.......
........~«     roadside bushes. they wait there.    «~........
.........~                                          ~.........
..........    vehicles approach; the game is on -   ..........
..........   quickly the people assemble in well    ..........
.......... practiced geometries. their bodies make  ..........
.........~  counter-spells on the asphalt. traffic  ~.........
........~«   is instantly diverted, flows in sick   «~........
.......~«:  ways, like dogs let loose. symmetry is  :«~.......
......~«:$                   lost.                  $:«~......
.....~«:$%                                          %$:«~.....
....~«:$%#  cars are ejected into the greens. ships #%$:«~....
...~«:$%##     collide. there are many kinds of     ##%$:«~...
..~«:$%###      casualties, on both sides. the      ###%$:«~..
.~«:$%####    spellmakers will not come home. it    ####%$:«~.
..~«:$%###   sickens me, this physical reality of   ###%$:«~..
...~«:$%##  it, but the cause is just. i sneak back ##%$:«~...
....~«:$%#      over the fense, heading south.      #%$:«~....
.....~«:$%                                          %$:«~.....
......~«:$                                          $:«~......
.......~«:                                          :«~.......
........~«                                          «~........
.........~                                          ~.........