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##£¤¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤¤£##
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###¤¤%*«~¨             *   BLUE FIRE   *            ¨~«*%¤¤###
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##£¤¤%*«~¨               «««««««««««                ¨~«*%¤¤£##
¤¤%«~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~«%¤¤
£¤%«~¨¨¨¨¨  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  ¨¨¨¨¨~«%¤£
##£¤¤%*«~¨ LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  ¨~«*%¤¤£##
££¤*~~¨¨¨¨   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   ¨¨¨¨~~*¤££
¤%«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«%¤
###¤¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤¤###
##£¤¤%*«~¨      THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF     ¨~«*%¤¤£##
##£¤¤%*«~¨  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  ¨~«*%¤¤£##
£¤¤¤¤%*«~¨   IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE    ¨~«*%¤¤¤¤£
¤¤¤*««¨¨¨¨    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    ¨¨¨¨««*¤¤¤
££¤%%%*«~¨      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      ¨~«*%%%¤££
##£¤¤%*«~¨   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   ¨~«*%¤¤£##
##£¤¤%*«~¨   HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS    ¨~«*%¤¤£##
##£¤¤%*«~¨    STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,     ¨~«*%¤¤£##
#£¤%%%*«~¨     DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER,     ¨~«*%%%¤£#
£¤¤¤%««¨¨¨                 CLIMATE.                 ¨¨¨««%¤¤¤£
#££¤¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤¤££#
£¤%***~~¨¨  OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT  ¨¨~~***%¤£
###¤¤%*«~¨     HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE    ¨~«*%¤¤###
#£¤**~~~¨¨ STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE  ¨¨~~~**¤£#
¤%%%%%*«~¨   FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE  ¨~«*%%%%%¤
##£¤¤%*«~¨  SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE ¨~«*%¤¤£##
¤¤*~¨¨¨¨¨¨  BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨~*¤¤
¤%«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«%¤
¤¤¤*~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~*¤¤¤
#£¤¤%%*«~¨                *%%«««««%%*               ¨~«*%%¤¤£#
¤%«««¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«««%¤
£¤¤*«¨¨¨¨¨  FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT   ¨¨¨¨¨«*¤¤£
¤¤¤¤***«~¨ STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE  ¨~«***¤¤¤¤
##£¤¤%*«~¨  ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION.   ¨~«*%¤¤£##
##£¤¤%*«~¨  THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE, ¨~«*%¤¤£##
##£¤¤%*«~¨   BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST    ¨~«*%¤¤£##
£¤¤¤¤%*«~¨   HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE.   ¨~«*%¤¤¤¤£
££¤¤%%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%%¤¤££
£¤%«¨¨¨¨¨¨     NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE    ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%¤£
##£¤¤%*«~¨ SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN  ¨~«*%¤¤£##
#££¤¤%*«~¨    EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE   ¨~«*%¤¤££#
#£¤%%%*«~¨ TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT.  ¨~«*%%%¤£#
£¤%««¨¨¨¨¨     THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE    ¨¨¨¨¨««%¤£
¤¤%%«~¨¨¨¨      POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND     ¨¨¨¨~«%%¤¤
#¤¤*«~¨¨¨¨     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ¨¨¨¨~«*¤¤#
##£¤¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤¤£##
##£¤¤%*«~¨    PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA   ¨~«*%¤¤£##
#¤%«~~~~¨¨  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  ¨¨~~~~«%¤#
£¤%%%%*«~¨      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      ¨~«*%%%%¤£
£¤*««~¨¨¨¨           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           ¨¨¨¨~««*¤£
##£¤¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤¤£##
###£¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤£###
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##£¤¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤¤£##
##£¤¤%*«~¨                                          ¨~«*%¤¤£##