..^«^%£&@#                                          #@&£%^«^..
...^«^%£&@                                          @&£%^«^...
....^«^%£&                                          &£%^«^....
.....^«^%£                                          £%^«^.....
......^«^%                                          %^«^......
.......^«^         . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .          ^«^.......
........^«       .  .«««    « «#« «    «««.  .      «^........
.........^         . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .          ^.........
..........                                          ..........
.........^  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.      ^«^.......
........^«                                          «^........
.........^                                          ^.........
..........                                          ..........
.........^                                          ^.........
........^«                                          «^........