~.........                                          .........~
«~........                                          ........~«
\«~.......                                          .......~«\
$\«~......                                          ......~«\$
*$\«~.....                                          .....~«\$*
¤*$\«~....          . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .         ....~«\$*¤
#¤*$\«~...      .  .«««    « «#« «    «««.  .       ...~«\$*¤#
##¤*$\«~..          . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .         ..~«\$*¤##
###¤*$\«~.                                          .~«\$*¤###
##¤*$\«~..  A SECRET ROUNDABOUT: IN WHAT USED TO BE ..~«\$*¤##
#¤*$\«~... 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 .....~«\$*
¤*$\«~....      OVER THE FENSE, HEADING SOUTH.      ....~«\$*¤
#¤*$\«~...                                          ...~«\$*¤#
##¤*$\«~..                                          ..~«\$*¤##
###¤*$\«~.                                          .~«\$*¤###
##¤*$\«~..                                          ..~«\$*¤##
#¤*$\«~...                                          ...~«\$*¤#