¶¶%=~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~=%¶¶
#§%=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=%§#
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#¶§%=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=%§¶#
#§%%«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«%%§#
¶§§%=««~¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨~««=%§§¶
¶%==««~¨¨¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨¨¨~««==%¶
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§§%=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=%§§
#¶¶§%%=«~¨ 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.          ¨~«=%%§¶##
###¶%%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%%¶###
###¶§%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%§¶###
#§%%%%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%%%%§#
##¶§%%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%%§¶##
##¶§%%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%%§¶##
#§§%=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=%§§#