.^=;†@§@## ##@§@†;=^.
.^=;†@§@## ##@§@†;=^.
..^^===††§ §††===^^..
....^;;†@§ §@†;;^....
......==†§ §†==......
.^=;†@§### ................ ###§@†;=^.
.^=;†@§@## THE ALVAR FIELDS ##@§@†;=^.
...^^;†§§# @@@##########@@@ #§§†;^^...
.^=;†@§@## ##@§@†;=^.
.^=;†@§@## 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. ###@§@†=^.
.^=;††@@§§ §§@@††;=^.
.^=;†@§@## ##@§@†;=^.
....^^==†§ §†==^^....
.^===;@§@# #@§@;===^.
......^=†§ §†=^......
.^=;†@@### ###@@†;=^.