####¤$§:^¨                                          ¨^:§$¤####
##$$§:^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^:§$$##
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###¤$§:«^¨                                          ¨^«:§$¤###
##$§:«««^¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨^«««:§$##
¤$§«¨¨¨¨¨¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨¨¨¨¨¨«§$¤
###¤$§:«^¨             $$$##########$$$             ¨^«:§$¤###
#¤§:^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^:§¤#
####¤$§:«^ 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 ¨^«:§$¤###
¤$$$§§:«^¨          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ¨^«:§§$$$¤
¤$:«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«:$¤
###¤$§:«^¨                                          ¨^«:§$¤###
¤§:««^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^««:§¤
###¤$§:«^¨                                          ¨^«:§$¤###
###¤$§:«^¨                                          ¨^«:§$¤###
###¤$§:«^¨                                          ¨^«:§$¤###