.~~†*%@¶## ##¶@%*†~~.
.~~†*%%@@¶ ¶@@%%*†~~.
...~††%@@# #@@%††~...
.~~†††††%¶ ¶%†††††~~.
.~~*%@¶### ###¶@%*~~.
.~~†*%@¶## ................ ##¶@%*†~~.
....~~~*%@ 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. @@**†~....
.~~†*%@¶## ##¶@%*†~~.
.~~†*%@¶## ##¶@%*†~~.
.~~†*%@¶## ##¶@%*†~~.
.~~†*%@¶## ##¶@%*†~~.
.~~†*%@¶## ##¶@%*†~~.
.~~†*%@@¶# #¶@@%*†~~.