@##@$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$@##@
@#$$*=~~:¨                                          ¨:~~=*$$#@
@$=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=$@
##@#@$=~:¨                                          ¨:~=$@#@##
@*~~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~*@
##@#@*=~:¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨:~=*@#@##
#@$*~~:¨¨¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨¨¨:~~*$@#
###@$*=~:¨             $$$#@#@#@#@#@$$$             ¨:~=*$@###
@$*~:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:~*$@
@@#@$*=~:¨ FROM   NORTH   TO  SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD ¨:~=*$@#@@
@$$=~::¨¨¨ KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR ¨¨¨::~=$$@
#@#@$*=~:¨ THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL  TO STONE, ¨:~=*$@#@#
#@#@$*=~:¨ A FOOT OR TWO.  NO  ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO ¨:~=*$@#@#
###@$*=~:¨             DUST CAN LINGER.             ¨:~=*$@###
#@#@$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$@#@#
@@@@$*=~:¨ HERE IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND  STURDY  LOW ¨:~=*$@@@@
#$=:¨¨¨¨¨¨ PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨:=$#
#@#@$*=~:¨ EARTH  IS  BARE IN  PATCHES  AS LARGE AS ¨:~=*$@#@#
@#@@$*=~:¨                YOU AND ME.               ¨:~=*$@@#@
#@#@$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$@#@#
#@@$==:¨¨¨ CROSS IT TO  GET  TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T ¨¨¨:==$@@#
##@#$*=~:¨          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          ¨:~=*$#@##
@@@*==:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:==*@@@
@*=:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:=*@
#@#@$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$@#@#
#@#@$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$@#@#
#@$$=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=$$@#
@*~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~*@