,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
&&&&&&&&&,                                          &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&,,                                          ,&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&,,,                                          ,,&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&,,&&                                          &,,&&&&&&&
&&&&&,,,,& ,                   ,                  , ,,,,&&&&&&
&&&&,,&&,, ,       ,      ,       ,       ,       , &&&,,&&&&&
&&&,,,,,,, ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     , &&,,,,&&&&
&&,,&&&&&& «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ,,,&&,,&&&
&,,,,&&&&& \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ &&,,,,,,&&
,,&&,,&&&,                                          ,,,&&&&,,&
,,,,,,,&,, JUST OFF THE  COAST  TO  THE BALTIC  SEA &&,,&&,,,,
&&&&&&,,,&   THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED    ,,,,,,,&&&
&&&&&,,&,, AMONG ASHEN  AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE &&&&&&,,&&
&&&&,,,,,&   LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE  &&&&&,,,,&
&&&,,&&&,,    SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE   &&&&,,&&,,
,&,,,,&,,& DROP DOWN,  DOWN, TO THE  MIDNIGHT-BLACK &&&,,,,,,,
,,,&&,,,,,                  WATER.                  &&,,&&&&&&
,&,,,,&&&,                                          &,,,,&&&&,
,,,&&,,&,,             ««««$$$$$$$$««««             ,,&&,,&&,,
&&,,,,,,,,         ««$$                $$««         ,,,,,,,,,&
&,,&&&&&&&  «««««$$   FAIRIES LIVE HERE.   $$«««««  &&&&&&&&,,
,,,,&&&&&&         ««$$                $$««         &&&&&&&,,,
&&&,,&&&&&             ««««$$$$$$$$««««             &&&&&&,,&&
&&,,,,&&&&                                          ,&&&&,,,,&
&,,&&,,&&& THEY  SPEAK TO  THE  SLOANE, CARESS  IT, ,,&&,,&&,,
,,,,,,,,&& URGE IT TO GROW  THICKER, TANGLED,  WITH &,,,,,,,,,
&&&&&&&,,& LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY  TELL IT ,,&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&,,,, TO  STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS,  SO  THAT &,,&&&&&&&
&&&&&,,&&& THE  ANIMALS  WHAT  COME  TO  DRINK  THE ,,,,&&&&&&
&&&&,,,,&, WATER  CANNOT SEE  IT  BEFORE  IT  DRAWS ,&&,,&&&&&
&&&,,&&,,, THEIR  BLOOD.  CLOSER  TO THE  POND, THE ,,,,,,&&&&
&&,,,,,,&& SLOANE CAN GROW  TALLER,  BEING  ABLE TO &&&&&,,&&&
&,,&&&&,,&         HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER.        &&&&,,,,&&
,,,,&&,,,,                                          &&&,,&&,,&
,&&,,,,&&, THE  FAIRIES WILL BECKON  THE ANIMALS TO &&,,,,,,,,
,,,,&&,,,, PUSH  FORWARD,  TELL THEM  THAT  THEY'RE ,,,&&&&&&&
,&&,,,,&&, ALMOST  AT  THE  WATER,  THAT  THEY  MAY &&,,&&&&&,
,,,,&&,,,, DRINK  SOON.  AND  THEY WILL TUG ON  THE &,,,,&&&,,
&&&,,,,&&& SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT  THE THORNS CUT ,,&&,,&,,&
&&,,&&,,&& DEEP. WHEN THEY  FINALLY  FIND THE  PATH ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, DOWN BETWEEN THE  ROCKS,  AWAY FROM  THE &&&&&&&&&,
&&&&&&&&&& BUSHWORK  AND  INTO  THE CLEFT, THEY ARE &&&&&&&&,,
,&&&&&&&&, BLEEDING  FROM  A  THOUSAND  WOUNDS.  AS &&&&&&&,,,
,,&&&&&&,, THEY DRINK FROM THE  DARK WATER,  IT  IS ,&&&&&,,&&
,,,&&&&,,& IN  TURN  DRINKING  THE  ANIMALS  BLOOD. ,,&&&,,,,,
&&,,&&,,,,                                          &,,&,,&&&&
&,,,,,,&&, THE  CIRCLE  IS  COMPLETE,  THE CONTRACT ,,,,,,,&&&
,,&&&&,,,, CARRIED OUT; THE  ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO &&&&&&,,&&
,,,&&,,&&, FIND ITS OWN  WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS &&&&&,,,,,
&&,,,,,,,, DRINK THE  NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES &&&&,,&&&&
&,,&&&&&&,          DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS.          &&&,,,,&&&
,,,,&&&&,,                                          ,&,,&&,,&&
,&&,,&&,,, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,&& «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ,&&&&&&&&&
,&&&&&&,,, ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     ,    , ,,&&&&&&&,
,,&&&&,,&& ,      ,       ,       ,       ,       , &,,&&&&&,,
&,,&&,,,,& ,                   ,                  , ,,,,&&&,,&
,,,,,,&&,,                                          ,&&,,&,,,,
&&&&&,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,&&&
&&&&,,&&&&                                          ,&&&&&,,&&
&&&,,,,&&&                                          ,,&&&,,,,&
&&,,&&,,&&                                          &,,&,,&&,,