##**==~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~==**##
#*=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=*#
#@£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£@#
#$†=¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨=†$#
#@£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£@#
#@£#$*†=~¨          ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ==#== ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨         ¨~=†*$#£@#
@#*†~¨¨¨¨¨       ¨  ¨===    = =#= =    ===¨  ¨      ¨¨¨¨¨~†*#@
@#**†==~¨¨         ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ==#== ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨          ¨¨~==†**#@
#@£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£@#
@@£#$*†=~¨  a secret roundabout: in what used to be ¨~=†*$#£@@
#@£#$*†=~¨  brazil or china. fenced in, secluded by ¨~=†*$#£@#
#*†~¨¨¨¨¨¨  special plants growing unusually tall.  ¨¨¨¨¨¨~†*#
#**†==~~¨¨    spelled in by purposeful symmetry,    ¨¨~~==†**#
@@£#$*†=~¨     roads like symbols, aligned with     ¨~=†*$#£@@
#@£#$*†=~¨  ley lines. dialed in with well-rounded  ¨~=†*$#£@#
£$$$$*†=~¨             gps coordinates.             ¨~=†*$$$$£
##£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£##
#@£#$*†=~¨              ¨¨¨ ~ † ~ ¨¨¨               ¨~=†*$#£@#
@@£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£@@
@#$†==¨¨¨¨    a dangerous game: the roundabout is   ¨¨¨¨==†$#@
#@£#$*†=~¨  important to some large constellation   ¨~=†*$#£@#
##***=~~¨¨       of intents and bureaucracies.      ¨¨~~=***##
##@£#*†=~¨ governments and companies are creatures  ¨~=†*#£@##
@###$*†=~¨     in a way. yet people sneak small     ¨~=†*$###@
@££#$*†=~¨   between their claws, and hide in the   ¨~=†*$#££@
#*===~~¨¨¨     roadside bushes. they wait there.    ¨¨¨~~===*#
£$**=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=**$£
@£#***†=~¨    vehicles approach; the game is on -   ¨~=†***#£@
##@£#*†=~¨    quickly the people assemble in well   ¨~=†*#£@##
@#*==~~¨¨¨ practiced geometries. their bodies make  ¨¨¨~~==*#@
#@£#$*†=~¨  counter-spells on the asphalt. traffic  ¨~=†*$#£@#
@@£#$*†=~¨   is instantly diverted, flows in sick   ¨~=†*$#£@@
#@£#$*†=~¨  ways, like dogs let loose. symmetry is  ¨~=†*$#£@#
#*††=¨¨¨¨¨                   lost.                  ¨¨¨¨¨=††*#
@££#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#££@
#@£#$*†=~¨  cars are ejected into the greens. ships ¨~=†*$#£@#
#@£#$*†=~¨     collide. there are many kinds of     ¨~=†*$#£@#
@#$†===~~¨      casualties, on both sides. the      ¨~~===†$#@
£££#$*†=~¨    spellmakers will not come home. it    ¨~=†*$#£££
#*==~~¨¨¨¨   sickens me, this physical reality of   ¨¨¨¨~~==*#
@£$**†~~¨¨  it, but the cause is just. i sneak back ¨¨~~†**$£@
£$$*††=¨¨¨      over the fense, heading south.      ¨¨¨=††*$$£
£##*==¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨==*##£
#@£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£@#
#@£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£@#
@##$**†=~¨                                          ¨~=†**$##@
@@£#$*†=~¨                                          ¨~=†*$#£@@