¤&&&†*«¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨«*†&&&¤
#¤¤&&†*«,¨                                          ¨,«*†&&¤¤#
##£¤&†*«,¨                                          ¨,«*†&¤£##
##£¤&†*«,¨                                          ¨,«*†&¤£##
###£&†*«,¨                                          ¨,«*†&£###
£¤¤¤&†*«,¨         ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ««#«« ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨          ¨,«*†&¤¤¤£
¤&&†«,,¨¨¨       ¨  ¨«««    « «#« «    «««¨  ¨      ¨¨¨,,«†&&¤
¤††**««¨¨¨         ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ««#«« ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨          ¨¨¨««**††¤
£¤¤†*,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,*†¤¤£
##£¤&†*«,¨ 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.      ¨¨¨¨¨,,*†¤
¤&**,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,**&¤
¤¤¤¤&†*«,¨                                          ¨,«*†&¤¤¤¤
¤¤&†«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«†&¤¤
¤††«,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,«††¤
£¤&††*,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,*††&¤£