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