#@#@¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤@#@#
@=::,,,,,¨                                          ¨,,,,,::=@
#@#@¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤@#@#
#@==::,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,::==@#
@##@¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤@##@
@@¤=«¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨«=¤@@
@#¤¤:,,¨¨¨             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.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨«:=@
##@=:::«,¨                                          ¨,«:::=@##
@@@¤¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤¤@@@
#@#@¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤@#@#
@@#@¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤@#@@
#@@@¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤@@@#
@@@@¤=:«,¨                                          ¨,«:=¤@@@@