.~«^^¤§###                                          ###§¤^^«~.
.~«^^¤§###                                          ###§¤^^«~.
.~«^^¤§###                                          ###§¤^^«~.
....«^^^§§                                          §§^^^«....
.~«^¤§####                                          ####§¤^«~.
.~«^^^^¤##          . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .         ##¤^^^^«~.
....~^¤§§§       .  .«««    « «#« «    «««.  .      §§§¤^~....
.~«^^¤§###         . .. ... ««#«« ... .. .          ###§¤^^«~.
.~«^^¤§###                                          ###§¤^^«~.
.~«^^¤¤¤§# 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.      #§§¤^«««~.
.~«^^¤§###                                          ###§¤^^«~.
.~«^^¤¤§§§                                          §§§¤¤^^«~.
....«^^§§§                                          §§§^^«....
......«^^§                                          §^^«......
.~«^^¤§###                                          ###§¤^^«~.