¨,-*%@####                                          ####@%*-,¨
¨¨,-*%@###                                          ###@%*-,¨¨
¨,-*%@####                                          ####@%*-,¨
¨¨,-*%@###                                          ###@%*-,¨¨
¨,-*%@####                                          ####@%*-,¨
¨¨,-*%@###             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ###@%*-,¨¨
¨,-*%@####             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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