#£¤%%%†~:.                                          .:~†%%%¤£#
##£¤%%†~:.                                          .:~†%%¤£##
###£¤%%~:.                                          .:~%%¤£###
###£%%†~:.                                          .:~†%%£###
#¤%~:.....                                          .....:~%¤#
##£¤%%†~:.             ................             .:~†%%¤£##
##£¤%%†~:.             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.          .:~†%%¤£##
£¤%%~~....                                          ....~~%%¤£
¤%††:.....                                          .....:††%¤
##£¤%%†~:.                                          .:~†%%¤£##
££¤%%~:...                                          ...:~%%¤££
##£¤%%†~:.                                          .:~†%%¤£##
¤¤%%††~~:.                                          .:~~††%%¤¤