#¤%=~.....                                          .....~=%¤#
##¤¤/~....                                          ....~/¤¤##
#¤¤¤¤%/=~.                                          .~=/%¤¤¤¤#
###¤¤%/=~.                                          .~=/%¤¤###
¤¤%%%%/=~.                                          .~=/%%%%¤¤
###¤¤%/=~.             ................             .~=/%¤¤###
###¤¤%/=~.             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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