@@&†††*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†††&@@
##@&$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$&@##
##@&$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$&@##
##@&$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$&@##
##@&$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$&@##
@&&&$†*=,¨         ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ==#== ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨          ¨,=*†$&&&@
&†====¨¨¨¨       ¨  ¨===    = =#= =    ===¨  ¨      ¨¨¨¨====†&
&†=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨          ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ==#== ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=†&
##@&$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$&@##
##@&$†*=,¨  a secret roundabout: in what used to be ¨,=*†$&@##
@&†=,¨¨¨¨¨  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   ¨¨¨¨¨,==†&
&&&&$†*=,¨  ways, like dogs let loose. symmetry is  ¨,=*†$&&&&
&$††**,¨¨¨                  lost.                   ¨¨¨,**††$&
&&††*=¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨=*††&&
##@&$†*=,¨  cars are ejected into the greens. ships ¨,=*†$&@##
#&&$*,¨¨¨¨     collide. there are many kinds of     ¨¨¨¨,*$&&#
#&&$$†*=,¨      casualties, on both sides. the      ¨,=*†$$&&#
##@&$†*=,¨    spellmakers will not come home. it    ¨,=*†$&@##
##@&$†*=,¨   sickens me, this physical reality of   ¨,=*†$&@##
##@&$†*=,¨ it, but the cause is just. i sneak back  ¨,=*†$&@##
&$**,¨¨¨¨¨      over the fense, heading south.      ¨¨¨¨¨,**$&
&†=,,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,,=†&
###@&†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†&@###
&&$††**=,¨                                          ¨,=**††$&&
##@&$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$&@##
&&$*====,¨                                          ¨,====*$&&