¨-«;%$&@##                                          ##@&$%;«-¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#                                          #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@                                          @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&                                          &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$                                          $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«;%               «««««««««««                %;«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$             %%           %%              $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&             ;   BLUE FIRE   ;            &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@             %%           %%              @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#                «««««««««««               #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨-«;%$&@##                                          ##@&$%;«-¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#  THE ¨BLUE FIRE¨ IS A CARNIVOROUS PLANT  #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@ LIVING MOSTLY AT THE WESTERN ALVAR (BUT  @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&   IT HAS SPREAD TO A FEW OTHER PLACES,   &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$          MOSTLY ROCKY COASTS).           $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«;%                                          %;«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$      THE PLANT IS A DENSE NETWORK OF     $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&  GREEN-BROWN TENTACLE-LIKE ROOTS, WHICH  &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@   IS OFTEN CALLED "RAT'S TAIL" BEFORE    @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#    BLOOMING. IN LATE JUNE, IT QUICKLY    #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨-«;%$&@##      SPROUTS FEELERS, TEN TO THIRTY      ##@&$%;«-¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#   CENTIMETERS HIGH, FILLED WITH PURPLE   #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@   HAIRS - THIS IS THE BLUE FIRE. THIS    @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&     STAGE LASTS FOR ONE OR TWO WEEKS,    &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$     DEPENDING ON FOOD ACCESS, WATER,     $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«;%                 CLIMATE.                 %;«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$                                          $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&  OFTEN IT'S NOT CLEAR HOW FAR THE PLANT  &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@     HAS SPREAD UNLESS ITS IN THE FIRE    @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«;%$&@# STAGE. SUDDENLY, AS IF OVERNIGHT, WHOLE  #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨-«;%$&@##   FIELDS CAN BE TURNED ABLAZE (WITH THE  ##@&$%;«-¨
¨¨-«;%$&@# SAME INDIVIDUAL PLANT, AS WELL)! IN THE  #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@ BLOOMING PEAK, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE  @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$& WHOLE ALVAR TO BE CONNECTED NORTH-SOUTH. &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$                                          $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«;%               ;%%«««««%%;                %;«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$                                          $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&   FIFTY WEEKS OF THE YEAR, WHILE IN RAT  &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@ STAGE, THE BLUE FIRE FEEDS ON THE STONE  @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#   ITSELF VIA A SLOW CHEMICAL ATTRITION.  #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨-«;%$&@##  THIS IS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOTS ALIVE, ##@&$%;«-¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#    BUT ALL GROWTH AND PROCREATION MUST   #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@   HAPPEN DURING THE TWO WEEKS IN JUNE.   @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&                                          &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$     NOW THE PLANT FEEDS ON BIRDS; THE    $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«;%  SEMISTIFF UPRIGHT FEELERS LOOKS LIKE AN %;«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$   EXTENSION OF THE SEA, AND BIRDS ARE    $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$& TRICKED INTO LANDING OR DIVING INTO IT.  &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@     THEY ARE QUICKLY PARALYZED BY THE    @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#      POISON ON THE PURPLE HAIRS, AND     #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨-«;%$&@##     DEVOURED OVER A PERIOD OF HOURS.     ##@&$%;«-¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#                                          #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@    PROCREATION CAN HAPPEN SEXUALLY VIA   @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&  SPORES (CRYPTOGAMIA) OR ASEXUALLY WHEN  &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$      THE ROOTS ARE CUT, DIVIDING AN      $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-«;%           INDIVIDUAL INTO TWO.           %;«-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-«;%$                                          $%;«-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-«;%$&                                          &$%;«-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-«;%$&@                                          @&$%;«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«;%$&@#                                          #@&$%;«-¨¨
¨-«;%$&@##                                          ##@&$%;«-¨