¨^=†&@#@##                                          ##@#@&†=^¨
¨¨¨¨^=**†@                                          @†**=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=***†@                                          @†***=^¨¨¨
¨^===†††@@                                          @@†††===^¨
¨¨¨¨^*&@#@                                          @#@&*^¨¨¨¨
¨^=*†&@#@#          ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ==#== ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨         #@#@&†*=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨==*†@      ¨  ¨===    = =#= =    ===¨  ¨       @†*==¨¨¨¨¨
¨=*†&@#@##          ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ==#== ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨         ##@#@&†*=¨
¨¨¨¨^^*&##                                          ##&*^^¨¨¨¨
¨^=*†&@#@#  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.      #@&†=¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=*†&@###                                          ###@&†*=^¨
¨¨¨^^^*†&#                                          #&†*^^^¨¨¨
¨^=*†&@#@#                                          #@#@&†*=^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=†@@                                          @@†=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^*†&@@                                          @@&†*^¨¨¨¨