¨¨^^~***§#                                          #§***~^^¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^**&                                          &**^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~*§&                                          &§*~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^*§&                                          &§*^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~~~**&&#                                          #&&**~~~^¨
¨¨¨¨^~*§§&         ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ~~#~~ ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨          &§§*~^¨¨¨¨
¨^~~~~~*§#      ¨  ¨~~~    ~ ~#~ ~    ~~~¨  ¨       #§*~~~~~^¨
¨¨¨~~~*&##         ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ~~#~~ ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨          ##&*~~~¨¨¨
¨^~**§&##@                                          @##&§**~^¨
¨^~**§&#@#  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.      ##@#&**~^¨
¨¨¨¨~~~*&&                                          &&*~~~¨¨¨¨
¨^~**&#@##                                          ##@#&**~^¨
¨^~**§&#@#                                          #@#&§**~^¨
¨^~**§&#@#                                          #@#&§**~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^*§#                                          #§*^¨¨¨¨¨¨