§**::~~~.. ..~~~::**§
£§*:::~~~. .~~~:::*§£
£§***%:~~. .~~:%***§£
#@£§*%:~~. .~~:%*§£@#
£§§§*%:~~. .~~:%*§§§£
§*%%:~.... ## .~~~~~. ## ....~:%%*§
§*::~..... ~~~~~~~~ # egg eater # ~~~~~~~~ .....~::*§
£§%%~~~~~. ## .~~~~~. ## .~~~~~%%§£
§%::~~~... ...~~~::%§
§*:~~..... .....~~:*§
£££§*%:~~. absolutely spherical egg. find it on .~~:%*§£££
£*:~~..... large sandy beaches, upshore where .....~~:*£
££**%:~... dunes meet shadowy pines. teal egg, ...~:%**££
#@£§*%:~~. .~~:%*§£@#
##@£*%:~~. makes some sentient bird or other .~~:%*£@##
#@£§*%:~~. warm-blooded creature. lanky meat, .~~:%*§£@#
§§%:::~~~. incredible meat inside, mostly tendons. .~~~:::%§§
££§%~..... slithery but strong. .....~%§££
@£*%:~~~~. .~~~~:%*£@
£**:~~~... the egg has an opening. the egg has a ...~~~:**£
#@£§*%:~~. belly button. looks like a rubber .~~:%*§£@#
§§%::~.... vortex, the crust gets soft and becomes ....~::%§§
§%:~~~~~~. a hole. .~~~~~~:%§
##@§*%:~~. .~~:%*§@##
#@£§*%:~~. # ...~~~~~~~~~~... # .~~:%*§£@#
@§**%:~... ...~:%**§@
££§%:~~... and on these beaches there's a ...~~:%§££
£££§*%:~~. particular snake or lizard which .~~:%*§£££
#@£§*%:~~. certainly eats insects most of the .~~:%*§£@#
#@£§*%:~~. time, but it knows a good belly button .~~:%*§£@#
@@£§*%:~~. when it sees one, and knows to enter .~~:%*§£@@
££***%:~~. the egg .~~:%***££
@££§*%:~~. .~~:%*§££@
§%~~...... it will crawl into the teal sphere, ......~~%§
££§*%:~... disappear completely and eat it all up, ...~:%*§££
££§§*%:~~. ruining the integrity of the egg. .~~:%*§§££
#@£§*%:~~. destroying the inhabitant. .~~:%*§£@#
@@£§*%:~~. .~~:%*§£@@
£§%~~..... it's a grisly sight when it cracks .....~~%§£
#@£§*%:~~. open, the reptile taking the quick .~~:%*§£@#
§%:~~..... exit, emerging bloodied and victorious .....~~:%§
#@£§*%:~~. and satisfied~~ .~~:%*§£@#
££*%%~~~.. ..~~~%%*££
§%~~...... ......~~%§
§§*::~.... ....~::*§§
@@£§*%:~~. .~~:%*§£@@
§***:~~... ...~~:***§