..@@@.@@.@ @@..@@@@@@
.@..@@.@@. .@.@.....@
@@.@.@@.@@ @@@@....@@
.@@@@.@@.@ ...@...@..
@...@@.@@@ ..@@..@@..
@..@.@@... *$ *$* $* .@.@.@.@.@
@.@@@.@... *$*$$««. .««*$$*$* @@@@@@@@@.
@@..@@@..@ *$ *$ --- .. MAGIC .. --- $* $* ........@@
.@.@..@.@@ *$*$$««. .««$$*$* .......@..
@@@@.@@@.@ *$ *$* $* ......@@..
...@@..@@@ .....@.@.@
..@.@.@..@ MAGIC IS ABOUT BEING UNACCOUNTABLE, ....@@@@@@
.@@@@@@.@. ABOUT REMOVING THE SOURCE OF THE ACTION ...@.....@
@.....@@@@ FROM YOURSELF. IT WORKS BY EXPLOITING A ..@@....@@
@....@.... KIND OF GRAVITY, CALLED THE .@.@...@..
@...@@.... ARROW OF TIME. @@@@..@@.@
@..@.@.... ...@.@.@@.
@.@@@@.... THINGS IN THIS UNIVERSE ALWAYS SEEK THE ..@@@@@.@@
@@...@...@ LEAST ENERGETIC STATE. ALL POTENTIAL IS .@....@@..
.@..@@..@. GRADUALLY LOST INTO LESSER FORMS (SUCH @@...@.@.@
@@.@.@.@@. AS HEAT). .@..@@@@@@
.@@@@@@.@. @@.@......
@.....@@@. MAGIC THEN, IS CREATING TUNNELS, .@@@......
@....@..@. SPECIFIC AND INTRICATE CANALS, FOR THIS @..@.....@
@...@@.@@. TO HAPPEN IN A CONTROLLED MANNER. THINK @.@@....@.
@..@.@@.@. OF IT AS SETTING AN ELABORATE TRAP FOR @@.@...@@@
@.@@@.@@@. ENTROPY. .@@@..@...
@@..@@..@. @..@.@@..@
.@.@.@.@@@ AND THEN, WHEN THE CIRCUIT CLOSES, THE @.@@@.@.@.
@@@@@@@... ARROW IS FORCED TO DO YOUR BIDDING! @@..@@@@@.
......@..@ .@.@....@@
.....@@.@@ OF COURSE, YOU'RE ALSO IRREVERSABLY @@@@...@.@
....@.@@.. DRAINING TIME FROM THE UNIVERSE, BUT ...@..@@@@
...@@@.@.. YEAH. ..@@.@...@
..@..@@@.@ .@.@@@..@@
.@@.@..@@. @@@..@.@.@
@.@@@.@.@. *$$ * * $$* ..@.@@@@@@
@@..@@@@@. .@@@......
.@.@....@@ @..@.....@
@@@@...@.@ THE DANGER IS A RUNAWAY SPELL - IF THE @.@@....@@
...@..@@@@ FILAMENT OF YOUR CANAL IS TOO WEAK, OR @@.@...@..
..@@.@.... THE POTENTIAL IS HIGH ENOUGH TO ESCAPE .@@@..@@..
.@.@@@...@ ANY SELF-CLOSING MECHANISMS - A BREACH. @..@.@.@..
@@@..@..@@ @.@@@@@@..
..@.@@.@.@ THESE ARE USUALLY CATASTROPHIC. @@.....@.@
.@@@.@@@@@ ALTHOUGH MANY ARE LOCAL, THEY STAY .@....@@@@
@..@@..... ACTIVE UNTIL CLOSED OFF BY COUNTER @@...@...@
@.@.@....@ SPELLS (HARD TO PULL OFF) OR THERE'S NO .@..@@..@.
@@@@@...@. MORE ENERGY TO FALL THROUGH. @@.@.@.@@@
....@..@@. .@@@@@@...
...@@.@.@@ IN THAT CASE THE OUTCOME DEPENDS ON THE @.....@...
..@.@@@@.@ SPELL. SMALL-SCALE BREACHES MIGHT NOT @....@@...
.@@@...@@@ EVEN BE NOTICEABLE BY THE UNINITIATED; @...@.@...
@..@..@..@ BUT A SPELL MIGHT ALSO VERY WELL BRING @..@@@@...
@.@@.@@.@. ABOUT THE HEAT DEATH OF THE UNIVERSE. @.@...@..@
@@.@@.@@@. @@@..@@.@.
.@@.@@..@. ..@.@.@@@@
@.@@.@.@@@ *$* .@@@@@...@
@@.@@@@..@ @....@..@.
.@@...@.@@ @...@@.@@@
@.@..@@@.. WELL. IT IS WHAT IT IS. A DYING ART.. @..@.@@..@
@@@.@..@.. MAYBE FOR THE BEST. @.@@@.@.@.
..@@@.@@.@ @@..@@@@@@
.@..@@.@@. .@.@.....@
@@.@.@@.@@ @@@@....@@
.@@@@.@@.@ ...@...@..
@...@@.@@@ ..@@..@@..
@..@.@@... .@.@.@.@.@