###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
##$$*»»»,¨ ¨,»»»*$$##
#@@$//,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,//$@@#
@@@$$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$$@@@
###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
###@$*/»,¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨,»/*$@###
###@$*/»,¨ THE ALVAR FIELDS ¨,»/*$@###
@$**///»,¨ $$$##########$$$ ¨,»///**$@
###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
@*////»»,¨ FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, THIRTY ODD ¨,»»////*@
###@$*/»,¨ KILOMETERS. FROM WEST TO EAST, FOUR ¨,»/*$@###
###@$*/»,¨ THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL TO STONE, ¨,»/*$@###
@@$/»»¨¨¨¨ A FOOT OR TWO. NO ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO ¨¨¨¨»»/$@@
#@$/»,¨¨¨¨ DUST CAN LINGER. ¨¨¨¨,»/$@#
###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
###@$*/»,¨ HERE IS EARTH, CLAY, AND STURDY LOW ¨,»/*$@###
##$$//»,,¨ PLANTS. BUSHES FRAME THE STRIP. THE ¨,,»//$$##
###@$*/»,¨ EARTH IS BARE IN PATCHES AS LARGE AS ¨,»/*$@###
@@@@$*/»,¨ YOU AND ME. ¨,»/*$@@@@
#@$**»»¨¨¨ ¨¨¨»»**$@#
###@$*/»,¨ CROSS IT TO GET TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T ¨,»/*$@###
####@$/»,¨ TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE. ¨,»/$@####
@$*»»»,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,»»»*$@
###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
###@$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$@###
####$*/»,¨ ¨,»/*$####