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.....~†¤&# #&¤†~.....
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..~/†¤&@@@ ................ @@@&¤†/~..
..~/†¤&@## 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. @¤†~......
.......~†& &†~.......
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