#@#&@^*~^. .^~*^@&#@#
#&^^^^*~^. .^~*^^^^&#
#@#&@^*~^. .^~*^@&#@#
&&@@^~.... ....~^@@&&
#@@*~..... .....~*@@#
&@@*~..... ................ .....~*@@&
@#&^^~~^^. 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. .^~*^@&#@#
@#&@^^*~^. .^~*^^@&#@
@@#&@^*~^. .^~*^@&#@@
##@&@^*~^. .^~*^@&@##
#@#&@^*~^. .^~*^@&#@#
#@#&@^*~^. .^~*^@&#@#
&^~....... .......~^&