....~~\*$£ £$*\~~....
.....~~\*$ $*\~~.....
......~~\* *\~~......
.......~~\ \~~.......
......~~\* *\~~......
.....~~\*$ ................ $*\~~.....
....~~\*$£ 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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