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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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^/».¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»/^