#@§$%/«¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨«/%$§@#
@§$%/«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«/%$§@
#@§$%/«¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨«/%$§@#
##@§$%/«¨¨                                          ¨¨«/%$§@##
###@§$%/«¨                                          ¨«/%$§@###
##@§$%/«¨¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨«/%$§@##
#@§$%/«¨¨¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨¨¨«/%$§@#
@§$%/«¨¨¨¨             $$$##########$$$             ¨¨¨¨«/%$§@
#@§$%/«¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨«/%$§@#
##@§$%/«¨¨ 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.          ¨¨«/%$§@##
###@§$%/«¨                                          ¨«/%$§@###
##@§$%/«¨¨                                          ¨¨«/%$§@##
#@§$%/«¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨«/%$§@#
@§$%/«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«/%$§@
#@§$%/«¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨«/%$§@#
##@§$%/«¨¨                                          ¨¨«/%$§@##