£$%%«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«%%$£
#$*«,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,«*$#
@£#$*,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,*$#£@
£$$%%*,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,*%%$$£
£#$%**,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,**%$#£
###$%««¨¨¨          ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ««#«« ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨         ¨¨¨««%$###
@@£#$%*«,¨      ¨  ¨«««    « «#« «    «««¨  ¨       ¨,«*%$#£@@
@#%****«,¨          ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨¨ ««#«« ¨¨¨ ¨¨ ¨         ¨,«****%#@
££$%%*,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,*%%$££
###$**,,¨¨ a secret roundabout: in what used to be  ¨¨,,**$###
#@£#$%*«,¨  brazil or china. fenced in, secluded by ¨,«*%$#£@#
#$%«¨¨¨¨¨¨  special plants growing unusually tall.  ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%$#
#@£#$%*«,¨    spelled in by purposeful symmetry,    ¨,«*%$#£@#
£#%%%%*«,¨     roads like symbols, aligned with     ¨,«*%%%%#£
£££#$%*«,¨  ley lines. dialed in with well-rounded  ¨,«*%$#£££
£$%**,,¨¨¨             gps coordinates.             ¨¨¨,,**%$£
@#%«¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%#@
£$$%*««,¨¨              ¨¨¨ , * , ¨¨¨               ¨¨,««*%$$£
#$$%««¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨««%$$#
##£#$%*«,¨   a dangerous game: the roundabout is    ¨,«*%$#£##
££$****«,¨  important to some large constellation   ¨,«****$££
@@£#$%*«,¨       of intents and bureaucracies.      ¨,«*%$#£@@
£$**«¨¨¨¨¨ governments and companies are creatures  ¨¨¨¨¨«**$£
##@#$%*«,¨     in a way. yet people sneak small     ¨,«*%$#@##
@#$*,,,,¨¨   between their claws, and hide in the   ¨¨,,,,*$#@
#@£#$%*«,¨     roadside bushes. they wait there.    ¨,«*%$#£@#
£#%%%**«,¨                                          ¨,«**%%%#£
@£$*,,¨¨¨¨   vehicles approach; the game is on -    ¨¨¨¨,,*$£@
##@£$%*«,¨   quickly the people assemble in well    ¨,«*%$£@##
#$$%%*««,¨ practiced geometries. their bodies make  ¨,««*%%$$#
#@£#$%*«,¨  counter-spells on the asphalt. traffic  ¨,«*%$#£@#
£$%*«««¨¨¨   is instantly diverted, flows in sick   ¨¨¨«««*%$£
£#$%%«««,¨  ways, like dogs let loose. symmetry is  ¨,«««%%$#£
##%«¨¨¨¨¨¨                   lost.                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%##
#@£#$%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%$#£@#
@££#$%*«,¨ cars are ejected into the greens. ships  ¨,«*%$#££@
#@£#$%*«,¨     collide. there are many kinds of     ¨,«*%$#£@#
##@£#$%*«,      casualties, on both sides. the      ,«*%$#£@##
@##%««¨¨¨¨    spellmakers will not come home. it    ¨¨¨¨««%##@
@£$*«,¨¨¨¨   sickens me, this physical reality of   ¨¨¨¨,«*$£@
##$*,¨¨¨¨¨  it, but the cause is just. i sneak back ¨¨¨¨¨,*$##
@£$**««,¨¨      over the fense, heading south.      ¨¨,««**$£@
#@£#$%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%$#£@#
@###$%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%$###@
@£$%««,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,««%$£@
@@£#$%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%$#£@@
£££#$%*«,¨                                          ¨,«*%$#£££