.......-~†                                          †~-.......
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..........          . .. ... ~~#~~ ... .. .         ..........
.........-      .  .~~~    ~ ~#~ ~    ~~~.  .       -.........
........-~         . .. ... ~~#~~ ... .. .          ~-........
.......-~†                                          †~-.......
......-~†% 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.      ~-........
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