###&¤†\«,¨                                          ¨,«\†¤&###
##¶&¤†\«,¨                                          ¨,«\†¤&¶##
##¶&¤†\«,¨                                          ¨,«\†¤&¶##
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##¶&¤†\«,¨                                          ¨,«\†¤&¶##
##¶&¤†\«,¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨,«\†¤&¶##
&¤\,¨¨¨¨¨¨             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ¨¨¨¨¨¨,\¤&
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&†«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«†&
###&¤†\«,¨ 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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¶¶¶&¤†\«,¨                                          ¨,«\†¤&¶¶¶
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##¶&¤†\«,¨                                          ¨,«\†¤&¶##
##¶&¤†\«,¨                                          ¨,«\†¤&¶##