@§§---¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨---§§@
@*;-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-;*@
@§;;-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-;;§@
##@@*§;--¨                                          ¨--;§*@@##
@§-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-§@
#@*§§§;--¨             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨--;§§§*@#
###@@*§;--             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.          ¨¨¨¨-;;§*@
@§;--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--;§@
##@@*§;--¨                                          ¨--;§*@@##
@@@@*§;--¨                                          ¨--;§*@@@@
##@@*§;--¨                                          ¨--;§*@@##
@*;-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-;*@
@@*§§;-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-;§§*@@