#@#*††~~..                                          ..~~††*#@#
##@#%*†~..                                          ..~†*%#@##
@##***†~..                                          ..~†***##@
##@#%*†~..                                          ..~†*%#@##
#*†~~~~~..                                          ..~~~~~†*#
##@#%*†~..          . .. ... ~~#~~ ... .. .         ..~†*%#@##
@##*†.....       .  .~~~    ~ ~#~ ~    ~~~.  .      .....†*##@
#***~.....         . .. ... ~~#~~ ... .. .          .....~***#
##@#%*†~..                                          ..~†*%#@##
#%†.......  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.      .....~††*#
##@#%*†~..                                          ..~†*%#@##
#@##%*†~..                                          ..~†*%##@#
#%%††~....                                          ....~††%%#
##@#%*†~..                                          ..~†*%#@##
####%*†~..                                          ..~†*%####