..«\^*¤@## ##@¤*^\«..
.«\^*¤@### ###@¤*^\«.
.....\^^*@ @*^^\.....
..«\^*¤¤¤¤ ¤¤¤¤*^\«..
..«\^*¤@## ##@¤*^\«..
.......\^¤ ................ ¤^\.......
....\\\**¤ 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. ###@*^\«..
..«\^*¤@## ##@¤*^\«..
.......\*¤ ¤*\.......
..«\^*¤@## ##@¤*^\«..
..«\^*¤@## ##@¤*^\«..
...««^**¤¤ ¤¤**^««...
..«\^*@### ###@*^\«..