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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.             ......~%¤#
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#§%~...... 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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