..«†**@@@#                                          #@@@**†«..
..«†**@@@@                                          @@@@**†«..
.....«*@@@                                          @@@*«.....
.......†*@                                          @*†.......
..«†**@@##                                          ##@@**†«..
..«†**@@##             ................             ##@@**†«..
..«†**@@@#             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.          @@**««....
...«««***@                                          @***«««...
..«†**@@@#                                          #@@@**†«..
..«†**@@@@                                          @@@@**†«..
..«†**@@##                                          ##@@**†«..
..«†**@@@#                                          #@@@**†«..
......†*@@                                          @@*†......