AS  WE CROSS  THE MOUNTAIN, WE  CAN WALK 
 ONLY AT  NIGHT.  LONG AGO, SOMEONE  HERE 
 MUST'VE  ANGERED  THE SUN, AND  TODAY IT 
 STILL BURNS US  STRANGELY. BUT WITH  THE 
 SUNSET  THE AIR COMES RAINING BACK  DOWN 
 AND  GETS THICK  ENOUGH TO  BREATHE.  IT 
 CARRIES WITH  IT  SMELLS FROM FAR  AWAY, 
 COLOURFUL SPARKS FOR  THE IMAGINATION, A 
 SHARP  CONTRAST  FOR THE  STALE BLACK OF 
 THE NIGHT.                               
                                          
 THE OTHERS  THINK I'M YOUNG,  THEY DON'T 
 TAKE  ME  SERIOUSLY  AND   I  FEAR  THEY 
 SNICKER  A  BIT.  YOU  USUALLY  GET  OLD 
 BEFORE  YOU  LEARN  THE  TRADE ENOUGH TO 
 TAKE OTHER PEOPLE.  BUT  I DO  LEAD THEM 
 SAFELY     FORWARD,     EVERY     NIGHT. 
                                          
 HOWEVER,  CURRENTLY  THERE  SEEMS TO  BE 
 SOMETHING GOING ON  AHEAD.  THOSE AROUND 
 THE  CORNER   HAVE   STOPPED,  SHOUTING, 
 POINTING.                                
                                          
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                                          
 MY GREATEST TREASURE, THE                
 BOOK OF STARS,   IS   A  COMBINED   MAP, 
 CALENDAR AND  TIMEPIECE AS  LONG AS  YOU 
 KNOW  WHAT YEAR IT  IS.  EVERY PAGE IS A 
 GRID  OF  NINE STARFIELDS,  HAND  DRAWN, 
 BELOW  WHICH  ARE WRITTEN COORDINATES IN 
 BOTH  SPACE  AND  TIME. A  LOT OF  IT IS 
 APPLICABLE  ON  EARTH,  BUT NOT ALL.  IT 
 HINTS  OF  OTHER  PLACES  -  SOME  STARS 
 REORDERED,  SOME   NAMES  I  HAVE  NEVER 
 HEARD.   SOMETIMES    THE   DATES    ARE 
 IMPOSSIBLE.                              
                                          
 THOSE PAGES ARE EXACTLY  WHAT I SCRAMBLE 
 FOR  RIGHT  NOW. I'VE STOPPED BREATHING. 
 I  SLING OPEN  THE BOOK  OF  STARS A BIT 
 TOO QUICK, SPILLING ALL MY NOTES ON  THE 
 GROUND. ONE LANDS  ON  MY FOOT,  IT IS A 
 DRAWING  OF A MUSCLE COW,  BUT  I  COULD 
 CARE LESS RIGHT NOW.                     
                                          
 FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW  MOON IN 
 THE SKY.