§§*«-¨.¨..                                          ..¨.¨-«*§§
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#£&£§%:»:,                                          ,:»:%§£&£#
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##%$^:-,¨¨ .   ,   -   ;              /   ~   ~   ¨ ¨¨,-:^$%##
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#@#§&*/»-,   ¨   ,   -   ;          ;   «   ,   ¨   ,-»/*&§#@#
###&&*:=-.    ,   ,   =   †        †   »   :   ¨    .-=:*&&###
#@@#£=;«^,                                          ,^«;=£#@@#
##@&$*\~., as we cross  the  mountain,  we can walk ,.~\*$&@##
##@@&§\=~, 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.                                .,¨¨.,«§^¤
#@#¤%*;=^¨                                          ¨^=;*%¤#@#
#@@&£**-.¨ .¨¨ .. ,«=«¨ ,¨ ¨,,                      ¨.-**£&@@#
££$%%=^-^. ,.. ¨¨ .~†«. ,¨ .,.                      .^-^=%%$££
##£££$/~,, ,,. ,¨ .~†». .¨ ,¨¨                      ,,~/$£££##
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@¤£†»,..¨, ,,, ,¨ ¨~:«, .¨ ¨.,                      ,¨..,»†£¤@
###@¤%:~,, ,., ., ¨=\~¨ ¨. ¨..                      ,,~:%¤@###
¤¤@§*^.¨., ... ¨¨ ,-:-, ., ,.,                      ,.¨.^*§@¤¤
#&§*%/~..¨ ,,¨ ., .~*~, ,. ,.¨                      ¨..~/%*§&#
###@£§*«,¨                                          ¨,«*§£@###
#@¶@£=:--¨ 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.                                 ¨:»;†$§@@#
####$%==,,                                          ,,==%$####
###&$^/-:.                                          .:-/^$&###
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#¤¤&%«~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~«%&¤¤#