~,,,¨¨,,,, ,,,,¨¨,,,~
.¨¨,.¨..¨. .¨..¨.,¨¨.
...,,,,... ...,,,,...
-,,,.,¨¨,, ,,¨¨,.,,,-
»~,,¨,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,¨,,~»
\».,.¨,..¨ ¨ ^ » ^ † ~ , . ¨..,¨.,.»\
*†«-¨.¨.¨, , , ~ = ^ = - . ,¨.¨.¨-«†*
%^=~.,,.¨. , ^ ~ * = = - , .¨.,,.~=^%
#*=^~,¨¨¨. ¨ ^ ~ \ † = , ¨ .¨¨¨,~^=*#
@#&†^~,,.¨ ¨.,,~^†&#@
##§£§\=..¨ 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. .,:==†%§£@
###&%=*~,. .,~*=%&###
@#¤%^:«^,, ,,^«:^%¤#@
##%**~..¨, ,¨..~**%##
@%^/«.¨¨., ,.¨¨.«/^%@
@†*~.¨.¨.. ..¨.¨.~*†@
§\-,,..,¨. .¨,..,,-\§