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.