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