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