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