*^~,.¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨.,~^*
%%*~.,.¨¨. .¨¨.,.~*%%
¤£=*»,,¨¨, ,¨¨,,»*=£¤
@§§**=^¨.. ..¨^=**§§@
##£¤^/~:,, ,,:~/^¤£##
##@@$$^~:, , , » = ^ ~ , ¨ ,:~^$$@@##
#£¤%†^=.., ¨ ~ » ; ^ » : . ,..=^†%¤£#
@¤***-,¨,¨ ¨ ~ ~ \ ; = , , ¨,¨,-***¤@
#@†\»:¨¨¨. , ^ - = = « : , .¨¨¨:»\†@#
&†=~.,,.., ,..,,.~=†&
*/=.,,..¨, 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 ¨..,=†$%@#
#&=\~^,,¨¨ FOR RIGHT NOW. I'VE STOPPED BREATHING. ¨¨,,^~\=
%%/-:,.¨.. I SLING OPEN THE BOOK OF STARS A BIT ..¨.,:-/%%
^^«^,,.¨., TOO QUICK, SPILLING ALL MY NOTES ON THE ,.¨.,,^«^^
^~-¨,.¨,,. GROUND. ONE LANDS ON MY FOOT, IT IS A .,,¨.,¨-~^
«-¨.¨¨¨,¨¨ DRAWING OF A MUSCLE COW, BUT I COULD ¨¨,¨¨¨.¨-«
^.,..¨.¨¨, CARE LESS RIGHT NOW. ,¨¨.¨..,.^
~-,¨,¨..., ,...¨,¨,-~
†~:,,..,¨. FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN .¨,..,,:~†
%\«-.,,.., THE SKY. ,..,,.-«\%
¤†:«,¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨,«:†¤
&&†/~^¨¨¨. .¨¨¨^~/†&&
¶@£=:»,¨¨. .¨¨,»:=£@¶
###@%\--., ,.--\%@###
##@§&%=«,. .,«=%&§@##
#£§$†\»^¨¨ ¨¨^»\†$§£#