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###§%†^=^. 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 .~===%¤@##
###§$†=-,. the corner have stopped, shouting, .,-=†$§###
#%$%~,¨... pointing. ...¨,~%$%#
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&$~»~:^¨,, my greatest treasure, the ,,¨^:~»~$&
#@#¤£=\»~. 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. .¨¨,,-~«^@
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##@§¤*:~,. 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. ,¨,,¨«/&&#
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##@#$§;-,¨ for it seems like there's a new moon in ¨,-;§$#@##
##@¤$%:=:¨ the sky. ¨:=:%$¤@##
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