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.