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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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....,.,¨^~ .., ,, ¨=\», ¨. ... ~^¨,.,....
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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 $=*«,¨,¨¨¨
¨.¨,,,,~^% REORDERED, SOME NAMES I HAVE NEVER %^~,,,,¨.¨
..,¨...^»; HEARD. SOMETIMES THE DATES ARE ;»^...¨,..
.,¨¨..,¨.- IMPOSSIBLE. -.¨,..¨¨,.
,,.,,,¨..: :..¨,,,.,,
....,,,.,, THOSE PAGES ARE EXACTLY WHAT I SCRAMBLE ,,.,,,....
.¨,,..¨,,: FOR RIGHT NOW. I'VE STOPPED BREATHING. :,,¨..,,¨.
..,.,.,¨^» I SLING OPEN THE BOOK OF STARS A BIT »^¨,.,.,..
¨¨,¨.¨,:~† TOO QUICK, SPILLING ALL MY NOTES ON THE †~:,¨.¨,¨¨
.¨,.,,:»=* GROUND. ONE LANDS ON MY FOOT, IT IS A *=»:,,.,¨.
¨¨,,¨^=\%§ DRAWING OF A MUSCLE COW, BUT I COULD §%\=^¨,,¨¨
,¨,.,~^**§ CARE LESS RIGHT NOW. §**^~,.,¨,
.¨.^~†§$§# #§$§†~^.¨.
,,.~=$$#@# FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN #@#$$=~.,,
¨^~:%&@### THE SKY. ###@&%:~^¨
,.~=*%$£## ##£$%*=~.,
¨¨¨^~†*££# #££*†~^¨¨¨
¨..,.~\*¤£ £¤*\~.,..¨
,..¨¨^=;%@ @%;=^¨¨..,
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