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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. «,¨¨,,.,¨¨
,.,,,¨¨,== ==,¨¨,,,.,
,.,¨..-»^* 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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