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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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