%*†=^¨,,., ,.,,¨^=†*%
£%%*«^,¨., ,.¨,^«*%%£
#&@*=~,.¨¨ ¨¨.,~=*@&#
#¶¤£†;~,,¨ ¨,,~;†£¤¶#
#@@££%*«-. .-«*%££@@#
@@#$^^«^¨¨ . , ~ ^ : « ^ , ¨¨^«^^$#@@
@@&*^=~.,¨ ¨ , » * * = . , ¨,.~=^*&@@
£%%*»~,... , , « / : » ^ . ...,~»*%%£
§§*~:,.¨,, . : » : † » ^ , ,,¨.,:~*§§
§=»:,,,.¨. .¨.,,,:»=§
^-,¨¨¨,,,¨ 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. ,~»^$@####
@£@£$;~~,, ,,~~;$£@£@
£¤@*;~-¨,¨ ¨,¨-~;*@¤£
&&%/«,,¨,. .,¨,,«/%&&
%^^~~¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨~~^^%
$=~~.,,,,, ,,,,,.~~=$
==,,¨,.,,. .,,.,¨,,==