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