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.