...^-*^$§# #§$^*-^...
,¨:«†=%# ##&%=†«:¨,
.~-*=§¤@@# #@@¤§=*-~.
¨.^==*%£@# #@£%*==^.¨
,¨.,»\$%@# #@%$\»,.¨,
.,.,^~=*£# . ~ - ; * = , . #£*=~^,.,.
¨.....~^=$ . ~ « = * ~ , , $=^~.....¨
,,,..¨:~\% . ~ ~ / * - . , %\~:¨..,,,
¨,¨,,,,:=^ . ~ = * / ~ - ¨ ^=:,,,,¨,¨
,¨¨.,¨-»\^ ^\»-¨,.¨¨,
,....,-^†* as we cross the mountain, we can walk *†^-,....,
¨.,¨~»\%*§ only at night. long ago, someone here §*%\»~¨,.¨
¨,,.~/§*¤£ must've angered the sun, and today it £¤*§/~.,,¨
¨.:~††@&@# still burns us strangely. but with the #@&@††~:.¨
¨,~;*%£#@# sunset the air comes raining back down #@#£%*;~,¨
¨¨^==§%£## and gets thick enough to breathe. it ##£%§==^¨¨
¨.¨^~†*§¤@ carries with it smells from far away, @¤§*†~^¨.¨
¨,.,,~;^$§ 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. #§%%;~-,,¨
,.,,^~†%£& &£%†~^,,.,
.¨¨.,^~:^¤ ¤^:~^,.¨¨.
.,,¨,..=;† †;=..,¨,,.
¨.¨.¨.,.«* *«.,.¨.¨.¨
,.,,¨.-=;† †;=-.¨,,.,
...,¨.~\=£ £=\~.¨,...