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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. ¨,~;%@£@##
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@#%;/^^¨.. 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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@%$;=^,¨¨, my greatest treasure, the ,¨¨,^=;$%@
###£$*:~,. book of stars, is a combined map, .,~:*$£###
#§†$-~,.,¨ calendar and timepiece as long as you ¨,.,~-$†§#
##¶#£$*~,, know what year it is. every page is a ,,~*$£#¶##
@#**^«,.,. 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 .,,¨¨.~~^#
#§$:;†,.,, reordered, some names i have never ,,.,†;:$§#
##@#£$:~., heard. sometimes the dates are ,.~:$£#@##
##¶¤¤$:=~¨ impossible. ¨~=:$¤¤¶##
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#@#&%†;~.. 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 .,-†%#####
¤$§*~-¨.¨. care less right now. .¨.¨-~*§$¤
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#££%=\:=-¨ for it seems like there's a new moon in ¨-=:\=%££#
£$=,¨¨.... the sky. ....¨¨,=$£
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