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.