..,^~\^&## ##&^\~^,..
.,.¨,=\§@& &@§\=,¨.,.
,.,~~;$£££ £££$;~~,.,
,.--;%&### ###&%;--.,
,,«^^*&@@# #@@&*^^«,,
..~=*%$¤£@ , , = = / ~ - . @£¤$%*=~..
¨¨,,»:*§#£ ¨ - - = ; = - . £#§*:»,,¨¨
¨,¨.~~†=*& . - ~ † ; ~ , . &*=†~~.¨,¨
,¨¨.»:%*&# ¨ , = ; = « : ¨ #&*%:».¨¨,
.¨,~;%*£¶@ @¶£*%;~,¨.
¨:~:%$@### as we cross the mountain, we can walk ###@$%:~:¨
,.,»;§£§## 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 #@§*%\»^¨.
,^-:$$§@@# the sky. #@@§$$:-^,
¨,:~:%%@@# #@@%%:~:,¨
¨¨¨-»/*§#£ £#§*/»-¨¨¨
¨¨,.-»*$¤£ £¤$*»-.,¨¨
.,,~»=%@¤# #¤@%=»~,,.
,.^»\*&§## ##§&*\»^.,
¨--†^@&@## ##@&@^†--¨