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.