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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. .¨,,.,¨.,,
,.¨¨¨.,,¨, ,¨,,.¨¨¨.,
,,¨¨.¨,¨¨¨ 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 $\«,,¨.¨,.
¨.¨..,»†*£ HEARD. SOMETIMES THE DATES ARE £*†»,..¨.¨
..¨,^=:=%# IMPOSSIBLE. #%=:=^,¨..
,.,~«*^$§@ @§$^*«~,.,
¨¨~«:†£¤## THOSE PAGES ARE EXACTLY WHAT I SCRAMBLE ##¤£†:«~¨¨
,:==*$£@## 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. .,.¨.¨¨,..
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