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.