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,,-\†*@#@#                                          #@#@*†\-,,
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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.                                @££*$/-:.¨
.~«/%£####                                          ####£%/«~.
-=^†$§@@## ,¨. ¨, ,~;-¨ ,, ¨¨,                      ##@@§$†^=-
,-=**$¤@## ¨.¨ ,. ¨-*»¨ .. ,.,                      ##@¤$**=-,
.,~=^%*#£# ¨,, ,, ,»^=¨ ., ,.,                      #£#*%^=~,.
¨:-†%£&#@# ¨,. ¨. .-\-. .¨ .¨¨                      #@#&£%†-:¨
.~†%@§#@## ¨.¨ .. ¨»*«. .. ,¨.                      ##@#§@%†~.
,-~;§$&@## ¨., ,¨ ,»^-, ,, .,¨                      ##@&$§;~-,
¨,.=^*@£@# ¨¨, .¨ ¨»\=¨ ¨¨ .¨¨                      #@£@*^=.,¨
,.~\$£@#@# ,,¨ .. ,~:-, .¨ ,.,                      #@#@£$\~.,
,-*^¤§#@##                                          ##@#§¤^*-,
,,«=^&§@## 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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.,^»/$$@¶@                                          @¶@$$/»^,.
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