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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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