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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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