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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 .,,^»=$$£#
#@@*=†=-¨¨ something going on ahead. those around ¨¨-=†=*@@#
##£&&%†=~¨ the corner have stopped, shouting, ¨~=†%&&£##
#@@$*\~:¨¨ pointing. ¨¨:~\*$@@#
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##§%==~^,, ,,^~==%§##
##@££†\~~. my greatest treasure, the .~~\†££@##
##@£%;~^.. book of stars, is a combined map, ..^~;%£@##
¶§£^;»,.¨¨ calendar and timepiece as long as you ¨¨.,»;^£§¶
@¤*=~~,,,¨ know what year it is. every page is a ¨,,,~~=*¤@
#£§%*«,¨,. grid of nine starfields, hand drawn, .,¨,«*%§£#
##&$=;=^., below which are written coordinates in ,.^=;=$#
##@#%$†~~, both space and time. a lot of it is ,~~†$%#@##
#@£$†=~:¨¨ applicable on earth, but not all. it ¨¨:~=†$£@#
#¤§==«^¨.. hints of other places - some stars ..¨^«==§¤#
#$§\«.¨.¨, reordered, some names i have never ,¨.¨.«\§$#
£¤£†;»-¨.¨ heard. sometimes the dates are ¨.¨-»;†£¤£
###%=/~:¨. impossible. .¨:~/=%###
##@@§%*«.¨ ¨.«*%§@@##
#¶£§%;»-.. those pages are exactly what i scramble ..-»;%§£¶#
££$$:~:¨,¨ 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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