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.