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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. ..=;^%¤£@#
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#£$£^†,~,. those pages are exactly what i scramble .,~,†^£$£#
#@£#%%^»:. 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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