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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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