,,,.,,¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨,,.,,,
..¨,.,.,¨¨ ¨¨,.,.,¨..
,,..¨,¨..¨ ¨..¨,¨..,,
«~¨...,¨,. .,¨,...¨~«
^«:.,.¨.., ,..¨.,.:«^
$\-~¨,¨,¨, , ^ « ^ \ ~ - ¨ ,¨,¨,¨~-\$
&%;~~¨¨..¨ ¨ , ~ ^ † » , . ¨..¨¨~~;%&
#%%/-:,,¨¨ ¨ . » ; † - , , ¨¨,,:-/%%#
¶££=/~~¨., , , - † * ~ - , ,.¨~~/=££¶
@#£$=^~,.. ..,~^=$£#@
#@#@¤*/-,, AS WE CROSS THE MOUNTAIN, WE CAN WALK ,,-/*¤@#@#
#£#$§^»:,. 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 ,¨^~\%¤@¶#
##£#£$=«-¨ THE SKY. ¨-«=$£#£##
#@££%†--,, ,,--†%££@#
#@$*^-.,¨. .¨,.-^*$@#
¤$*^-:,.., ,..,:-^*$¤
&*;~,...¨. .¨...,~;*&
%^=..¨¨¨.. ..¨¨¨..=^%
/~^...,,.¨ ¨.,,...^~/