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.