,..,.¨.-~†                                          †~-.¨.,..,
.¨.,.,.-†%                                          %†-.,.,.¨.
¨.¨.¨,»=*£                                          £*=»,¨.¨.¨
.¨,,.~^%$@                                          @$%^~.,,¨.
...~»\=$¤¶                                          ¶¤$=\»~...
,.:~;†%&£# ,   ~   -   /              /   »   .   , #£&%†;~:.,
.,~**%&¶##  .   ,   ~   :            :   -   -   ¨  ##¶&%**~,.
.¨,«*†*££#   .   ,   =   /          †   ~   .   .   #££*†*«,¨.
.¨¨:=:†£#@    ,   ,   »   ;        /   ~   ^   ,    @#£†:=:¨¨.
..,¨,-:$%§                                          §%$:-,¨,..
¨.¨¨,:«^*$ 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 &$*†»^¨,.¨
¨¨¨~=\*§@# the sky.                                 #@§*\=~¨¨¨
¨¨,»†$&@@#                                          #@@&$†»,¨¨
¨^-^%@§###                                          ###§@%^-^¨
¨.~«;$£&¶#                                          #¶&£$;«~.¨
¨,¨:~\†*¤@                                          @¤*†\~:¨,¨
¨.¨,^~/*@¤                                          ¤@*/~^,¨.¨
...,,~~\*§                                          §*\~~,,...