.,..,~**$@                                          @$**~,..,.
.,,:«*^$§#                                          #§$^*«:,,.
¨¨,»†=&@@#                                          #@@&=†»,¨¨
,.=;^$¤@##                                          ##@¤$^;=.,
,,,~^§&@##                                          ##@&§^~,,,
....»=§*## .   .   »   /              ;   ~   ,   . ##*§=»....
.,..~»=*§@  ¨   ^   «   :            ^   -   :   ¨  @§*=»~..,.
..¨¨,^»;=%   .   ^   -   *          †   ~   ,   ,   %=;»^,¨¨..
,¨,¨,-*%*#    .   -   -   *        /   «   :   .    #*%*-,¨,¨,
¨.,,«\*$§@                                          @§$*\«,,.¨
¨.:=;^$£@# as we  cross the  mountain,  we can walk #@£$^;=:.¨
¨,«=%%@@## 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 #@¤$=:~...
,~~;†££@## ground. one lands on  my  foot, it is  a ##@££†;~~,
,,~-=^%§@# drawing of  a  muscle cow,  but i  could #@§%^=-~,,
,,,,~=§@&@ care less right now.                     @&@§=~,,,,
.¨¨¨.-:†§¤                                          ¤§†:-.¨¨¨.
,¨,¨¨.~:*% for it seems like  there's a new moon in %*:~.¨¨,¨,
¨¨¨,,»;†%¤ the sky.                                 ¤%†;»,,¨¨¨
¨¨,:»;%£#@                                          @#£%;»:,¨¨
¨.,-/=&¤@#                                          #@¤&=/-,.¨
..~^*$§@##                                          ##@§$*^~..
..,«*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*«,..
¨.,,-;$£##                                          ##£$;-,,.¨
..,¨~»†$£¤                                          ¤£$†»~¨,..