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.