§%%=~:¨,.,                                          ,.,¨:~=%%§
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#@¶¤§=;«:¨                                          ¨:«;=§¤¶@#
#@#%$;~..,                                          ,..~;$%#@#
#£¤%:~,¨.. .   ~   «   =              \   «   ,   ¨ ..¨,~:%¤£#
&£*†«,..,.  ¨   ,   =   =            *   ~   .   .  .,..,«†*£&
&†/»,.¨.,,   ¨   ,   =   ;          =   =   ,   ,   ,,.¨.,»/†&
$/=^,..¨,.    ¨   .   »   ^        *   »   ,   ¨    .,¨..,^=/$
^-,.¨¨,¨,¨                                          ¨,¨,¨¨.,-^
§*«-¨,¨.,, 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.                                ,,¨,,,~=%&
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/«^,¨...¨. .¨¨ ., .=^~. ,. .¨¨                      .¨...¨,^«/
%=«~¨¨,.¨. ¨., ,, ¨»=~. ., ..,                      .¨.,¨¨~«=%
$=\~,..¨.. ,., ¨. ,-\»¨ .¨ ...                      ..¨..,~\=$
#£*^=:.¨,, .¨. .. ,»=-, ,. .,,                      ,,¨.:=^*£#
@@&$/~.,,. .¨. ¨, ¨»^=¨ ¨¨ .¨¨                      .,,.~/$&@@
#@¤$%:=:., ,., ,. ¨»*~¨ ¨¨ ,¨,                      ,.:=:%$¤@#
#@##**:~,. .,. .. ¨=;». ,¨ ¨¨,                      .,~:**##@#
@#£@%†-,., ¨,¨ ,. ¨«:~. .¨ ,¨¨                      ,.,-†%@£#@
£@§%;~,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,~;%§@£
£@$/«,.¨.¨ my greatest treasure, the                ¨.¨.,«/$@£
$%;~,¨.¨,¨ book of stars,   is   a   combined  map, ¨,¨.¨,~;%$
*;-^.,.,,. 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 ,.,.^=;=%@
#§$%†»,..¨ care less right now.                     ¨..,»†%$§#
##&$=;~,..                                          ..,~;=$&##
#@#££$\«.. for it seems like  there's a new moon in ..«\$££#@#
@@§%^†=.., the sky.                                 ,..=†^%§@@
@¤¤$*»^,,¨                                          ¨,,^»*$¤¤@
¤£$†-^¨..,                                          ,..¨^-†$£¤
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:«^.,¨¨¨,¨                                          ¨,¨¨¨,.^«:
$*»..,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,..»*$