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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. ,,~\=%#@##
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££¤$«».¨¨¨ the others think i'm young, they don't ¨¨¨.»«$¤££
##@&§**~-¨ 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. ¨,-†*%&@##
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#¶#@%§\»~. 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 ¨^=†^@@¶##
¶¶#@¤$/-,. care less right now. .,-/$¤@#¶¶
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#@££$%;~.. for it seems like there's a new moon in ..~;%$££@#
££%@§^,,¨. the sky. .¨,,^§@%££
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