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.