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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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###¤*$*=,, ¨., ., .«^=¨ ¨. ¨¨¨ ,,=*$*¤###
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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. ¨,.,~~»~†¤
¤§~,,¨,,¨. .¨,,¨,,~§¤
#£==§%\=:, for it seems like there's a new moon in ,:=\%§==£#
¤*§=*/:.¨. the sky. .¨.:/*=§*¤
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