##££$*;-,.                                          .,-;*$££##
@@§@$\~,¨,                                          ,¨,~\$@§@@
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§£†\»^,,,¨                                          ¨,,,^»\†£§
&*=~^,,.,¨                                          ¨,.,,^~=*&
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#@#¤=\~,.,                                          ,.,~\=¤#@#
##@£%§;=:, as we  cross the mountain,  we  can walk ,:=;§%£@##
#£¤$*;«,,, 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.                                ¨¨^-\=¤§@#
¶¤£†;~~.,.                                          .,.~~;†£¤¶
@£†/»-¨¨.¨ ,,¨ .. ¨-*-, ¨, .,,                      ¨.¨¨-»/†£@
¤**«^.,¨., .¨¨ ,, ,~†=. ., ,.¨                      ,.¨,.^«**¤
%:-,¨..... .¨¨ ., .~*~. ., ,.¨                      .....¨,-:%
&%\«~¨,.,. .,, .¨ ,-\~¨ ., ¨.¨                      .,.,¨~«\%&
£&§/=,¨.¨. ,,. ,. ,»^=, ., .,.                      .¨.¨,=/§&£
#&¤^^«~,¨, ... ¨. ¨«:-. ,, .¨¨                      ,¨,~«^^¤&#
#@£@*†~,.¨ .., ,¨ .~*«, ,. ,¨.                      ¨.,~†*@£@#
##@§@*;»,. ¨., .¨ ,~/=¨ ¨, .,.                      .,»;*@§@##
#¶@*=:«,.,                                          ,.,«:=*@¶#
#§%$*«^¨,, my greatest treasure, the                ,,¨^«*$%§#
@£^=~^.¨.. 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.                                 ¨,..,-~:%§
*;~:,,¨¨.,                                          ,.¨¨,,:~;*
$=^«.¨.¨,,                                          ,,¨.¨.«^=$
&§*^»-¨.,,                                          ,,.¨-»^*§&
£££=/~,.¨¨                                          ¨¨.,~/=£££
#@&%$/«.¨,                                          ,¨.«/$%&@#
##@£$†*«-,                                          ,-«*†$£@##