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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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