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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, ¨¨..~†%¤&£
##&$$^~,¨. COLOURFUL SPARKS FOR THE IMAGINATION, A .¨,~^$$&##
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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. ¨¨,,¨,..«^
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*§\~,.,.¨. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE .¨.,.,~\§*
£$**=,,¨,, SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND ,,¨,,=**$£
¶¤@%†=:¨¨. THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, .¨¨:=†%@¤¶
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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 .:«*%%£@##
#££$*^=^¨. CARE LESS RIGHT NOW. .¨^=^*$££#
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#¤=;«-¨,,. FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN .,,¨-«;=¤#
§=/~,.¨¨,. THE SKY. .,¨¨.,~/=§
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