*%*»..¨,¨. .¨,¨..»*%*
*:=-.¨,,,¨ ¨,,,¨.-=:*
†~,¨,.¨,¨, ,¨,¨.,¨,~†
~-¨...¨,.. ..,¨...¨-~
\«-.,¨.,¨, ,¨,.¨,.-«\
*†«^.,¨¨.¨ , ^ - : † « ~ ¨ ¨.¨¨,.^«†*
%§\~~¨,¨,. , ~ ~ ^ * » . . .,¨,¨~~\§%
#$%†«.,.¨, ¨ - = ; = « ^ . ,¨.,.«†%$#
@@£%=~:,¨. ¨ ^ ~ / / ~ - . .¨,:~=%£@@
#¶&$%*-.¨. .¨.-*%$&¶#
#@££*=/-^¨ 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 .¨.,,=^^&@
#¤$%==,,,. THE SKY. .,,,==%$¤#
#£§*$=«~¨, ,¨~«=$*§£#
##@#@%^»-, ,-»^%@#@##
#@¤£†=-^., ,.^-=†£¤@#
¶¤£*/-,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,-/*£¤¶
&$**-:..,. .,..:-**$&
£%*~,,,,., ,.,,,,~*%£