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.