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.