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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. ¤$*;«,,,,.
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.,.,.¨.=†$ 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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