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.