#@¶¤%††»,,                                          ,,»††%¤¶@#
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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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#@#@&%\-:¨ ,¨¨ ¨, ,-:-, ¨, ¨¨,                      ¨:-\%&@#@#
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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.                              ,,¨,.,~*¤¶
@£§»...¨..                                          ..¨...»§£@
§%†-..¨.¨, 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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#@¶§$%\»^,                                          ,^»\%$§¶@#
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