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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. ,,-:%£####
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##¶¤%†:«^. 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. ...,~^%%@£
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###@¤§/~.¨ however, currently there seems to be ¨.~/§¤@###
@#¤†*-.,-¨ something going on ahead. those around ¨-,.-*†¤#@
###§@^†«:, the corner have stopped, shouting, ,:«†^@§###
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#@£¤%%;«~¨ 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. ¨-»:%%¤@@@
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###¶¤%†-.¨ for it seems like there's a new moon in ¨.-†%¤¶###
##¶£@*=»,. the sky. .,»=*@£¶##
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