.¨,¨-~†^§# #§^†~-¨,¨.
,,¨¨¨,~/$@ @$/~,¨¨¨,,
¨.,¨:«\§§# #§§\«:¨,.¨
¨.,,«=$%¤# #¤%$=«,,.¨
.,^»/†$&£@ @£&$†/»^,.
.~~=†&£@@# ¨ . ~ † † ~ ^ . #@@£&†=~~.
¨,,«*$&£¶# , , « † * » - , #¶£&$*«,,¨
¨.,.«/*££# , , « † = ~ , ¨ #££*/«.,.¨
¨..¨~»:*%& . - - ; † ~ : ¨ &%*:»~¨..¨
,,,.¨.«:*£ £*:«.¨.,,,
¨¨,,,»/* 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 #&%*\~,,,.
.,.,.~†=$& THE SKY. &$=†~.,.,.
¨,,,¨.=/*¤ ¤*/=.¨,,,¨
,,¨.^»=§%¤ ¤%§=»^.¨,,
¨.,.=\*%#£ £#%*\=.,.¨
..,=\^§@#@ @#@§^\=,..
,:-;*§&¶@# #@¶&§*;-:,
,,.«†*%£## ##£%*†«.,,