#@^†=^,~.,                                          ,.~,^=†^@#
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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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