%†*»^¨.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.¨^»*†%
*^-^,¨.¨., ,.¨.¨,^-^*
§§\«~..¨.. ..¨..~«\§§
@$§=~^,,¨, ,¨,,^~=§$@
#¤&%\»,.,. .,.,»\%&¤#
#£§£*;»^,. ¨ ^ ~ = \ » . , .,^»;*£§£#
###§%%^~,. ¨ , « / : » ~ , .,~^%%§###
#@&**\-.,¨ . ^ = ^ \ » . . ¨,.-\**&@#
#&§%\~,.¨, ¨ ~ » = / = , ¨ ,¨.,~\%§
£@*\«~¨.,¨ ¨,.¨~«\*@£
%%/=,,¨.¨¨ 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 ¨...:-;*%¤
$$†»,...¨. DRAWING OF A MUSCLE COW, BUT I COULD .¨...,»†$$
$:~,.,,,., CARE LESS RIGHT NOW. ,.,,,.,~:$
£%/«~,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,~«/%£
#$%*~^¨.¨¨ FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN ¨¨.¨^~*%$#
#@@$†»~¨¨¨ THE SKY. ¨¨¨~»†$@@#
#¶@**/=.,¨ ¨,.=/**@¶#
###@$=/~^¨ ¨^~/=$@###
#@§$*\~,,¨ ¨,,~\*$§@#
¶@%†^~:¨¨. .¨¨:~^†%@¶
&$^*=,¨.,¨ ¨,.¨,=*^$&
£=;«-.,¨,¨ ¨,¨,.-«;=£