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@@£¤%*/«.,                                          ,.«/*%¤£@@
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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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#§§%§==¨..                                          ..¨==§%§§#