##@#%†/»,¨                                          ¨,»/†%#@##
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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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##¤$*%†«,¨ ¨., ,¨ ,~†«, ,, .,.                      ¨,«†%*$¤##
@@£¤£%/=:.                                          .:=/%£¤£@@
@@*§~»,,.. 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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