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