£*-¨.,,,,¨ ¨,,,,.¨-*£
£@£$\~.¨.. ..¨.~\$£@£
##@&$%\~^¨ ¨^~\%$&@##
##%%;~.,.¨ ¨.,.~;%%##
§&*$*»«»~¨ ¨~»«»*$*&§
##@&£$*«-. . : = = \ ~ : , .-«*$£&@##
@££*==»=~, , ^ » = / » ~ , ,~=»==*££@
#@@#%%^=~. , - « : ^ « ~ ¨ .~=^%%#@@#
###@@%\~:. , , ~ * : « , ¨ .:~\%@@###
£@$^^«=.,, ,,.=«^^$@£
&%=\=«..¨, AS WE CROSS THE MOUNTAIN, WE CAN WALK ,¨..«=\=%&
##¶§¤†/=,, ONLY AT NIGHT. LONG AGO, SOMEONE HERE ,,=/†¤§¶##
@#££*%^-~, MUST'VE ANGERED THE SUN, AND TODAY IT ,~-^%*££#@
###£*§=»,. STILL BURNS US STRANGELY. BUT WITH THE .,»=§*£###
#@&*;=;-., SUNSET THE AIR COMES RAINING BACK DOWN ,.-;=;*&@#
##@#£=/«., AND GETS THICK ENOUGH TO BREATHE. IT ,.«/=£#@##
#@§=~^..¨, CARRIES WITH IT SMELLS FROM FAR AWAY, ,¨..^~=§@#
###§¤^†«^. COLOURFUL SPARKS FOR THE IMAGINATION, A .^«†^¤§###
##£#§§^»,¨ SHARP CONTRAST FOR THE STALE BLACK OF ¨,»^§§#£##
#@¤$§^\=-, 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. ¨¨¨^:,†=$¤
#%†*~¨,.¨, ,¨.,¨~*†%#
@&*»~~¨..¨ ¨..¨~~»*&@
#$†~¨,,.¨, ,¨.,,¨~†$#
###§&%^«.¨ ¨.«^%&§###
###¤£^\»^¨ ¨^»\^£¤###
####%%\~^. .^~\%%####