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