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