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.