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.