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,.,¨,^»**¤ ¤**»^,¨,.,
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¨,»;$§¤£## ¨ , = \ ^ ~ . , ##£¤§$;»,¨
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¨,.=†/$^§& as we cross the mountain, we can walk &§^$/†=.,¨
.~«/=£££## 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. @%^=,,,.,.
.,~,†*=%*£ £*%=*†,~,.
,,,¨..~;*£ £*;~..¨,,,
,.=\%@@£@# #@£@@%\=.,
.~~^*¤@# #@#&¤*^~~.
..~/\*$££# #££$*\/~..
,^~^^$£§@@ @@§£$^^~^,