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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. £†/~..¨¨..
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.¨...¨,.-= 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, %;=-.¨¨¨..
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.¨.¨,¨.-~= =~-.¨,¨.¨.
.,,,,,,,^- 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. .,¨,¨¨,,.,
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