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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, .,¨¨-†*$#@
#@#£%%\=^. pointing. .^=\%%£#@#
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@¶§=~.¨..¨ ¨..¨.~=§¶@
@#£^~::~.. my greatest treasure, the ..~::~^£#@
@£§¤¤§=~:. book of stars, is a combined map, .:~=§¤¤§£@
###§$§:~~¨ 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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