¶@@*§†:~^¨ ¨^~:†§*@@¶
##@£%**«^, ,^«**%£@##
&@@†=,¨... ...¨,=†@@&
£¶$%^»^..¨ ¨..^»^%$¶£
@#$†:,,,.¨ ¨.,,,:†$#@
#@#£%%†~~¨ ¨ , « : * = , , ¨~~†%%£#@#
#@¶@%†*~:¨ . , ~ = * - ~ , ¨:~*†%@¶@#
#£*†~,,..¨ , ~ ~ / ; - . , ¨..,,~†*£#
@£%~~~¨,,. , ^ « = = = - , .,,¨~~~%£@
##@§¤*/~.¨ ¨.~/*¤§@##
#§**§:*«:, 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. ¨:~*§£@¶##
#$$%:=.,¨. .¨,.=:%$$#
@@##£%\~-¨ ¨-~\%£##@@
@§@#§*\-,, ,,-\*§#@§@
#@@§$%\«:. .:«\%$§@@#
£%£\*,¨.¨, ,¨.¨,*\£%£
#@*=.¨,¨.¨ ¨.¨,¨.=*@#