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.