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