..-*^$&£##                                          ##£&$^*-..
.¨^~†^$&¶@                                          @¶&$^†~^¨.
¨¨¨.=^%£@#                                          #@£%^=.¨¨¨
¨,.¨:~*%§#                                          #§%*~:¨.,¨
,,.,,^«=*%                                          %*=«^,,.,,
.¨,.,¨~~*$ .   ^   =   †              †   »   -   , $*~~¨,.,¨.
.¨¨¨¨~~;%%  .   :   =   \            ^   »   ,   ,  %%;~~¨¨¨¨.
¨.¨,,-;%&£   .   ,   »   =          ^   ~   ,   ,   £&%;-,,¨.¨
¨¨,~~*%¤&#    ¨   ,   ~   *        †   «   ,   ¨    #&¤%*~~,¨¨
.¨~~:*%§#@                                          @#§%*:~~¨.
.,~†$£@@## 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.                     #££$=:~.,,
,.¨,=†$*¤@                                          @¤*$†=,¨.,
,..,--^%%§ for it  seems like there's a new moon in §%%^--,..,
.,.,¨^»=%% the sky.                                 %%=»^¨,.,.
,,,¨.,,»**                                          **»,,.¨,,,
...¨¨.~/§%                                          %§/~.¨¨...
¨,.,~«/$@¤                                          ¤@$/«~,.,¨
,.¨~~^=¤#¶                                          ¶#¤=^~~¨.,
,,.~=^£§£#                                          #£§£^=~.,,
¨,-/%*#@@#                                          #@@#*%/-,¨