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,~«/*¤£¶@# 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. ##£§¤*\«^.
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¨.»:%%¤£@# 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. ##¤%%*:-,¨
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.,»;**£### SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND ###£**;»,.
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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 @£^....,.,
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¨,~/*£¤£## 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. @¤*;:.¨,.,
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..~†§&¤#@# FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN #@#¤&§†~..
,,«^$$#@## THE SKY. ##@#$$^«,,
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