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¨.,,¨¨.-†% 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. ~~...¨¨,¨.
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...¨¨.^-^* HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE *^-^.¨¨...
¨,.¨¨^~;%% SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND %%;~^¨¨.,¨
,,,¨.~:§$& THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, &$§:~.¨,,,
¨...«:^§@£ POINTING. £@§^:«...¨
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.¨¨..,¨,,» ,,¨ ¨¨ ¨~\~¨ ¨¨ ¨,¨ »,,¨,..¨¨.
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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 #£#¤*==,¨¨
¨,,:=*^$#£ IMPOSSIBLE. £#$^*=:,,¨
.¨.,-»=*@§ §@*=»-,.¨.
.,¨.,-»^†£ 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. ^;»^,,.,.,
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