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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. ,,¨,¨..¨.,
¨¨,,,,.,.~ ~.,.,,,,¨¨
.¨¨¨.¨.¨,» HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE »,¨.¨.¨¨¨.
..,,,¨¨:«* SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND *«:¨¨,,,..
¨..,.,~«=$ THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, $=«~,.,..¨
¨¨,¨¨:«/†¤ POINTING. ¤†/«:¨¨,¨¨
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,.¨.,¨--/= .,. ¨, .-/=, ,, ,,. =/--¨,.¨.,
¨,¨,,¨¨~-† †-~¨¨,,¨,¨
¨,,,..,¨-= MY GREATEST TREASURE, THE =-¨,..,,,¨
¨¨..,.¨..: BOOK OF STARS, IS A COMBINED MAP, :..¨.,..¨¨
,,,,,¨,,,¨ CALENDAR AND TIMEPIECE AS LONG AS YOU ¨,,,¨,,,,,
,,,,..¨¨.. KNOW WHAT YEAR IT IS. EVERY PAGE IS A ..¨¨..,,,,
,,,¨¨..... GRID OF NINE STARFIELDS, HAND DRAWN, .....¨¨,,,
.,..¨,..¨~ BELOW WHICH ARE WRITTEN COORDINATES IN ~¨..,¨..,.
¨¨¨¨,.¨,.- BOTH SPACE AND TIME. A LOT OF IT IS -.,¨.,¨¨¨¨
¨,.¨,¨.^=\ APPLICABLE ON EARTH, BUT NOT ALL. IT \=^.¨,¨.,¨
,,¨,,¨,=*^ HINTS OF OTHER PLACES - SOME STARS ^*=,¨,,¨,,
,.,¨¨:»^%% REORDERED, SOME NAMES I HAVE NEVER %%^»:¨¨,.,
.,¨¨-~\§$£ 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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