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.