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