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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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