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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 .--;$§£###
#@*^^=-,,, take me seriously and i fear they ,,,-=^^*@#
##@@@£;»:. snicker a bit. you usually get old .:»;£@@@##
##£@%%^=,¨ before you learn the trade enough to ¨,=^%%@£##
@###§†/~,¨ take other people. but i do lead them ¨,~/†§###@
@#£§%/=:,¨ safely forward, every night. ¨,:=/%§£#@
#@##*†\~,. .,~\†*##@#
#&¤#£%^«~. however, currently there seems to be .~«^%£#¤
#&%^~~,¨., something going on ahead. those around ,.¨,~~^%
##&==,¨.., the corner have stopped, shouting, ,..¨,==#
#@£@£^:-~¨ pointing. ¨~-:^£@£@#
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@£##£$†=^. ¨.. .. .=;~, ¨¨ ¨.. .^=†$£##£@
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##¤£¤=:~~¨ ¨¨. .¨ ¨=\~, ¨. ¨¨, ¨~~:=¤£¤##
##¶@$%*«^, ¨., ., .»:-, .. ... ,^«*%$@¶##
##¶£$%^-^¨ .¨, ¨¨ ¨»*-, ¨¨ .¨. ¨^-^%$£¶##
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##@¤£*:«^. my greatest treasure, the .^«:*£¤@##
#@#¤¤%/=,¨ book of stars, is a combined map, ¨,=/%¤¤#@#
##@£@%†~:¨ calendar and timepiece as long as you ¨:~†%@£@##
£#@§¤^*«.¨ know what year it is. every page is a ¨.«*^¤§@#£
§&§¤$%\-,¨ 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 ,.,,-~%$§@
#^*\†;†».¨ reordered, some names i have never ¨.»†;†\*^#
£#£%@=*=^¨ heard. sometimes the dates are ¨^=*=@%£#£
###§%^:»-, impossible. ,-»:^%§###
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#@##$*/-,. those pages are exactly what i scramble .,-/*$##@#
###&%%:~^, for right now. i've stopped breathing. ,^~:%%##
@*^*«.,.¨, i sling open the book of stars a bit ,¨.,.«*^*@
#@¶#¤%\=-. too quick, spilling all my notes on the .-=\%¤#¶@#
£@§-¨.¨.., ground. one lands on my foot, it is a ,..¨.¨-§@£
##@¤£=:».. drawing of a muscle cow, but i could ..»:=£¤@##
¶##§&%:-.. care less right now. ..-:%&§##¶
#@#¤£*;».. ..»;*£¤#@#
#@@#%=\~^¨ for it seems like there's a new moon in ¨^~\=%#@@#
@#*†*:;».¨ the sky. ¨.»;:*†*#@
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##@#$*\~:¨ ¨:~\*$#@##
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