.¨¨.¨^†§*@ @*§†^¨.¨¨.
.:«:%§§### ###§§%:«:.
,,~;*£§¶#@ @#¶§£*;~,,
.--:*%## ###&%*:--.
¨^»;%*¤*@£ £@*¤*%;»^¨
..,.¨,;£@@ ¨ - = ; ; » : , @@£;,¨.,..
,~\*£##### , - ~ * \ ~ . . #####£*\~,
¨:~=~^*¤#& , ^ - = : - : , ¤*^~=~:¨
.--;*£#### . ^ - / ^ - . . ####£*;--.
,.,,,¨=**& &**=¨,,,.,
¨~=^*££### 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. ##@§&%;~,.
,^»;=¤§*@£ £@*§¤=;»^,
.^~;†$££@# #@££$†;~^.
,^-*^&¤@## ##@¤&^*-^,
,~»*$¤§#@# #@#§¤$*»~,
,.,,¨¨,~†@ @†~,¨¨,,.,
¨,.,=*§^*& &*^§*=,.,¨