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.