@§##$=\«,¨ ¨,«\=$##§@
@£%»».¨¨.¨ ¨.¨¨.»»%£@
§$=¨¨,,.¨, ,¨.,,¨¨=$§
¶&&$^=\~:. .:~\=^$&&¶
#@†;=,¨,¨, ,¨,¨,=;†@#
###@&=†«~. . - « = = - : . .~«†=&@###
##@£%%/=-. ¨ - « ; ; ~ : ¨ .-=/%%£@##
@¤£%/^.,., . - ~ † * ~ , ¨ ,.,.^/%£¤@
@@£/-,,.., . ^ - * \ « , . ,..,,-/£@@
@@%::*/--, ,--/*::%@@
@¤$;\~.,,. as we cross the mountain, we can walk .,,.~\;$¤@
@£@¤%%†-^, 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. .^~^%$¤£@#
¤¤&§*$†».. ..»†$*§&¤¤
#£¤@£%:~-, ,-~:%£@¤£#
£¤£%†/,,,. .,,,/†%£¤£
##£&¤†:=-. .-=:†¤&£##
##¶§§§;=., ,.=;§§§¶##
#@&**/,,,, ,,,,/**&@#