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