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