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¤%^/«,.¨., 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. ¨,.....-=;
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.,¨¨¨.,,,. 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. ,,¨,^=†*%£
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#@@£$/-:¨. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE .¨:-/$£@@#
####**=~~. SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND .~~=**####
#£#§^/-.,, THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, ,,.-/^§#£#
##%†/~~¨¨, POINTING. ,¨¨~~/†%##
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#¤%†-,.¨,¨ 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. .,»**£&###
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@@§^†=:¨¨. FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN .¨¨:=†^§@@
#%**«^,¨¨. THE SKY. .¨¨,^«**%#
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