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