..¨,¨.^;§#                                          #§;^.¨,¨..
.,.¨..-=%§                                          §%=-..¨.,.
,,=\†$&###                                          ###&$†\=,,
,,¨¨~=;%&&                                          &&%;=~¨¨,,
.,¨.-«*%¤#                                          #¤%*«-.¨,.
¨~~^%£&@## ¨   :   «   :              =   »   :   , ##@&£%^~~¨
¨,~/†%§###  ,   :   -   :            †   ~   .   .  ###§%†/~,¨
¨,,¨~=*%£#   ¨   -   =   :          \   -   ,   ¨   #£%*=~¨,,¨
,....~/¤$£    ,   :   »   =        :   »   ~   .    £$¤/~....,
.--†*$@£§#                                          #§£@$*†--.
,-»^*%&@@# 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 ¶¶#£$=:=~,
,-~†%££### drawing  of  a muscle cow,  but  i could ###££%†~-,
¨.,,\/†§&# care less right now.                     #&§†/\,,.¨
,,.,..-=£§                                          §£=-..,.,,
.:«†§%#&£& for it seems like  there's a new moon in &£&#%§†«:.
.¨,,~*^@#@ the sky.                                 @#@^*~,,¨.
,¨¨¨=;†£#@                                          @#£†;=¨¨¨,
..¨,^,~^&¶                                          ¶&^~,^,¨..
¨,~^§££&¶#                                          #¶&££§^~,¨
¨,,~~=«*$§                                          §$*«=~~,,¨
¨~=:%#¶###                                          ###¶#%:=~¨
¨¨,¨¨:-^*@                                          @*^-:¨¨,¨¨