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.