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.