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.