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.