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,,,¨.,:~;§ 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. *%\«.,,¨.,
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,,¨,¨¨.:«= 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 #¤%$\»-.¨¨
...-=%@§## SAFELY FORWARD, EVERY NIGHT. ##§@%=-...
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¨,^-:%$¤## HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE ##¤$%:-^,¨
¨.¨-=/%*§# SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND #§*%/=-¨.¨
,¨¨.,~;%%& THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, &%%;~,.¨¨,
¨..¨,:~:%§ POINTING. §%:~:,¨..¨
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¨,,,,=:%$# 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. ##£%††~,¨¨
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