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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. .,--\§@@@#
@@$%/»^,,. .,,^»/%$@@
#£%;«,,,,, 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. ¨..»;**£¶#
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§§*†~~.¨., ¨., ¨. .=^», ¨¨ ,¨. ,.¨.~~†*§§
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#£#§†*~-¨, ,.. .¨ .-:~. .¨ ¨,¨ ,¨-~*†§#£#
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#¤$$/~~.., .¨. ,, .»^«, ¨¨ ,., ,..~~/$$¤#
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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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