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.