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.