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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. $;=:..¨,,,
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¨¨,,,¨-=:* *:=-¨,,,¨¨
¨,¨¨¨,¨-== MY GREATEST TREASURE, THE ==-¨,¨¨¨,¨
,¨,,.,.¨,= BOOK OF STARS, IS A COMBINED MAP, =,¨.,.,,¨,
¨¨¨.¨,...- CALENDAR AND TIMEPIECE AS LONG AS YOU -...,¨.¨¨¨
¨...¨...,= KNOW WHAT YEAR IT IS. EVERY PAGE IS A =,...¨...¨
¨¨¨,,,¨,-: GRID OF NINE STARFIELDS, HAND DRAWN, :-,¨,,,¨¨¨
,,¨.,.~=== BELOW WHICH ARE WRITTEN COORDINATES IN ===~.,.¨,,
,.,,¨^-\$% BOTH SPACE AND TIME. A LOT OF IT IS %$\-^¨,,.,
¨¨¨,^=;†*# 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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