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.