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