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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 .~~\\%%¤&@
£#§$%*;~,, the night. ,,~;*%$§#£
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##£§£=\«:, 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 .,,,.,==†§
£§@*$††-,¨ heard. sometimes the dates are ¨,-††$*@§£
###&¤$*=,¨ impossible. ¨,=*$¤##
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###&%*;»:, 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. ¨.~^†@£@##
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#@@§%*==,¨ for it seems like there's a new moon in ¨,==*%§@@#
##@&&§†«^. the sky. .^«†§&&@##
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