»:.¨.,¨,¨. .¨,¨,.¨.:»
-¨,......, ,......,¨-
~^.¨,.¨,,. .,,¨.,¨.^~
/--¨.¨,¨.. ..¨,¨.¨--/
=\~-..¨.., ,..¨..-~\=
*=^~,,,¨,, . : ~ / * « . . ,,¨,,,~^=*
#*^\=.¨,.¨ ¨ : » ^ / « : , ¨.,¨.=\^*#
@#£†=~-,,¨ ¨ : = † / - . ¨ ¨,,-~=†£#@
@@&£=\~,.. , : = \ * « , ¨ ..,~\=£&@@
##¶§§%/=-, ,-=/%§§¶##
#¶&%%;=.., 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. ¨¨.,..¨,,~
,.¨...¨... ...¨...¨.,
-~¨..,,¨,, ,,¨,,..¨~-
;~,,,,¨,,¨ ¨,,¨,,,,~;
%^=,,¨¨.., ,..¨¨,,=^%
§%==,¨,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,¨,==%§
#%†:~~¨.¨¨ ¨¨.¨~~:†%#