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.