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