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.