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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 #%%=~-.¨,¨
,,¨¨,,«:$* SUNSET THE AIR COMES RAINING BACK DOWN *$:«,,¨¨,,
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.¨.¨,¨,^== CARRIES WITH IT SMELLS FROM FAR AWAY, ==^,¨,¨.¨.
...,.¨¨.,- COLOURFUL SPARKS FOR THE IMAGINATION, A -,.¨¨.,...
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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. #§*^*=:,,,
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,¨¨..-=^*$ HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE $*^=-..¨¨,
...¨¨,-«^§ SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND §^«-,¨¨...
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...¨¨-«;=$ 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 ###¤$=«,.¨
¨.»;%£§@## HEARD. SOMETIMES THE DATES ARE ##@§£%;».¨
,¨^»/*¤#¶# IMPOSSIBLE. #¶#¤*/»^¨,
.¨..-†=%#¶ ¶#%=†-..¨.
¨.,¨-»;*£§ THOSE PAGES ARE EXACTLY WHAT I SCRAMBLE §£*;»-¨,.¨
.,....=†=& FOR RIGHT NOW. I'VE STOPPED BREATHING. &=†=....,.
.¨¨¨¨,.~:% I SLING OPEN THE BOOK OF STARS A BIT %:~.,¨¨¨¨.
¨.¨,.,.--; TOO QUICK, SPILLING ALL MY NOTES ON THE ;--.,.,¨.¨
,,..,¨,,~» GROUND. ONE LANDS ON MY FOOT, IT IS A »~,,¨,..,,
..,,¨¨¨,«/ DRAWING OF A MUSCLE COW, BUT I COULD /«,¨¨¨,,..
,,.,¨.^=*% CARE LESS RIGHT NOW. %*=^.¨,.,,
.,,.¨,~*%@ @%*~,¨.,,.
¨,,.-«†=@§ FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN §@=†«-.,,¨
.,.,«*$&§# THE SKY. #§&$*«,.,.
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