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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. ,..¨.¨.¨¨,
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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. .¨~-\†£#
#@@@&**»~, ,~»**&@@@#
#@£¤§/~.., HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE ,..~/§¤£@#
#§§=†-,.,. SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND .,.,-†=§§#
#£=;-,.,¨, THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, ,¨,.,-;=£#
*$†=,,¨.,¨ POINTING. ¨,.¨,,=†$*
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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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