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.