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.