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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 ..,,,,=\=£
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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 .~~:*@####
#@£$†=~~,, SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND ,,~~=†$£@#
#&$*†-~¨,¨ THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, ¨,¨~-†*$&#
@¤$*»-¨.¨¨ POINTING. ¨¨.¨-»*$¤@
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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. ¨¨,.,=^=*&
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##¤§*\«-.. 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. ¨,,..,,=^%
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»-.¨¨,..,, FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN ,,..,¨¨.-»
=«,¨¨.,,¨. THE SKY. .¨,,.¨¨,«=
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