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.