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.