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.