.¨,.:~*=%£ £%=*~:.,¨.
¨,.,,~~†=% %=†~~,,.,¨
,.,.,¨,-†† ††-,¨,.,.,
.,¨,,¨¨,-\ \-,¨¨,,¨,.
,¨¨.¨,.~\% %\~.,¨.¨¨,
.¨¨¨,-»=*§ ¨ ~ ~ / / - - . §*=»-,¨¨¨.
,,¨¨.«^^£@ . - = * : - - . @£^^«.¨¨,,
¨.,--\=¤¤¶ , ~ ~ / ; « : ¨ ¶¤¤=\--,.¨
.,,»:*$@@# , ~ ~ \ † « ^ . #@@$*:»,,.
,~=†*@##@# #@##@*†=~,
,.:-/**@¶@ 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 ¶#$^=«.¨,¨
,.,,:-*§&& DRAWING OF A MUSCLE COW, BUT I COULD &&§*-:,,.,
,,,,¨.»;=& CARE LESS RIGHT NOW. &=;».¨,,,,
¨.,¨¨,~»;* *;»~,¨¨,.¨
¨.¨,.¨..~; FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN ;~..¨.,¨.¨
,..,,¨:~:* THE SKY. *:~:¨,,..,
,¨..,.~\*$ $*\~.,..¨,
,¨.,:»†%@¤ ¤@%†»:,.¨,
.,.:~/§%&@ @&%§/~:.,.
..:«=^$¤@@ @@¤$^=«:..
¨^~==£##@# #@##£==~^¨
¨,:«;**£#@ @#£**;«:,¨