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.