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.