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@#¤^\†-:.. 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. .,,.¨«†^@¤
##@#$$^»:¨ ¨:»^$$#@##
&†$=$«,¨¨, .¨, .¨ ¨»;«. ,, ¨¨. ,¨¨,«$=$†&
##¶§£%:~^¨ ¨., ., ¨~*-. .. ,¨, ¨^~:%£§¶##
¤£&†*%;»^¨ ¨,¨ ¨. ,»:~, ,¨ ,,. ¨^»;%*†&£¤
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#@@&£%†~,¨ ,¨. ,, ¨»†=¨ ,¨ ¨¨, ¨,~†%£&@@#
##@£**;--¨ ¨--;**£@##
@##&£**~^, 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 ¨.¨..:;;%¶
##@@$%†~-, heard. sometimes the dates are ,-~†%$@@##
##¶§%$*«.¨ impossible. ¨.«*$%§¶##
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#§*†/,¨,¨, 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. ,,«/$=££#¤
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