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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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¨,~\†£#### ¨.. .. .~;=¨ ¨. ..¨                      ####£†\~,¨
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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.                              ###&$$\=^¨
¨^~†$%¶###                                          ###¶%$†~^¨
.:~-~†*¤@@ 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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