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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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