¨.-~*%$# ##&$%*~-.¨
,,¨--=%@ @#&%=--¨,,
,¨¨,,«=^&§ §&^=«,,¨¨,
.,.¨,:«==& &==«:,¨.,.
,,.,.,~-;§ §;-~,.,.,,
¨,,¨,.¨.~^ . , » : \ = . ¨ ^~.¨.,¨,,¨
,,...¨,~^^ , - - = = ~ : . ^^~,¨...,,
.,¨¨¨,»;$% ¨ - = / : » ~ . %$;»,¨¨¨,.
.,¨¨--*†¤§ , . ~ † ^ « ~ . §¤†*--¨¨,.
.¨¨,=:*£#¶ ¶#£*:=,¨¨.
.,^=†^$@@# AS WE CROSS THE MOUNTAIN, WE CAN WALK #@@$^†=^,.
,^~=^%@@## 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. ¤%%/=:¨¨¨,
,,.^~\^%§£ £§%^\~^.,,
¨¨.~^$*@£# #£@*$^~.¨¨
..-^**§#@# #@#§**^-..
,-;%§#¶### ###¶#§%;-,
¨^=\*@¤¶## ##¶¤@*\=^¨
,¨~»*$*@¶# #¶@*$*»~¨,