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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 $†~-¨,¨,¨.
¨¨,¨,,¨:-/ CARRIES WITH IT SMELLS FROM FAR AWAY, /-:¨,,¨,¨¨
¨,¨...,¨,» COLOURFUL SPARKS FOR THE IMAGINATION, A »,¨,...¨,¨
.¨¨.,¨¨¨.: SHARP CONTRAST FOR THE STALE BLACK OF :.¨¨¨,.¨¨.
,¨.,..¨.¨. THE NIGHT. .¨.¨..,.¨,
..,,,¨,¨., ,.¨,¨,,,..
¨¨.¨.¨.... THE OTHERS THINK I'M YOUNG, THEY DON'T ....¨.¨.¨¨
.,,.,,,,¨, TAKE ME SERIOUSLY AND I FEAR THEY ,¨,,,,.,,.
¨.¨¨..¨.¨¨ SNICKER A BIT. YOU USUALLY GET OLD ¨¨.¨..¨¨.¨
,,¨.¨,.¨¨, BEFORE YOU LEARN THE TRADE ENOUGH TO ,¨¨.,¨.¨,,
..,¨.¨¨¨¨¨ TAKE OTHER PEOPLE. BUT I DO LEAD THEM ¨¨¨¨¨.¨,..
.¨¨,,,,¨,, SAFELY FORWARD, EVERY NIGHT. ,,¨,,,,¨¨.
¨¨..,,.,., ,.,.,,..¨¨
,,,,.,¨.¨- HOWEVER, CURRENTLY THERE SEEMS TO BE -¨.¨,.,,,,
.¨.¨¨¨¨¨:~ SOMETHING GOING ON AHEAD. THOSE AROUND ~:¨¨¨¨¨.¨.
¨¨,,.¨,:=: THE CORNER HAVE STOPPED, SHOUTING, :=:,¨.,,¨¨
¨.,,.¨,=†% POINTING. %†=,¨.,,.¨
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¨,.,.¨:~†§ §†~:¨.,.,¨
,¨¨.,,¨-=: MY GREATEST TREASURE, THE :=-¨,,.¨¨,
,¨,..,.¨,~ BOOK OF STARS, IS A COMBINED MAP, ~,¨.,..,¨,
.¨,,¨.¨..- CALENDAR AND TIMEPIECE AS LONG AS YOU -..¨.¨,,¨.
¨..,¨¨,.., KNOW WHAT YEAR IT IS. EVERY PAGE IS A ,..,¨¨,..¨
¨¨,.,,,.¨¨ GRID OF NINE STARFIELDS, HAND DRAWN, ¨¨.,,,.,¨¨
,,¨,.¨,¨¨. BELOW WHICH ARE WRITTEN COORDINATES IN .¨¨,¨.,¨,,
¨¨¨,¨¨,,,. BOTH SPACE AND TIME. A LOT OF IT IS .,,,¨¨,¨¨¨
,.,.¨¨..¨, APPLICABLE ON EARTH, BUT NOT ALL. IT ,¨..¨¨.,.,
,,,,¨¨.... HINTS OF OTHER PLACES - SOME STARS ....¨¨,,,,
.¨,¨¨.,¨,¨ REORDERED, SOME NAMES I HAVE NEVER ¨,¨,.¨¨,¨.
,...¨...,¨ HEARD. SOMETIMES THE DATES ARE ¨,...¨...,
¨....,,..¨ IMPOSSIBLE. ¨..,,....¨
....¨.,,.. ..,,.¨....
,,,,¨.,,,~ THOSE PAGES ARE EXACTLY WHAT I SCRAMBLE ~,,,.¨,,,,
¨..¨.,¨,»= FOR RIGHT NOW. I'VE STOPPED BREATHING. =»,¨,.¨..¨
,.¨¨,.:~^§ I SLING OPEN THE BOOK OF STARS A BIT §^~:.,¨¨.,
,..,,.«†§* TOO QUICK, SPILLING ALL MY NOTES ON THE *§†«.,,..,
¨.¨,,»\%%£ GROUND. ONE LANDS ON MY FOOT, IT IS A £%%\»,,¨.¨
,¨,^«:$£## 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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