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####%*=~~,                                          ,~~=*%####
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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.                                ¨~«=†$#@@#
@§«^^,.¨,.                                          .,¨.,^^«§@
##£§£§:~,, ,., .. ¨«†~, ,¨ ,¨,                      ,,~:§£§£##
##££¤†^~., .¨. .¨ ¨~:«, ,¨ .,,                      ,.~^†¤££##
&@^*:^-,.¨ ,¨, ,. ¨«;=¨ .. ¨,.                      ¨.,-^:*^@&
§*==~-~,., ¨¨¨ ¨. ¨»;~. ., .,,                      ,.,~-~==*§
£§†=-,¨,,¨ .¨¨ .¨ ,«*«¨ ¨, ,¨,                      ¨,,¨,-=†§£
##@#@†=»,. ¨¨. ¨¨ ,-^~, ¨¨ ,..                      .,»=†@#@##
&&#§**.¨¨¨ .¨, .¨ ¨»*», ., ¨,¨                      ¨¨¨.**§#&&
##£#$$=~^¨ .,, ,, ¨«\-¨ .. ¨.¨                      ¨^~=$$#£##
#@¶¤%$;-^,                                          ,^-;$%¤¶@#
#¶#¤$%\~.¨ my greatest treasure, the                ¨.~\%$¤#¶#
@@¤%†;«=-. 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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@%/«»,..,,                                          ,,..,»«/%@
###@§%/»^.                                          .^»/%§@###