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.