#%»-~-::,¨ ¨,::-~-»%#
@¤=%=†^~.¨ ¨.~^†=%=¤@
##¶§$=:-,, ,,-:=$§¶##
###§$=\~:, ,:~\=$§###
£¶¤&%^\~., ,.~\^%&¤¶£
####%*/~.. . . » ^ † = ~ . ..~/*%####
#££&¤%†»^. . - » / * ~ , , .^»†%¤&££#
§£=~:..,,, . , - : † ~ ^ . ,,,..:~=£§
@@#¤&%:»^, . ~ = ^ † » ~ , ,^»:%&¤#@@
##@¤$==«-¨ ¨-«==$¤@##
£@%%;,¨¨¨¨ 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. ,,.-***¤&@
#£$\^.,.., I SLING OPEN THE BOOK OF STARS A BIT ,..,.^\$£#
#*=.,¨¨¨., TOO QUICK, SPILLING ALL MY NOTES ON THE ,.¨¨¨,.=*#
##@¤%§==:¨ GROUND. ONE LANDS ON MY FOOT, IT IS A ¨:==§%¤@##
##£¤%†*~,¨ DRAWING OF A MUSCLE COW, BUT I COULD ¨,~*†%¤£##
##¶@£^=«~. CARE LESS RIGHT NOW. .~«=^£@¶##
££§=\~,.¨¨ ¨¨.,~\=§££
#@§@§^^-., FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEW MOON IN ,.-^^§@§@#
##@@£†*»,, THE SKY. ,,»*†£@@##
@§§$%=/-~, ,~-/=%$§§@
#¤%*~..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..~*%¤#
#§*===:,¨. .¨,:===*§#
##@#$%:~:. .:~:%$#@##
¶£^=.,¨,.. ..,¨,.=^£¶
#@££¤†^~,, ,,~^†¤££@#