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.