.,,.==$%@¤                                          ¤@%$==.,,.
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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.                                ###¤**/-,.
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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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¨,»\†%&@##                                          ##@&%†\»,¨
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