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.