A fantasy about two former schoolmates, set in a world with very little technology. Bates is determined to find out how many stars there are in the sky and has been counting them – one by one. Colby, a struggling inventor, is dismissive of the project at first, but offers a recent invention to help the task along, a toy called a magnifying glass.  Holding the magnifier up to the sky, they are both shocked when it reveals a multitude of stars that the naked eye can’t see. Now there are too many stars to count! As they confront this dilemma, they experience unfamiliar depths of feeling and an unexpected bond forms between them. (10pp)