NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND            
                                   
                                          
 A  STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL  GUILD... HIS 
 EYES  SEWN  SHUT  FROM BIRTH... THE MOST 
            SUCCESSFUL STUDENT            
                                          
 BUT ONE DAY HE FELL DOWN INTO  A CRYSTAL 
 CAVERN. IT WAS  DEEP IN  THE MOUNTAIN, A 
 GREAT  HALL  WITH  ONLY  A  SINGLE  TINY 
 INLET  FOR  BOTH   LIGHT   AND   FALLING 
                STUDENTS...               
                                          
 IN THE FALL,  THE QUARTZ SLICED  OFF THE 
 THREADS  IN HIS EYES,  OPENING THEM  FOR 
 THE  FIRST   TIME.   BEFORE   HIM,   THE 
 CRYSTALS MIRRORED AND REFRACTED  THE ONE 
 LIGHT  SMIDGE  INTO A  WHOLE  NIGHT SKY, 
 AND   HE   WAS  STRUCK  DOWN   WITH  AWE 
                                          
 BUT ALSO  WITH  SHAME, BECAUSE  HIS EYES 
 HAD  SEEN.  HURRIEDLY,  HE  USED  THREAD 
 FROM   HIS  ROBE   TO   SEW   THEM  BACK 
 TOGETHER, AND WHEN HELP CAME  HE DID NOT 
        TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION.        
                                          
 FOR YEARS  HE  STUDIED AT  THE GUILD. HE 
 BECAME  A  MASTER,  AND THEN A  PILGRIM. 
 YET THE IMAGE FROM  THE CAVE  NEVER LEFT 
                   HIM.                   
                                          
 AT  THE END OF  HIS  LIFE,  WHEN AT  THE 
 EDGE  OF  THE WORLD HE  OPENED HIS  EYES 
 FOR A SECOND  TIME, STARS HAD HATCHED IN 
                  THEM...