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...