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...