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...