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...