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...