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...