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...