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...