&&&&...... ......&..&
&&&..&&&&. &&&&&.....
.&....&&.. &&&&..&&&.
...&&..... .&&....&..
&&....&&&& ....&&...&
&..&&..&&. ...=... &&&....&..
.......... 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... ..&&&&&&&&
&&&..&&&&. &..&&&&&&&
&&....&&.. ....&&&&&&
&..&&..... .&&..&&&&&
......&&&& ......&&&&
.&&&&..&&& .&&&&..&&.