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...