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...