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...