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...