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...