$/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$
/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨/¨¨¨                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨           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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/
$/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ edge of  the world  he  opened his  eyes ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/$
%$/~.¨¨¨¨¨ for a second time, stars had  hatched in ¨¨¨¨¨.~/$%
#%$/~.¨¨¨¨                  them...                 ¨¨¨¨.~/$%#
##%$/~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~/$%##
###%$/~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~/$%###
####%$/~.¨                                          ¨.~/$%####
###%$/~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~/$%###
##%$/~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~/$%##