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...