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...