........,» »,........
........., ,.........
........,» »,........
.......,»= =»,.......
......,»=^ ^=»,......
.....,»=^@ ...=... @^=»,.....
....,»=^@& 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... @#&@^=»,..
.,»=^@&#@# #@#&@^=»,.
..,»=^@&#@ @#&@^=»,..
...,»=^@&# #&@^=»,...
....,»=^@& &@^=»,....
.....,»=^@ @^=»,.....