#@**;«^... ...^«;**@#
##@**;«^.. ..^«;**@##
###@**;«^. .^«;**@###
##@**;«^.. ..^«;**@##
#@**;«^... ...^«;**@#
@**;«^.... ...;... ....^«;**@
**;«^..... 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... ...^«;**@#
@**;«^.... ....^«;**@
**;«^..... .....^«;**
*;«^...... ......^«;*
;«^....... .......^«;
«^........ ........^«