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...