##¶£$%/=:.                                          .:=/%$£¶##
##¶£$%/=:.                                          .:=/%$£¶##
£$%==:::..                                          ..:::==%$£
##¶£$%/=:.                                          .:=/%$£¶##
¶$$/==....                                          ....==/$$¶
##¶£$%/=:.                 .../...                  .:=/%$£¶##
#¶$$$%/=:.            naftakin, the blind           .:=/%$$$¶#
###¶£$/=:.                 .../...                  .:=/$£¶###
¶££$//==:.                                          .:==//$££¶
##¶£$%/=:. a student  at  the charcoal guild... his .:=/%$£¶##
#¶¶£$%/=:. eyes sewn shut  from  birth...  the most .:=/%$£¶¶#
#¶$/===...            successful student            ...===/$¶#
#¶£%/==...                                          ...==/%£¶#
££$$$%/=:. but one day  he fell down into a crystal .:=/%$$$££
##¶£$%/=:. cavern. it  was deep in the  mountain, a .:=/%$£¶##
##¶£$%/=:. great  hall  with  only  a  single  tiny .:=/%$£¶##
##¶£$%/=:. inlet   for   both  light   and  falling .:=/%$£¶##
##¶£$%/=:.                students...               .:=/%$£¶##
#££$//=:..                                          ..:=//$££#
###£$%/=:. in the fall,  the quartz sliced off  the .:=/%$£###
##¶£$%/=:. threads in  his eyes,  opening  them for .:=/%$£¶##
###¶£$%=:. the  first   time.   before   him,   the .:=%$£¶###
#£$%%//=:. crystals  mirrored and refracted the one .:=//%%$£#
£$$///=... light  smidge into a  whole  night  sky, ...=///$$£
##¶£$%/=:. and  he   was  struck   down   with  awe .:=/%$£¶##
#£$$/:....                                          ....:/$$£#
¶¶¶£$%/=:. but  also with shame,  because  his eyes .:=/%$£¶¶¶
£$%==:.... had  seen.  hurriedly,  he  used  thread ....:==%$£
¶£$/==:... from   his   robe  to   sew  them   back ...:==/$£¶
#¶£$//=... together, and when help  came he did not ...=//$£¶#
##¶£$%/=:.        tell of his transgression.        .:=/%$£¶##
¶¶¶£$%/=:.                                          .:=/%$£¶¶¶
£$//:..... for years  he  studied at the guild.  he .....://$£
##¶£$%/=:. became  a  master,  and  then a pilgrim. .:=/%$£¶##
#££%///=:. 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...                  ....=%%£¶¶
#£%/:.....                                          .....:/%£#
#¶¶£$%/=:.                                          .:=/%$£¶¶#
£%//=.....                                          .....=//%£
¶££%%/=...                                          ...=/%%££¶
##¶£$%/=:.                                          .:=/%$£¶##