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...