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...