.&.&....&. ....&&.&.&
....&....& ....&&....
.....&.... &...&&&...
......&... .&..&.&&..
.......&.. ..&...&&&.
........&. ...\... &..&..&.&&
&........& 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... ..........
...&&&..&. ..........
...&.&&..& ..........
.....&&&.. ..........
.....&.&&. &.........
.......&&& .&........