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...