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...