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...