....^=\^%& &%^\=^....
.....^=\^% %^\=^.....
......^=\^ ^\=^......
.......^=\ \=^.......
......^=\^ ^\=^......
.....^=\^% ...\... %^\=^.....
....^=\^%& 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... ^\=^......
.....^=\^% %^\=^.....
....^=\^%& &%^\=^....
...^=\^%&¶ ¶&%^\=^...
..^=\^%&¶# #¶&%^\=^..
.^=\^%&¶## ##¶&%^\=^.