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...