........~« «~........
.........~ ~.........
........~« «~........
.......~«* *«~.......
......~«*† †*«~......
.....~«*†@ ...*... @†*«~.....
....~«*†@¤ 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... #@¤@†*«~..
.~«*†@¤@## ##@¤@†*«~.
..~«*†@¤@# #@¤@†*«~..
...~«*†@¤@ @¤@†*«~...
....~«*†@¤ ¤@†*«~....
.....~«*†@ @†*«~.....