..........                                          ..........
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.........:                                          :.........
........:«                                          «:........
.......:«:                  ...:...                 :«:.......
......:«:*           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...                  *:«:......
.......:«:                                          :«:.......
........:«                                          «:........
.........:                                          :.........
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