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...