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...