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...