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...