¤%^«^.....                                          .....^«^%¤
%^«^......                                          ......^«^%
^«^.......                                          .......^«^
«^........                                          ........^«
^.........                                          .........^
..........                 ...^...                  ..........
^.........           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...                  .........^
..........                                          ..........
^.........                                          .........^
«^........                                          ........^«
^«^.......                                          .......^«^
%^«^......                                          ......^«^%