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...