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...