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...