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...