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...