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...