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...