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...