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...