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...