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...