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...