~......... .........~
.......... ..........
~......... .........~
/~........ ........~/
&/~....... .......~/&
¤&/~...... .../... ......~/&¤
@¤&/~..... 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... ...~/&¤@##
###@¤&/~.. ..~/&¤@###
##@¤&/~... ...~/&¤@##
#@¤&/~.... ....~/&¤@#
@¤&/~..... .....~/&¤@
¤&/~...... ......~/&¤