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...