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...