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...