&&&&&..... .&........
.&&&..&&&& ...&&&&&&.
..&....&&& &&..&&&&..
&...&&..&& &....&&..&
..&......& ..&&......
&...&&&&.. ...*... &....&&&&&
..&..&&..& 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... ..........
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&