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...