..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,«                                          «,........
.......,«=                 ...=...                  =«,.......
......,«=$           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...                  ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
.........,                                          ,.........
........,«                                          «,........
.......,«=                                          =«,.......