.......... ..&.......
&&&&&&&&&. &...&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&.. ..&..&&&&&
&&&&&&&..& ......&&&&
&&&&&&.... &&&&&..&&&
&&&&&..&&& ...=... .&&&....&&
&&&&....&& 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... ...&&&&..&
..&&&&..&& &&..&&....
&..&&....& &......&&&
......&&.. ..&&&&..&&
.&&&&..... &..&&.....
..&&..&&&& ......&&&&