^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                 ¨¨¨\¨¨¨                  ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
\«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨            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...                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«