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...