&******~,. .,~******&
¶¶¶&%**~,. .,~**%&¶¶¶
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&&%**~.... ....~**%&&
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#¶&&%**~,. ...*... .,~**%&&¶#
#¶&****~,. 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... .....,***&
&&&**~.... ....~**&&&
¶¶%**~~~,. .,~~~**%¶¶
#&*~...... ......~*&#
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#&&****~,. .,~****&&#