I had forgotten that, mainly because it played such a minor role in the story.

Paul and Oedipus both accept their blindness as an indication that they had always been blind. They did not see that which they should have.

Not seeing was a major part of their fall. When they return to the story later, it's as a blind man who finally sees, and one who offers words of advice to their child who is about to make the same mistake that they did.

Then much later, Paul comes back as a ghola, but that part was written by Brian Hubert, who is not the best author.