The Library

Eighth Story

'That's pretty,' she thought when she picked up the little transparent pebble. Its deep red gleam looked spirited in the bright light of the sun; it felt warm to the touch, and despite its heaviness, reminded her of amber.

She sat down on one of the flat rocks at the end of the white pebble path to study it at length, turning it on all sides, trying to figure out what it was and how it got there. It wasn't larger than an acorn and if she didn't know any better, she'd have thought it was beach glass. Or a gemstone, maybe? Was this place an abandoned gemstone mine at some point, and if so, was that a ruby? She quickly abandoned the idea, because the tactile experience of the material was all wrong for it.

The little gem tickled her palm, and she giggled, fascinated by this strange interaction with a mineral, which felt intentional, somehow, like a conversation between equals.

Their little silent talk made Gwen smile, and as she sat there, communing with a rock, she didn't even notice No. 3 standing there and watching her with a look in his eye that wavered between awe and dread.

"Gwen," he asked her, softly, as not to startle her into dropping the eerie matter.

"Yes," she answered in a daze, still hypnotized by the little red pebble in her palm.

"Where did you find that?"

Gwen didn't answer, just pointed with her other hand, without taking her eyes off the gleaming red stone.

"Do you know what that is?"

"I was just trying to figure that out. Is it a gemstone, you think? It feels more like a resin than a crystal, but it's so heavy!"

"Is that..." No. 5 joined the conversation, trying to look indifferent, his eyes glued to the tiny rock.

"I think so," No. 3 confirmed. "We shouldn't let her handle it, she might get hurt."

"I doubt it," No. 5 replied. "The stone found her. There must be a reason for it."

"What is it?" Gwen finally peeled her gaze off the stone to look at them, and her blissful expression confirmed, without doubt, they were in the presence of the most precious esoteric mystery.

"What you are holding in your palm, Gwen, is the path to immortality," No. 5 replied. "Which you're probably in possession of by now, after how long you held that stone."

"Skin absorption was never proven," No. 3 objected.

The entire group was there now, looking at Gwen with transfigured expressions in utter fascination with the little found object.

"Of course it works," No. 5 said, in a daze.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Gwen smiled, insecure.

"You found it," No. 7 replied. "The philosopher's stone. That's why we're all here. Frankly, after so many years, I resigned myself to admit it was all a lie."

"Get out of here," Gwen laughed out loud, convinced they were pulling a prank on her. Nobody else was laughing. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I told you it wasn't safe for her to touch it. She's not spiritually prepared. She's not spiritually anything, come to think of it," No. 5 objected.

"Is it radioactive or something? Am I going to die?" Gwen made a panicked gesture that looked like she was going to drop the precious artifact.

"Don't drop it!" No. 6 raised his voice, preempting the fumble. "No, you're not going to die. Ever!" He pointed to the pebble in her palm. "Some of the brightest humans ever born spent all their lives trying to produce the object you're now holding in your hand. If that's not fate, I don't know what is."