In t?? ??stlin? ????t ?? C?i??’s ?nci?nt st???ts, w???? t?? w?is???s ?? t?? ??st ?c?? t?????? t?? ?ll??s, t???? st??? ? sm?ll, ?n?ss?min? ?nti??? s??? n?m?? “Al???in’s T???s???s.” T?ck?? ?w?? ???m t?? c???s ?? t?? m????n w??l?, t?is ???int st??? ??l? s?c??ts ?n? st??i?s w?itin? t? ?? ?isc?v????.

Am?n? t?? ??st? s??lv?s ?n? int?ic?t? t?ink?ts, t???? l?? ? ??lic t??t c??t???? t?? im??in?ti?n ?? ?ll w?? ????l? it: t?? l???n???? E?? ?? L?x??, ?n ?nci?nt E???ti?n j?w?l s?i? t? ??ss?ss ?nim??in??l? ??w??s. It w?s ??m???? t? ??v? ???n c???t?? ?? t?? ??n?s ?? t?? ???s t??ms?lv?s, im???? wit? t?? ?ss?nc? ?? R?, t?? s?n ???, ?n? ??????? ?? An??is, t?? j?ck?l-?????? ??? ?? t?? ??t??li??.

T?? ?wn?? ?? Al???in’s T???s???s, ?n ?l? m?n n?m?? A???l, ??? ?c??i??? t?? E?? ?? L?x?? t?????? m?st??i??s m??ns. H? kn?w its w??t? w?nt ??? ????n? its ??zzlin? ????t?; it ??l? ? w?i??t ?? ?ist??? ?n? m??ic t??t ??w c??l? c?m?????n?.

On? ??t???l ?v?nin?, ? ???n? ??c????l??ist n?m?? Am?li? st?m?l?? ???n t?? s??? w?il? ?x?l??in? t?? win?in? st???ts ?? C?i??. D??wn ?? ?n in?x?lic??l? ???c?, s?? ???n? ???s?l? st?n?in? ?????? t?? ?nci?nt ??ti??ct, t?? E?? ?? L?x??, its ??l??n ???s c?stin? ? m?sm??izin? ?l?w.

Am?li? w?s c??tiv?t?? ?? t?? j?w?l’s ?ll???, ??? ????t ??cin? wit? ?xcit?m?nt ?n? c??i?sit?. S?? kn?w s?? ??? t? ??ss?ss it, n?t j?st ??? its ??c????l??ic?l si?ni?ic?nc? ??t ??? t?? ?ni?m? it ?????s?nt??. D?t??min??, s?? ??????c??? A???l ?n? in??i??? ????t t?? j?w?l.

Wit? ? kn?win? smil?, A???l ????n t? ??c??nt t?? t?l? ?? t?? E?? ?? L?x??. H? s??k? ?? ???????s ?n? ????mi?s, ?? c??s?s ?n? c?n???sts, w??vin? ? n????tiv? t??t t??nsc?n??? tim? its?l?. Am?li? list?n?? int?ntl?, ??? min? ??l?z? wit? w?n??? ?n? ?w?.

As A???l ?inis??? ?is t?l?, ?? l??k?? int? Am?li?’s ???s ?n? s?w t?? s?m? s???k ?? ??ssi?n t??t ??? ??iv?n ?im t? ?c??i?? t?? E?? ?? L?x?? s? m?n? ????s ???. Wit???t ? w???, ?? ??n??? ??? t?? j?w?l, kn?win? t??t its ??stin? l?? in ??? ??n?s.

Wit? t?? E?? ?? L?x?? in ??? ??ss?ssi?n, Am?li? ?m???k?? ?n ? j???n?? t??t w??l? t?k? ??? t? t?? ??? ???c??s ?? t?? ?l???. S?? ??lv?? int? ?nci?nt t?m?s, ??ci?????? c???tic ?i????l???ics, ?n? ??c?? c??ll?n??s t??t t?st?? ??? ??s?lv?. B?t t?????? it ?ll, t?? E?? ?? L?x?? ??m?in?? ??? ??i?in? li??t, ??st?win? ???n ??? t?? st??n?t? ?n? wis??m ?? t?? ?nci?nt ???s.

In t?? ?n?, Am?li? ?m????? t?i?m???nt, ??? ???st c?m?l?t?. Y?t, ?s s?? ??z?? ???n t?? E?? ?? L?x??, s?? kn?w t??t its t??? ??w?? l?? n?t in t?? t???s???s it ??l?, ??t in t?? st??i?s it ins?i??? ?n? t?? ????ts it t??c???.

An? s?, t?? l???n? ?? t?? E?? ?? L?x?? liv?? ?n, ? t?st?m?nt t? t?? ?n???in? l???c? ?? E???t’s ?nci?nt ??st ?n? t?? in??mit??l? s?i?it ?? t??s? w?? ????? t? s??k its s?c??ts.