GARGOYLES
There are a number of puzzles in the story which provide information regarding the whereabouts of the stone. The first message is located in the teeth of the gargoyles and there are two indicators to this. The first is in the text when Qwyfyx meets the Astronomer and is invited to look through the telescope. The text reads:
Qwyfyx was dumbfounded. The spire was greatly magnified and, on it, he could see every detail. He could even see the teeth on the gargoyles
The second indicator and the clue to decoding the message is in the Physicist picture. On Albert's desk are these envelopes:
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If you look closely you will see that on the white envelope there is a picture of a mouth followed by:
V=10 U-1
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This simply means that a pointed fang equals 10 and an ordinary rounded tooth equals 1. Therefore, if the letters of the alphabet are listed numerically U=1=A, UU=2=B and so on up to J which is the 10th letter of the alphabet. It, and subsequent letters are represented like this: V=10=J, VU=11=K and so on up until T which is represented by two fangs. This probably sounds more complicated than it really is. In any case when the entire message is decoded it reads:
The location of the stone is element(a)ry of course.
The intention of this message is to direct the solver to the periodic table of the elements, without which the flasks puzzle would be impossible to solve.
THE FLASKS
The most important mesaage is contained in the flasks (those little round bottles with gold caps on almost every page). Each flask is divided into six bands of texture, each texture is a different letter of the alphabet and each letter of the alphabet corresponds to a different element. On most pages of the book version of Alchemy there are small areas of the painting marked with a letter or letters. For example, near the top of the astrological chart in the Astrologer picture there is an area of light blue sky with white clouds and it is marked with a H. H is the chemical symbol for Hydrogen and it has the atomic number 1. Therefore, in the flasks, a band of light blue sky with white clouds equals A. In the website the clues to the elements are absent but there is a periodic table in which the textures occupy the positions of the elements. The link to the periodic table is in the Chemist Page, did you find it?
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This is a list of the first five elements and their corresponding letters:
1 H Hydrogen =A
2 He Helium =B
3 Li Lithium =C
4 Be Beryllium =D
5 B Boron = E
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This is the first flask with the letters indicated:
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W
H
E
N
T
H
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The gaseous elements are all represented with cloud textures, the metallic elements with triangles and the transition elements with dots.
When the message of the flasks is decoded it reads:
When the virgin becomes the Goddess of love and the scorpion stings fiery mars one of a pair will grow old and the lion meet its earthly destiny then the stone will be revealed.
THE FLOWERS
The final hidden message is on the garden page. From left to right the Flowers in the foreground are:
Agave
Lupin
Petunia
Hoya
Aster
Sunflower
Tulip
Aster
Rose
Snowdrop
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The first letters of which spell out the words Alpha Stars. Alpha stars are the brightest stars in the astronomical constellations
THE LOCATION OF THE STONE
The message of the flasks is to be applied to the star map on the right hand side of the Philosopher's Scroll. It works like this:
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When the virgin (Aplha Virginus) meets the Goddess of love (Venus) Draw a line from Alpha Virginus through the symbol for Venus on to the stone.
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and the Scorpion (Alpha Scorpius) stings fiery Mars (Mars) Draw a line from Alpha Scorpius through the symbol for Mars on to the stone.
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one of a pair (Alpha Gemini) will grow old (Saturn was the God of ageing and death) Draw a line from Alpha Gemini through the symbol for Saturn on to the stone.
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and the lion (Alpha Leonis) meet its earthly (Earth) destiny then the stone will be revealed. Draw a line from Alpha Leonis through the symbol for the Earth on to the stone.
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All four lines converge on The Philosopher's Stone which is in the hand of the man at the top of the right hand side of the Philosopher's Scroll.
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