Jon called back home, to tell them the stone was working right.
"Are you sure?" Zoe asked over the phone.
"Yeah. Why, is there a problem?"
"The talisman still doesn't work right. We're trying it right now."
"Then I don't get it," Jon said. "I thought Athena said ..."
"She said there might be another artifact," Zoe said, interrupting her brother.
"Another one? How many of these things are there?"
"I don't know. But she thinks that a third one could be interfering with the talisman."
Jon sighed. "So what do we do?"
"Athena thinks you should come back. So we can figure all this out."
Jon hung up and looked at Karyn.
"Bad news?" she asked.
"Apparently, there's a third artifact floating around somewhere."
"You're kidding."
"Nope. Come on, they want us to come back to the house."
As they walked back, they passed a small wooded area. They had already passed it before, but it was this time that Karyn noticed a torn-open discarded box lying in the brush.
"Look at that," she complained. "Someone just throws trash anywhere?" She picked it up, intending on throwing it in a trash can the first chance she got, but stopped when she saw the address label. "Jon, it's your address."
"What?"
Karyn gave it to him.
"Not only that, it's addressed to my mom."
"What's that?" Karyn asked, pointing at a crumpled piece of dirt-stained paper inside the box.
Jon pulled it out. "It's a letter. Oh my god, Karyn. It's a letter from my grandfather."
*Dear Jane,
If you are reading this, it means I have passed on. Do not mourn my leaving; although we shall no longer be able to spend time together, be happy knowing that where I am now is just a new start and a different perspective than before and that I shall just look at this as my next great adventure.
The gemstone you find in this box is my legacy to you. Treat it with care. It does not look like much, but it has immense power. I have entrusted it to you, as my favorite daughter, to be its keeper and guardian now that I am gone.
I found the gemstone on my latest expedition to South America and I believe it to be of Incan origin. How it works, or where it came from beyond that, I have no idea. All I can do is tell you how it works and trust you to use it wisely.
Bear with me on this next bit; I know it sounds fantastic, but trust me when I tell you that I am telling the truth. All I say is real and it will not take much experimentation for you to prove it.
While holding the gemstone against your flesh (I recommend just holding it in your hand as the simplest approach), simply use the words 'I wish' followed by whatever it is you want the gemstone to do. There is, however, a limit to the number of times you can do this. As far as I can divine, it only allows you to make one wish a day. Beware, for the words of a wish can be reinterpreted but not changed once the breath is over. Changes made will be as if it has always been so, apart from those within earshot of the wish, and the range of influence of the gemstone is limitless, as far as I can figure.
I must go now. Use the gift I have given you wisely, and think of me often.
Your friend, always,
Dad*
"Gemstone?" Jon asked. "Do you see a gemstone in there?"
Karyn looked inside the box, but it was empty. "Nothing. You don't think it fell out, do you?"
"Look at the box. It looks like someone tore it open. I think someone stole it. We have to find that gemstone."
