Why do you think the alchemist tells

Instead, the son who was a soldier met the Son of God while looking for a healer for his servant. The soldier said that he was not worthy, and that the Son of God needed only to speak one word and his servant would be healed. These words became immortal. Santiago rides off alone. As a full moon rises, Santiago sees the pyramids from atop a dune.

He falls to his knees and sees a scarab in the sand. He starts digging in that spot but finds nothing. Eventually, two refugees from the tribal wars approach and yank Santiago from the hole. They take his gold, and assuming Santiago digs toward more gold, force him to keep digging until morning. When Santiago finds nothing, they beat him until he nearly dies. Santiago gasps that he saw the treasure in a dream, which makes the attackers think Santiago is crazy.

Santiago smiles. He knows where to find his treasure. Santiago arrives at the church and falls asleep contemplating the strange way God has guided him to the treasure. He wakes up digging and laughing about how God left gold at the monastery through the alchemist to ease his journey back. Soon Santiago finds a chest of gold coins and jewels.

He removes Urim and Thummim and puts them in the chest. Santiago declares that he will return to her soon. The story that the alchemist tells Santiago about Emperor Tiberius and his sons appears to hold the lesson that, although a person may not have a destiny he expects or even desires, if that person acts in accordance with his own desires, he will serve a purpose greater than himself. The angel tells Tiberius that, although the centurion did not intend to be remembered for this speech, his words have become immortal.

This story reiterates the notion that in living out his Personal Legend, Santiago served not only himself but also the Soul of the World. Also, just like the Narcissus story from the beginning of The Alchemist, this story takes a well-known narrative, this time a story from the Bible, and adds another dimension to it, giving it a new meaning in the context of the novel.

Santiago, for instance, learns about the importance of omens involving scarabs earlier in his trip, and the scarab he sees near the pyramids shows him where to dig. Like the alchemist, Santiago expresses an earnest belief in the knowledge he carries, and that belief essentially saves him by making his attackers think he is crazy.

The cobra relaxes, and the alchemist says the cobra will not leave the circle. The alchemist says Fatima understands that Santiago needs to complete his Personal Legend. Santiago asks the alchemist what would happen if he stayed in Al-Fayoum. The alchemist explains that Santiago would have enough money to buy many sheep and camels, and that he would marry Fatima. Santiago and Fatima would be happy for one year, but that during the second year Santiago would start to think about the treasure again.

He would not be able to ignore the omens. Santiago and Fatima would still love each other, but by the fourth year, the omens of treasure would disappear. The tribal chieftains would dismiss Santiago as their counselor, and Santiago would live the rest of his life in regret. The pair returns to Al-Fayoum for one night and Santiago tells Fatima he is leaving, but that he still loves her and he will return.

The two embrace, touching for the first time. The alchemist leads the boy through the desert with the falcon on his shoulder. During their stops, the falcon flies off and returns with rabbits or birds to eat.

They travel for a week, speaking little. On the seventh day, the alchemist sets up camp early and tells Santiago his journey is almost finished. Santiago asks him why he is an alchemist, and the alchemist explains he learned the practice from his grandfather, when alchemy was simpler. He says men complicated alchemy by writing books about it. Previously, alchemists only needed the Emerald Tablet. The alchemist encourages Santiago to immerse himself in the desert and listen to his heart so he can also gain an understanding of the Soul of the World.

Notably, as Santiago gets better at performing these feats, he does not pray or communicate directly with spirits. Instead, he interacts with natural things such as the desert and his horse, emphasizing that the Soul of the World is not an abstract or independent spirit. It exists in every natural thing, and one just needs to develop the right frame of mind to find it. In this section, we again see Santiago hesitating to pursue his Personal Legend because he feels satisfied with what he already has.

According to the alchemist, if Santiago does not pursue his Personal Legend, his relationship with Fatima will eventually deteriorate as she begins to feel he gave up his dream for her and he begins to regret his decision.