Fortune

"What do you mean?" You cautiously inquire, wondering where this conversation is heading.

"My employer is impressed with your work." Alexander replies, nodding towards the object on the mantle. "He could use someone with your ingenuity. If you really are that good that is."

"Solving that wasn't enough?" You frown, taking a few steps back when the man approaches.

"Not quite." He admits before reaching into his breast pocket. "But if you can solve this one as well, the job is yours."

"I didn't say I want the job." You put a hand up in a halting gesture. "I don't even know what it entails or pays yet."

"Solve this first." The man offers you the object, which is an odd, square, wooden box. "If you can't, don't worry we will still pay handsomely for the artifact as well as the time you spend on this."

"Okay." You finally reply, deciding you have nothing to lose. "Leave me your number and I'll call when I'm done or have reached your deadline."

"The deadline is this evening." He explains curtly while you take the box from his hand. "So, I may as well stay until then."

"You want me to solve it by tonight?" You question in surprise before quickly shaking your head. "The sundial took me a month to solve. You can't expect me to do this in less than a day."

"It's your choice whether you'd like to proceed or not." Alexander shrugs apathetically before glancing towards the door.

"Fine." You grumble before taking a seat, your pride driving you forward once again.

Turning your attention to the strange object, you feel around its many grooves, etchings, and corners. Nothing seems to move, slide, or give way under your many attempts to do so. The only part that seems to move in any capacity is a small, thin panel that easily glides back and forth across what you'd consider the front of the box. After an hour passes, you begin to grow slightly frustrated. Even though you didn't know what its final form would be, you at least had a bit more direction to go on when it came to the sundial.

"Can I at least ask what it's supposed to do?" You break the long held silence, hoping to gain some type of hint. "Open or transform or...?"

"Supposedly it opens." Alexander doesn't glance up from the dial that he has been reexamining since you began your endeavor.

"Supposedly?" You repeat in surprise before lowering the object. "Do you mean to tell me no one has opened it before?"

"It has been opened before." The man assures absentmindedly as he twists the dial around. "Supposedly. There are at least old depictions of it open."

"So no one in the present time has opened it." You state somewhat irately, realizing the true challenge before you. "Great."

Sensing the man's continued disinterest in your probing, you focus back on the task at hand. Impossible though it may be, you will not back down without a valiant effort. Another hour passes as you keep fiddling with the stubborn object. Though every carving and crack appear to be some undiscovered way to unlock the box, none lead anywhere. You can feel time quickly slipping away as you struggle to make any type of progress. Sighing, you look away from the box wearily as you try to think of a new approach. Your fingers continue to fidget with the sliding panel while you consider your options. Suddenly, you seem to have pushed too hard as the panel pops off and falls into your hand. Wide eyed, you carefully shift your glance over to the man to see if he's noticed. Thankfully, he's still completely enthralled with the dial, having taken it apart and now half way through the process of reassembling it.

Shifting away from his view slightly, you turn the small, flat wooden object around in your fingers. Frowning, you realize it's about the same width as one of the gaps on the bottom of the box. Turning it over, you hold your breath as you gingerly slide the panel inside. You can hear the final clicks of the dial coming together before it's set down on the coffee table and Alexander clears his throat.

"It's about time, Miss Jones." You hear as you frantically try to coax the object into the slightly warped wood.

"Yes, just a moment." You try your best to sound casual and not as though your heart is currently pounding in your chest.

Just as you hear him rise to his feet another sound audibly cuts through the air, the distinct click of a mechanism giving way. Exhaling in relief, you feel the rest of the panel slide in and the top of the box begin to give way. Running your hand back up, you wrap your fingers around the object's lid before suddenly the whole thing is snatched from your grasp.

"You did it." Alexander breathes out in visible shock, his hands curling around the box's lid. "I can't believe it..."

His words trail off as he pulls the lid free and gazes inside the object. Holding it one hand, he hastily uses the other to reach inside and gingerly pull out a faded, weathered piece of paper. Setting the object down, he takes a seat and carefully unfolds the ancient looking parchment.

"I don't believe it." He mumbles while staring at the paper as if it was the winning lottery ticket.

"You're welcome." You comment pointedly though the man seems to take little notice.

He spends another few minutes examining the decrepit document before cautiously placing it back in the box and resealing it.

"My employer will be most eager to have you join." Alexander informs you after standing back up. "How soon can you be packed?"

"I- wait what?" You stammer in surprise, seeing no sign of amusement in the man's face. "Thirty minutes?"

"Make it fifteen." He instructs and makes his way to the door. "Our flight leaves in an hour."