Part 4 (through page 109) Summary

The caravan rolls on toward the oasis. As the Englishman attempts to observe the desert and learn its language, Santiago reads the Englishman's books and learns about alchemy. The Englishman tells him that the goal of alchemists is to purify metal by heating it for many years until all its individual properties are burned away. The substance left over is called the Soul of the World. This is the language in which all things are said to communicate. The discovery itself, he says, is called the Master Work. When Santiago hears this, he asks why they do not simply observe men and omens and learn about the universal language that way. This comment irritates the Englishman, who declares that Santiago oversimplifies everything.

Santiago learns that the liquid half of the Master Work is called the Elixir of Life. The...