Part 1, Section 2
The following day, Santiago sells all but six of his sheep to his friend, who owns the stable. He then delivers the remaining sheep to Melchizedek in the town square. To prepare Santiago for his search for the hidden treasure, Melchizedek advises him to look out for omens. He gives him two stones to help with interpreting such signs: a white stone called Urim (which signifies “yes”) and a black one called Thummim (which signifies “no”).
Santiago boards a ship to Africa, disembarking in the port town of Tangier. However, he soon encounters a problem: he cannot speak or understand Arabic, the country’s primary language. While sitting at a bar, a Spanish-speaking local talks with him. Santiago interprets this as a good omen and enlists the man as his guide through the Saraha desert. He also flashes his pouch full of money to prove he can make the voyage.
As the two are about to leave, the bar owner grabs Santiago, speaking to him in frantic Arabic. Unfortunately, he does not understand him. Santiago’s new companion takes his money, declaring they must buy two camels. They go to a large market, crowded with thousands of people. Santiago is momentarily distracted by a beautiful sword for sale; he then turns around and finds his companion gone—and the money with him.
Hoping that his companion strayed away by accident, Santiago decides to stay put and wait. At sundown, the market closes, leaving him alone and feeling sorry for himself. He realizes too late that the bar owner was trying to warn him earlier. Desperate, Santiago asks Urim and Thummim if he will find the treasure. One of the stones falls through a hole in his pouch, and he realizes he must answer his own question.
Santiago resolves not to think of himself as a victim but as an adventurer looking for treasure. The next morning, he helps a candy seller set up his stall and receives sweets in return. While walking away, Santiago realizes that he does not need to know Arabic to have meaningful interactions with the locals. He decides to walk through the streets of Tangier in search of favorable omens.
Shortly before noon, Santiago stops by a crystal merchant’s shop atop an uphill street. He offers to clean the goblets on display by the window in exchange for something to eat. When the merchant does not respond, Santiago goes ahead and cleans them for half an hour, during which the shop makes two sales. Afterward, the merchant invites him out to lunch.
Having made two sales because of him, the merchant interprets Santiago’s presence as a good omen and offers him a position in his shop. Santiago shares that he needs money to travel to Egypt, but the merchant replies that even a year’s worth of labor would not be enough for that. Feeling defeated, Santiago falls silent for a bit. After thinking, he agrees to work for the crystal merchant, announcing that he will use his wages to buy sheep.
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