"It's just wet, like wood that hasn't had time to dry, not truely composed of water. I fail to see what this proves, however, I can prove mine."
Xanth set up a ceramic heating dish and a water barrle.
"Your classification of elements describes Sulfer as aan element, Mercury as another and Tin as separate altogether correct?" Xanth hwever did not give Cancei time to respond.
"So, here I have Brimstone, almost ure fire in powdered form, what you would call Sulfer, and here, quicksilver, what you would all mercury, pure metal distilled." Xanth poured both into the pan.
"And now to bond them, Salt, mostly earth, mixed with the fire of brimstone and with the guidence of quicksilver they will become tin."
Xanth poured the salt in, and started the fire underneath.
He was careful to control the flames, but the physical ascpect was only part of what he did. The Phlisophical was just as important. Xanth searched deep within himself, removing all impurity and going to the very dpeths of the soul of himself. At his very core, was the seed of his soul, the desire for questions, the desire to understand.
Xanth innwardly focused on this above all else, while physically he had taken two sets of tongs and was folding the slowly solidifying mass. The fire roared and the metal glowed, beads of sweat formed on Xanth but he never lost sight of his questions, the most pure form of himself.
As he went on, the lump began to take shape, solidifying and expanding. Eventually the singular burning question was there, the one he asked himself most of all, the one left when all others where pulled away, "Who am I?" With that the lump was formed, Xanth picked it up with the tongs and placed it in the water barrel. Steam rose up, hissing sounded, and Xanth placed a lump of Tin upon the Table.
Tin the least pure of all the base metals, the least enlightened.
"It is done."