Your story about Paracelsus was interesting. It was interesting the way you had him look back at his life while he lay dying. It was ironic how his life long striving for intellectual stimulation via alchemy would ultimately take his life. He thought he could use Mercury without any ill effects, but he was wrong.

I thought it was clever that you had him actually make the Philosopher's Stone, but too late to save his life. It was also ironic that his self-involved striving to achieve his goal meant that it would ultimately never be put to use for the good of mankind because no one would know of his invention.

I also thought the way you had him notice the wind and the sun, two of elements he would have been able to control in a few days, if only the mercury he had needed to make the stone would not kill him before it had matured.

" But that would still be far too late to save Paracelsus life. He had lived long, and hard. If meant to be, Nature would see to that his creation was discovered. With a wry smile, and a relaxed, content expression on his face, Paracelsus let out his last breath."

I thought the end was compelling, as he realised with his dying breath that he had to put his trust in nature, which he had always done before.


Author's Response: Why thank you! I'm really pleased you think so. There was a lot of research and though behind this one.