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20. Russell stood frozen for a moment

Russell stood frozen for a moment, his mind spinning. He glanced at Ted, then out at the empty expanse of the desert that stretched endlessly before them. A wind whipped through, the chill biting at their exposed skin, as though the very air carried the weight of unanswered questions. Russell pulled his duffel coat tighter around him, but his thoughts still felt exposed.

"I’m not sure I follow you," he said, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and disbelief. "Amman? You think Amman is the one you’re talking about? What are you saying, Ted?"

Ted smiled faintly, watching Russell’s struggle with the weight of his words. He had seen that look before—the look of someone caught between disbelief and revelation. Ted’s eyes gleamed with quiet certainty as he took another bite of his sandwich, the answer hanging in the air like an unsung note in a long, drawn-out song.

"Think about it, Russell," Ted said softly, his tone almost too calm. "Amman’s already questioning things most people wouldn’t even dare to. That vortex lift, for instance. It’s not just an idea to him—it’s a challenge, a mystery, something to figure out. And you know what? He’s more ready for change than anyone you might expect."

Russell's brow furrowed deeper, the pieces still not quite fitting together. He was about to speak when Ted interrupted, his words cutting through the wind like a signal.

"Remember what Tapu said? It’s never about convincing the whole world. It’s about finding the one person, or maybe just the one soul, who gets it. Who sees the world not as it is, but as it could be. That’s Amman."

Russell stared out at the empty horizon, his eyes narrowing. Slowly, he began to understand. "You're saying... Amman is the one to carry this forward, even if no one else will?"

Ted nodded. "Yes. And maybe, just maybe, he’s the spark we’ve been waiting for. We don't need the whole world to change at once. If we can help him see the possibilities, then that’s the start."

Russell let out a long breath, the weight of the conversation settling on him. For the first time, the vast emptiness of the desert didn’t seem so lonely. There was hope in it, a thread that could pull them out of the darkness and into something new.

Ted finished his sandwich and stood, his gaze now fixed on the horizon. "So, you see, Russell, we don’t need to convince everyone. But if we can inspire just one person, like Amman, then the whole game changes."

Russell gave him a long, searching look. "Well, it seems like I’ve got a lot to think about."

"Good," Ted said with a smile, "because the journey’s only just begun."


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