Brother where wert thou?

Getting home after midnight, Mendez finds his brother Tao waiting for him.
“What did you find my brother?” Tao’s face all but shines when he see’s all the precious gems Mendez pours out onto the table.
“You must tell me everything, including the magic words.”
Mendez does, and they decide to keep it to themselves until they can decide the best course of action.
Exhausted from his recent run and the long journey before that, Mendez trudges back to his room and passes out.