I didn’t see her arrive in my office.

“You there – you look a little thirsty. Care for a drink?”

She passed me something – a tumbler, simply set with an elegant fleur-de-lis etching in the crystal. The amber liquid inside rolled gently, an irresistible beckoning with a touch of single malt.

“This, my friend, this is wealth.”

The woman in front of me was strong and confident. Beautifully dressed in a long, flowing ball gown, a pair of dice were idly rolled between slim fingers while she talked.

“The very personification of the idea. This glass will grant you all the riches you could ever desire. All the desires you could ever have. Every man since the dawn of time has dreamed of sipping from this cup – and you, you can have it all.”

It was cold and somewhat heavy in my hand, and the liquid roared inside me. She winked and disappeared, the glass vanishing into smoke.