Preserved Exotic Bird Egg

This egg is the size of a goose egg, but lighter than it should be, with a shell like polished pearl shot through with thin silver lines. When held to the ear, it gives off a faint, rhythmic thrum like a sleeping heartbeat. It never cools below the temperature of a warm hand, and its surface gathers a soft sheen of mist when placed near feathers, straw, or lamp heat. Though it is unmistakably an egg, its preserved shell is sealed tight and shows no sign of cracking, hatching, or decay.