The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells: he held up three fingers.
The creature was little better than an idiot. I tried
to make out what he meant by that, and it seems I bored him.
After another question or two he suddenly left my side and went
leaping at some fruit that hung from a tree. He pulled down
a handful of prickly husks and went on eating the contents.
I noted this with satisfaction, for here at least was a hint for feeding.
I tried him with some other questions, but his chattering, prompt responses
were as often as not quite at cross purposes with my question.
Some few were appropriate, others quite parrot-like.
I was so intent upon these peculiarities that I scarcely noticed the path
 The Island of Doctor Moreau |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Deputy of Arcis by Honore de Balzac: Daniel d'Arthez, a deputy of the legitimist opposition, who had been
favorable to the election of Sallenauve, hastened, after the reading
of this report, to ask for the floor, and entreated the Chamber to
remark that its adoption would be wholly unjustifiable.
"The point for the committee to decide," he said, "was the regularity
of the election. The report distinctly states that this is not called
in question. The Chamber can, therefore, do only one thing; namely,
admit by an immediate vote the validity of an election about which no
irregularity is alleged. To bring in the question of authorizing a
criminal investigation would be an abuse of power; because by not
allowing discussion or defence, and by dispensing with the usual forms
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom by William and Ellen Craft: Vigilance Committee (appointed at a late meeting
in Fanueil Hall) enlarged their numbers, held an
almost permanent session, and appointed various sub-
committees to act in different ways. One of these
committees called repeatedly on Messrs. Hughes
and Knight, the slave-catchers, and requested and
advised them to leave the city. At first they
peremptorily refused to do so, ''till they got hold of
the niggers.' On complaint of different persons,
these two fellows were several times arrested, car-
ried before one of our county courts, and held to
 Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom |