| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Dynamiter by Robert Louis Stevenson and Fanny Van De Grift Stevenson: fairy tales of politics. I was at least prepared to meet
reprisals. While I was levying war myself - or levying
murder, if you choose the plainer term - I never accused my
adversaries of assassination. I never felt or feigned a
righteous horror, when a price was put upon my life by those
whom I attacked. I never called the policeman a hireling. I
may have been a criminal, in short; but I never was a fool.'
'Enough, madam,' returned the Prince: 'more than enough!
Your words are most reviving to my spirits; for in this age,
when even the assassin is a sentimentalist, there is no
virtue greater in my eyes than intellectual clarity. Suffer
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: tone. And added with perfect truth and a magnificent mystery,
"You don't quite understand who you're dealing with. But you
will!" He spoke with such conviction that he half believed that
that defective office of his in London--Baker Street, in fact--
really existed.
With that the interview terminated. Bechamel went back to the
Angel, perturbed. "Hang detectives!" It wasn't the kind of thing
he had anticipated at all. Hoopdriver, with round eyes and a
wondering smile, walked down to where the mill waters glittered
in the moonlight, and after meditating over the parapet of the
bridge for a space, with occasional murmurs of, "Private Inquiry"
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Gentle Grafter by O. Henry: homely, rough, shrewd, saving--that's your pose. It's a winner in New
York. Keep your feet on the desk and eat apples. Whenever anybody
comes in eat an apple. Let 'em see you stuff the peelings in a drawer
of your desk. Look as economical and rich and rugged as you can."
I followed out Atterbury's instructions. I played the Rocky Mountain
capitalist without ruching or frills. The way I deposited apple
peelings to my credit in a drawer when any customers came in made
Hetty Green look like a spendthrift. I could hear Atterbury saying to
victims, as he smiled at me, indulgent and venerating, "That's our
vice-president, Colonel Pickens . . . fortune in Western investments
. . . delightfully plain manners, but . . . could sign his check for
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: expected the cattle would come. This place I chose for two reasons:
first, that I might keep touch with both wings of my force, and,
secondly, that we might be able to fire straight down the path on the
pursuing Amakoba.
These were the orders that I gave to the Amangwane, warning them that he
who disobeyed would be punished with death. They were not to stir until
I, or, if I should be killed, one of my hunters, fired a shot; for my
fear was lest, growing excited, they might leap out before the time and
kill some of our own people, who very likely would be mixed up with the
first of the pursuing Amakoba. Secondly, when the cattle had passed and
the signal had been given, they were to rush on the Amakoba, throwing
Child of Storm |
