| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard: Heavens when she sang that song," I answered. "I know nothing of it, O
king."
"Thou knowest naught of it, Mopo?" said the king. And again he looked
at me terribly through the reek of the fire. "Thou knowest naught of
it, Mopo? Surely thou art a-cold; thy hands shake with cold. Nay, man,
fear not--warm them, warm them, Mopo. See, now, plunge that hand of
thine into the heart of the flame!" And he pointed with his little
assegai, the assegai handled with the royal wood, to where the fire
glowed reddest--ay, he pointed and laughed.
Then, my father, I grew cold indeed--yes, I grew cold who soon should
be hot, for I saw the purpose of Chaka. He would put me to the trial
Nada the Lily |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Glaucus/The Wonders of the Shore by Charles Kingsley: they, as well as the whole inside of the beast, have not been
lately got rid of, and what you see be not a mere bag, without
intestine or other organ: but only for the time being. For hear
it, worn-out epicures, and old Indians who bemoan your livers, this
little Holothuria knows a secret which, if he could tell it, you
would be glad to buy of him for thousands sterling. To him blue
pill and muriatic acid are superfluous, and travels to German
Brunnen a waste of time. Happy Holothuria! who possesses really
the secret of everlasting youth, which ancient fable bestowed on
the serpent and the eagle. For when his teeth ache, or his
digestive organs trouble him, all he has to do is just to cast up
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft: had died, and about which the mate Johansen was so secretive?
What had the vice-admiralty's investigation brought out, and what
was known of the noxious cult in Dunedin? And most marvellous
of all, what deep and more than natural linkage of dates was this
which gave a malign and now undeniable significance to the various
turns of events so carefully noted by my uncle?
March 1st -
or February 28th according to the International Date Line - the
earthquake and storm had come. From Dunedin the Alert and her
noisome crew had darted eagerly forth as if imperiously summoned,
and on the other side of the earth poets and artists had begun
Call of Cthulhu |
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 The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: with the exception of the close; Orgon's eyes could not be opened to
the truth."
"And the tragi-comedy of /Adolphe/ by Benjamin Constant is constantly
enacted," cried Lousteau.
"And do you suppose," asked Madame de la Baudraye, "that such
adventures as Monsieur Gravier has related could ever occur now, and
in France?"
"Dear me!" cried Clagny, "of the ten or twelve startling crimes that
are annually committed in France, quite half are mixed up with
circumstances at least as extraordinary as these, and often outdoing
them in romantic details. Indeed, is not this proved by the reports in
The Muse of the Department |
