| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: her very substance in its colour and texture, her eyes, her lips,
the gleam of her teeth, the tawny mist of her hair, the smoothness
of her forehead, the faint scent that she used, the very shape,
feel, and warmth of her high-heeled slipper that would sometimes in
the heat of the discussion drop on the floor with a crash, and
which I would (always in the heat of the discussion) pick up and
toss back on the couch without ceasing to argue. And besides being
haunted by what was Rita on earth I was haunted also by her
waywardness, her gentleness and her flame, by that which the high
gods called Rita when speaking of her amongst themselves. Oh, yes,
certainly I was haunted by her but so was her sister Therese - who
The Arrow of Gold |
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 Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: "You do not know the way to your own country. You would
be lost. The leopards or the lions would get you the first night,
and after all you would not find your Korak. It is better that you
stay with us. Did I not save you from the bad man? Do you not
owe me something for that? Well, then remain with us for a few
weeks at least until we can determine what is best for you.
You are only a little girl--it would be wicked to permit you to
go alone into the jungle."
Meriem laughed. "The jungle," she said, "is my father and
my mother. It has been kinder to me than have men. I am not
afraid of the jungle. Nor am I afraid of the leopard or the lion.
The Son of Tarzan |
