| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from King Henry VI by William Shakespeare: That virtuous Lady Bona, thy fair sister,
To England's king in lawful marriage.
QUEEN MARGARET.
[Aside.] If that go forward, Henry's hope is
done.
WARWICK.
[To BONA.] And, gracious madam, in our king's behalf,
I am commanded, with your leave and favour,
Humbly to kiss your hand, and with my tongue
To tell the passion of my sovereign's heart,
Where fame, late entering at his heedful ears,
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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 Octopus by Frank Norris: let the Committee proceed with its usual work. He understood the
necessarily delicate nature of this work, and would be pleased to
withdraw till the proper time arrived for him to speak.
"Good deal of backing and filling about the reading of a column
of figures," muttered Annixter to the man at his elbow.
Lyman "awaited the Committee's decision." He sat down, touching
the ends of his mustache.
"Oh, play ball," growled Annixter.
Gethings rose to say that as the meeting had been called solely
for the purpose of hearing and considering the new grain tariff,
he was of the opinion that routine business could be dispensed
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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 Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman by Thomas Hardy: myself to endure it. I will let you know where I go to
as soon as I know myself. And if I can bring myself to
bear it--if it is desirable, possible--I will come to
you. But until I come to you it will be better that
you should not try to come to me."
The severity of the decree seemed deadly to Tess; she
saw his view of her clearly enough; he could regard her
in no other light than that of one who had practised
gross deceit upon him. Yet could a woman who had done
even what she had done deserve all this? But she could
contest the point with him no further. She simply
Tess of the d'Urbervilles, A Pure Woman |
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 Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft: more subtly fearful because its source was so totally unknown.
Its vast, awesome, and incalculable age was unmistakable; yet
not one link did it shew with any known type of art belonging
to civilisation's youth - or indeed to any other time. Totally
separate and apart, its very material was a mystery; for the soapy,
greenish-black stone with its golden or iridescent flecks and
striations resembled nothing familiar to geology or mineralogy.
The characters along the base were equally baffling; and no member
present, despite a representation of half the world's expert learning
in this field, could form the least notion of even their remotest
linguistic kinship. They, like the subject and material, belonged
Call of Cthulhu |
