| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay: what You are doing."
"Go, or stay!" responded Maskull. "I give you till the water gets
smooth again. After that, I begin playing."
Earthrid kept swallowing. He glanced at the lake and back to
Maskull.
"Do you swear it?"
"How long that will take, you know better than I; but till then you
are safe".
Earthrid cast him a look of malice, hesitated for an instant, and
then moved away, and started to climb the nearest hill. Halfway up
he glanced over his shoulder apprehensively, as if to see what was
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Dream Life and Real Life by Olive Schreiner: heard a strange thing tonight. Your father said it was a jackal's cry, but
no jackal cries so. It was a child's voice, and it cried, 'Master, master,
wake!'"
The women looked at each other; then they went to the kitchen, and made a
great fire; and they sang psalms all the while.
At last the man came back; and they asked him, "What have you seen?"
"Nothing," he said, "but the sheep asleep in their kraals, and the
moonlight on the walls. And yet, it did seem to me," he added, "that far
away near the krantz by the river, I saw three figures moving. And
afterwards--it might have been fancy--I thought I heard the cry again; but
since that, all has been still there."
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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 Bureaucracy by Honore de Balzac: be minister!"
Poiret [blowing his nose]. "Then it is true he wrote the report."
Sebastien [still sobbing]. "But it was to--there, I was going to tell
his secrets! Ah! that wretch of a Dutocq; it was he who stole the
paper."
His tears and sobs recommenced and made so much noise that Rabourdin
came up to see what was the matter. He found the young fellow almost
fainting in the arms of Poiret and Phellion.
Rabourdin. "What is the matter, gentlemen?"
Sebastien [struggling to his feet, and then falling on his knees
before Rabourdin]. "I have ruined you, monsieur. That memorandum,--
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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 The Art of War by Sun Tzu: dangers of battle." He did not often call upon his troops for
extraordinary exertions. It was only when he intended a
surprise, or when a rapid retreat was imperative, that he
sacrificed everything for speed. [1] ]
9. If you march fifty LI in order to outmaneuver the enemy,
you will lose the leader of your first division, and only half
your force will reach the goal.
[Literally, "the leader of the first division will be
TORN AWAY."]
10. If you march thirty LI with the same object, two-thirds
of your army will arrive.
The Art of War |
