| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Mucker by Edgar Rice Burroughs: about as distasteful to him as anything could be, and only
served to add to his hatred for the inferior, who, in the
bottom of his heart, he knew to be in every way, except upon
the roster of the Halfmoon, his superior; but money can work
wonders, and Divine's promise that the officers and crew of
the Halfmoon would have a cool million United States dollars
to divide among them in case of the success of the venture
had quite effectually overcome any dislike which Mr. Ward
had felt for this particular phase of his duty.
The two officers sat in silence in their room at the hotel
awaiting an answer to the note they had dispatched to Anthony
The Mucker |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard: where Sorais lay, and ninety odd miles from Milosis, the road
ran over a neck of land some two and a half miles in width, and
flanked on either side by forest-clad hills which, without being
lofty, would, if the road were blocked, be quite impracticable
for a great baggage-laden army to cross. She looked earnestly
at the map, and then, with a quickness of perception that in
some women amounts almost to an instinct, she laid her finger
upon this neck of rising ground, and turning to her husband,
said, with a proud air of confidence and a toss of the golden
head --
'Here shalt thou meet Sorais' armies. I know the spot, here
Allan Quatermain |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: a dinner for the Duke), and the occasional figure of an
elderly gentleman in heavy overcoat and muffler
ascending a brownstone doorstep and disappearing into a
gas-lit hall. Thus, as Archer crossed Washington Square,
he remarked that old Mr. du Lac was calling on his
cousins the Dagonets, and turning down the corner of
West Tenth Street he saw Mr. Skipworth, of his own
firm, obviously bound on a visit to the Miss Lannings.
A little farther up Fifth Avenue, Beaufort appeared on
his doorstep, darkly projected against a blaze of light,
descended to his private brougham, and rolled away to
|
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 Magic of Oz by L. Frank Baum: "Grow small!" said the Wizard to the pincers, and at once they
became small and he threw them into the black bag.
"I guess, friends, it's all up with us, this time," remarked Cap'n Bill,
with a dismal sigh.
"Please tell Ozma, Dorothy," said Trot, "that we got into trouble
trying to get her a nice birthday present. Then she'll forgive us.
The Magic Flower is lovely and wonderful, but it's just a lure to
catch folks on this dreadful island and then destroy them. You'll
have a nice birthday party, without us, I'm sure; and I hope, Dorothy,
that none of you in the Emerald City will forget me--or dear ol'
Cap'n Bill."
The Magic of Oz |
