| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Heritage of the Desert by Zane Grey: "Martin Cole, I hold to the spirit of our fathers," replied Naab, like
one reading from the Old Testament. "They came into this desert land to
worship and multiply in peace. They conquered the desert; they prospered
with the years that brought settlers, cattle-men, sheep-herders, all
hostile to their religion and their livelihood. Nor did they ever fail
to succor the sick and unfortunate. What are our toils and perils
compared to theirs? Why should we forsake the path of duty, and turn
from mercy because of a cut-throat outlaw? I like not the sign of the
times, but I am a Mormon; I trust in God."
"August Naab, I am a Mormon too," returned Cole, "but my hands are
stained with blood. Soon yours will be if you keep your water-holes and
The Heritage of the Desert |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft: is Leng.
Around the feeble fires dark forms were dancing, and
Carter was curious as to what manner of beings they might be;
for no healthy folk have ever been to Leng, and the place is known
only by its fires and stone huts as seen from afar. Very slowly
and awkwardly did those forms leap, and with an insane twisting
and bending not good to behold; so that Carter did not wonder
at the monstrous evil imputed to them by vague legend, or the
fear in which all dreamland holds their abhorrent frozen plateau.
As the Shantak flew lower, the repulsiveness of the dancers became
tinged with a certain hellish familiarity; and the prisoner kept
The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Phaedo by Plato: poison has been telling me, and he wants me to tell you, that you are not
to talk much, talking, he says, increases heat, and this is apt to
interfere with the action of the poison; persons who excite themselves are
sometimes obliged to take a second or even a third dose.
Then, said Socrates, let him mind his business and be prepared to give the
poison twice or even thrice if necessary; that is all.
I knew quite well what you would say, replied Crito; but I was obliged to
satisfy him.
Never mind him, he said.
And now, O my judges, I desire to prove to you that the real philosopher
has reason to be of good cheer when he is about to die, and that after
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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 Malbone: An Oldport Romance by Thomas Wentworth Higginson: as if the fire read them, and collapsed again as if in
agonizing effort to hold their secret even in death! The
closely folded paper refused to burn, it went out again and
again; while each time Philip Malbone examined it ere
relighting, with a sort of vague curiosity, to see how much
passion had already vanished out of existence, and how much yet
survived. For each of these inspections he had to brush aside
the calcined portion of the letter, once so warm and beautiful
with love, but changed to something that seemed to him a
semblance of his own heart just then,--black, trivial, and
empty.
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