| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Herbert West: Reanimator by H. P. Lovecraft: knocked out, and a moment’s examination shewed us that he would
permanently remain so. He was a loathsome, gorilla-like thing,
with abnormally long arms which I could not help calling fore
legs, and a face that conjured up thoughts of unspeakable Congo
secrets and tom-tom poundings under an eerie moon. The body must
have looked even worse in life -- but the world holds many ugly
things. Fear was upon the whole pitiful crowd, for they did not
know what the law would exact of them if the affair were not hushed
up; and they were grateful when West, in spite of my involuntary
shudders, offered to get rid of the thing quietly -- for a purpose
I knew too well.
Herbert West: Reanimator |
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 Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: will just earn the money.--Look here,' said he, taking a small file
out of his pocket, 'this is your key; with this you can cut through
one of your bars. By the Mass, but it will not be any easy job,' he
went on, glancing at the narrow loophole that let daylight into the
dungeon.
"It was in a splayed recess under the deep cornice that ran round the
top of the tower, between the brackets that supported the embrasures.
" 'Monsieur,' said the man, 'you must take care to saw through the
iron low enough to get your body through.'
" 'I will get through, never fear,' said the prisoner.
" 'But high enough to leave a stanchion to fasten a cord to,' the
The Muse of the Department |
