| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from When the Sleeper Wakes by H. G. Wells: "That's what they're doing anyhow." He looked at
his rifle, looked at the struggling crowd, and suddenly
turning to the wounded man. "Mind these, mate," he
said, handing his carbine and cartridge belt; and in a
moment he was running towards the aeropile. For a
quarter of an hour he was a perspiring Titan, lugging,
thrusting, shouting and heeding shouts, and then the
thing was done, and he stood with a multitude of
others cheering their own achievement. By this time
he knew, what indeed everyone in the city knew, that
the Master, raw learner though he was, intended to fly
When the Sleeper Wakes |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson: shot him in the midst of the body. He gave the most horrible,
ugly groan and fell to the floor. The foot of a second fellow,
whose legs were dangling through the skylight, struck me at the
same time upon the head; and at that I snatched another pistol
and shot this one through the thigh, so that he slipped through
and tumbled in a lump on his companion's body. There was no talk
of missing, any more than there was time to aim; I clapped the
muzzle to the very place and fired.
I might have stood and stared at them for long, but I heard Alan
shout as if for help, and that brought me to my senses.
He had kept the door so long; but one of the seamen, while he was
Kidnapped |
| 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: hopelessness. Before a month was over the fearless dean had become
a popular hero, though he seemed unconscious of his fame as he
struggled to keep from collapsing with physical fatigue and nervous
exhaustion. West could not withhold admiration for the fortitude
of his foe, but because of this was even more determined to prove
to him the truth of his amazing doctrines. Taking advantage of
the disorganisation of both college work and municipal health
regulations, he managed to get a recently deceased body smuggled
into the university dissecting-room one night, and in my presence
injected a new modification of his solution. The thing actually
opened its eyes, but only stared at the ceiling with a look of
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 Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Shot the pine-trees swift as arrows,
Hurled the cedars light as lances.
"Lazy Kwasind!" said the young men,
As they sported in the meadow:
"Why stand idly looking at us,
Leaning on the rock behind you?
Come and wrestle with the others,
Let us pitch the quoit together!"
Lazy Kwasind made no answer,
To their challenge made no answer,
Only rose, and slowly turning,
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