| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Enchanted Island of Yew by L. Frank Baum: gray stone where Terribus had been accustomed to sit; and other slaves
brought a gorgeous throne of gold, studded with precious jewels, which
they put in its place. And after a time the king himself returned to
the room, his simple gray gown replaced by flowing robes of purple,
with rich embroideries, such as he had not worn for many years.
"My people," said he, addressing those present with kindness and
dignity, "it seems to me fitting that a handsome king should be
handsomely attired, and an ugly one clothed simply. For years I have
been so terrible in feature that I dared not even look at my own image
in a mirror. But now, thanks to the gracious magic of my guest, I
have become like other men, and hereafter you will find my rule as
The Enchanted Island of Yew |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: traitor.
"T'at true, sare?" he asked him.
"Not quite," put in Mr. Wilding. "Mr. Westmacott, I think, was
constrained away. He did not intend..."
"Tais-toi!" blazed Feversham. "Did I interrogate you? It is for
Mistaire Westercott to answer." He set a hand on the table and leaned
forward towards Wilding, his face very malign. "You shall to answer
for yourself, Mistaire Wildin'; I promise you you shall to answer for
yourself." He turned again to Richard. "Ek, bien?" he snapped. "Will
you speak?"
Richard came forward a step; he was certainly nervous, and certainly
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Father Damien by Robert Louis Stevenson: uncouth peasant steps into the battle, under the eyes of God, and
succours the afflicted, and consoles the dying, and is himself
afflicted in his turn, and dies upon the field of honour - the
battle cannot be retrieved as your unhappy irritation has
suggested. It is a lost battle, and lost for ever. One thing
remained to you in your defeat - some rags of common honour; and
these you have made haste to cast away.
Common honour; not the honour of having done anything right, but
the honour of not having done aught conspicuously foul; the honour
of the inert: that was what remained to you. We are not all
expected to be Damiens; a man may conceive his duty more narrowly,
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