| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Octopus by Frank Norris: unmistakable ring of absolute sincerity. Innocently she
inquired:
"Why?"
Annixter was struck speechless. In the face of such candour,
such perfect ingenuousness, he was at a loss for any words.
"Well--well," he stammered, "well--I don't know," he suddenly
burst out. "That is," he went on, groping for his wits, "I can't
quite say why." The idea of a colossal lie occurred to him, a
thing actually royal.
"I like to have the people who are around me like me," he
declared. "I--I like to be popular, understand? Yes, that's
|
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas: continue.
Cornelius, immovable and full of consternation, heard almost
without understanding, and only muttered, --
"Stolen, stolen, and I am lost!"
"O Cornelius, forgive me, forgive me, it will kill me!"
Seeing Rosa's distress, Cornelius seized the iron bars of
the grating, and furiously shaking them, called out, --
"Rosa, Rosa, we have been robbed, it is true, but shall we
allow ourselves to be dejected for all that? No, no; the
misfortune is great, but it may perhaps be remedied. Rosa,
we know the thief!"
The Black Tulip |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: could discover whether friend or foe inhabited the strange city.
Chances were that they were far from the abode of friends and so
must the panthan move with the utmost caution; but there was a
city and where a city was, was water, even though it were a
deserted city, and food if it were inhabited.
To the red man food and water, even in the citadel of an enemy,
meant food and drink for Tara of Helium. He would accept it from
friends or he would take it from enemies. Just so long as it was
there he would have it--and there was shown the egotism of the
fighting man, though Turan did not see it, nor Tara who came from
a long line of fighting men; but Ghek might have smiled had he
The Chessmen of Mars |
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 Red Seal by Natalie Sumner Lincoln: excitement. Excitement over what? He looked about the room; it
reflected the taste of its dainty owner in its furnishings, but
nowhere did he find an answer to his unspoken question, until his
eye lighted on a box of rouge under the electric lamp on her
bed stand.
"Don't use that," he said, touching the box.
"You know I detest make-up."
"Oh, that!" She turned to see what he was talking about. "That
rouge belongs to Margaret Brewster."
McIntyre promptly changed the conversation. "Have you had your
breakfast?" he asked.
The Red Seal |
