| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Footnote to History by Robert Louis Stevenson: royalty, on a land claim of Weber's, fled across the Mulivai, and
"had the coolness" (German expression) to hoist his flag in Apia.
He was asked "in the most polite manner," says the same account -
"in the most delicate manner in the world," a reader of Marryat
might be tempted to amend the phrase, - to strike his flag in his
own capital; and on his "refusal to accede to this request," Dr.
Stuebel appeared himself with ten men and an officer from the
cruiser ALBATROSS; a sailor climbed into the tree and brought down
the flag of Samoa, which was carefully folded, and sent, "in the
most polite manner," to its owner. The consuls of England and the
States were there (the excellent gentlemen!) to protest. Last, and
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: come and discover you here. Go directly to the Avenue of Gates,
which circles the city just within the outer wall. There you will
find many places devoted to the lodging of strangers. You will
know them by the thoat's head carved above the doors. Say that
you are here from Manataj to witness the games. Take the name of
U-Kal--it will arouse no suspicion, nor will you if you can avoid
conversation. Early in the morning seek the keeper of The Towers
of Jetan. May the strength and fortune of all your ancestors be
with you!"
Bidding good-bye to Ghek and A-Kor, the panthan, following
directions given him by A-Kor, set out to find his way to the
 The Chessmen of Mars |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Father Goriot by Honore de Balzac: stepping over her father's corpse to go to the ball; and within
himself he felt that he had neither the strength of mind to play
the part of mentor, nor the strength of character to vex her, nor
the courage to leave her to go alone.
"She would never forgive me for putting her in the wrong over
it," he said to himself. Then he turned the doctor's dictum over
in his mind; he tried to believe that Goriot was not so
dangerously ill as he had imagined, and ended by collecting
together a sufficient quantity of traitorous excuses for
Delphine's conduct. She did not know how ill her father was; the
kind old man himself would have made her go to the ball if she
 Father Goriot |