| 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: mind in a torrent that could not be withheld.
"One more dead," he cried, "one more. Harran dead, Annixter
dead, Broderson dead, Dabney dead, Osterman dead, Hooven dead;
shot down, killed, killed in the defence of their homes, killed
in the defence of their rights, killed for the sake of liberty.
How long must it go on? How long must we suffer? Where is the
end; what is the end? How long must the iron-hearted monster
feed on our life's blood? How long must this terror of steam and
steel ride upon our necks? Will you never be satisfied, will you
never relent, you, our masters, you, our lords, you, our kings,
you, our task-masters, you, our Pharoahs. Will you never listen
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Case of The Lamp That Went Out by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: "No, I suppose not," said the old man, with another glance at the
elder-tree. He bowed to Muller and turned and walked away.
Muller followed him slowly, very much pleased with this meeting, for
it had given him a new clue. There was no reason to doubt the old
man's story. And if this story was true, then the crime had been
committed before half-past nine of the evening previous. For the
old man - he was evidently the janitor in No.1 - had not heard the
shot.
Muller left the scene of the crime and walked towards the four
houses. Before he reached them he had to pass the garden which
belonged to the house with the mansard roof. Right and left of
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Parmenides by Plato: of the whole?' said Socrates. 'Because,' said Parmenides, 'in that case
the whole, which is one, will become many.' 'Nay,' said Socrates, 'the
whole may be like the day, which is one and in many places: in this way
the ideas may be one and also many.' 'In the same sort of way,' said
Parmenides, 'as a sail, which is one, may be a cover to many--that is your
meaning?' 'Yes.' 'And would you say that each man is covered by the whole
sail, or by a part only?' 'By a part.' 'Then the ideas have parts, and
the objects partake of a part of them only?' 'That seems to follow.' 'And
would you like to say that the ideas are really divisible and yet remain
one?' 'Certainly not.' 'Would you venture to affirm that great objects
have a portion only of greatness transferred to them; or that small or
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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 Moran of the Lady Letty by Frank Norris: between her eyes where her frown was knotted hard, hoping to stun
her and end the fight once and for all. But the blow did not seem
to affect her in the least. By this time he saw that her
Berserker rage had worked itself clear as fermenting wine clears
itself, and that she knew now with whom she was fighting; and he
seemed now to understand the incomprehensible, and to sympathize
with her joy in measuring her strength against his; and yet he
knew that the combat was deadly serious, and that more than life
was at stake. Moran despised a weakling.
For an instant, as they fell apart, she stood off, breathing hard
and rolling up her sleeve; then, as she started forward again,
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