| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad: they rested motionless and gleaming, like a design of silver
sprays embroidered on a sombre background.
Mrs. Almayer lighted the cocoanut lamp, and lifting cautiously
the red curtain, gazed upon her husband, shading the light with
her hand.
Almayer, huddled up in the chair, one of his arms hanging down,
the other thrown across the lower part of his face as if to ward
off an invisible enemy, his legs stretched straight out, slept
heavily, unconscious of the unfriendly eyes that looked upon him
in disparaging criticism. At his feet lay the overturned table,
amongst a wreck of crockery and broken bottles. The appearance
Almayer's Folly |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie: "As I said before, I'm a mutt!" returned Julius.
The doctor looked at them all curiously.
"You spoke of wanting a statement from her," he said. "Supposing
she is not able to give one?"
"What? You have just said that she is perfectly sane."
"So she is. Nevertheless, if you want a statement from her
concerning any events prior to May 7, 1915, she will not be able
to give it to you."
They looked at the little man, stupefied. He nodded cheerfully.
"It's a pity," he said. "A great pity, especially as I gather,
Sir James, that the matter is important. But there it is, she
Secret Adversary |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Ebb-Tide by Stevenson & Osbourne: their coming with a profound disappointment; and perhaps (hope
whispered) he would be willing and able to purchase their
silence.
The boat was by that time forging alongside, and they were
able at last to see what manner of man they had to do with. He
was a huge fellow, six feet four in height, and of a build
proportionately strong, but his sinews seemed to be dissolved in
a listlessness that was more than languor. It was only the eye
that corrected this impression; an eye of an unusual mingled
brilliancy and softness, sombre as coal and with lights that
outshone the topaz; an eye of unimpaired health and virility; an
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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 The Ebb-Tide by Stevenson & Osbourne: offensive in dumb show.
'It may suit me, your coming here,' he said. 'My own schooner
is overdue, and I may put something in your way in the
meantime. Are you open to a charter?'
'Well, I guess so,' said Davis; 'it depends.'
'My name is Attwater,' continued the stranger. 'You, I
presume, are the captain?'
'Yes, sir. I am the captain of this ship: Captain Brown,' was
the reply.
'Well, see 'ere!' said Huish, 'better begin fair! 'E's skipper on
deck right enough, but not below. Below, we're all equal, all got
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