| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: which were encrusted with the accumulated dust of centuries, a
bent and withered figure traversed slowly the gloomy corridors
without, his weak and watery eyes peering through thick lenses at
the signs of passage written upon the dusty floor.
CHAPTER XIX
THE MENACE OF THE DEAD
THE night was still young when there came one to the entrance of
the banquet hall where O-Tar of Manator dined with his chiefs,
and brushing past the guards entered the great room with the
insolence of a privileged character, as in truth he was. As he
approached the head of the long board O-Tar took notice of him.
The Chessmen of Mars |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: Mercenaries, Hamilcar, every obstacle had now disappeared. The moon
was gliding between two clouds. They could see it through an opening
in the tent. "Ah, what nights have I spent gazing at her! she seemed
to me like a veil that hid your face; you would look at me through
her; the memory of you was mingled with her beams; then I could no
longer distinguish you!" And with his head between her breasts he wept
copiously.
"And this," she thought, "is the formidable man who makes Carthage
tremble!"
He fell asleep. Then disengaging herself from his arm she put one foot
to the ground, and she perceived that her chainlet was broken.
Salammbo |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lock and Key Library by Julian Hawthorne, Ed.: extensive houses, and the other raised ill blood between the city
and the university, such as required years to allay. The first
arose out of the experience, now first obtained, that these
assassins pursued the plan of secreting themselves within the house
where they meditated a murder. All the care, therefore, previously
directed to the securing of doors and windows after nightfall
appeared nugatory. The other feature brought to light on this
occasion was vouched for by one of the servants, who declared that,
the moment before the door of the kitchen was fastened upon herself
and fellow servant, she saw two men in the hall, one on the point
of ascending the stairs, the other making toward the kitchen; that
|
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 War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells: precipitately. And I noted that now there was no question
that he personally was to capture and fight the great machine.
After a time we went down to the cellar. Neither of us
seemed disposed to resume digging, and when he suggested
a meal, I was nothing loath. He became suddenly very
generous, and when we had eaten he went away and returned
with some excellent cigars. We lit these, and his optimism
glowed. He was inclined to regard my coming as a great
occasion.
"There's some champagne in the cellar," he said.
"We can dig better on this Thames-side burgundy," said I.
War of the Worlds |
