| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Rewards and Fairies by Rudyard Kipling: crept by night 'into the huts, and licked the babe from between the
mother's hands; he called his companions and pulled down men
in broad daylight on the Naked Chalk. No - not always did he do
so! This was his cunning! He would go away for a while to let us
forget him. A year - two years perhaps - we neither smelt, nor
heard, nor saw him. When our flocks had increased; when our
men did not always look behind them; when children strayed
from the fenced places; when our women walked alone to draw
water - back, back, back came the Curse of the Chalk, Grey
Shepherd, Feet-in-the-Night - The Beast, The Beast, The Beast!
'He laughed at our little brittle arrows and our poor blunt
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Modeste Mignon by Honore de Balzac: preferences. Bettina was the image of Charles, just as Modeste was the
reproduction of her mother. Both parents continued their love for each
other in their children. Bettina, a daughter of Provence, inherited
from her father the beautiful hair, black as a raven's wing, which
distinguishes the women of the South, the brown eye, almond-shaped and
brilliant as a star, the olive tint, the velvet skin as of some golden
fruit, the arched instep, and the Spanish waist from which the short
basque skirt fell crisply. Both mother and father were proud of the
charming contrast between the sisters. "A devil and an angel!" they
said to each other, laughing, little thinking it prophetic.
After weeping for a month in the solitude of her chamber, where she
Modeste Mignon |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft: upon at least three of the precise words of the formula uttered
alike by Esquimaux diabolists and mongrel Louisianans?. Professor
Angell's instant start on an investigation of the utmost thoroughness
was eminently natural; though privately I suspected young Wilcox
of having heard of the cult in some indirect way, and of having
invented a series of dreams to heighten and continue the mystery
at my uncle's expense. The dream-narratives and cuttings collected
by the professor were, of course, strong corroboration; but the
rationalism of my mind and the extravagance of the whole subject
led me to adopt what I thought the most sensible conclusions.
So, after thoroughly studying the manuscript again and correlating
Call of Cthulhu |
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 Peter Pan by James M. Barrie: mastery of his tie. Sometimes the thing yielded to him without a
contest, but there were occasions when it would have been better
for the house if he had swallowed his pride and used a made-up
tie.
This was such an occasion. He came rushing into the nursery
with the crumpled little brute of a tie in his hand.
"Why, what is the matter, father dear?"
"Matter!" he yelled; he really yelled. "This tie, it will not
tie." He became dangerously sarcastic. "Not round my neck!
Round the bed-post! Oh yes, twenty times have I made it up round
the bed-post, but round my neck, no! Oh dear no! begs to be
Peter Pan |
