| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Finished by H. Rider Haggard: caused them to declare war and brought the land to ruin, that
they wished to be avenged, and perchance on him who taught her
her part, not on one or two wandering white men. I saw that when
Cetewayo's people came, and there were many more of them outside,
several hundreds I think, they would shave the whole head and
burn the whole tree. Every one in the kloof would be killed.
"How could I undo the knot that I had tied and stamp out the fire
that I had lit? That was the question. I bethought me of coming
to you, but without arms how could you help? I bethought me of
going to the Master, but I was ashamed. Also, what could he do
with but a few servants, for the most of his people are away with
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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 Master Key by L. Frank Baum: fingers at him.
Pausing at length above the imposing structure of the Hotel Anglais,
Rob noticed at one of the upper floors an open window, before which
was a small iron balcony. Alighting upon this he proceeded to enter,
without hesitation, the open window. He heard a shriek and a cry of
"AU VOLEUR!" and caught sight of a woman's figure as she dashed into
an adjoining room, slamming and locking the door behind her.
"I don't know as I blame her," observed Rob, with a smile at the panic
he had created. "I s'pose she takes me for a burglar, and thinks I've
climbed up the lightning rod."
He soon found the door leading into the hallway and walked down
The Master Key |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Meno by Plato: but then he would have been ready to tell all the world again and again
that the double space should have a double side.
MENO: True.
SOCRATES: But do you suppose that he would ever have enquired into or
learned what he fancied that he knew, though he was really ignorant of it,
until he had fallen into perplexity under the idea that he did not know,
and had desired to know?
MENO: I think not, Socrates.
SOCRATES: Then he was the better for the torpedo's touch?
MENO: I think so.
SOCRATES: Mark now the farther development. I shall only ask him, and not
|
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 Rescue by Joseph Conrad: Believers. Do you understand me, Mr. Carter? Paradise! I wonder
what it will be for him! Unless he gets messages to carry through
the jungle, avoiding ambushes, swimming in storms and knowing no
rest, he won't like it."
Carter listened with an unmoved face. It seemed to him that the
Captain had forgotten his presence.
"And all the time he will be sleeping on that sandbank," Lingard
began again, sitting in his old place under the gilt thunderbolts
suspended over his head with his elbows on the table and his
hands to his temples. "If they want a board to set up at the
grave let them have a piece of an oak plank. It will stay
The Rescue |
