| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: but that was of no moment, for they were but common
warriors to assist with the ordinary duties upon a flier,
and to fight if need be.
One of the two was Kar Komak, the bowman. The other
was not Carthoris.
The Heliumite was mad with disappointment. He snatched
his dagger from his harness; but already Astok had left
the deck of the Kalksus, and he knew that before he could
overtake him, should he dispatch Vas Kor, he would be killed
by the Dusarian warriors, who now were thick upon the deck.
With either one of the two alive Thuvia was in as great
 Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
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 Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy: his own account at a spot on Durnover Hill--as far as
possible from Henchard's stores, and with every intention of
keeping clear of his former friend and employer's customers.
There was, it seemed to the younger man, room for both of
them and to spare. The town was small, but the corn and
hay-trade was proportionately large, and with his native
sagacity he saw opportunity for a share of it.
So determined was he to do nothing which should seem like
trade-antagonism to the Mayor that he refused his first
customer--a large farmer of good repute--because Henchard
and this man had dealt together within the preceding three
 The Mayor of Casterbridge |