| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: insane temerity. "Why, Xingu, of course!" she exclaimed.
A profound silence followed this direct challenge to the
resources of Mrs. Ballinger's library, and the latter, after
glancing nervously toward the Books of the Day, returned in a
deprecating voice: "It's not a thing one cares to leave about."
"I should think NOT!" exclaimed Mrs. Plinth.
"It IS a book, then?" said Miss Van Vluyck.
This again threw the company into disarray, and Mrs. Ballinger,
with an impatient sigh, rejoined: "Why--there IS a book--
naturally . . ."
"Then why did Miss Glyde call it a religion?"
|
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: of him who makes wisdom his study, but of him who wields power
untempered by reflection. Once more: the man who ventures on violence
needs the support of many to fight his battles, while he whose
strength lies in persuasiveness triumphs single-handed, for he is
conscious of a cunning to compel consent unaided. And what has such a
one to do with the spilling of blood? since how ridiculous it were to
do men to death rather than turn to account the trusty service of the
living.
[2] {o kategoros} = Polycrates possibly. See M. Schantz, op. cit.,
"Einleitun," S. 6: "Die Anklagerede des Polykrates"; Introduction,
p. xxxii. foll.
The Memorabilia |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Shadow out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft: past and future, of the cosmic space-time continuum - written
by captive minds from every orb and every age in the solar system.
Madness, of course - but had I not now stumbled into a nighted
world as mad as I?
I thought of the locked metal shelves, and
of the curious knob twistings needed to open each one. My own
came vividly into my consciousness. How often had I gone through
that intricate routine of varied turns and pressures in the terrestrial
vertebrate section on the lowest level! Every detail was fresh
and familiar.
If there were such a vault as I had dreamed of,
Shadow out of Time |
