| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart: such matters."
Together we opened the curtains, and the doctor, bending down, gave
a comprehensive glance that took in the rolling head, the relaxed
jaw, the ugly stain on the sheet. The examination needed only a
moment. Death was written in the clear white of the nostrils, the
colorless lips, the smoothing away of the sinister lines of the
night before. With its new dignity the face was not unhandsome: the
gray hair was still plentiful, the features strong and well cut.
The doctor straightened himself and turned to me. "Dead for some
time," he said, running a professional finger over the stains.
"These are dry and darkened, you see, and rigor mortis is well
The Man in Lower Ten |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Tour Through Eastern Counties of England by Daniel Defoe: and another on the east side of the road, called Rainsbro's Fort,
so that the town was entirely shut in, on that side, and the
Royalists had no place free but over east bridge, which was
afterwards cut off by the enemy's bringing their line from the
Hythe within the river to the stone causeway leading to the east
bridge.
July 1st. From the 26th to the 1st, the besiegers continued
finishing their works, and by the 2nd the whole town was shut in;
at which the besiegers gave a general salvo from their cannon at
all their forts; but the besieged gave them a return, for they
sallied out in the night, attacked Barkstead's fort, scarce
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Market-Place by Harold Frederic: even lofty position on the Turf. He had never cared much
about races or racing folk himself, but when the Prince
and Lord Rosebery and people like that went in for winning
the Derby, there clearly must be something fascinating in it.
Then Parliament, of course; he did not waver at all from
his old if vague conception of a seat in Parliament as a
natural part of the outfit of a powerful country magnate.
And in a hundred other ways men should think of him
as powerful, and look up to him. He would go to church
every Sunday, and sit in the big Squire's pew.
He would be a magistrate as a matter of course,
The Market-Place |
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 Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: ahead of them, where their scent-spoor was being borne by the
light breeze. Suddenly the two halted simultaneously. Two heads
were cocked upon one side. Like creatures hewn from solid rock
they stood immovable, listening. Not a muscle quivered.
For several seconds they remained thus, then Korak advanced
cautiously a few yards and leaped nimbly into a tree. Akut followed
close upon his heels. Neither had made a noise that would have
been appreciable to human ears at a dozen paces.
Stopping often to listen they crept forward through the trees.
That both were greatly puzzled was apparent from the questioning
looks they cast at one another from time to time. Finally the
The Son of Tarzan |
