| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum: queer weapons that seemed about halfway between pistols
and guns, but were like neither. Their conductors bowed
and left them, and the two in uniforms led the girls
into the palace.
In a beautiful throne room, surrounded by a dozen or
more young men and women, sat the Queen of the
Skeezers, Coo-ee-oh. She was a girl who looked older
than Ozma or Dorothy -- fifteen or sixteen, at least --
and although she was elaborately dressed as if she were
going to a ball she was too thin and plain of feature
to be pretty. But evidently Queen Coo-ee-oh did not
Glinda of Oz |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini: lawyer of Gavrillac, who was wanted by the King's Lieutenant in
Rennes upon a charge of sedition.
M. Binet watched him whilst he read. Their arms were linked, and
Binet's grip was firm and powerful.
"Now, my friend," said he, "will you be M. Parvissimus and play
Scaramouche to-morrow, or will you be Andre-Louis Moreau of Gavrillac
and go to Rennes to satisfy the King's Lieutenant?"
"And if it should happen that you are mistaken?" quoth Andre-Louis,
his face a mask.
"I'll take the risk of that," leered M. Binet. "You mentioned, I
think, that you were a lawyer. An indiscretion, my dear. It is
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: proclaim that he had granted Natal to the Boers to be their property for
ever, information which the Zulus received with shouts. Then Dingaan
asked Retief if he would not eat, and large trenchers of boiled beef
were brought out and handed round. This, however, the Boers refused,
saying they had already breakfasted. Thereon the king said that at
least they must drink, and pots of twala, or Kaffir beer, were handed
round, of which all the Boers partook.
While they were drinking, Dingaan gave Retief a message to the Dutch
farmers, to the effect that he hoped they would soon come and occupy
Natal, which henceforth was their country. Also, black-hearted villain
that he was, that they would have a pleasant journey home. Next he
Marie |
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 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: The Canadian went to take his place again under the bowsprit.
The frigate approached noiselessly, stopped at two cables'
lengths from the animal, and following its track.
No one breathed; a deep silence reigned on the bridge.
We were not a hundred feet from the burning focus, the light of
which increased and dazzled our eyes.
At this moment, leaning on the forecastle bulwark, I saw below me Ned
Land grappling the martingale in one hand, brandishing his terrible
harpoon in the other, scarcely twenty feet from the motionless animal.
Suddenly his arm straightened, and the harpoon was thrown; I heard
the sonorous stroke of the weapon, which seemed to have struck a hard body.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
