| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: holds yellowish five-pointed starfish-shaped apparent head covered
with three-inch wiry cilia of various prismatic colors.
"Head
thick and puffy, about two feet point to point, with three-inch
flexible yellowish tubes projecting from each point. Slit in exact
center of top probably breathing aperture. At end of each tube
is spherical expansion where yellowish membrane rolls back on
handling to reveal glassy, red-irised globe, evidently an eye.
"Five slightly longer reddish tubes start from inner angles
of starfish-shaped head and end in saclike swellings of same color
which, upon pressure, open to bell-shaped orifices two inches
At the Mountains of Madness |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Muse of the Department by Honore de Balzac: the carnival of 1840, she disguised herself to go to the balls at the
Opera-house, and to suppers where she met courtesans, in order to keep
an eye on all Etienne's amusements.
On the day of Mid-Lent--or rather, at eight on the morning after--
Dinah came home from the ball in her fancy dress to go to bed. She had
gone to spy on Lousteau, who, believing her to be ill, had engaged
himself for that evening to Fanny Beaupre. The journalist, warned by a
friend, had behaved so as to deceive the poor woman, only too ready to
be deceived.
As she stepped out of the hired cab, Dinah met Monsieur de la
Baudraye, to whom the porter pointed her out. The little old man took
The Muse of the Department |
