| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: an inspection with both torches suggested that it had been formed
by the artificial destruction of several walls between adjacent
honeycombings. The walls were rough, and the high, vaulted roof
was thick with stalactites; but the solid rock floor had been
smoothed off, and was free from all debris, detritus, or even
dust to a positively abnormal extent. Except for the avenue through
which we had come, this was true of the floors of all the great
galleries opening off from it; and the singularity of the condition
was such as to set us vainly puzzling. The curious new fetor which
had supplemented the nameless scent was excessively pungent here;
so much so that it destroyed all trace of the other. Something
At the Mountains of Madness |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Adieu by Honore de Balzac: the construction of a raft. A score of soldiers and officers, who were
armed, formed a guard, commanded by the major, to protect the workers
against the desperate attacks which might be expected from the crowd,
if their scheme was discovered. The instinct of freedom, strong in all
prisoners, inspiring them to miraculous acts, can only be compared
with that which now drove to action these unfortunate Frenchmen.
"The Russians! the Russians are coming!" cried the defenders to the
workers; and the work went on, the raft increased in length and
breadth and depth. Generals, soldiers, colonel, all put their
shoulders to the wheel; it was a true image of the building of Noah's
ark. The young countess, seated beside her husband, watched the
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert: describes when biting its tail the harmony of the planets, and the
intelligence of Eschmoun.
Salammbo's serpent had several times already refused the four live
sparrows which were offered to it at the full moon and at every new
moon. Its handsome skin, covered like the firmament with golden spots
upon a perfectly black ground, was now yellow, relaxed, wrinkled, and
too large for its body. A cottony mouldiness extended round its head;
and in the corners of its eyelids might be seen little red specks
which appeared to move. Salammbo would approach its silver-wire basket
from time to time, and would draw aside the purple curtains, the lotus
leaves, and the bird's down; but it was continually rolled up upon
Salammbo |
