| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Stories From the Old Attic by Robert Harris: we are in the process of getting everything straightened out, and
they should be here soon."
"I hope it's Scott and Tina," one of the other executives said.
"They're really brilliant."
"If unconventional," noted another.
"Unconventional or not," said the Chief Operating Officer, "I'll
never forget how they saved us eighty-six million dollars on the
Dazzle II by helping us reduce the number of parts. And when their
expense account came through, all they'd bought were radio batteries
and a couple of reams of paper."
"I remember that," said the first executive. "No fancy research, no
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Heroes by Charles Kingsley: wrestle a fall to-day; but come in, for I am lonely and thou
weary, and eat and drink before thou die.'
Then Theseus went up boldly, and sat down before Kerkuon at
the board; and he ate his fill of the sheep's flesh, and
drank his fill of the wine; and Theseus ate enough for three
men, but Kerkuon ate enough for seven.
But neither spoke a word to the other, though they looked
across the table by stealth; and each said in his heart, 'He
has broad shoulders; but I trust mine are as broad as his.'
At last, when the sheep was eaten and the jar of wine drained
dry, King Kerkuon rose, and cried, 'Let us wrestle a fall
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Underground City by Jules Verne: "And not to go, isn't that it?" interrupted Harry, grasping his
comrade's hand. "No, Jack, it is to you, scarcely healed of your wounds--
to you, who did not delay a day, no, nor an hour, that we owe our being
found still alive in the mine!"
"Rubbish, no!" broke in the obstinate fellow.
"I won't have that said, when it's no such thing.
I hurried to find out what had become of you, Harry, that's all.
But to give everyone his due, I will add that without
that unapproachable goblin--"
"Ah, there we are!" cried Ford. "A goblin!"
"A goblin, a brownie, a fairy's child," repeated Jack Ryan,
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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 Meno by Plato: and say whether virtue, and not only virtue but anything that is taught,
must not have teachers and disciples?
MENO: Surely.
SOCRATES: And conversely, may not the art of which neither teachers nor
disciples exist be assumed to be incapable of being taught?
MENO: True; but do you think that there are no teachers of virtue?
SOCRATES: I have certainly often enquired whether there were any, and
taken great pains to find them, and have never succeeded; and many have
assisted me in the search, and they were the persons whom I thought the
most likely to know. Here at the moment when he is wanted we fortunately
have sitting by us Anytus, the very person of whom we should make enquiry;
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