| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Mistress Wilding by Rafael Sabatini: "There are not likely to be many - half a dozen, say. We shall have to
make short work of them, lest they should raise an alarm." He saw her
glance clouding. "That is the ugly part of the affair," he was quick
to add, himself assuming a look of sadness. He sighed. "What help is
there?" he asked. "Better that those few should suffer than that, as
you yourself have said, there should be some thousands of lives lost
before this rebellion is put down. Besides," he continued, "Monmouth's
officers are far-seeing, ambitious men, who have entered into this
affair to promote their own personal fortunes. They are gamesters who
have set their lives upon the board against a great prize, and they know
it. But these other poor misguided people who have gone out to fight
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: dense foliage that half hid a golden fountain close at
hand. A tall, straight youth he was, with black hair and
keen grey eyes; broad of shoulder and narrow of hip;
a clean-limbed fighting man. His skin was but faintly tinged
with the copper colour that marks the red men of Mars from
the other races of the dying planet--he was like them,
and yet there was a subtle difference greater even than
that which lay in his lighter skin and his grey eyes.
There was a difference, too, in his movements. He came on
in great leaps that carried him so swiftly over the ground
that the speed of the guardsmen was as nothing by comparison.
Thuvia, Maid of Mars |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Montezuma's Daughter by H. Rider Haggard: 'Speak on, Maxtla,' said Otomie, 'for we must hear what there is
for us to answer, and you, people of the Otomie, I pray you keep
silence, that you may judge between us when there is an end of
talking.'
Now a great silence fell upon the multitude, who pressed together
like sheep in a pen, and strained their ears to catch the words of
Maxtla.
'My speech with you, princess, and the Teule your outlawed husband,
shall be short and sharp,' he began roughly. 'A while hence you
came hither to seek an army to aid Cuitlahua, Emperor of the
Aztecs, in his struggle with the Teules, the sons of Quetzal. That
Montezuma's Daughter |
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 Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton: she said, looking straight at Parvis: "Will you answer me one
question, please? When was it that Robert Elwell tried to kill
himself?"
"When--when?" Parvis stammered.
"Yes; the date. Please try to remember."
She saw that he was growing still more afraid of her. "I have a
reason," she insisted gently.
"Yes, yes. Only I can't remember. About two months before, I
should say."
"I want the date," she repeated.
Parvis picked up the newspaper. "We might see here," he said,
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