Today's Stichomancy for Clyde Barrow

The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Where There's A Will by Mary Roberts Rinehart:

"The old doctor!" he gasped. "He's dead, Miss Minnie--died just now in the hot room in the bathhouse! One minute he was givin' me the divil for something or other, and the next-- I thought he was asleep."

Something that had been heavy in my breast all afternoon suddenly seemed to burst and made me feel faint all over. But I didn't lose my head.

"Does anybody know yet?" I asked quickly. He shook his head.

"Then he didn't die in the bath-house, Mike," I said firmly. "He died in his bed, and you know it. If it gets out that he died in the hot room I'll have the coroner on you."

The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Tanach:

Psalms 10: 1 Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?

Psalms 10: 2 Through the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued, they are taken in the devices that they have imagined.

Psalms 10: 3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and the covetous vaunteth himself, though he contemn the LORD.

Psalms 10: 4 The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, saith: 'He will not require'; all his thoughts are: 'There is no God.'

Psalms 10: 5 His ways prosper at all times; Thy judgments are far above out of his sight; as for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.

Psalms 10: 6 He saith in his heart: 'I shall not be moved, I who to all generations shall not be in adversity.'

Psalms 10: 7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

Psalms 10: 8 He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; in secret places doth he slay the innocent; his eyes are on the watch for the helpless.

Psalms 10: 9 He lieth in wait in a secret place as a lion in his lair, he lieth in wait to catch the poor; he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him up in his net.

Psalms 10: 10 He croucheth, he boweth down, and the helpless fall into his mighty claws.

Psalms 10: 11 He hath said in his heart: 'God hath forgotten; He hideth His face; He will never see.'

The Tanach

The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Confidence by Henry James:

and these days were the happiest of his life. The autumn weather was warm and soothing, the quartier was still deserted, and the uproar of the great city, which seemed a hundred miles away, reached them through the dense October air with a softened and muffled sound. The evenings, however, were growing cool, and before long they lighted the first fire of the season in Mrs. Vivian's heavily draped little chimney-piece. On this occasion Bernard sat there with Angela, watching the bright crackle of the wood and feeling that the charm of winter nights had begun. These two young persons were alone together in the gathering dusk; it was the hour before dinner, before the lamp had been lighted.

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 Vailima Prayers & Sabbath Morn by Robert Louis Stevenson:

blackness of despair, the horror of misconduct, from which our feet have been plucked out. For our sins forgiven or prevented, for our shame unpublished, we bless and thank Thee, O God. Help us yet again and ever. So order events, so strengthen our frailty, as that day by day we shall come before Thee with this song of gratitude, and in the end we be dismissed with honour. In their weakness and their fear, the vessels of thy handiwork so pray to Thee, so praise Thee. Amen.

SUNDAY

WE beseech Thee, Lord, to behold us with favour, folk of many families and nations gathered together in the peace of this roof,