| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Monster Men by Edgar Rice Burroughs: for he seemed no more perturbed than had he been but
hanging out his weekly wash.
As Number Thirteen watched the two men from the dark
shadows of the room in which he stood, he saw that both
were calm--the Chinaman with the calmness of perfect
courage, the other through lack of full understanding
of the grave danger which menaced him. In the eyes of
the latter shone a strange gleam--it was the wild light
of insanity that the sudden nervous shock of the attack
had brought to a premature culmination.
Now the four remaining Dyaks were advancing upon the
The Monster Men |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Koran: the angels, 'Verily, I am about to create a mortal out of clay; and
when I have fashioned him, and breathed into him of my spirit, then
fall ye down before him adoring.' And the angels adored all of them,
save Iblis, who was too big with pride, and was of the misbelievers.
Said He, 'O Iblis! what prevents thee from adoring what I have
created with my two hands? art thou too big with pride? or art thou
amongst the exalted?' Said he, 'I am better than he, Thou hast created
me from fire, and him Thou hast created from clay.' Said He, 'Then
go forth therefrom, for, verily, thou art pelted, and, verily, upon
thee is my curse unto the day of judgment.'
Said he, 'My Lord! then respite me until the day when they are
The Koran |
