| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Master Key by L. Frank Baum: guardsmen and a second order to halt, and as these soldiers were over
six feet tall and stood shoulder to shoulder Rob saw that he could not
hope to pass them without using his electric tube.
"Stand aside, you fellows!" he ordered.
There was no response. He extended the tube and, as he pressed the
button, described a semi-circle with the instrument. Immediately the
tall guardsmen toppled over like so many tenpins, and Rob stepped
across their bodies and penetrated to the reception room, where a
brilliant assemblage awaited, in hushed and anxious groups, for
opportunity to obtain audience with the king.
"I hope his Majesty isn't busy," said Rob to a solemn-visaged official
The Master Key |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Ebb-Tide by Stevenson & Osbourne: 'All right. Me got,' said the sailor; 'you tome here. Plenty
toffee, plenty fei. Nutha man him tome too.'
'I guess we'll drop right in,' observed the captain; and he and
his companions hastened up the plank. They were welcomed on
board with the shaking of hands; place was made for them
about the basin; a sticky demijohn of molasses was added to the
feast in honour of company, and an accordion brought from the
forecastle and significantly laid by the performer's side.
'Ariana," said he lightly, touching the instrument as he spoke;
and he fell to on a long savoury fei, made an end of it, raised
his mug of coffee, and nodded across at the spokesman of the
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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 Astoria by Washington Irving: Tonquin ploughed her course towards the sterner regions of the
Pacific.
The misunderstandings between the captain and his passengers
still continued; or rather, increased in gravity. By his
altercations and his moody humors, he had cut himself off from
all community of thought, or freedom of conversation with them.
He disdained to ask questions as to their proceedings, and could
only guess at the meaning of their movements, and in so doing
indulged in conjectures and suspicions, which produced the most
whimsical self-torment.
Thus, in one of his disputes with them, relative to the goods on
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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 Rezanov by Gertrude Atherton: formly congratulated themselves that the color was
brown.
Father Abella turned to Rezanov, his saturnine
features relaxed.
"We are deeply grateful to your excellency, and
our prayers shall follow you always. Never have
we received presents so timely and so magnificent.
And be sure we shall not forget the brave officers
that have brought you safely to our distant shores,
nor the distinguished scholar who guards your ex-
cellency's health." He turned to Langsdorff and
Rezanov |
