| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Soul of a Bishop by H. G. Wells: globe about them and the sun and the stars grew less distinct and
less immediately there. The silence invited the bishop to speak.
"In the light of this vision, I see my church plainly for the
little thing it is," he said.
He wanted to be perfectly clear with the Angel and himself.
"This church of which I am a bishop is just a part of our poor
human struggle, small and pitiful as one thinks of it here in the
light of the advent of God's Kingdom, but very great, very great
indeed, ancient and high and venerable, in comparison with me.
But mostly it is human. It is most human. For my story is the
church's story, and the church's story is mine. Here I could
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw: may be, I'm a sane man. Erratic: thats what he is. And the danger
is that some day he'll give the whole show away.
LORD SUMMERHAYS. Giving the show away is a method like any other
method. Keeping it to yourself is only another method. I should keep
an open mind about it.
JOHNNY. Has it ever occurred to you that a man with an open mind must
be a bit of a scoundrel? If you ask me, I like a man who makes up his
mind once for all as to whats right and whats wrong and then sticks to
it. At all events you know where to have him.
LORD SUMMERHAYS. That may not be his object.
BENTLEY. He may want to have you, old chap.
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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 Anthem by Ayn Rand: tree, with no aim save the wonder of learning
the strength of our body. The branch
snapped under us and we fell upon the moss
that was soft as a cushion. Then our body,
losing all sense, rolled over and over on the
moss, dry leaves in our tunic, in our hair,
in our face. And we heard suddenly that
we were laughing, laughing aloud, laughing
as if there were no power left in us save laughter.
Then we took our glass box, and we
went on into the forest. We went on,
Anthem |
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 Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs: I felt that my time had come, but I meant to die fighting.
And so I turned, and, treading water, raised my rifle above
my head and awaited her.
Victory, animated by a bravery no less ferocious than that
of the dumb beast assailing us, swam straight for me. It
all happened so swiftly that I cannot recall the details of
the kaleidoscopic action which ensued. I knew that I rose
high out of the water, and, with clubbed rifle, dealt the
animal a terrific blow upon the skull, that I saw Victory,
her long blade flashing in her hand, close, striking, upon
the beast, that a great paw fell upon her shoulder, and that
Lost Continent |
