| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Shadow out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft: stimulus my son Wingate did the same - his studies leading eventually
to his present professorship. In 1917 and 1918 I took special
courses at Miskatonic. Meanwhile, my examination of medical, historical,
and anthropological records became indefatigable, involving travels
to distant libraries, and finally including even a reading of
the hideous books of forbidden elder lore in which my secondary
personality had been so disturbingly interested.
Some of the
latter were the actual copies I had consulted in my altered state,
and I was greatly disturbed by certain marginal notations and
ostensible corrections of the hideous text in a script and idiom
Shadow out of Time |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum: Santa Claus distributes so many pretty Christmas gifts to all the
children that they become happy and generous, through his example, and
keep away from my cave."
"I'm having the same trouble," rejoined the Daemon of Envy. "The
little ones seem quite content with Santa Claus, and there are few,
indeed, that I can coax to become envious."
"And that makes it bad for me!" declared the Daemon of Hatred. "For
if no children pass through the Caves of Selfishness and Envy, none
can get to MY cavern."
"Or to mine," added the Daemon of Malice.
"For my part," said the Daemon of Repentance, "it is easily seen that
A Kidnapped Santa Claus |
