| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft: He said that the geometry of the dream-place he saw was abnormal,
non-Euclidean, and loathsomely redolent of spheres and dimensions
apart from ours. Now an unlettered seaman felt the same thing
whilst gazing at the terrible reality.
Johansen and his men
landed at a sloping mud-bank on this monstrous Acropolis, and
clambered slipperily up over titan oozy blocks which could have
been no mortal staircase. The very sun of heaven seemed distorted
when viewed through the polarising miasma welling out from this
sea-soaked perversion, and twisted menace and suspense lurked
leeringly in those crazily elusive angles of carven rock where
Call of Cthulhu |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from When the World Shook by H. Rider Haggard: with high buskins of this grey stuff.
Presently she touched Bastin on the shoulder and said that she
would speak with him apart. They went together into one of the
chambers of that dwelling and there remained for perhaps the half
of an hour. It was towards the end of this time that in the
intense silence I heard a crash from the direction of the temple,
as though something heavy had fallen to the rocky floor. Bickley
also heard this sound. When the two reappeared I noticed that
though still quite calm, Yva looked radiant, and, if I may say
so, even more human and womanly than I had ever seen her, while
Bastin also seemed very happy.
When the World Shook |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther: that he may surprise us and secretly withdraw God's Word from us.
For let me tell you this, even though you know it perfectly and be
already master in all things, still you are daily in the dominion of
the devil, who ceases neither day nor night to steal unawares upon you,
to kindle in your heart unbelief and wicked thoughts against the
foregoing and all the commandments. Therefore you must always have
God's Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears. But where
the heart is idle, and the Word does not sound, he breaks in and has
done the damage before we are aware. On the other hand, such is the
efficacy of the Word, whenever it is seriously contemplated heard, and
used, that it is bound never to be without fruit, but always awakens
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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 Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: forth, so as to be able, if necessary, to prepare a topographical
survey of the country below. By this means the absence of
reliable maps may be remedied, or if not regarded, as
sufficiently correct they may be checked and counter-checked by
the data gained aloft.
Seeing that the gas has to be transported in cylinders, which are
weighty, it is incumbent that the waste of this commodity should
be reduced to the minimum. The balloon cannot be deflated at
night and re-inflated in the morning--it must be maintained in
the inflated condition the whole time it is required for
operation.
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