| 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: I went minutely through such things as the Comte d'Erlette's Cultes
des Goules, Ludvig Prinn's De Vermis Mysteriis, the Unaussprechlichen
Kulten of von Junzt, the surviving fragments of the puzzling Book
of Eibon, and the dreaded Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred.
Then, too, it is undeniable that a fresh and evil wave of underground
cult activity set in about the time of my odd mutation.
In the
summer of 1913 I began to display signs of ennui and flagging
interest, and to hint to various associates that a change might
soon be expected in me. I spoke of returning memories of my earlier
life - though most auditors judged me insincere, since all the
Shadow out of Time |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Son of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs: the trees to her side to announce the near presence of antelope
or giraffe, or with excited warnings of the proximity of Sheeta
or Numa. Luscious, sun-kissed fruits which hung far out upon
the frail bough of the jungle's waving crest were brought to her
by these tiny, nimble allies. Sometimes they played tricks upon
her; but she was always kind and gentle with them and in their
wild, half-human way they were kind to her and affectionate.
Their language being similar to that of the great apes Meriem
could converse with them though the poverty of their vocabulary
rendered these exchanges anything but feasts of reason. For familiar
objects they had names, as well as for those conditions which
The Son of Tarzan |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Maitre Cornelius by Honore de Balzac: of Louis XI. He promised her to go on the morrow and reveal her wrongs
to that terrible father; everything, he assured her, should be settled
as they wished, the marriage broken off, the husband banished,--and
all this within reach of that husband's sword, of which they might
both be the victims if the slightest noise awakened him. But in the
young man's dream the gleam of the lamp, the flame of their eyes, the
colors of the stuffs and the tapestries were more vivid, more of love
was in the air, more fire about them, than there had been in the
actual scene. The Marie of his sleep resisted far less than the living
Marie those adoring looks, those tender entreaties, those adroit
silences, those voluptuous solicitations, those false generosities,
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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 Baby Mine by Margaret Mayo: "It's undoubtedly domestic trouble," decided Miss Perkins, and
she wondered whether it would be delicate of her, under the
circumstances, to remain in the room.
From her employer's conversation at the 'phone, it was clear to
Miss Perkins that Mrs. Jinks was spending the afternoon with Mrs
Hardy, but why this should have so annoyed MR. Jinks was a
question that Miss Perkins found it difficult to answer. Was it
possible that Mr. Jinks's present state of unrest could be
traced to the door of the beautiful young wife of his friend?" Oh
dear," thought Miss Perkins, "how scandalous!"
"That will do," commanded Jimmy, interrupting Miss Perkins's
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