| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson: Hath learned black magic, and to ride unseen.
Look to the cave.' But Balin answered him
'Old fabler, these be fancies of the churl,
Look to thy woodcraft,' and so leaving him,
Now with slack rein and careless of himself,
Now with dug spur and raving at himself,
Now with droopt brow down the long glades he rode;
So marked not on his right a cavern-chasm
Yawn over darkness, where, nor far within,
The whole day died, but, dying, gleamed on rocks
Roof-pendent, sharp; and others from the floor,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde: spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him,
and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if Hans
came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit,
and that I could not do. Flour is one thing, and friendship is
another, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are spelt
differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see
that.'
"'How well you talk'! said the Miller's Wife, pouring herself out a
large glass of warm ale; 'really I feel quite drowsy. It is just
like being in church.'
"'Lots of people act well,' answered the Miller; 'but very few
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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 The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie: "Not that I know of."
"Do you not think that it bears a marked resemblance to your own
hand-writing--carelessly disguised?"
"No, I do not think so."
"I put it to you that it is your own hand-writing!"
"No."
"I put it to you that, anxious to prove an alibi, you conceived
the idea of a fictitious and rather incredible appointment, and
wrote this note yourself in order to bear out your statement!"
"No."
"Is it not a fact that, at the time you claim to have been
The Mysterious Affair at Styles |
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 Shadow out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft: marked stones are scattered. Close to four the gale subsided as
suddenly as it had begun, leaving the sand hills in new and unfamiliar
shapes.
It was just past five, with the bloated, fungoid moon
sinking in the west, when I staggered into camp - hatless, tattered,
features scratched and ensanguined, and without my electric torch.
Most of the men had returned to bed, but Professor Dyer was smoking
a pipe in front of his tent. Seeing my winded and almost frenzied
state, he called Dr. Boyle, and the two of them got me on my cot
and made me comfortable. My son, roused by the stir, soon joined
them, and they all tried to force me to lie still and attempt
Shadow out of Time |
