| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The People That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs: If he wishes to follow you, he may; I will not interfere; but if
he wishes to follow me, he shall; nor shall you prevent."
I turned to Al-tan. "Is not that fair?" I demanded. "Let the dog
choose his master."
Du-seen, without waiting for Al-tan's reply, reached for Nobs
and grasped him by the scruff of the neck. I did not interfere,
for I guessed what would happen; and it did. With a savage growl
Nobs turned like lightning upon the Galu, wrenched loose from
his hold and leaped for his throat. The man stepped back and
warded off the first attack with a heavy blow of his fist,
immediately drawing his knife with which to meet the
The People That Time Forgot |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Crito by Plato: decent of you? Surely not. But if you go away from well-governed states
to Crito's friends in Thessaly, where there is great disorder and licence,
they will be charmed to hear the tale of your escape from prison, set off
with ludicrous particulars of the manner in which you were wrapped in a
goatskin or some other disguise, and metamorphosed as the manner is of
runaways; but will there be no one to remind you that in your old age you
were not ashamed to violate the most sacred laws from a miserable desire of
a little more life? Perhaps not, if you keep them in a good temper; but if
they are out of temper you will hear many degrading things; you will live,
but how?--as the flatterer of all men, and the servant of all men; and
doing what?--eating and drinking in Thessaly, having gone abroad in order
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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 Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: of a wizard whom you may chance to have seen kiss him last night. Well,
his life shall be avenged."
"Saduko," I exclaimed, "do not be unjust. There are many sicknesses
that may have killed your son of which I have no knowledge, who am not a
trained doctor."
"I will not be unjust, Macumazahn. The babe has died by witchcraft,
like others in this town of late, but the evil-doer may not be he whom I
suspect. That is for the smellers-out to decide," and without more
words he turned and left me.
Next day Masapo was put upon his trial before a Court of Councillors,
over which the King himself presided, a very unusual thing for him to
Child of Storm |
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 The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) by Dante Alighieri: For Semele against the Theban blood,
As more than once in dire mischance was rued,
Such fatal frenzy seiz'd on Athamas,
That he his spouse beholding with a babe
Laden on either arm, "Spread out," he cried,
"The meshes, that I take the lioness
And the young lions at the pass: "then forth
Stretch'd he his merciless talons, grasping one,
One helpless innocent, Learchus nam'd,
Whom swinging down he dash'd upon a rock,
And with her other burden self-destroy'd
The Divine Comedy (translated by H.F. Cary) |
