| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne: ing "beng," the leaf which forms the base of the "has-
chisch," strolled up and down the wood, so that Michael
Strogoff without being seen, could catch and understand
their conversation, which was spoken in the Tartar lan-
guage.
Michael's attention was singularly excited by their very
first words. It was of him they were speaking.
"This courier cannot be much in advance of us," said
the pendja-baschi; "and, on the other hand, it is absolutely
impossible that he can have followed any other route than
that of the Baraba."
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott: attack.
"You are a citizen of the world, Captain Dalgetty," said Murdoch
Campbell, "and cannot be ignorant of our old Scotch proverb, GIF-
GAF, [In old English, KA ME KA THEE, i.e. mutually serving each
other.] which goes through all nations and all services."
"Then I should know something of it," said Dalgetty; "for, except
the Turks, there are few powers in Europe whom I have not served;
and I have sometimes thought of taking a turn either with Bethlem
Gabor, or with the Janizaries."
"A man of your experience and unprejudiced ideas, then, will
understand me at once," said Murdoch, "when I say, I mean that
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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 Aeroplanes and Dirigibles of War by Frederick A. Talbot: the Admiralty was a wise move. Experience has revealed the
advantages accruing from the perfection of homogeneous squadrons
upon the water, that is to say groups of ships which are
virtually sister-craft of identical speed, armament, and so on,
thus enabling the whole to act together as a complete effective
unit. As this plan had proved so successful upon the water, the
Admiralty decided to apply it to the fleet designed for service
in the air above.
At the time this plan of campaign was definitely settled Great
Britain as an aerial power was a long way behind her most
fomidable rival, but strenuous efforts were made to reduce the
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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 The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: remembered that there were people who thought there
would one day be a tunnel under the Hudson through
which the trains of the Pennsylvania railway would run
straight into New York. They were of the brotherhood
of visionaries who likewise predicted the building of
ships that would cross the Atlantic in five days, the
invention of a flying machine, lighting by electricity,
telephonic communication without wires, and other
Arabian Night marvels.
"I don't care which of their visions comes true,"
Archer mused, "as long as the tunnel isn't built yet." In
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