| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells: "Punishment is sharp and sure. Therefore learn the Law.
Say the words."
And incontinently he began again the strange litany of the Law,
and again I and all these creatures began singing and swaying.
My head reeled with this jabbering and the close stench of the place;
but I kept on, trusting to find presently some chance of a
new development.
"Not to go on all-fours; that is the Law. Are we not Men?"
We were making such a noise that I noticed nothing of a tumult outside,
until some one, who I think was one of the two Swine Men I
had seen, thrust his head over the little pink sloth-creature
The Island of Doctor Moreau |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells: Mr. Hoopdriver winced, opened and shut his mouth, and rose
without a word.
XL
At first Jessie Milton and Mr. Hoopdriver walked away from the
hotel in silence. He heard a catching in her breath and glanced
at her and saw her ips pressed tight and a tear on her cheek. Her
face was hot and bright. She was looking straight before her. He
could think of nothing to say, and thrust his hands in his
pockets and looked away from her intentionally. After a while she
began to talk. They dealt disjointedly with scenery first, and
then with the means of self-education. She took his address at
|
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Marie by H. Rider Haggard: ever. Yet at that moment I put up a prayer for guidance, feeling that
my young life hung upon the answer, and it came to me--whence I do not
know. The essence of that guidance was that I should tell the simple
truth to this fat savage. So I said to him:
"The answer is this, O king. Among those Boers is a maiden whom I love
and who betrothed herself to me since we were 'so high.' Her father
took her north. But she sent a message to me saying that her people
died of fever and she starved. So I went up in a ship to save her, and
have saved her, and those who remained alive of her people with her."
"Ow!" said Dingaan; "I understand that reason. It is a good reason.
However many wives he may have, there is no folly that a man will not
Marie |
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 Master Key by L. Frank Baum: "Exactly. That is one force I refer to," said the Demon. "The force
of repulsion, which is little known, but just as powerful, is another
that mankind may direct. Then there are the Polar electric forces,
attracting objects toward the north or south poles. You have guessed
something of this by the use of the compass, or electric needle.
Opposed to these is centrifugal electric force, drawing objects from
east to west, or in the opposite direction. This force is created by
the whirl of the earth upon its axis, and is easily utilized, although
your scientific men have as yet paid little attention to it.
"These forces, operating in all directions, absolute and immutable,
are at the disposal of mankind. They will carry you through the
The Master Key |
