| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu by Sax Rohmer: A brief counsel was held, whereat it was decided that for the present
they should be lodged at a hotel.
"I shall arrange," Smith whispered to me, for the girl was watching us,
"to have the place patrolled night and day."
"You cannot suppose--"
"Petrie! I cannot and dare not suppose Fu-Manchu dead until with my own
eyes I have seen him so!"
Accordingly we conveyed the beautiful Oriental girl and her
brother away from that luxurious abode in its sordid setting.
I will not dwell upon the final scene in the poison cellars
lest I be accused of accumulating horror for horror's sake.
The Insidious Dr. Fu-Manchu |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from McTeague by Frank Norris: carefully (since in Trina's estimation education meant
knowing things and being able to talk about them). Wearying
of this they would go up into the gallery, and, leaning
over, look down into the huge amphitheatre full of light and
color and movement.
There rose to them the vast shuffling noise of thousands of
feet and a subdued roar of conversation like the sound of a
great mill. Mingled with this was the purring of distant
machinery, the splashing of a temporary fountain, and the
rhythmic jangling of a brass band, while in the piano
exhibit a hired performer was playing upon a concert grand
McTeague |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence: come out of 'ere but in a wooden box,' he groaned. 'Well,' I said,
'if you want them to carry you into the garden in a wooden box,
when you're better, I've no doubt they will.' 'If we think it's
good for him,' said the Sister. She's an awfully nice Sister,
but rather strict."
Mrs. Morel took off her bonnet. The children waited in silence.
"Of course, he IS bad," she continued, "and he will be.
It's a great shock, and he's lost a lot of blood; and, of course,
it IS a very dangerous smash. It's not at all sure that it will mend
so easily. And then there's the fever and the mortification--if it took
bad ways he'd quickly be gone. But there, he's a clean-blooded man,
Sons and Lovers |
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 Master of the World by Jules Verne: beyond which our trip surely would not be protracted. Mr. Smith had
shown himself a generous provider both in meats and in liquors. As to
water the mountain springs would furnish it in abundance, increased
by the heavy rains, frequent in that region during springtime.
It is needless to add that the Mayor of Morganton in his role of
hunter, had brought along his gun and his dog, Nisko, who gamboled
joyously about the wagon. Nisko, however, was to remain behind at the
farm at Wildon, when we attempted our ascent. He could not possibly
follow us to the Great Eyrie with its cliffs to scale and its
crevasses to cross.
The day was beautiful, the fresh air in that climate is still cool of
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