The French Revolution

The French Revolution was an uprising in human history that changed the way of life for many. The poor became poorer, the people became mostly jobless, the cities became even more lifeless. Not only did the Revolution affected music in the 1700s but it still has an effect on modern day music. The Revolution had an impact on many things; one of the many things being music. The French Revolution was also an evolution for music. The leaders of the Revolution wanted to end the aristocracy; they soon realized music could influence people so they used music to achieve their goals. The purpose of music during the Revolution was to unite a group of people to take action. The music was used to get people to feel nationalism pride and rise against the aristocracy. The Revolution influenced a numerous amount of composers. The emotions the composers felt during this time period influenced the way music was produced. The churches were the main supporters of musicians. They relied on people that could compose, conduct, and play the organ. Because the church demanded this, people obtained a living by working for the church. Musicians could also gain patronage from an aristocrat as another way to earn a living. â€Å"Kapellmeister is someone who is a composer, conductor, a performer, and organizer†(Kingsnews). The wealthy families would often hire these people to write and perform small pieces of music for entertainment. When the Revolution took place the aristocrats lost their fortunes, loss of music centers resulted from small states being consumed by neighbors. Public concert halls raised from the change. People had more availability to music because of this rise. However, the public wasn't interested in heavy music. â€Å"The limits of music were not allowed to go beyond that of what was politically and socially acceptable to the old regime†(Kingsnews). The changes caused by the Revolution caused many people to lose their jobs which in turn unemployed many musicians. These changes affected many musicians because their music did not fit the popular trend of music. In the time of the French Revolution people often used their musical talents to get what they need. In the book, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly on page 138 in the first paragraph gives an example of how music was used to people's advantages. Levesque, the inn-keeper, makes a deal with Alex's family; as long as they sing songs for his guests in the tap room he will give them a place to sleep. In the book, Revolution, on pages 114 and 115 Alex mentions that she, her father, and her uncle puts on puppet shows. She then says â€Å"We were all hungry, all thin, for the harvest was poor and the winter long.†(Revolution) Two paragraphs below Alex goes on â€Å"My mother wept. My brothers, all five of them, joined her.†(Revolution). Within this journal entry, Alex explains her family's means of collecting money. Alex also plays her guitar for the Little Prince. When the Little Prince is locked in the tower she plays loudly hoping he can hear her. In today's society, music no longer depends on the churches or patronage. The music style today varies from the style of music during the Revolution. Whereas classical composers made money during the Revolution, they would have a very difficult time earning money composing classical pieces. Another difference that stands out is the â€Å"performance and the ‘look' of the musician†(Kingsnews). During the French Revolution people listened and gave money because of the feelings that emit from the song. However, today's society buys music â€Å"based on the attractiveness of the musicians†(Kingsnews). Even though the evolution of music has changed dramatically people today still use music to tell a story, for entertainment, to influence one another. However, instead of using music to influence people to end aristocracy, music is produced to influence people to stand up for what they believe in. Modern music comes from the classical music that was created during the French Revolution. Modern musician uses the works of those who lived before them to inspire their own piece. Some musicians and their songs that were inspired by classical music are â€Å"Elvis Presley – I Can't Help Falling In Love With You ; It's Now Or Never, Queen – It's A Hard Life, Barry Manilow – Could It Be Magic, Lady Gaga – Alejandro ; Bad Romance, Beyonce – Schubert, and many more musicians†(ClassicFM). Throughout the book, Andi does some similar things that Alex did during the French Revolution. One of these things is her music. Alex played her music in the streets of Paris for money. However, Andi doesn't think of this at first. Andi stumbled upon this by accident. On page 96 in the book, Revolution, Andi is sitting on a bench when she hears a note from â€Å"Norwegian Wood†. She starts playing the song on her guitar, an old man drops a coin into her guitar case. On page 120 of Revolution, Andi is facing a problem; she is hungry. She tries to take money off her ATM card but is declined. After having a conversation with Minna Dyson Andi comes to the conclusion to play her music on the streets to make money so she can buy food. Later on page 122, a guy asks Andi if she wants to jam, to which she replied yes. They get a few more coins tossed in the case. After a little while, they split the money and head to a cafe together. On page 128 of Revolution, Andi meets Virgil, the â€Å"Hip-Hop master†. Andi, Virgil, and Jules starts playing music in the cafe. They're playing in the cafe to earn some food. Remy, the cafe owner, tells them to play sad songs because then people will drink more. It's just like the time when Alex and her family need a place to sleep, but instead Andi, and Virgil is playing for food. Andi goes to a party with Jules and Virgil, they pass through the catacombs to get to this party. The cops soon show up and everyone scatters. In the midst of running Andi trips and hits her head. When she wakes up she is now in the 1700s; the French Revolution to be exact. While she is in this time period she remembers what she read in Alex's journal entries. On her way a shop to get new guitar strings, she sees the tower that the Little Prince is being held. Without thinking, Andi starts to play for him. Malherbauro tries to get her to stop but she keeps playing louder. Soon guards show up, they tell Andi to stop playing and move along. When Andi doesn't respond or stop playing the guard hits Andi in the head with the butt of the gun. In Andi's journey through this time period, she experiences what Alex experienced. The French Revolution impacted many things; one being music. Music during the French Revolution had a greater purpose than today's music. However, today's music influence people in a way music should influence people. Alex and Andi both used their talents to their advantages to get what they need. Although the French Revolution changed human history and many other things, it brought upon the evolution of music. The French Revolution The French Revolution was an uprising in human history that changed the way of life for many. The poor became poorer, the people became mostly jobless, the cities became even more lifeless. Not only did the Revolution affected music in the 1700s but it still has an effect on modern day music. The Revolution had an impact on many things; one of the many things being music. The French Revolution was also an evolution for music. The leaders of the Revolution wanted to end the aristocracy; they soon realized music could influence people so they used music to achieve their goals. The purpose of music during the Revolution was to unite a group of people to take action. The music was used to get people to feel nationalism pride and rise against the aristocracy. The Revolution influenced a numerous amount of composers. The emotions the composers felt during this time period influenced the way music was produced. The churches were the main supporters of musicians. They relied on people that could compose, conduct, and play the organ. Because the church demanded this, people obtained a living by working for the church. Musicians could also gain patronage from an aristocrat as another way to earn a living. â€Å"Kapellmeister is someone who is a composer, conductor, a performer, and organizer†(Kingsnews). The wealthy families would often hire these people to write and perform small pieces of music for entertainment. When the Revolution took place the aristocrats lost their fortunes, loss of music centers resulted from small states being consumed by neighbors. Public concert halls raised from the change. People had more availability to music because of this rise. However, the public wasn't interested in heavy music. â€Å"The limits of music were not allowed to go beyond that of what was politically and socially acceptable to the old regime†(Kingsnews). The changes caused by the Revolution caused many people to lose their jobs which in turn unemployed many musicians. These changes affected many musicians because their music did not fit the popular trend of music. In the time of the French Revolution people often used their musical talents to get what they need. In the book, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly on page 138 in the first paragraph gives an example of how music was used to people's advantages. Levesque, the inn-keeper, makes a deal with Alex's family; as long as they sing songs for his guests in the tap room he will give them a place to sleep. In the book, Revolution, on pages 114 and 115 Alex mentions that she, her father, and her uncle puts on puppet shows. She then says â€Å"We were all hungry, all thin, for the harvest was poor and the winter long.†(Revolution) Two paragraphs below Alex goes on â€Å"My mother wept. My brothers, all five of them, joined her.†(Revolution). Within this journal entry, Alex explains her family's means of collecting money. Alex also plays her guitar for the Little Prince. When the Little Prince is locked in the tower she plays loudly hoping he can hear her. In today's society, music no longer depends on the churches or patronage. The music style today varies from the style of music during the Revolution. Whereas classical composers made money during the Revolution, they would have a very difficult time earning money composing classical pieces. Another difference that stands out is the â€Å"performance and the ‘look' of the musician†(Kingsnews). During the French Revolution people listened and gave money because of the feelings that emit from the song. However, today's society buys music â€Å"based on the attractiveness of the musicians†(Kingsnews). Even though the evolution of music has changed dramatically people today still use music to tell a story, for entertainment, to influence one another. However, instead of using music to influence people to end aristocracy, music is produced to influence people to stand up for what they believe in. Modern music comes from the classical music that was created during the French Revolution. Modern musician uses the works of those who lived before them to inspire their own piece. Some musicians and their songs that were inspired by classical music are â€Å"Elvis Presley – I Can't Help Falling In Love With You ; It's Now Or Never, Queen – It's A Hard Life, Barry Manilow – Could It Be Magic, Lady Gaga – Alejandro ; Bad Romance, Beyonce – Schubert, and many more musicians†(ClassicFM). Throughout the book, Andi does some similar things that Alex did during the French Revolution. One of these things is her music. Alex played her music in the streets of Paris for money. However, Andi doesn't think of this at first. Andi stumbled upon this by accident. On page 96 in the book, Revolution, Andi is sitting on a bench when she hears a note from â€Å"Norwegian Wood†. She starts playing the song on her guitar, an old man drops a coin into her guitar case. On page 120 of Revolution, Andi is facing a problem; she is hungry. She tries to take money off her ATM card but is declined. After having a conversation with Minna Dyson Andi comes to the conclusion to play her music on the streets to make money so she can buy food. Later on page 122, a guy asks Andi if she wants to jam, to which she replied yes. They get a few more coins tossed in the case. After a little while, they split the money and head to a cafe together. On page 128 of Revolution, Andi meets Virgil, the â€Å"Hip-Hop master†. Andi, Virgil, and Jules starts playing music in the cafe. They're playing in the cafe to earn some food. Remy, the cafe owner, tells them to play sad songs because then people will drink more. It's just like the time when Alex and her family need a place to sleep, but instead Andi, and Virgil is playing for food. Andi goes to a party with Jules and Virgil, they pass through the catacombs to get to this party. The cops soon show up and everyone scatters. In the midst of running Andi trips and hits her head. When she wakes up she is now in the 1700s; the French Revolution to be exact. While she is in this time period she remembers what she read in Alex's journal entries. On her way a shop to get new guitar strings, she sees the tower that the Little Prince is being held. Without thinking, Andi starts to play for him. Malherbauro tries to get her to stop but she keeps playing louder. Soon guards show up, they tell Andi to stop playing and move along. When Andi doesn't respond or stop playing the guard hits Andi in the head with the butt of the gun. In Andi's journey through this time period, she experiences what Alex experienced. The French Revolution impacted many things; one being music. Music during the French Revolution had a greater purpose than today's music. However, today's music influence people in a way music should influence people. Alex and Andi both used their talents to their advantages to get what they need. Although the French Revolution changed human history and many other things, it brought upon the evolution of music.

Human hand catching an object Essay

ANALYSING From this experiment I have found out that there are different factors that affect the resistance of a wire. The factors that I have investigated are the length and thickness of a wire. In the experiment, as the wire got shorter, the resistance decreased, and if the wire were increased then the resistance would increase too. If the thickness of a wire were to be changed then the thicker the wire, the less resistance and the thinner the wire the more resistance it will have. I have also found out that the resistance is calculated by dividing the voltage by the current. This calculation was used in my experiment and showed that the resistance is roughly constant. If some odd results were obtained, it was because at a low voltage the power packs are inaccurate and at a high current, we might gain a heating effect. Ohm’s law can be proved by the graph due to the fact that the graph has a straight line; therefore it has a constant gradient, meaning a constant resistance whatever current is passing through it, providing the temperature is constant. If the graph were a curved, then that would mean that the resistance was changing. If that were the case the resistance could be found for any point by taking the pair of values (V, I) from the graph and sticking them in the formula R= V/I. (Information obtained from physics revision guide. ) That would be disobeying Ohm’s law. In my opinion, the resistance of the 32- copper wire seemed odd since the thinnest wire is supposed to have the highest resistance. However a good conductor, which is what copper is, will allow current to flow through it easily. Therefore that’s why the ammeter reading for the copper wire, which measures the current, was very high, compared to the reading of the other types of wire. A nichrome wire would have more resistance than a copper wire of the same size, because less current flows through it, making it not such a good conductor. We can also conclude that the thickest wire, type 26, had the highest resistance because less current could flow through it. EVALUATING: This investigation was conducted following the method above. By following those steps, I managed to obtain more than enough readings to plot a graph with and I managed to obtain accurate results, until the wire reached 30cm (TABLE 1). However my previous readings were fairly accurate, which were more enough for me to plot a graph with. I had seven readings when only 6 are needed to plot a graph. The results of the first experiment my group conducted, (TABLE 2) were much more accurate than the second one (TABLE 1). The resistance was very constant, however we did not complete the experiment. We planned to carry it on the next lesson, but it would not have been a fair test because we used a different power pack and the voltage was not the same. We found out that we were getting odd results to our previous ones; therefore we had to start the whole thing again. We made sure we finished that experiment and even had time to conduct another: an investigation to find out whether the thickness of a wire would affect the resistance. Since I only had to investigate five different wires, obtaining five results, this investigation was easier to conduct because there were fewer to do and I knew exactly what I was doing. It took me less time to set up the circuit and it was definitely a fair test. However when it came to the 32-copper wire the resistance was very high. I expected it to be high because it was one of the thinnest wires, however not that high. I suspect I either recorded the wrong reading or because at low voltage the power pack was inaccurate and at high current there was a heating effect. However, as I mentioned in the analysing section, there was a simpler explanation. From previous work, I remembered copper is a very good conductor, therefore the high current reading. In future if I conduct another similar experiment to this one there are some improvements that could be made: I could compare my results with other people to see if they got the same or near enough results. That way I would know whether I was on the right tracks. If I am stuck on connecting the circuit, I could draw a diagram first and follow that. I should finish every experiment the same day; so that I get more accurate results and can compare the results to the results of another experiment, on the same subject and would not have waste time having to start the same experiment again. I could have done some further research and find out what and if there are any other factors that affect the resistance of a wire and then I could have conducted an experiment.

An Analysis Of Roddy Doyles Wr

An Analysis Of Roddy Doyles Wr Essay An Analysis of Roddy Doyles Writing StyleRoddy Doyle is an Irish novelist from Dublin, Ireland, who has written several award winning anovels. Through the use of a variety of literary techniques, Doyle has been able to delve into the thoughts and minds of his characters, so that the reader can easily empathize with them. Specifically, through the use of vernacular language, detailed imagery, and stream of consciousness in two of his novels, The Woman Who Walked Into Doors and Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, Roddy Doyle is able to successfully depict what occurs in the minds of both abused women, and adolescent boys, respectively. In The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, Roddy Doyle tells the story of a recovering alcoholic who has been in an abusive marriage. This woman, Paula Spencer, struggles throughout the novel to gain control of the confusion her life has become. Through his use of the vernacular, detailed imagery, and stream of consciousness, Doyle is able to show the effect that abuse has on its victims. Ever since she was a child, Paula Spencer was treated with disrespect. She attended a grade school which classified her as an idiot. As Paula described it, All the classes are named after Irish musicians. We were just 1.6. We got the worst room the worst teachers, the dopesIt was a fright, finding out that I was stupid (Doyle Doors 28). This use of vernacular language is seen throughout this novel. Doyles technique of writing in the vernacular is very effective in getting his point across, plain and simple. In this case, Doyle is able to effectively show the psychological abuse Paula suffered as a child and what effect it had on her. This is most likely where Paulas disrespect for herself stemmed from, and most likely what lead to her tolerance of the physical abuse yet to come. At a young age Paula married a man named Charlo Spencer. It was quite apparent from the beginning that Charlo was not the right man for Paula. However, she married him anyway, and over their seventeen years o f marriage Paula Spencer was severely beaten by her husband. The entire novel is about how Paula tries desperately to sort through her confusion. Since Doyle tells her story in the vernacular it is very easy for the reader to relate. Doyles language and first person narrative perfectly catch Paulas erratic thoughts, as she tries to sort out the tangled strands of her memory, and tries to recover those which are lost.(Cape 1)Paulas use of vulgar words throughout the novel is helps express the anger, pain and confusion she is feeling. Doyle does not try to clean up the language. His use of the vernacular in Paulas thoughts and speech conveys the anger and pain that an abuse victim feels. For instance:They were all the same; they didnt want to know. Theyd never ask. Heres a prescription; now fuck off. The young ones were the worst, the young ones in CasualtyI should have boxed her ears. A kid in a white coat, playing. Shouting at the nurses. A fuckin little child with no manners(Doyle Doors 190)Here Paula is describing the doctors who she sees every time she needs medical attention after she has been beaten by Charlo. It is apparent through her choice of words that she is angry and also that she wanted help, but didnt quite know how to get it. Her frustration with her situation is evident in her choice of words. Not only does Doyle do an excellent job in showing the abuse through his use of the vernacular, but he is also able to vividly describe the abuse to the reader through detailed imagery, conveyed through the thoughts of Paula herself. READ: A Lesson before Dying EssayThroughout the novel, Paula Spencer vividly describes the episodes when Charlo beats her. The images her descriptions give the reader make it very clear how painful and frustrating it is for abuse victims. For example:He pushed me back into the corner. I felt hair coming away; skin fighting it. And a sharper pain when his shoe bit into my arm, like the cut of a knife. He grunted. He leaned against the wall over me. I

Overview of IS Risk Assessment (IP) Research Paper

Overview of IS Risk Assessment (IP) - Research Paper Example Measurements consist of (Sun, Srivastava, & Mock, 2006): Cost which is used to protect the information and systems Value of the information and information systems Threat probability and occurrence Effectiveness of Controls Prior to Risk Assessment Before conducting risk assessment, primary factors are considered. The identification of information assets lays the foundation for further assessment. Information assets are defined as the entities that hold organization data. A good discussion is available on ‘www.ibm.com’ which states it as, information assets precisely resembles with the nature of business and business strategy of the organization. Likewise, these information systems may be subjected to contractual and legislative compliance requiring protection from threats and mission critical systems. The information assets for an organization will be the technology assets, data asset, service asset and people asset. In a typical scenario of an organization’s net work, the owners for server hardware will be the server administration group. The owners for the applications running on the servers will be the application support group and the owners for the data, which is stored on the server, will be system development group. Question needs to be answered Moreover, the risk management process involves the implementation of safeguards and controls that are continuously observed. Likewise, risk management identifies information assets along with their weaknesses and prioritizes them as per severity and business impact. The self-examination process of risk management assists managers to identify and mark severity of information assets. However, it is not a fact that assets are only indicating as systems, they also includes people, hardware and software components. Moreover, risk management also reflects asset classification, categorization of groups with respect to business impact against each identified asset; there are certain questions that nee d to be answered: What is the most important or mission critical asset for the organization? Which asset generates profit for the organization? Which asset provides revenue for the organization? Which information asset has the most replacement cost? Which information asset requires significant protection cost? Which information asset reflects the most significant liability when breached? Phases of Risk Assessment The first phase of risk assessment is the investigation phase. The investigation phase is conducted to gather information regarding the system and resources. The threats are prioritized before assessment. The identification of critical components is conducted in order to prioritize threats. After prioritization, related plug-in is selected before execution. Risk assessment includes the scanning of all open ports of the system. This phase also conducts scanning of all known vulnerabilities. The next phase includes reporting of the findings which are extracted by investigatio n phase. The findings are then categorized in different priorities. The report illustrates open ports, number of vulnerabilities found at high status, number of vulnerabilities found at medium status, number of vulnerabilities found at low status (Fenz, Ekelhart, & Neubauer, 2011). Report also includes host information including the ‘netbios’ name, DNS name and operating system. This phas

Interviw Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Interviw - Case Study Example In the course of discussing my findings, I will include a comparison to the characteristics of adult learning as presented in Merriam and Bierema’s (2014) Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice. The respondent in the interview is female. Her name is Mariam Aleide. She is 27 years old. This is consistent with Merriam and Bierema’s definition of an adult (2014, p.11), where they point out that an adult is one whose age, social roles and sense of self perception define them as such-as adults. Therefore, her identity as an adult, apart from her age, is also a factor of her having multiple roles in society Merriam and Beirema (2014, p.12). For example, Aleide points out that she is a wife, a mother, and has a job as a teacher, apart from being a student. This distinguishes her as an adult as per the standards set in the text. The economic aspect of Aleide’s life is not easy to decipher. However, given the number of activities she has been a part of, one may infer that she is in a position to afford the various types of education. One the other hand, she points out that her mother had to sponsor her in matters to do with her baby. This shows that there may be a bit of financial struggle. This is predicted by Merriam and Bierama’s work. The roles taken on by Aleide as a wife, mother and student all require some level of financial contribution. Technologically, Aleide is proficient in computer programs. She specifies that she has a basic understanding of Microsoft office programs. In their work, Merriam and Bierema (2014, p.5) point out that due to globalization, there has been a rising demand for proficiency in computer programs. As such, by gaining basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Packages, Aleide is on consistency with ideas of the text; she incorporates the knowledge and use of technology into her learning endeavors. This is reported to ease the learning process, especially since she is a student in a country that is highly

Law essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Law - Essay Example istinguish the state from other legal and non-legal entities; it shall explore the differences between recognizing a state and recognizing the government of a state; it shall also discuss the practical effects of the fact that only some states recognize Kosovo’s statehood; it shall explore the two theoretical underpinnings of the statehood theory-the declaratory and constitutive theories; and discuss the alternatives to a state-based model in public international law and how these manifest in practice. There are various reasons why the United Kingdom recognizes Kosovo as a state, but does not recognize Kurdistan, the Palestinian Authority Area, or the Antarctica as states. These reasons are very much founded on the basic tenets of public international law and on how the latter defines a ‘state’. State is defined as â€Å"an isolated, static phenomenon on the basis of its constituent elements† 1. The elements of a state are set under different conventions and treaties that now comprise the bulk of our international laws. The main and primary convention in defining the elements of a state is the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States which entered into force on December 1934. This convention laid down the elements of a state, which are: â€Å"(a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states† 2. Two of the elements (territory and population) of a state comprise its physical characteristics. In order for an entity to be considered a state, it should have control over the territory it claims as its own. A defined territory implies boundaries which are laid in accordance with international laws. â€Å"It includes the air space above the land†¦and the earth beneath it, in theory, reaching to the globe†3. This defined territory also includes up to twelve miles of territorial sea which is adjacent to the coast. Maritime jurisdiction, which is part of

Transmission cabling and techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Transmission cabling and techniques - Assignment Example The advent of televisions and transmission of not only calls but also video or visual signals called for the introduction of broadband transmission medium in the form of broadband copper coaxial cables in the 1930s. This was followed by the development of coaxial cables into tandem that contained microwave radio relay systems in the 1970s. These were broadband systems in which television and conversation signals travelled through radio with the help of a number of towers. Microwave relay had the advantage of lower construction and maintenance costs as compared to coaxial cables (Migliavacca 143). Fiber optic cables that used light to transmit signals came before more advanced techniques of LAN (local area networks) as forms of transmission media. It was after the introduction of fiber optic cables in the 1980s that more advanced techniques like OFDM, which is the acronym of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing and MIMO which is multiple-input and multiple-output, were introduced as a modes of encoding digital data (Pejanovic-Djurisic, Enis, and Ramjee 94). The OFDM technology is a mode of encoding digital data on a number of carrier frequencies while MIMO is the application of several antennas on both ends of the transmission and receiving to enhance communication performance. Wireless technology is expected to advance further with predictions such as the use of light bulbs that have the capacity to transmit data through illumination. Additionally, wireless technology is expected to advance further to the implantation of devices with the capacity to receive wireless tr ansmissions on humans. This is expected to notify people of particular events

Rodney has worked for Greengrass Ltd, a firm of seed wholesalers, as Essay

Rodney has worked for Greengrass Ltd, a firm of seed wholesalers, as the company accountant, for fourteen years. On a recent au - Essay Example Still before being dismissed no in depth investigation was conducted into the matter and also Rodney was not provided with any explanation what so ever of how the firm reached the decision. At the same time the CEO refrained from providing Rodney a chance to say anything in his defense, and no compensation was awarded for the sudden dismissal. Compensation can be claimed by Rodney provided the dismissal is proven to be either wrongful or unfair. Although the ACAS cannot be legally and lawfully implemented yet it is a disciplinary guideline for employers to manage their workforce and is given importance during the legal proceedings if a tribunal hears the case (Bell, 2006) Rodney’s employment termination will be classified as wrongful and unfair by ACAS (ACAS, 2013). The unfair dismissal can be characterized with regards to the band of reasonable responses test and the procedural fairness (Bell, 2006). Rodney can claim a grievance for Supervisory practices (OPEIU, 2013; ACAS, 2 009). He can be compensated for being unfairly dismissed. Green grass ltd. can claim that a contract breach can occur on suspicion of theft and Rodney be dismissed without any sound proof; not holding green grass ltd. liable to remedy Rodney’s dismissal. ... With Rodney being employed for 14 years the CEO of Green grass ltd. should have provided him with 12 weeks (1 week for every year) worth of notice before dismissing him; as it the maximum period allowed (compactlaw, 2013). But for the assurety of wrongful dismissal the contract will need to be studied. Remedies for Wrongful Dismissal Following remedies can be claimed for wrongful dismissal (compactlaw, 2013): 1. Unpaid wages 2. Money for correct notice 3. Perks 4. Pension loss 5. Commission, bonus payments Unfair Dismissal of Rodney The Dismissal of Rodney will be regarded as unfair by the Government of United Kingdom as the CEO of Green Grass ltd. had no satisfactory reason behind dismissing Rodney and also he did not follow the disciplinary procedures of the company to authenticate the dismissal (Gov, 2013). According to ACAS (2013), the dismissal is ‘automatically unfair’; irrespective even if the employer used a reasonable cause to terminate the employment of Rodney since he had been a full time employee at Green Grass ltd. for the past fourteen years. The employee also needs to be an employee of the same firm for a continuous period of two years to qualify for unfair dismissal (Compactlaw, 2013). The only way the dismissal could have been categorized as fair if the employer would have been able to prove that the decision to dismiss Rodney had been carried out for; misconduct, incapability or being unqualified for the job, redundancy or statutory restrictions on job continuation (ACAS, 2013). The CEO accused Rodney of misconduct in terms of dishonesty and misplacement of monies from the accounts and dismissed him providing no further reason for the dismissal. The unfairness of the dismissal when being judged by a

Reflexes Uncovered-Pathway of an action potential Comprehensive Paper Essay

Reflexes Uncovered-Pathway of an action potential Comprehensive Paper - Essay Example A stimulus is generated immediately a person comes in contact with a painful object like fire. The stimulus has to pass through layers of the layers of the skin, which include the epidermis and the dermis. The anatomy of the skin displays a rich network of receptors that are responsible for detecting pain (Moses et al., 67). The epidermis consists of hair and Merkel’s disc, which is a tactile receptor found between the epidermis and the dermis. This receptor detects any form of external stimuli. The Pacinian corpuscle is also found in the outermost layer of the skin and it detects abnormal pressures from external environment. Apart from these receptors, the outer skin layer has free nerve endings that detect pain. The stimulus goes through the free nerve endings to other sensory receptors in the dermis (Moses et al., 70). The presence of sensory receptors enables the skin to detect any change in environmental pressures like fire. The dermis also has the Ruffini’s corpuscle which is a receptor similar to a mushroom shape. The stimulus is also detected by the Pacinian corpuscle, which detects deep pressure within the hypodermis layer. The dermis contains free nerve endings that play a major part in detecting external stimuli. A stimulus excites the impulse at the resting membrane potential of the neuron threshold potential in order to reach the maximum action potential. When the maximum action potential is achieved, the cell membrane of the neurons becomes depolarized and the sensory receptors convert the portrayed information into nerve impulses. As a result the nerve impulse away from the dendrites into the neuron then onto the cell body of the nerve. It then travels via the myelin sheath of the axon, to the nodes of Ranvier and lastly to the synaptic knob where the axon and another neuron mee t each other. The gap between one neuron and another is called the presynaptic membrane

Questions and Answers on Intermolecular Forces Essay Example for Free

Questions and Answers on Intermolecular Forces Essay Intermolecular forces written response Hexane and Water do not mix. When the two substances are combined they separate into layers in the same manner oil and water do. Explain why this is? Well to begin with this, these two things are very dissimilar. Water is considered polar and secondly hexane is considered non-polar. Polar and non-polar cannot mix together they are to different substances. Polar solutes will dissolve in polar solvents and non-polar solutes will dissolve in non-polar solvents, this is where the expression ‘like dissolves like’ comes from. When theses two substances are combined they form different layers and this is because hexane is denser then water. Another very important reason to remember is that water is only soluble with nitrogen, fluorine, and oxygen. These two liquids are said to be immiscible. Water and oil will not mix for the same reason water is polar and oil is non-polar and for the same exact reason they are not mixable in a solution. Methane, ammonia and water are chemically similar. Yet the three substances have very different boiling points. Explain why this is true? This is due to the bonding between the molecules. The stronger they are the hotter you must make the liquid to cause it to boil. Intermolecular forces are the forces between the molecules of a substance. If a substance has very strong intermolecular forces, it is likely to be a solid, and if it has very weak intermolecular forces it is more likely to be a gas, and this is because there would be less attraction among the molecules (strong intermolecular force=more attraction between molecules). As you know, when you boil something, you are changing it from a liquid to a gas which means you would want to decrease the attraction among the molecules of the substance by adding energy. If a substance has intermolecular forces that are stronger, you would need more energy to overcome the forces which means it would have a higher boiling point (higher boiling point=higher temperature=more heat=more energy). The opposite is also true. If a substance has weaker intermolecular forces, less energy is required to decrease the attraction among the molecules and therefore it would have a lower boiling point. Ammonia and water have higher boiling points due to hydrogen bonding. Methane has a low boiling point because it belongs to the weakest London dispersion forces.

Influence of Stigma in Healthcare

Influence of Stigma in Healthcare Step 1: Discuss the ways stigma can influence healthcare delivery for marginalised people and groups in Australian society. People from the following groups may be stigmatised. Explore this question from one of the following marginalised groups: refugees, indigenous Australians, mentally ill or homeless people, older adults or the disabled. Step 2: My definition of stigma is when someone is discriminated against and stereotyped by their mental health illness causing them to be treated unequal to others. I have made many observations in relation to stigma and mental healthcare delivery while working as an assistant nurse in a mental health hospital. In my experience, I observed staff stigmatise and discriminate against certain mentally ill patients due to the staff’s values and expectations of mental health illnesses. This caused a lower standard of care as the staff neglected certain patients if they believed mental health was not a valid health issue. When related to the sociological imagination template (Germov, 2014, p. 7, 8) this issue relates to the historical factor as in the past mental health was not valued as highly as biomedicine and there was a higher rate of stigma in mental health. It also relates to the cultural factor as the cultural values of the staff I observed impacted on the delivery of healthcare. In addition to my observations in the workplace, I also experienced stigma first hand during my adolescent years as I experienced depression. I found I was less likely to seek help and healthcare when others within my society such as peers had a lack of understanding or had specific cultural and historical views that caused them to stigmatise me. This impacted on the delivery of healthcare as health professionals were unable to help me unless I presented to them with my issues, causing a lack of healthcare in this situation. The stigma I received from my peers was due to the way the education system is structured as it doesn’t include education about mental health from an early age. It is my experience with depression followed by my observations of stigma that has helped me understand that stigma is such a universal concept affecting many people and their healthcare. Germov (2014, pg. 3) explains health sociology is based on the concept that health issues come about from the social world. Germov also explains (2014, pg. 3) the treatment and causes for health problems are within the social context of the individual. Therefore, if stigma and discrimination are within society, it can not only cause mental health issues, through self-stigmatizing, but also prevent them from improving, by causing individuals to not seek healthcare. Now that I have an understanding of Willis’ sociological imagination template (Germov, 2014, p. 7, 8), I am able to reflect on my experiences with a deeper understanding of the implications stigma has on the delivery of healthcare and the ability of a mentally ill person to seek help. Step 3: Cockerham Cockerham’s (2010, pg. 24-41) reading has deepened my initial observations of how stigma impacted on my own experience of mental illness as they explain the impact globalisation has on the structure of the healthcare system and advancement in medicine, and also the cultural values and expectations of mental illness. The article (Cockerham et al. 2010, pg. 24-41) explains globalisation and the advancement of western medicine is a means to scientifically understand the body in order to improve diagnosis and treatment options. This has had an effect on all aspects of healthcare; however Cockerham et al. (2010) explain the historical neglect of mental health research, due to supernatural and religious beliefs of the past and the view that the study of the mind was the role of the church. This reading has allowed me to understand the development of the structure of mental healthcare as historically mental health was seen as mysterious and religious (Cockerham et al., 2010, pg. 24-41). The article explains that the study of the mind was eventually thought of as medical science, but due to the past perceptions, medical science in physical health was valued higher than mental health knowledge (Cockerham et al., 2010, pg. 24-41). This perception is found within Australian society as Germov (2012, pg. 165) states biomedicine is an important model of health and illness. This may have caused the cultural values of the staff I observed in my workplace, causing them to put biomedicine above mental healthcare, often devaluing the need for mental health care. The high value for biomedicine and the high value for medical science of physical health before mental health has allowed me to understand the historical cause of stigma. I have since realized I was a victim of stigma durin g my adolescent years which affected my ability to seek healthcare. Healthcare needs to develop further to treat the mentally ill with the respect and dignity they deserve. Step 4: By reflecting on my experiences within mental health it is clear stigma influences healthcare delivery in two main ways 1) through the values and expectations of healthcare professionals and 2) whether or not individuals seek healthcare treatment due to stigma impacting on their perception of their mental health issue. As stated in step 2, health sociology is based on the concept that health problems are created from the social world of the individual, and both the treatment and cause of health issues can be identified in the individual’s social context (Germov, 2014, pg. 3). This topic is very broad, so I will base my reflection on the three main factors from the sociological imagination template (Germov, 2012, pg. 7-8) that present the link between a person and their society/environment i.e. the cultural values and opinions of Australian society and the way the education system is structured and how it can be improved from a critical standpoint. These factors link closely an d impede heavily on the delivery of healthcare in Australia. Such implications include a lower standard of healthcare due to the values of healthcare professionals, and the inability to live up to societys’ expectations causing self-stigmatizing attitudes, leading to a lower chance of the individual seeking out healthcare. There is the inability or decision not to seek help early due to a lack of knowledge given from the education system; however the healthcare system has advanced to create positive outcomes for someone with mental problems within Australian society. It is important to remember that cultural values and structural systems do not just affect the individual, but the society as a whole. The cultural perception of being responsible for our healthcare (Germov, 2014, pg. 8) within Australia has profound implications for people with mental illness as they are often unable to take responsibility of their healthcare. Their inability take charge clashes with views of society and in turn stigma develops. Angel and Thoits (1987) explain that culture mandates the behaviors, response and help-seeking attitudes of individuals’ to their illness, and Chacon (2009) states cultural factors play a large role in help-seeking. Hence the value of being responsible for our healthcare juxtaposed with the failure of the individual to do so, causes the mentally ill person to steer away from seeking treatment, as they are made to believe they have failed their society. Weiss (2010) has given me insight into this value from the doctor’s point of view and that is doctors cannot help us if we won’t help ourselves. This is true to some extent, however in the case of someone with a debilitating mental illness, they are often unable to help themselves. During my experience, I also felt as though I could not help myself as my illness caused a lack of self-confidence and respect to help myself. This ultimately causes a lack of healthcare and a failure of the healthcare system to deliver care due to the values and expectations of society and healthcare professionals. Cappelen Norheim (2005) have given me insight into another viewpoint of being responsible for our own health. It is explained that lifestyle choices have a huge impact on our health and hence why some believe putting responsibility on the individual is fair (Cappelen Norheim, 2005). However, if a person has chosen to take illegal substances for example, that have ultimately caused a mental illness, who should decide whether or not they are discriminated against for doing so? And should the extent to which a disease is a result of individual choices be allowed to affect the degree to which it is given priority? This brings up the cultural values of the health professionals that I observed who had a high value for biomedicine and little understanding of how their views were being imposed on their patients, causing discrimination against them. From a critical perspective (Germov, 2013, pg. 7), healthcare delivery can be improved through the structure of the education system. If more education about mental health is provided within the curriculum for young students, stigma among the mentally ill will be reduced due to a greater understanding and acceptance of mental illness among the younger generation. Programs such as headspace, as well as mental health resources, guidelines, and support will help improve the mental health and wellbeing of individuals (State Government Victoria, 2014). This is turn will improve healthcare delivery as the mentally ill will feel less like they have failed their society and more likely to seek treatment. Looking back on my experience, the delivery of healthcare is strongly impacted by the values, expectations and stigma of Australian society towards mental illness. By improving education in Australia we may be able to reduce stigma providing better healthcare outcomes to patients. Step 5: By answering this eModule question, I have developed the graduate attribute of demonstrating respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity. I have expanded my knowledge on the impact of stigma on both myself and the individuals within my care, giving me a better respect for the dignity of the individual. Germov (2014) has given me a deeper knowledge that individual problems can be faced by the majority of society at one point or another, giving me the understanding that others, like me, often feel a sense of devalued dignity due to the values and expectations of society as a whole. I have a wider knowledge of the impact my experience had on myself as an adolescent, and would not allow others to feel the same way or experience the same issues. This has allowed me to better care for others keeping in mind the impact of stigma on healthcare delivery, ultimately giving me the skills to become a better nurse. References Angel, T., Thoits, P. (1987). The impact of culture on the cognitive structure of illness. Culture, Medicine and psychiatry, 11(4), 465-494. Doi: 10.1007/BF00048494 Cappelen, A.W., Norheim, O.F. (2004). Responsibility in healthcare: a liberal egalitarian approach. Journal Med Ethics, 31, 476-480. doi:10.1136/jme.2004.010421 Chacon, C. (2009). Depression: the tole of cultural factors and perception of treatment. Retrieved from http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4998context=etd_theses Cockerham, G.B., Cockerham, W.C. (2010). Globalization: Health benefits and risks. In Health and globalization (pp. 24-41). Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. Germov, J. (2014). Ethnicity, health, and multiculturalism. In J. Germov, Second opinion: An introduction to health sociology (5th ed.). (pp. 163-183). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press. State Government Victoria. (2014). Student mental health and suicide response/planning. Retrieved from http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/health/pages/studenthealth.aspx Weiss, P.J. (2010). Take responsibility for your own health. Retrieved from http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/12/responsibility-health.html

Fifthe Business Essay -- essays papers

Fifthe Business Guilt is defined as a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime or wrong committed. Guilt is a major theme in the novel Fifth Business. Dunny has been raised in a strict Presbyterian household which has encouraged him to feel guilt about many minor things. Even though Paul was not born at the time of the snowball incident, Paul Dempster still feels guilty towards his mothers simple mindedness. Percy Boyd Stautons repressed guilt does considerable damage and ultimately recoils on himself. In Fifth Business many characters feel guilt due to the snowball incident. Dunny Ramsay feels extremely guilty because he had anticipated that Percy, with whom he had been arguing, would throw one final snowball at him before he eats dinner. He felt Mrs. Ramsay’s pain when she was crying. â€Å"I had never heard an adult cry in pain before and the sound was terrible for me.† Dunny is still very young, and most likely, he has the perception that the adults should be the strong ones. To hear Mrs. Dempster cry must have been very emotionally difficult for ...

Christian G. Appys Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam :: American History

The Vietnam War, which lasted for two decades (1955-1975), was probably the most problematic of all American wars. US involvement in Vietnam occurred within the larger context of the Cold War between the US and the USSR. It was, and remains, morally ambiguous and controversial. The Vietnam War was slated as both a war against Communism and a war aimed at suppressing dangerous nationalist self-determination. Christian G. Appy's book, Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, is a graphic and perceptive portrayal of soldiers' experiences and the lasting effects the Vietnam War has had on the American culture and people. Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, is an analytical work that has three major purposes: 1. to show that those who fought in Vietnam were predominantly from the working class 2. to convey the experiences of the soldiers who served in Vietnam and 3. to offer his own scathing commentary of American actions in Vietnam. After World War II ended, Cold War alignments emerged. In 1946, Winston Churchill spoke against the USSR in his "Iron Curtain" speech. George Kennan's "Long Telegram" introduced the concept of containment, arguing that the US could keep communism from spreading by deterring Soviet expansion at critical points. Critical occurrences in1949 brought American communist fears to an extreme level. The Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift, followed by Mao Zedong's triumph over Chiang Kai-Shek's Chinese Nationalist forces, and the successful atomic bomb tests of the USSR all contributed to the hysteria. America was gripped by paranoia, embodied by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy Communist witch hunts. The escalation period of the Vietnam War, which lasted for a decade (1955-1965) reflected the Cold War conflict in which the US and USSR avoided direct combat and thus avoided the possibility of nuclear war. Instead, the two superpowers battled though puppet forces. While the US backed South Vietnamese government was weak and corrupt, the USSR backed North Vietnamese government was a proud and group of nationalists willing to fight fiercely for Vietnamese unification and against foreign influence. The US faced an enemy that believed deeply in its nationalist as well as communist cause and hated US, and for that matter any foreign intervention. In Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, Appy estimates that approximately eighty percent of the soldiers who experienced combat in Vietnam were the sons of blue-collar workers. He presents his definition of

Creation myth :: Fiona and Shrek

Geoffrey meets Ducky Long before there were human beings, there was Queen Fiona and King Shrek. They lived on an island filled with tropical fruits and jungles called Neverland. King Shrek was the ruler of all the land. He made boundaries to separate land from water, marshes from rain forests, and created islands into regions. King Shrek also created trees to grow crops for the animals. Queen Fiona on the other hand created the most beautiful exotic creatures called the bear, bird, duck, giraffe, tiger, lion, fish, dog, lizard, horse, elephant, frog, cow, deer, chicken, pig, leopard, rhino, squirrels, and many other creatures. In those days there was no sun. All light came from the sparkling white moon shined in the sky that stood in the center of the sky. There was the sky and the moon, but the sun never came out and, far below, an endless stretch of water, wild marshes, exotic jungles, rain forests with fresh green trees growing like grass. Animals roamed every region searching for food and shelter, bu t this lead to brutal and violent fights. Soon Queen Fiona and King Shrek were getting fed up with the animals Nguyen 2 because the animals became enemies to one another, so Queen Fiona and King Shrek decided to create human beings into either man or woman, where peace and kindness with last eternally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day the Queen Fiona and King Shrek decided to retire due to the chaos of the animals and tried to figure out what animals can represent the man or woman and that animal can become the symbol of life again. It was the hardest decision for the Queen Fiona and King Shrek to choose what animal can stay to lead on the human race to a better and enduring life of happiness. Finally, after days of hard work of searching, they choose the giraffe to represent the males because of the giraffe ability and uniqueness figure can benefit humankind. The giraffe can drink up to 12 gallons of water, sleeps for only 1-12 minutes long, live about 20-25 years long, and travel without stopping. This gives males more dominance because the giraffe is so tall and more alert because they sleep less; they travel without stopping due to the twelve gallon storage in their body. Giraffes are also mellow, but when it comes to being attacked it will have a dangerous side. Creation myth :: Fiona and Shrek Geoffrey meets Ducky Long before there were human beings, there was Queen Fiona and King Shrek. They lived on an island filled with tropical fruits and jungles called Neverland. King Shrek was the ruler of all the land. He made boundaries to separate land from water, marshes from rain forests, and created islands into regions. King Shrek also created trees to grow crops for the animals. Queen Fiona on the other hand created the most beautiful exotic creatures called the bear, bird, duck, giraffe, tiger, lion, fish, dog, lizard, horse, elephant, frog, cow, deer, chicken, pig, leopard, rhino, squirrels, and many other creatures. In those days there was no sun. All light came from the sparkling white moon shined in the sky that stood in the center of the sky. There was the sky and the moon, but the sun never came out and, far below, an endless stretch of water, wild marshes, exotic jungles, rain forests with fresh green trees growing like grass. Animals roamed every region searching for food and shelter, bu t this lead to brutal and violent fights. Soon Queen Fiona and King Shrek were getting fed up with the animals Nguyen 2 because the animals became enemies to one another, so Queen Fiona and King Shrek decided to create human beings into either man or woman, where peace and kindness with last eternally.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day the Queen Fiona and King Shrek decided to retire due to the chaos of the animals and tried to figure out what animals can represent the man or woman and that animal can become the symbol of life again. It was the hardest decision for the Queen Fiona and King Shrek to choose what animal can stay to lead on the human race to a better and enduring life of happiness. Finally, after days of hard work of searching, they choose the giraffe to represent the males because of the giraffe ability and uniqueness figure can benefit humankind. The giraffe can drink up to 12 gallons of water, sleeps for only 1-12 minutes long, live about 20-25 years long, and travel without stopping. This gives males more dominance because the giraffe is so tall and more alert because they sleep less; they travel without stopping due to the twelve gallon storage in their body. Giraffes are also mellow, but when it comes to being attacked it will have a dangerous side.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 24-29

CHAPTER 24 Silas gazed upward at the Saint-Sulpice obelisk, taking in the length of the massive marble shaft. His sinews felt taut with exhilaration. He glanced around the church one more time to make sure he was alone. Then he knelt at the base of the structure, not out of reverence, but out of necessity. The keystone is hidden beneath the Rose Line. At the base of the Sulpice obelisk. All the brothers had concurred. On his knees now, Silas ran his hands across the stone floor. He saw no cracks or markings to indicate a movable tile, so he began rapping softly with his knuckles on the floor. Following the brass line closer to the obelisk, he knocked on each tile adjacent to the brass line. Finally, one of them echoed strangely. There's a hollow area beneath the floor! Silas smiled. His victims had spoken the truth. Standing, he searched the sanctuary for something with which to break the floor tile. High above Silas, in the balcony, Sister Sandrine stifled a gasp. Her darkest fears had just been confirmed. This visitor was not who he seemed. The mysterious Opus Dei monk had come to Saint- Sulpice for another purpose. A secret purpose. You are not the only one with secrets, she thought. Sister Sandrine Bieil was more than the keeper of this church. She was a sentry. And tonight, the ancient wheels had been set in motion. The arrival of this stranger at the base of the obelisk was a signal from the brotherhood. It was a silent call of distress. CHAPTER 25 The U. S. Embassy in Paris is a compact complex on Avenue Gabriel, just north of the Champs-Elysees. The three-acre compound is considered U. S. soil, meaning all those who stand on it are subject to the same laws and protections as they would encounter standing in the United States. The embassy's night operator was reading Time magazine's International Edition when the sound of her phone interrupted. â€Å"U. S. Embassy,† she answered. â€Å"Good evening.† The caller spoke English accented with French. â€Å"I need some assistance.† Despite the politeness of the man's words, his tone sounded gruff and official. â€Å"I was told you had a phone message for me on your automated system. The name is Langdon. Unfortunately, I have forgotten my three-digit access code. If you could help me, I would be most grateful.† The operator paused, confused. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir. Your message must be quite old. That system was removed two years ago for security precautions. Moreover, all the access codes were five-digit. Who told you we had a message for you?† â€Å"You have no automated phone system?† â€Å"No, sir. Any message for you would be handwritten in our services department. What was your name again?† But the man had hung up. Bezu Fache felt dumbstruck as he paced the banks of the Seine. He was certain he had seen Langdon dial a local number, enter a three-digit code, and then listen to a recording. But if Langdon didn't phone the embassy, then who the hell did he call? It was at that moment, eyeing his cellular phone, that Fache realized the answers were in the palm of his hand. Langdon used my phone to place that call. Keying into the cell phone's menu, Fache pulled up the list of recently dialed numbers and found the call Langdon had placed. A Paris exchange, followed by the three-digit code 454. Redialing the phone number, Fache waited as the line began ringing. Finally a woman's voice answered. â€Å"Bonjour, vous etes bien chez Sophie Neveu,† the recording announced. â€Å"Je suis absente pour le moment, mais†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Fache's blood was boiling as he typed the numbers 4†¦ 5†¦ 4. CHAPTER 26 Despite her monumental reputation, the Mona Lisa was a mere thirty-one inches by twenty-one inches – smaller even than the posters of her sold in the Louvre gift shop. She hung on the northwest wall of the Salle des Etats behind a two-inch-thick pane of protective Plexiglas. Painted on a poplar wood panel, her ethereal, mist-filled atmosphere was attributed to Da Vinci's mastery of the sfumato style, in which forms appear to evaporate into one another. Since taking up residence in the Louvre, the Mona Lisa – or La Jaconde as they call her in France – had been stolen twice, most recently in 1911, when she disappeared from the Louvre's† satte impenetrable† – Le Salon Carre. Parisians wept in the streets and wrote newspaper articles begging the thieves for the painting's return. Two years later, the Mona Lisa was discovered hidden in the false bottom of a trunk in a Florence hotel room. Langdon, now having made it clear to Sophie that he had no intention of leaving, moved with her across the Salle des Etats. The Mona Lisa was still twenty yards ahead when Sophie turned on the black light, and the bluish crescent of penlight fanned out on the floor in front of them. She swung the beam back and forth across the floor like a minesweeper, searching for any hint of luminescent ink. Walking beside her, Langdon was already feeling the tingle of anticipation that accompanied his face-to-face reunions with great works of art. He strained to see beyond the cocoon of purplish light emanating from the black light in Sophie's hand. To the left, the room's octagonal viewing divan emerged, looking like a dark island on the empty sea of parquet. Langdon could now begin to see the panel of dark glass on the wall. Behind it, he knew, in the confines of her own private cell, hung the most celebrated painting in the world. The Mona Lisa's status as the most famous piece of art in the world, Langdon knew, had nothing to do with her enigmatic smile. Nor was it due to the mysterious interpretations attributed her by many art historians and conspiracy buffs. Quite simply, the Mona Lisa was famous because Leonardo Da Vinci claimed she was his finest accomplishment. He carried the painting with him whenever he traveled and, if asked why, would reply that he found it hard to part with his most sublime expression of female beauty. Even so, many art historians suspected Da Vinci's reverence for the Mona Lisa had nothing to do with its artistic mastery. In actuality, the painting was a surprisingly ordinary sfumato portrait. Da Vinci's veneration for this work, many claimed, stemmed from something far deeper: a hidden message in the layers of paint. The Mona Lisa was, in fact, one of the world's most documented inside jokes. The painting's well-documented collage of double entendres and playful allusions had been revealed in most art history tomes, and yet, incredibly, the public at large still considered her smile a great mystery. No mystery at all, Langdon thought, moving forward and watching as the faint outline of the painting began to take shape. No mystery at all. Most recently Langdon had shared the Mona Lisa's secret with a rather unlikely group – a dozen inmates at the Essex County Penitentiary. Langdon's jail seminar was part of a Harvard outreach program attempting to bring education into the prison system – Culture for Convicts, as Langdon's colleagues liked to call it. Standing at an overhead projector in a darkened penitentiary library, Langdon had shared the MonaLisa's secret with the prisoners attending class, men whom he found surprisingly engaged – rough, but sharp. â€Å"You may notice,† Langdon told them, walking up to the projected image of the MonaLisa on the library wall,† that the background behind her face is uneven.† Langdon motioned to the glaring discrepancy. â€Å"Da Vinci painted the horizon line on the left significantly lower than the right.† â€Å"He screwed it up?† one of the inmates asked. Langdon chuckled. â€Å"No. Da Vinci didn't do that too often. Actually, this is a little trick Da Vinci played. By lowering the countryside on the left, Da Vinci made Mona Lisa look much larger from the left side than from the right side. A little Da Vinci inside joke. Historically, the concepts of male and female have assigned sides – left is female, and right is male. Because Da Vinci was a big fan of feminine principles, he made Mona Lisa look more majestic from the left than the right.† â€Å"I heard he was a fag,† said a small man with a goatee. Langdon winced. â€Å"Historians don't generally put it quite that way, but yes, Da Vinci was a homosexual.† â€Å"Is that why he was into that whole feminine thing?† â€Å"Actually, Da Vinci was in tune with the balance between male and female. He believed that a human soul could not be enlightened unless it had both male and female elements.† â€Å"You mean like chicks with dicks?† someone called. This elicited a hearty round of laughs. Langdon considered offering an etymological sidebar about the word hermaphrodite and its ties to Hermes and Aphrodite, but something told him it would be lost on this crowd. â€Å"Hey, Mr. Langford,† a muscle-bound man said. â€Å"Is it true that the Mona Lisa is a picture of Da Vinci in drag? I heard that was true.† â€Å"It's quite possible,† Langdon said. â€Å"Da Vinci was a prankster, and computerized analysis of the Mona Lisa and Da Vinci's self-portraits confirm some startling points of congruency in their faces. Whatever Da Vinci was up to,† Langdon said,† his Mona Lisa is neither male nor female. It carries a subtle message of androgyny. It is a fusing of both.† â€Å"You sure that's not just some Harvard bullshit way of saying Mona Lisa is one ugly chick.† Now Langdon laughed. â€Å"You may be right. But actually Da Vinci left a big clue that the painting was supposed to be androgynous. Has anyone here ever heard of an Egyptian god named Amon?† â€Å"Hell yes!† the big guy said. â€Å"God of masculine fertility!† Langdon was stunned. â€Å"It says so on every box of Amon condoms.† The muscular man gave a wide grin. â€Å"It's got a guy with a ram's head on the front and says he's the Egyptian god of fertility.† Langdon was not familiar with the brand name, but he was glad to hear the prophylactic manufacturers had gotten their hieroglyphs right. â€Å"Well done. Amon is indeed represented as a man with a ram's head, and his promiscuity and curved horns are related to our modern sexual slang' horny. â€Å"No shit!† â€Å"No shit,† Langdon said. â€Å"And do you know who Amon's counterpart was? The Egyptian goddessof fertility?† The question met with several seconds of silence. â€Å"It was Isis,† Langdon told them, grabbing a grease pen. â€Å"So we have the male god, Amon.† He wrote it down. â€Å"And the female goddess, Isis, whose ancient pictogram was once called L'ISA.† Langdon finished writing and stepped back from the projector. AMON L'ISA â€Å"Ring any bells?† he asked. â€Å"Mona Lisa†¦ holy crap,† somebody gasped. Langdon nodded. â€Å"Gentlemen, not only does the face of Mona Lisa look androgynous, but her name is an anagram of the divine union of male and female. And that, my friends, is Da Vinci's little secret, and the reason for Mona Lisa's knowing smile.† â€Å"My grandfather was here,† Sophie said, dropping suddenly to her knees, now only ten feet from the Mona Lisa.She pointed the black light tentatively to a spot on the parquet floor. At first Langdon saw nothing. Then, as he knelt beside her, he saw a tiny droplet of dried liquid that was luminescing. Ink? Suddenly he recalled what black lights were actually used for. Blood. His senses tingled. Sophie was right. Jacques Sauniere had indeed paid a visit to the Mona Lisabefore he died. â€Å"He wouldn't have come here without a reason,† Sophie whispered, standing up. â€Å"I know he left a message for me here.† Quickly striding the final few steps to the Mona Lisa, she illuminated the floor directly in front of the painting. She waved the light back and forth across the bare parquet. â€Å"There's nothing here!† At that moment, Langdon saw a faint purple glimmer on the protective glass before the Mona Lisa. Reaching down, he took Sophie's wrist and slowly moved the light up to the painting itself. They both froze. On the glass, six words glowed in purple, scrawled directly across the Mona Lisa's face. CHAPTER 27 Seated at Sauniere's desk, Lieutenant Collet pressed the phone to his ear in disbelief. Did I hearFache correctly?† A bar of soap? But how could Langdon have known about the GPS dot?† â€Å"Sophie Neveu,† Fache replied. â€Å"She told him.† â€Å"What! Why?† â€Å"Damned good question, but I just heard a recording that confirms she tipped him off.† Collet was speechless. What was Neveu thinking? Fache had proof that Sophie had interfered with a DCPJ sting operation? Sophie Neveu was not only going to be fired, she was also going to jail. â€Å"But, Captain†¦ then where is Langdon now?† â€Å"Have any fire alarms gone off there?† â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"And no one has come out under the Grand Gallery gate?† â€Å"No. We've got a Louvre security officer on the gate. Just as you requested.† â€Å"Okay, Langdon must still be inside the Grand Gallery.† â€Å"Inside? But what is he doing?† â€Å"Is the Louvre security guard armed?† â€Å"Yes, sir. He's a senior warden.† â€Å"Send him in,† Fache commanded. â€Å"I can't get my men back to the perimeter for a few minutes, and I don't want Langdon breaking for an exit.† Fache paused. â€Å"And you'd better tell the guard Agent Neveu is probably in there with him.† â€Å"Agent Neveu left, I thought.† â€Å"Did you actually see her leave?† â€Å"No, sir, but – â€Å"Well, nobody on the perimeter saw her leave either. They only saw her go in.† Collet was flabbergasted by Sophie Neveu's bravado. She's still inside the building? â€Å"Handle it,† Fache ordered. â€Å"I want Langdon and Neveu at gunpoint by the time I get back.† As the Trailor truck drove off, Captain Fache rounded up his men. Robert Langdon had proven an elusive quarry tonight, and with Agent Neveu now helping him, he might be far harder to corner than expected. Fache decided not to take any chances. Hedging his bets, he ordered half of his men back to the Louvre perimeter. The other half he sent to guard the only location in Paris where Robert Langdon could find safe harbor. CHAPTER 28 Inside the Salle des Etats, Langdon stared in astonishment at the six words glowing on the Plexiglas. The text seemed to hover in space, casting a jagged shadow across Mona Lisa's mysterious smile. â€Å"The Priory,† Langdon whispered. â€Å"This proves your grandfather was a member!† Sophie looked at him in confusion. â€Å"You understand this?† â€Å"It's flawless,† Langdon said, nodding as his thoughts churned. â€Å"It's a proclamation of one of the Priory's most fundamental philosophies!† Sophie looked baffled in the glow of the message scrawled across the Mona Lisa's face. SO DARK THE CON OF MAN â€Å"Sophie,† Langdon said,† the Priory's tradition of perpetuating goddess worship is based on a belief that powerful men in the early Christian church ‘conned' the world by propagating lies that devalued the female and tipped the scales in favor of the masculine.† Sophie remained silent, staring at the words.† The Priory believes that Constantine and his male successors successfully converted the world from matriarchal paganism to patriarchal Christianity by waging a campaign of propaganda that demonized the sacred feminine, obliterating the goddess from modern religion forever.† Sophie's expression remained uncertain. â€Å"My grandfather sent me to this spot to find this. He must be trying to tell me more than that.† Langdon understood her meaning. She thinks this is another code.Whether a hidden meaning existed here or not, Langdon could not immediately say. His mind was still grappling with the bold clarity of Sauniere's outward message. So dark the con of man, he thought. So dark indeed. Nobody could deny the enormous good the modern Church did in today's troubled world, and yet the Church had a deceitful and violent history. Their brutal crusade to† reeducate† the pagan and feminine-worshipping religions spanned three centuries, employing methods as inspired as they were horrific. The Catholic Inquisition published the book that arguably could be called the most blood-soaked publication in human history. Malleus Maleficarum – or The Witches' Hammer – indoctrinated the world to† the dangers of freethinking women† and instructed the clergy how to locate, torture, and destroy them. Those deemed† witches† by the Church included all female scholars, priestesses, gypsies, mystics, nature lovers, herb gatherers, and any women† suspiciously attuned to the natural world.† Midwives also were killed for their heretical practice of using medical knowledge to ease the pain of childbirth – a suffering, the Church claimed, that was God's rightful punishment for Eve's partaking of the Apple of Knowledge, thus giving birth to the idea of Original Sin. During three hundred years of witch hunts, the Church burned at the stake an astounding five million women. The propaganda and bloodshed had worked. Today's world was living proof. Women, once celebrated as an essential half of spiritual enlightenment, had been banished from the temples of the world. There were no female Orthodox rabbis, Catholic priests, nor Islamic clerics. The once hallowed act of Hieros Gamos – the natural sexual union between man and woman through which each became spiritually whole – had been recast as a shameful act. Holy men who had once required sexual union with their female counterparts to commune with God now feared their natural sexual urges as the work of the devil, collaborating with his favorite accomplice†¦ woman. Not even the feminine association with the left-hand side could escape the Church's defamation. In France and Italy, the words for† left† – gauche and sinistra – came to have deeply negative overtones, while their right-hand counterparts rang of righteousness, dexterity, and correctness. To this day, radical thought was considered left wing, irrational thought was left brain, and anything evil, sinister. The days of the goddess were over. The pendulum had swung. Mother Earth had become a man's world, and the gods of destruction and war were taking their toll. The male ego had spent two millennia running unchecked by its female counterpart. The Priory of Sion believed that it was this obliteration of the sacred feminine in modern life that had caused what the Hopi Native Americans called koyanisquatsi – â€Å"life out of balance† – an unstable situation marked by testosterone-fueled wars, a plethora of misogynistic societies, and a growing disrespect for Mother Earth. â€Å"Robert!† Sophie said, her whisper yanking him back. â€Å"Someone's coming!† He heard the approaching footsteps out in the hallway.† Over here!† Sophie extinguished the black light and seemed to evaporate before Langdon's eyes. For an instant he felt totally blind. Over where! As his vision cleared he saw Sophie's silhouette racing toward the center of the room and ducking out of sight behind the octagonal viewing bench. He was about to dash after her when a booming voice stopped him cold. â€Å"Arretez!† a man commanded from the doorway. The Louvre security agent advanced through the entrance to the Salle des Etats, his pistol outstretched, taking deadly aim at Langdon's chest. Langdon felt his arms raise instinctively for the ceiling. â€Å"Couchez-vous!† the guard commanded. â€Å"Lie down!† Langdon was face first on the floor in a matter of seconds. The guard hurried over and kicked his legs apart, spreading Langdon out. â€Å"Mauvaise idee, Monsieur Langdon,†he said, pressing the gun hard into Langdon's back.† Mauvaise idee.† Face down on the parquet floor with his arms and legs spread wide, Langdon found little humor in the irony of his position. The Vitruvian Man, he thought. Face down. CHAPTER 29 Inside Saint-Sulpice, Silas carried the heavy iron votive candle holder from the altar back toward the obelisk. The shaft would do nicely as a battering ram. Eyeing the gray marble panel that covered the apparent hollow in the floor, he realized he could not possibly shatter the covering without making considerable noise. Iron on marble. It would echo off the vaulted ceilings. Would the nun hear him? She should be asleep by now. Even so, it was a chance Silas preferred not to take. Looking around for a cloth to wrap around the tip of the iron pole, he saw nothing except the altar's linen mantle, which he refused to defile. My cloak, he thought. Knowing he was alone in the great church, Silas untied his cloak and slipped it off his body. As he removed it, he felt a sting as the wool fibers stuck to the fresh wounds on his back. Naked now, except for his loin swaddle, Silas wrapped his cloak over the end of the iron rod. Then, aiming at the center of the floor tile, he drove the tip into it. A muffled thud. The stone did not break. He drove the pole into it again. Again a dull thud, but this time accompanied by a crack. On the third swing, the covering finally shattered, and stone shards fell into a hollow area beneath the floor. A compartment! Quickly pulling the remaining pieces from the opening, Silas gazed into the void. His blood pounded as he knelt down before it. Raising his pale bare arm, he reached inside. At first he felt nothing. The floor of the compartment was bare, smooth stone. Then, feeling deeper, reaching his arm in under the Rose Line, he touched something! A thick stone tablet. Getting his fingers around the edge, he gripped it and gently lifted the tablet out. As he stood and examined his find, he realized he was holding a rough-hewn stone slab with engraved words. He felt for an instant like a modern-day Moses. As Silas read the words on the tablet, he felt surprise. He had expected the keystone to be a map, or a complex series of directions, perhaps even encoded. The keystone, however, bore the simplest of inscriptions. Job 38:11 A Bible verse? Silas was stunned with the devilish simplicity. The secret location of that which they sought was revealed in a Bible verse? The brotherhood stopped at nothing to mock the righteous! Job. Chapter thirty-eight. Verse eleven. Although Silas did not recall the exact contents of verse eleven by heart, he knew the Book of Job told the story of a man whose faith in God survived repeated tests. Appropriate, he thought, barely able to contain his excitement. Looking over his shoulder, he gazed down the shimmering Rose Line and couldn't help but smile. There atop the main altar, propped open on a gilded book stand, sat an enormous leather-bound Bible. Up in the balcony, Sister Sandrine was shaking. Moments ago, she had been about to flee and carryout her orders, when the man below suddenly removed his cloak. When she saw his alabaster-white flesh, she was overcome with a horrified bewilderment. His broad, pale back was soaked with blood-red slashes. Even from here she could see the wounds were fresh. This man has been mercilessly whipped! She also saw the bloody cilice around his thigh, the wound beneath it dripping. What kind of God would want a body punished this way? The rituals of Opus Dei, Sister Sandrine knew, were not something she would ever understand. But that was hardly her concern at this instant. Opus Dei is searching for the keystone.How they knew of it, Sister Sandrine could not imagine, although she knew she did not have time to think. The bloody monk was now quietly donning his cloak again, clutching his prize as he moved toward the altar, toward the Bible. In breathless silence, Sister Sandrine left the balcony and raced down the hall to her quarters. Getting on her hands and knees, she reached beneath her wooden bed frame and retrieved the sealed envelope she had hidden there years ago. Tearing it open, she found four Paris phone numbers. Trembling, she began to dial. Downstairs, Silas laid the stone tablet on the altar and turned his eager hands to the leather Bible. His long white fingers were sweating now as he turned the pages. Flipping through the Old Testament, he found the Book of Job. He located chapter thirty-eight. As he ran his finger down the column of text, he anticipated the words he was about to read. They will lead the way! Finding verse number eleven, Silas read the text. It was only seven words. Confused, he read it again, sensing something had gone terribly wrong. The verse simply read: HITHERTO SHALT THOU COME, BUT NO FURTHER.

Police Officer Essay

It is always quite frustrating whenever things don’t go as you had planned it. You plan things thoroughly expecting those things to happen exactly how you want them to be, but still certain unexpected occurrences keep coming up ruining everything you had planned. It might be a little bit more comforting if you know that it was your own fault that caused your plans to not go as you had wanted it. However, when it is something you totally did not expect; something completely out of your control; something which was not your fault at all; that is the annoying part. What is more irritating is that you end up having no choice but to live with what has already happened and ending up fixing the damages or compromising yourself to the damages that that unexpected occurrence has done to your plans. In my case for example, I’ve always wanted to be a police. Ever since high school, I’ve dreamt of getting into the police academy. My family may have influenced this dream of mine as I was growing up. Most of my family members worked in the police department. It was my father and my eldest brother who were the first to be a part of the police. Currently, there are four people in the family who are working in the police. My brother before me, the one who I m closest to, is currently training at the police academy. My initial plan was to get into the academy as soon as I finish my schooling from back home. Things changed when I got into an accident last summer and injured my plane. With this injury, I could no longer get into the academy; I was deeply disappointed. My plans for my future had been ruined; however, hope was not completely lost for me. My eldest brother found a way of getting into the police department by studying finance and accounting. The academy doesn’t only need physically strong people; they also need people with brains who specialize in certain fields. My plans have now changed; I am now studying for a degree in business. I will finish that and then find a way of getting into the police academy with the help of that degree. Things do not always go the way we want it to be. Expect to always have unexpected things coming up. The best thing we could do when something unexpected comes up is to not give up even if tit ruins out original plan. Think of other ways, other alternatives, of coping up with that unexpected change so as to get back on track with our original plan.

Night World : Witchlight Chapter 3

Keller turned her head quickly. Nissa was standing there, cool and imperturbable as always, one hand on her hip. Her short mink-colored hair wasn't even ruffled; her eyes, just a shade or two darker, were steady. And she was holding an ironwood fighting stick with a very sharp point. Keller growled faintly in relief. You couldn't ask Nissa to be creative-her mind didn't work that way. But on any question of logic, she was unbeatable, and she had nerves of ice. More important right now, she was a superb fighter. â€Å"If you want to play, why don't you try me?† she suggested, and whipped the fighting stick around expertly a few times. It whistled in the air, traced a complicated figure, and ended up casually across her shoulder. Then she slowly extended the point toward the vampire's throat. â€Å"Yeah, and don't leave me out.† This voice was husky and shaky but still grim. It came from behind the counter. Winnie was pulling herself up. She coughed once, then stood straight, facing the vampire. Energy, orange and pulsating, flared between her cupped hands. Witch power. You're alive, Keller thought. She couldn't suppress the flash of relief. The vampire looked from one girl to the other. Then he glanced at Keller, who was lying on her side, feebly trying to make her legs work. Her tail lashed furiously. â€Å"Come on!† the other vampire shouted. He was staggering under the weight of the dragon, heading for the door. â€Å"Let's get Azhdeha out of here. He's the most important thing.† The first vampire hesitated one instant, then whirled and plunged after his friend. Together, they hustled the dragon out into the mall. Then they were gone. Keller gave one final gasping snarl and felt herself change. This time, it felt more like a snail falling out of a shell. Her claws dissolved, her tail withered, and she slumped into her human body. â€Å"Boss! Are you okay?† Winnie came toward her, a little unsteadily. Keller raised her head, black hair falling on either side to the floor. She pushed herself up with her arms and looked around, taking stock. The shop was quiet It was also a wreck. Winnie's impact with the wall had knocked off most of the decorative plates and clocks there. Keller's fight with the dragon had trashed a lot of the shelves. There were shattered Christmas ornaments everywhere, little glittering fragments of scarlet and holly green and royal purple. It was like being in a giant kaleidoscope. And outside, chaos was gathering. The entire fight had only taken about five minutes, but all the time it had been going on, people had been running away from the shop and screaming. Keller had noticed them; she had simply filed them away in her mind as unimportant. There had been nothing she could do about them. Now, there were security officers closing in, and someone had undoubtedly called the police. She pushed with her arms again and managed to stand up. â€Å"Nissa.† It hurt her throat to speak. â€Å"Where's the car?† â€Å"Right down there.† Nissa pointed at the floor. â€Å"Directly below us, parked outside the Mrs. Fields cookie store.† â€Å"Okay. Let's get Diana out.† Keller looked at the young girl with the shimmering hair who as yet hadn't spoken a single word. â€Å"Can you walk?† Iliana stared at her. She didn't say anything. Stunned and frightened, Keller guessed. Well, a lot had happened in the last few minutes. â€Å"I know this all seems bizarre to you, and you're probably wondering who we are.Ill explain everything. But right now, we have to get out of here. Okay?† Iliana shrank a little, trembling. Not exactly a hero, Keller thought. Or quick on the uptake. Then she decided she was being unfair. This girl was the Witch Child; she undoubtedly had hidden strengths. â€Å"Come on,† Galen said to Iliana gently. â€Å"She's right; it isn't safe here.† Iliana looked up at him earnestly. She seemed about to agree. Then she gave a little shiver, shut her eyes, and fainted. Galen caught her as she fell. Keller stared. â€Å"She's too pure to deal with this kind of stuff,† Winnie said defensively. â€Å"Violence and all. It's not the same as being chicken.† It was at that exact moment that Keller could pinpoint her first real doubts about the new Wild Power. Galen looked down at the girl who lay in his arms like a broken lily. He looked at Keller. â€Å"You take her; well surround you and cover you,† Keller said, cutting him off. She knew her hair was in complete disarray, a wild cyclone of black around her. Her sleek jumpsuit was torn and stained, and she was clutching her right shoulder, which still throbbed in agony. But she must have looked fairly commanding, because Galen didn't say another word, just nodded and started toward the door. Nissa led the way in front of him. Winnie and Keller fell in behind. They were ready to fight, but when the security guards with walkie-talkies saw Nissa whirling her stick, they backed away. The ordinary people, curious onlookers attracted by all the noise, not only backed away but ran. Lots of them screamed. â€Å"Go,† Keller said. â€Å"Fast. Go.† They made it to Mrs. Fields without anybody trying to stop them. A girl with a red apron flattened herself against a wall as they thrust their way behind the counter and into the sanctum full of industrial-sized ovens in the back. A gangly boy dropped a tray with a clang, and lumps of raw cookie dough scattered on the floor. And then they were bursting through the back entrance, and there was the car, a white limousine illegally parked at the curb. Nissa whipped out a key chain and pressed a button, and Keller heard the click of doors unlocking. â€Å"Inside!† she said to Galen. He got in. Winnie ran around the car to get in the other side. Nissa slid into the driver's seat. Keller ducked in last and snapped, â€Å"Go!† even as she slammed the door. Nissa floored it. The limousine shot forward like a dolphin-just as a security truck sped up from the rear. A police car appeared dead in front of them. Nissa was an excellent driver. The limo swerved with a squeal of tires and peeled out of another of the parking lot's exits. A second police car swung toward them as Nissa dodged traffic. This one had lights and sirens on. Nissa gunned the engine, and the limo surged forward again. A freeway on-ramp was ahead. â€Å"Hang on,† Nissa said briefly. They were passing the on-ramp-they were past it. No, they weren't. At the last possible second, the limo screamed into a ninety-degree turn. Everyone inside was thrown around. Keller clenched her teeth as her wounded arm hit the window. Then they were shooting up the on-ramp and onto the freeway. With a little patter, cat's paws of rain appeared on the windshield. Keller, leaning forward to look over Nissa's shoulder, was happy. With icy rain and the low, gray fog, they probably wouldn't be chased by helicopter. The big limousine roared past the few other cars on the road and Winnie sat looking out the rear window, murmuring a spell to confuse and delay any pursuit. â€Å"We lost them,† Nissa said. Keller sat back and let out her breath. For the first time since she'd entered the mall, she allowed herself to relax minutely. We did it. At the same moment, Winnie turned. She pounded the backseat with a small, hard fist. â€Å"We did it! Keller-we got the Wild Power! We†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off as she saw Keller's face. â€Å"And, uh†¦ I guess I disobeyed orders.† Her pounding was self-conscious now; she ducked her strawberry-blond head. â€Å"Um, I'm sorry, Boss.† â€Å"You'd better be,† Keller said. She held Winnie's gaze a moment, then said, â€Å"You could have gotten yourself killed, witch-and for absolutely no good reason.† Winnie grimaced. â€Å"I know. I lost it. I'm sorry.† But she smiled timidly at Keller afterward. Keller's team knew how to read her. â€Å"Sorry, too, Boss,† Nissa said from the front seat. She slanted a glance at Keller from her mink-colored eyes. â€Å"I wasn't supposed to leave the car.† â€Å"But you thought we might need a little help,† Keller said. She nodded, meeting Nissa's eyes in the mirror. â€Å"I'm glad you did.† The faintest flush of pleasure colored Nissa's cheeks. Galen cleared his throat. â€Å"Um, for the record, I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to charge in like that in the middle of your operation.† Keller looked at him. He was smiling slightly, hesitantly, the way Winnie had. A nice smile. The corner of his mouth naturally quirked upward, giving him a hint of mischief in all but the most serious moments. His green-gold eyes were apologetic but hopeful. â€Å"Yeah, who are you, guy?† Winnie was looking him up and down, her dark lashes twinkling. â€Å"Did Circle Daybreak send you? I thought we were on this mission alone.† â€Å"You were. I belong to Circle Daybreak, but they didn't send me. I just-well, I was outside the shop, and I couldn't just stand there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice died. The smile died, too. â€Å"You're really mad, aren't you?† he said to Keller. â€Å"Mad?† She took a slow breath. â€Å"I'm furious.† He blinked. â€Å"I don't-â€Å" â€Å"You stopped me. I could have killed him!† His gold-green eyes opened in shock and something like remembered pain. â€Å"He was killing you.† â€Å"I know that,† Keller snarled. â€Å"It doesn't matter what happens to me. What matters is that now he's free. Don't you understand what he is?† Winfrith was looking sober. â€Å"I don't know. But he hit me with something powerful. Pure energy like what I use, but about a hundred times stronger.† â€Å"He's a dragon,† Keller said. She saw Nissa's shoulders stiffen, but Winnie just shook her head, bewildered. â€Å"A kind of shapeshifter that hasn't been around for about thirty thousand years.† â€Å"He can turn into a dragon?† Keller didn't smile. â€Å"No, of course not. Don't be silly. I don't know what he can do-but a dragon is what he is. Inside.† Winnie suddenly looked queasy as this hit home. Keller turned back to Galen. â€Å"And that's what you let loose on the world. It was the only chance to kill him-nobody will be able to take him by surprise like that again. Which means that everything he does after this is going to be your fault.† Galen shut his eyes, looking dizzy. â€Å"I'm sorry. But when I saw you-I couldn't let you die†¦.† â€Å"I'm expendable. I don't know who you are, but I'm willing to bet you're expendable. The only one here who isn't expendable is her.† Keller jerked a thumb at Iliana, who lay in a pool of pale silver-gold hair on the seat beside Galen. â€Å"And if you think that dragon isn't going to come back and try to get her again, you're crazy. I'd have died happy knowing that I'd gotten rid of him.† Galen's eyes were open again, and Keller saw a flicker in them at the â€Å"don't know who you are.† But at the end, he said quietly, â€Å"I'm expendable. And I'm sorry. I didn't think† â€Å"That's right! You didn't! And now the whole world is going to suffer.† Galen shut up and sat back. And Keller felt odd. She wasn't sorry for slapping him down, she told herself. He deserved it. But his face was so pale now, and his expression was so bleak. As if he'd not only understood everything she'd said but expanded on it in his own mind. And the look of hurt in his eyes was almost insupportable. Good, Keller told herself. But then she remembered the moment she'd spent inside his mind. It had been a sunlit place, warm and open, without dark corners or shadowed crevasses. Now that would be gone forever. There was going to be a huge black fissure in it, full of horror and shame. A mark he would carry for the rest of his life. Well, welcome to the real world, Keller thought, and her throat tightened and hurt. She stared out the window angrily. â€Å"See, it's really important that we keep Iliana safe,† Winfrith was saying quietly to Galen. He didn't ask why, and Keller had noticed before that he hadn't asked why Iliana wasn't expendable. But Winnie went on telling him anyway. â€Å"She's a Wild Power. You know about those?† â€Å"Who doesn't these days?† He said it almost in a whisper. â€Å"Well, most humans, for one thing. But she's not just a Wild Power; she's the Witch Child. Somebody we witches have been expecting for centuries. The prophecies say she's going to unite the shape-shifters and the witches. She's going to marry the son of the First House of the shapeshifters. And then the two races will be united, and all the shapeshifters will join Circle Daybreak, and well be able to hold off the end of the world at the millennium.† Winnie finished out of breath. Then she cocked her strawberry-blond head. â€Å"You don't seem surprised. Who are you, guy? You didn't really say before.† â€Å"Me?† He was still looking into the distance. â€Å"I'm nobody, compared to you people.† Then he gave a little wry smile that didn't reach his eyes. â€Å"I'm expendable.† Nissa caught Keller's eye in the rearview mirror, looking concerned. Keller just shrugged. Sure, Winnie was telling this expendable guy a lot. But it didn't matter. He wasn't on the enemy side; and anyway, the enemy knew everything Winnie was saying. They had identified Iliana as the third Wild Power; the dragon proved that. They wouldn't have sent him if they hadn't been sure. But still, it was time to get rid of this interfering boy. They certainly couldn't take him to the safe house where they were taking Iliana. â€Å"Nobody tailing us?† Keller said. Nissa shook her head. â€Å"We lost them all miles ago.† â€Å"You're sure?† â€Å"Dead certain.† â€Å"Okay. Take any exit, and we'll drop him off.† She turned to Galen. â€Å"I hope you can find your way home.† ‘I want to go with you.† â€Å"Sorry. We have important things to do.† Keller didn't need to add, And you're not part of them. â€Å"Look.† Galen took a deep breath. His pale face was strained and exhausted, as if he'd somehow lost three days' sleep since he'd gotten into the limo. And there was something close to desperation in his eyes. â€Å"I need to go with you. I need to help, to try and make up for what I did. I need to make it right.† â€Å"You can't.† Keller said it even more brusquely than she meant to. â€Å"You're not trained, and you're not involved in this. You're no good.† He gave her a look. It didn't disagree with anything she'd said, but somehow, for just an instant, it made her feel small. His greeny-gold eyes were just the opposite of the dragon's opaque ones. Keller could see for miles in them, endless light-filled fathoms, and it was all despair. A sorrow so great that it shook her. She knew it must be costing him a lot to show her that, to hold himself so open and vulnerable. But he kept looking at her steadily. â€Å"You don't understand,† he said quietly. I have to help you. I have to try, at least. I know I'm not in your class as a fighter. But I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated. â€Å"I didn't want to say this-â€Å" At that moment, Iliana groaned and sat up. Or tried to. She didn't make it all the way. She put a hand to her head and started to fall off the seat. Galen steadied her, putting an arm around her to keep her propped up. â€Å"Are you all right?† Keller asked. She leaned forward, trying to get a look at the girl's face. Winnie was leaning forward, too, her expression eager. â€Å"How're you feeling? You're not really hurt, are you? You just fainted from the shock.† Diana looked around the limousine. She seemed utterly confused and disoriented. Keller was struck again by the girl's unearthly beauty. This close, she looked like a flower, or maybe a girl made from flowers. She had peach-blossom skin and hazy iris-colored eyes. Her hair was like corn silk, fine and shimmering even in this dim light. Her hands were small and graceful, fingers half curled like flower petals. â€Å"It's such an honor to meet you,† Winnie said, and her voice turned formal as she uttered the traditional greeting of the witches. â€Å"Unity, Daughter of Hellewise. I'm Winfrith Arlin.† She dimpled. â€Å"But it's really ‘Arm-of-Lightning.' My family's an old one, almost as old as yours.† Diana stared at her. Then she stared at the back of Nissa's mink-colored head. Then her eyes slid to Keller. Then she sucked in a deep breath and started screaming.