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Why Smoking Should Be Regulated - 1293 Words

Smoking is one of the main causes of cancer and death in the United States. Any type of tobacco is harmful to the human body. When people smoke, they are suffocating their lungs thus changing the color of their lungs from a reddish pink to a greyish black in the long run. This color change indicates that the lungs are slowly dying; common knowledge amongst people, yet they still ignore these facts. These dangers to human health are the reasons why smoking should be more regulated. Smoking became popular in the late 1800s. People smoked dry tobacco leaves in cigars and pipes. Ojeda states in his article, Even before science established definitively that tobacco can kill you, people knew it was trouble (Opposing Viewpoints). They did†¦show more content†¦National Cancer Institutes Opposing Viewpoints). Along with cancer and death, smoking also leads to cataracts and heart and lung diseases. Some of the chemicals in these cigarettes are in things we use everyday, such as â⠂¬Å"hydrogen cyanide used in chemical weapons, carbon monoxide found in car exhaust, ammonia which is used in household cleaning products, and toluene which is a substance in paint thinners† (Espejo, Ed. Opposing Viewpoints). Today, adolescents and young adults are one of the highest class of smokers in the world, and out of all smokers, 4 out of 5 smokers in the world are males. Some young people think that smoking causes you to lose weight although there is no evidence to prove this idea. Some people do not bother trying to quit smoking because it makes them feel better when they â€Å"feel depressed, anxious, irritable, and restless†; it is a way of relaxation and escapism (Espejo, Ed. National Cancer Institutes Opposing Viewpoints). There is this new instrument used for smoking called an e-cig which most youths and adolescents are switching to because they think it is safer than normal cigarettes. However, they do not know that e-cigs have the potential to be just as harmful since there is not much research on them and their consequences. They are also bad because youths’ lungs are still developing, and the smoke is just hindering this process. Some

Strategic Development within NAB

Question: Discuss about theStrategic Development within NAB. Answer: Introduction National Australia Bank (NAB) has been serving the customers in Australia as well as New Zealand for over 150 years and have been providing assistance to their customers in managing their money. Currently, they have over 35,000 people who serve 10 million customers at over 800 locations in not only these two nations but also in other places across the world. The business has been built on the understanding their customers and in providing support to them. Being the largest banking business in Australia, they work with the large, medium as well as small businesses for helping them in starting, running and growing. They provide funding to some of the most vital of the community infrastructures which consist of roads, hospitals and schools in a manner that is innovative, inclusive and responsible. This report will discuss the strategic development of the bank, the past and present strategies applied by it, the business practices that have been criticised, conduct an environmental analys is and describe the organisational culture as well as the leadership style in the National Australia Bank. Strategies Applied by NAB The strategy of NAB was refreshed as a result of the changes occurring in the business environment. The current vision of NAB is to be the most respected bank in both Australia as well as New Zealand. It objective is delivering its shareholders with superior returns. In order to meet such objectives, the refreshed strategy has outlined three goals and the performance is measured against these goals. The goals of NAB consist of turning its customers into advocates, engaging its people as well as generation of returns on equity that are attractive. The strategy consists of focusing on the priority segments, delivering customer experiences that are nothing short of great and execute relentlessly as well as flawlessly. The people of NAB are the main enablers of the companys strategy and its ability in achieving its goals. While the strategies of NAB were developed, the risks as well as the rewards that were associated with the opportunities available were taken into consideration. This consisted of the markets as well as the customer segments in which the bank operates along with the source and also the extent of differentiation in comparison to the competitors. The external and internal environment which NAB faced was also taken into account. For the bank to realise its vision, it has to deliver on its strategy. The strategic priority customer segment thus partly focuses over the medium, small and micro business customers in the sector of Agribusiness and health industries. Constant innovations are being undertaken in order to simplify things for our 29,000 customers of the agribusiness. The focus is on the more attractive segments of customers and wherein the bank is in the best position of competing by considering factors like the size of the segment, return on equity as well as growth rates and the market share along with capabilities as well as performance. Active reweighing of resources has also been undertaken by NAB towards those business parts which provide support to the priority segments for not only strengthening their capabilities but also deepening the relationships that the bank shares with its customers. The Bank also has an understanding that delivering customer experiences that are great is critical in order to attain success in the priority segments and in face of the challenges as well as the opportunities that the external environment and the digital transformation has brought about. The focus is on making life simple for the customers, adopting innovations for them and developing deep relationships with them. The focus will be on execution with the aim of improving the way business is carried out and for managing change. It is progressing towards an organisation that is performance driven. It has been executing changes well, bringing about transformations in processes for speed as well as reliability and maintaining its foundations (NAB, 2015). Criticisms of the Business Practices Two of the business practices of NAB were at the receiving end of criticism in the past. In the first instance in 2002, the bank was accused of breaking an agreement which although unwritten was aimed towards restoring the tattered reputation of the banking industry. As per this, the plan of NAB for closing 56 branches in the rural areas ignored an understanding that was present between the top bankers club of avoiding taking such measures that would result in causing further damage to the public image of the banking industry. This has resulted in a community outrage against NAB which even prompted another bank ANZ offering NAB to purchase its branches. This happened at a time when the image of the banking industry was already quite weak. For the sake of earning profits in the short term, the banks risked its image. The outcome was that NAB said that it would be offering services in the towns that were affected by means of post offices (Sydney Morning Herald, 2002). The second business practice of NAB that came under criticism in the recent years were the revelations that the financial advice arm of the bank was involved in forging the signature of the clients as well as in file reconstructions. It was also involved in giving poor advice which resulted in compensation payouts for few of the clients. This is a way underscored the problem which was existing in the industry of financial advice of Australia (Ferguson Williams, 2015). The report also explained that in the previous five years, there were instances where the planners of NAB had not only forged the signatures of the clients but also manipulated the files of the clients in order to cover up their poor compliance. Certain major incidents were ongoing. The bad behaviour on the part of the banks financial wing was detected as a result of the complaints that the clients lodged and also the queries that were out forward by the regulators. This business practice enraged the staff and they came to belief that the bank was still fostering profit over everything else.The outcome of this business practice was the suspension, termination and resignations of 31 financial planners of NAB as well as the aligned advisers in the last two years as a result of inappropriate advice, conflicting interests, practices that were inappropriate and serious repetition of breaches in compliance. 6 more people were sacked from an advice network owned by NAB Meritum which had 11 0 planners. It also led to calls for broader reforms in order to protect the consumers from the advisers who are unscrupulous (Ferguson Williams, 2015). Environmental Analysis for the Involvement of the Organisation in the Context of the Industry that it Operates In A massive overhaul in the financial system of Australia has been introduced with the aim of acting as a bulwark for securing the system in case there is shocks in future like a financial crisis on a global scale. The aim is ironing out the several competitive inequities which exist in the system that result in disadvantages to the regional banks that are smaller and at the same time also acknowledge the fact that the financial landscape is being changed by the digital revolution and is bringing in new entrants which have to be accommodated inside the regulatory framework (Knight, 2014). The banking sector has over 60 commercial banks. The central bank is the Reserve Bank of Australia which is at the apex. For safeguarding and improving this sector a number of reforms have been implemented by the Government. This has resulted in increased number of banks. At present the banking system in Australia is among the most developed worldwide. The country has a substantial bank-based development of the financial sector through the years by means of reforms which have increased the strength of the institutional framework. However, challenges exist in the form of exposure and concentration (Nyasha Odhiambo, 2013). Swot Analysis of NAB Strengths Brand name is strong It is among the leading financial players with products as well as services which are diverse. The bank has a good revenue as well as interest income It offers financial services in personal as well as business categories Weaknesses The decline that has occurred in revenue is having an affect on growth Absence of global acclaim Opportunities It can expand into other nations Diversification of portfolios Centre for asset management JVs and acquisitions Threats Stiff competition faced from other market players Changes in the rules and regulations of the Government and financial crisis Organisational Structure and Leadership Style at NAB The NAB recently made announcements regarding changes in its organisational structure and also in its Executive Leadership Team in order to drive constant emphasis on its businesses in Australia as well as New Zealand. According to the CEO of the NAB Group, Andrew Thorburn, the successful demerger along with IPO of Clydesdale Bank which took place in the early part of 2016, and also the 80% sale of the Life Insurance Business almost in the completion phase, the time was right was driving into the following stage of changes in the organisation. Such changes are expected to usher higher degree of momentum as well as energy to the goal of the organisation to be customer focused and more simple. It would also assist the organisation in delivering both the shareholders and the customers with better outcomes (NAB, 2016). The organisational structure consists of an executive leadership team which is headed by the NAB Group CEO Andrew Thorburn (NAB, 2016). The organisation is highly passionate about its values as they help in capturing the essence related to their aspirational culture and are a reflection of their deep care for the way of doing things. They provide guidance to the behaviours, actions and decisions while interacting with each other, the communities and the customers. The values that act as guiding principles in inspiring them for meeting the customer needs and achieving the strategy are as passion for their customers, a willingness to win, being bold, respecting people and doing the correct thing (NAB, 2016). The leadership style of NABs Chief Executive Andrew Thorburn is participative. He is seen many times to use blunt language that is mostly avoided deliberately by the other business leaders. However, his focus has been on the people all through his career and has the experience of leading a large organisation on markets that were mature (Yeates, 2014). He has the capacity of quietly motivating his staff although he himself maintains a low profile. He believes in developing a strong culture of leadership (Eyers et al., 2014). The leadership style which is participative places value on the inputs that the team members provide. However, the responsibility of taking the final decision is that of the participative or democratic leader. Such a leader boosts the morale of the employees as employees contribute to the process of decision making. In case there are changes that are required to be made in the organisation, such a style of leadership assists the employees in accepting the changes easily as they have been a part of that change process. Such a style is able to face challenges when decisions have to be made by the organisations in short time periods (Bell Mjoli, 2014). Conclusion The paper analysed the development of strategic leadership at NAB. It was observed that the organisation has undergone changes in its strategy to become more focused on the segments that are the priority ones, on enhancing the experiences of the customers and also on carrying out execution in a manner that is relentless and flawless. The organisation faced criticism in the past regarding its business practices but was able to come out of it. Recently, there were changes in the organisational structure and the currently there is a Group CEO for NAB with an Executive Leadership Team. The core values of NAB comprise making investments in people and also their development so that the strategies can be executed in a successful manner. The style of leadership of the Group CEO is participative which facilities changes to take place in the organisation. Bibliography Bell, C. Mjoli, T., 2014. The Effects of Prticipative Leadership on Organisational Committment. African Journal of Business Management, 8(12), pp.451-59. Eyers, J., Moullakis, J. Wilkins, G., 2014. NAB surprises market by naming Andrew Thorburn as next CEO. James Eyers, Joyce Moullakis and Georgia Wilkins, 3 April. Ferguson, A. Williams, R., 2015. Whistleblower's NAB leak reveals persistent bad behaviour in financial planning, fuels royal commission calls. Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February. Knight, E., 2014. The banking sector reform will affect every Australian. The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 December. NAB, 2015. 2015 - Annual Review NAB. [Online] Available at: https://www.nab.com.au/content/dam/nabrwd/About-Us/shareholder%20centre/documents/annual-review-interactive.pdf [Accessed 3 September 2016]. NAB, 2016. Executive Leadership Team. [Online] Available at: https://www.nab.com.au/about-us/our-business-at-a-glance/executive-leadership-team [Accessed 3 September 2016]. NAB, 2016. Nab Announces Oraganisational Structure and Executive Leadership Changes.[Online] Available at: https://news.nab.com.au/nab-announces-organisational-structure-and-executive-leadership-changes/ [Accessed 3 September 2016]. NAB, 2016. Our Values. [Online] Available at: https://www.nab.com.au/about-us/corporate-responsibility/responsibility-management-of-our-business/high-performing-diverse-and-inclusive-workforce/our-values [Accessed 3 September 2016]. Nyasha, S. Odhiambo, N.M., 2013. The Australian Banking Sector Reforms: Progress and Challenges. Corporate Ownership and Control, 10(4). Sydney Morning Herald, 2002. NAB breaks code of behaviour. Sydney Morning Herald, 15 April. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/04/14/1018333454094.html [Accessed 3 September 2016]. Yeates, C., 2014. Andrew Thorburn, NAB's new straight shooter with a messianic touch. The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 July.

To Kill A Mockingbird Respect Essay Example For Students

To Kill A Mockingbird Respect Essay Respect is an admiration of a person, a personal quality or ability. Respect, being one of the most substantial messages, plays significant role in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. In this response, three different topics will be disputed. The topics are as follows; respect throughout the novel, respect of an individual character and necessity of respect for different human races. Throughout the novel, there are a few events that demonstrate respect. For instance, Atticus is taking the Tom Robinsons case because he respects all people in same way no matter what their classes are or skin colours are different. Another example would be when Jem and Scout stop pestering Boo Radley after he gave Scout the blanket. The kids respect Boo for giving them the gifts especially the blanket and decide not to bother him anymore. As I pointed out some events, these events are the evidence that the theme, respect can be easily noticeable. We will write a custom essay on To Kill A Mockingbird Respect specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Out of all of the characters on To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is recognized as the most respected character. The reasons why he is so admired are because first of all, the way he treats and talks to people in same manner and with honesty. He never talks behind anyones back and moreover he tries to understand and see from their point of view. Secondly, Atticus has the nerve that others dont. For example, he took the Tom Robinsons case. Even though his neighbors criticized him for taking the case, he was willing to do it because he knew that his belief was right and Tom Robinson was innocent. As a result, all of his morality, honesty, and fairness had earned him the respect. The setting of novel, Great Depression is the era when the severity of racism hit the highest peak. Racisms had a major impact of the Tom Robinson trial. Tom Robinson was declared guilty in spite of Atticus proved evidences which verify Toms innocence. In addition, Mr. Dolphus Raymond, known as the town drunk carries his drink in a paper bag. However, the drink in the bag turns out to be Coca-Cola, not an alcohol beverage. He pretended being drunk because this made people understand easier why he was being friendly and nice towards black people. These two examples explain why we respects different races and make us look back what we have done. By reading the book To Kill A Mockingbird all the viewers can learn respecting people around us, believing in yourself and always being fair is the lesson that is taught from the author and the characters inside the book. I hope more people would have a chance to read this book and change their moral belief and realize that our skin colours do not define who we are.

How to Figure Out If You Should Quit Your Job [Infographic]

How to Figure Out If You Should Quit Your Job [Infographic] Can’t decide whether to leave your job? It’s often not an easy decision. But if you think through all of your options, you should be able to make your decision more confidently. Follow this flowchart from BBC to help you figure out if you should quit your job.   [Source: BBC]

WHY DO I NEED AN AGENT

WHY DO I NEED AN AGENT A reader recently asked me to write about the advantages and disadvantages of having a literary agent. She didnt think she wanted an agent, but wasnt sure whether that was a good decision or not. If I did write about agents, it was a long, long time ago. Im all for them, but the downside is that it slows things down as you land one, and they do take a cut of your profits. But . . . they know more about the business than we do. They have connections we dont. They open doors we never thought of. They make us step up our writing to a higher calibre. Some writers have placed the nickname gatekeeper to agents and editors who send rejection letters; like gatekeeper is a bad thing. Anytime someone is in a position to reject you, youre tempted to take it personally and become inclined to dislike them. However, if you are selected What does an agent do for you? Help edit your work. Of course your work has to be pretty great to start with, but an agent can make suggestions from experience and know-how of the marketplace that will take your writing to a higher level. Target editors and publishers. Other than study a Writers Market or search websites, how do you know what a publisher seeks these days? They dont readily shoot desires out on Twitter or alter their guidelines webpage weekly. Agents, however, groom relationships with these editors. TheY understand what editors seek in the short term and the long term. Negotiate a contract. What do you know about rights? Print rights, electronic, audio, foreign, film, the list is long. As a lone artist, do you understand how to negotiate all these rights? If you dont have an agent, do you know the logistics, pros and cons of holding or signing over these rights? While giving up rights sounds scary, in reality, you could be placing your work in hands that know what they are doing and can greatly increase your chances of landing an audio book or a television show. Do you know what are good ebook royalty rates? Problem solving. If the publisher gets hung up on a bad cover or wants editorial changes that infuriate you, an agent can play middle man and help smooth out wrinkles. Marketing consultation. Agents may be able to recommend great venues for your promotional efforts. They might know what works and what doesnt. They might make introductions to opportunities you never imagined. They have been in this business to earn a living and have been around the block more than most of us. Use that expertise. Nathan Bransford has a nice clear blog post on what an agent does. Heres another post on why an agent is needed, from a sci-fi And heres yet another from the Jane Chelius Literary Agency, which applies to all agents across the board. Author Scott Nicholson explains why you need an agent. When you may NOT need to seek an agent? When self-publishing. When seeking a smaller press. When familiar with rights and contracts. When writing short stories. I used an agent for a smaller press, to improve my odds for a contract. I was fairly familiar with rights, but wasnt completely grounded in the knowledge. I also wanted that buffer between the publishing house and me, using someone who had a firmer grasp on the industry, who could spot a deal and a scam with no hesitation. Yes, I am a fan of agents, but it depends on your goals, experience, knowledge base, and desires whether you use one or not. No, they arent easy to land, but having one can improve your odds . . . depends on what youre gambling on.

Critique of a research article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Critique of a research article - Essay Example It also examines and explores the aspect of the type of criminal activities, and its impact on their employment possibilities by investigating the topic from the employer’s perspective. They have also successfully provided all the supportive evidences in the form of statistical records, based on the behavior of a given set of employers in relation to recruitment of ex-convicts on the basis of the nature and type of the crimes for which they were convicted. However, the article also mentions the lack of awareness on the part of the employers, about the existence of the â€Å"ROA, 1974†, and its significance, along with the remedies available to them to eliminate such ignorance on the part of the employers. The Act, seeks to rehabilitate ex-offenders by providing them with better employment opportunities. It is an initiative on the part of the government to help the offenders and ex-convicts resettle in the society by enabling them to â€Å"wipe the slate clean† of their criminal record. This is true in case of those convicts who have already served their sentence and have not been reconvicted for any other offence subsequent to their acquittal, thus treating their conviction as â€Å"spent† for the purpose of employment. (ROA, 1974). Thus they have pointed out the cause and effect of the topic under consideration and also provided a host of solutions available at their disposal, ensuring the completeness of the research article. The authors have also thoroughly examined the fact that, a majority of the employers displayed increased resistance while recruiting people with a criminal record, with a significant part of them, showing keen interest in researching the backgrounds of their prospective employees. All in all, the article is a well-researched and well-supported with relevant evidences and the inclusion of statistical data for supporting the arguments put

Diagnostic Reasoning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Diagnostic Reasoning - Essay Example Even though clinicians can use data from patient’s signs and symptoms to improve previous probabilities, they do not compute a running score of probability ratios. Their evaluation of previous probabilities depends on their understanding of patients and their expertise. They also add proof to a previous chance instead of multiplying proof by a previous probability (Stolper, Van de Wiel, Van Royen, Van Bokhoven, Van der Weijden & Dinant, 2011). In as much as the strength of an analytical indicator to substantiate or reject is mostly evaluated in various terms including irrelevant, weak, and strong, clinicians often use their projected decision threshold before taking actions. Since this has not always provided positive outcome, it is necessary for the medical decision-making clinicians to establish a balance between diagnostic reasoning and a kind of intuitive appraisal. Diagnostic reasoning is applied in complicated cases like testing hypothesis and purposeful verification. Th erefore, general practitioners will have to depend on a kind of intuitive assessment by listing patient features, establishing their weights and matching them with the symptoms related to a particular illness. In conclusion, it is necessary to establish a balance between diagnostic reasoning and a kind of intuitive appraisal. The process allows doctors to come up with a conclusive decision concerning a particular infection. Stolper, E., Van de Wiel, M., Van Royen, P., Van Bokhoven, M., Van der Weijden, T., & Dinant, G. J. (2011). Gut feelings as a third track in general practitioners’ diagnostic reasoning. Journal of general internal medicine, 26(2),

Challenges of Ecotourism in Antarctica Essay Example for Free

Challenges of Ecotourism in Antarctica Essay Antarctica is one of the largest and most fragile environments on earth. It is rare and unique, and few people get the opportunity to visit such an extraordinary place. Antarctica’s unique environment and climate sets it apart from other tourist destinations. However, the hostile wilderness creates many challenges for ecotourism. There is a concern regarding the high concentration of tourists and their environmental impact at the few landing sites available. The real debate is whether tourism can benefit, or threaten the conservation of Antarctica. Ecotourism, in its early historical origins has been closely linked to nature – oriented tourism. For example, Laarman and Durst, in reference to ecotourism, defined it as a nature tourism where a traveler is interested and drawn to a destination because of its features and natural history. The visit combines education, recreation, and often adventure’ (Laarman and Durst 1987:5). Defining ecotourism is not easily done, difficulties defining it are mainly due to the multidimensional nature of the definitions, and the fact that each dimension involved represents a continuum of possibilities (Blamey 1997). The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as ‘responsible travel to natural areas, which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people’ (Western 1993:8). Ceballos-Lascurain (1987: 14) defines ecotourism as ‘traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas’. The tourism industry of Antarctica is often overlooked as a factor of environmental degradation. It is important that more attention is drawn to assessing the current state of this large continent. Beck (1994) states that, tourists, scientists, and other visitors to Antarctica have tremendous environmental impacts. Tourist shipping can pose an environmental risk, and there is good reason for concern. There have been several marine accidents in recent years. There was the case of an Argentinean supply vessel Bahia Paraiso, which ran a ground on January 28, 1989, spilling 600 metric tones of fuel into Antarctica’s pristine waters (Culver 1991). Other environmental impacts include engine emissions that contribute to air pollution. The noise generated from outboard motors on inflatable zodiacs, turbulence created from tourist ships and the â€Å"grey water† sewage they emit also creates harmful effects. More responsibility is being demanded out of eco tourists visiting Antarctica. For example Salen Lindblad’s 164-passenger ship the Frontier Spirit has been reinforced, and also contains a sewage treatment plant, refrigerated waste storage area, and a special storage area for non-biodegradable waste (Cebellos-Lascurain 1996). Another main concern is in the peninsula region of Antarctica where there are several highly concentrated, high profile sites. The concentration of tourism activities leads to the potential for over visitation in these areas. A present study of Magellanic penguins demonstrates that human impact puts a great amount of stress on the species. Simple human presence can be physiologically stressful for breeding at nest sites (Fowler 1999). The Antarctic environment is very fragile and not used to human activities. However the study also found that birds exposed to high levels of tourists are not effected over time and concludes that as a result tourism should be concentrated to certain areas while others are kept off limits to human presence. People have been going to Antarctica for over 100 years. Prior to 1950, nearly all trips to Antarctica were either exploratory or scientific expeditions (Cessford 1997). As a result of human activity in the area there has been a connection with industrial, national and scientific programs. Human activity has also caused the development of alien microbes, fungi, plants, and animals. These â€Å"alien† species that are mostly European in origin exist on most of the sub – Antarctic islands and some even occur on the continent itself. These species in turn can have both a direct and indirect impact on the Antarctic ecosystem (Fenot 2004). It has only been recently that biologists have conducted any research into diseases of Antarctic wildlife to note the effects of human activity. These studies look at marine mammals and penguins for bacteria flora and pathogens (disease causing organisms). Blood tests for antibodies of a variety of species have also been taken to check for viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic disease. A study conducted in the summer season of 2000/2001, Dr. Todhunter and Dr. Terris took swab collections of specimens from passengers’ boots aboard the Kapitan Khlebnikov, which led to tentative findings of a wide range of potential pathogens. In another study 233 fecal samples from 8 bird species were taken from 6 different penguin colonies, which are regularly visited by tourists. The samples were investigated for pathogens of potential human origin. No human related bacteria were found, which suggests that the tourism industry in the Antarctic region has achieved its goal of not introducing any pathogens so far. While the tourist season only ranges from October to April, currently tourism in Antarctica involves over 30 agencies, and 40,000 tourists per annum (Lambert 2005). Antarctica is the ultimate destination for anyone interested in natural history, but it also challenges the same people that visit to think about our responsibilities to all life on earth† (Lambert 2005). Tourists to Antarctica are most likely to fall in to the category of eco tourist, as there are no restaurants, theaters or art galleries, and the experience is about learning about and viewing one of the earth’s last untouched continent s. Boo (1990) states that for conservation management to succeed, tourism must be a tool to educate thus creating real benefits for a geological location. Although tourism and human contact on Antarctica is showing some negative impacts, it has also encouraged conservation efforts in the region. Another step towards the recognition of potential environmental impact is the creation of the IATTO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators). In 1991 seven tour operators active in Antarctica formed IATTO. It was created to act as a single organization. The goal of IATTO is to promote and practice safe environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic. Currently there are 80 member organizations representing 14 countries. IATTO 2008) This environmental protocol designates Antarctica as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science and seeks to ensure human activities, such as tourism, have no adverse effects on the Antarctic environment, or on its scientific and aesthetic values. With a recent increase in the number of members in the IAATO it shows that companies are becoming more aware of the environmentally se nsitive concerns related to Antarctica and the importance of such an organization. The increase in membership does not necessarily mean that there has been a drastic increase in the number of tourists visiting Antarctica. All current Antarctica tour operators file yearly environmental impact assessments to their national authorities. There are few places on earth that have never been to war, where the environment is fully protected and scientific research has priority over anything else. (IAATO 2008) The Antarctic treaty can be accredited with the successful protection of Antarctica. Formed on June 23, 1961 the treaty covers the area south of 60 degrees latitude and consists of 46 countries. Its objectives are simple and unique, demilitarize Antarctica and make it a zone free of nuclear tests, and disposal of radioactive waste. As well as be used for peaceful purposes only (IAATO 2008). To promote international cooperation in the Antarctic and set aside disputes over territorial sovereignty. The treaty parties meet each year and have adopted over 300 recommendations and negotiated separate international agreements, of which 3 are still in use. These include: 1. The convention for the conservation of Antarctic seals which was established in 1972. 2. The convention for conservation of Antarctica marine living resources established in 1980. 3. The protocol on Environmental protection to the Atlantic Treaty established in 1991. These agreements and the original treaty provide the rules to govern all activities in relation to Antarctica. Collectively known as the Antarctica Treaty System (ATS). In conclusion it is apparent that Antarctica is a very fragile environment, and any kind of human involvement can pose great risks if the correct precautions are not taken. It is clear to me that eco tourism can benefit the great continent of Antarctica, those visiting become ambassadors as they learn about the importance of preservation. Boo (1990) explains that tourists become emotionally attached to an area and will contribute funds to preserve it. It is important for organizations like the IAATO to continue their promotion of safe and environmentally responsible travel to the Antarctic. Continued research is necessary to make sure that tourists as well as scientists leave as little of a human footprint as possible. Antarctica is a beautiful place on earth, and I believe that when people are educated about their impact on such a vulnerable area and regulations are put in place to protect the area that everyone should be able to experience the Antarctic continent in all of its magnificence.

the boy :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You all tried your best,† Coach Stevenson said to the group of boys. I was sitting in the back not even listening to him. I was staring at the thick stack of envelopes in his hand. â€Å"Do not open the envelope until you get in your car!† Finally he passed them back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Gobel, Giles, Hepp, Hegg, Hicks†. I snatched it out of his hand. I could feel that it was still warm. I started to walk towards the door, witch seemed like a mile away. I could barley walk the anticipation was so bad. I rounded the corner thinking how hard I had tried in practice. Then I turned another corner thinking how bad I wanted that place on the team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was just about to the skills for living room when my hand acted without asking my brain first. I thrust my finger into the envelope, shedding the paper like a six year-old boy on Christmas mourning. You could hear the paper tare apart. Still walking like a mad man I wiped out the envelope, it read†¦.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Cha-ching,† the sound effects played in my head. Congratulations! From the first word on I knew the results. I made the team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I walked out the door and saw my mom sitting in her car. She had that look on her face. She did not want to have to tell me, â€Å"its ok maybe next year.† She didn’t have to. I smiled wider than my ears. My mom knew what the paper said before I got in the car.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I pulled out the sheet and looked at the schedule. â€Å" Practice 5 days a week!† Maybe I wouldn’t have been so bad to be cut.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You all tried your best,† Coach Stevenson said to the group of boys. I was sitting in the back not even listening to him. I was staring at the thick stack of envelopes in his hand. â€Å"Do not open the envelope until you get in your car!† Finally he passed them back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Gobel, Giles, Hepp, Hegg, Hicks†. I snatched it out of his hand. I could feel that it was still warm. I started to walk towards the door, witch seemed like a mile away. I could barley walk the anticipation was so bad. I rounded the corner thinking how hard I had tried in practice. Then I turned another corner thinking how bad I wanted that place on the team.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was just about to the skills for living room when my hand acted without asking my brain first.

Marriage and the family

Throughout the course of time, family dynamics and components have evolved along with society. In recent history the contemporary family has evolved into more of a dual earner family, leaving the traditional division of responsibilities ever changing and progressing. In todays society it has become more common to see women taking on the traditional responsibilities of men both financially and around the home and men doing their part to assist with more household activities and child care.To fully understand the changes that have taken place over time it is important to look at here we have come from. Customarily, in the past family roles between and husband and wife were black and white. Men would traditionally work the nine to five every day, support the family financially, and take care of household maintenance. This would often cause less time for things like engagement with children and helping with their overall development. While Men had their hands full outside the home, women spent most of their time in the home taking care of housework and rearing children.As a society we have come a long way from what used to be considered a contemporary family. Today, a contemporary family no onger consists of one employed provider but a dual earning couple. This is due to women becoming more independent, career oriented, and educated. Another factor that plays into the evolution of the dual earner family is the state of the economy, cost of living, and childcare expenses. It is almost essential for families to have duel earners in order to make ends meet. Today, women can be Just as an important piece of the financial puzzle as their counterparts.Now that we have established the new normal, it is important to look at the division of the families responsibilities. In dual arning families, men have been doing more than they ever have and have come a long way. Men are now more actively participating in things like housework, cooking, and lawn care but the statistics st ill may surprise most. â€Å"According to the data from The American Time use Survey, 83% of women as compared to 64% of men reported spending time in such activities. † In addition, â€Å"married men reported spending 1. hours on household activities compared to 2. 5 hours reported by married women. † (The marriage and family experience eleventh edition) It is obvious that men are still doing less than women in the home on average.But Men have come a ong way from where they were in eras such as the 50's and 60's where they assisted in almost no household work. It is established that men are doing a better Job as society progresses. â€Å"Men's share of housework has increased over the past three decades (from 15% to more than 30%) as has their actual time spent doing housework. (The marriage and family experience eleventh edition) It is now common to see men cooking, cleaning, and child rearing as a result of both individuals being an equal contributor both financial ly and to the family. In shift work arrangements a man's role may be increased depending on what shift he is working. If a man is working a night shift, he would most likely be responsible for things like getting children ready for school, cooking breakfast, and driving to school as he would be returning from work when they are waking up.Obviously it is not Just the men who mentioned before, women are still doing more than men statistically when it comes to domestic chores. Women are often now earning larger wages, working more hours, and have more responsibilities than men both in their careers and in their families. Being domesticated is nothing new as far as women leading the way in the home. As ime passes it is hard to determine whether or not things will ever be equal.With the evolution of the dual earning arrangement, families are now forced to alter their traditional responsibilities to make the household run as a unit. Over the past few decades we have seen an exceptional in crease in the man's responsibilities around the home and have seen a shift in the traditional division of responsibilities. As the cost of living continues to rise and salaries continue to fall, it is not likely to see a shift in the other direction anytime soon. It truly is amazing to see how we have broken the mold in such a short period of time

Willpower

Even with the natural aptitudes to reach them, it is necessary to make an effort to do It. Pursue this goals is key for our success and happiness, but many distractions are going to be present: little distractions with a wrong Idea of freedom that can develop in big problems and make us slaves of our desires. To avoid this and stay In a good way, we need to make use of our willpower, and understand better owe It works.There are little things that make us happy Like eat Ice cream, listen to music, hang out with friends, buy a nice dress†¦ And there Is no need to stop doing this. But It Is important to understand that we need to do it with moderation. We can not let this whims rule our life nor distract us from our goals, for our life would become senseless. Discipline will let us chase our goals, the lack of it will make us lose them. Goals give a meaning to our lives, and a meaning is necessary to be happy.This self-control maintain us moving forward, achieving objectives, growi ng like human beings; it means, success in life. But also, it give us the freedom that we deserve, economically and mentally. Losing control of impulses and desires make us vulnerable to be controlled by others, and so we lost our freedom. With the force of willpower, nobody but us will rule our life. Having been clear why willpower is important, it worth to say a couple of tips about how to maintain it.First, we can not expect to control ourselves every time, with everything, because the willpower becomes momentarily exhausted; so we need to be smart choosing our regulations to fulfill our resolutions. And second, it is extremely important not sublimate little acts of discipline, like make our bed or take care of our appearance, for this help us strengthen the willpower and avoid fail on future tasks. Many things can be said about willpower, but this time I only wanted to highlight some points: self-control helps us to malting a meaning In our life and reach peppiness, as well as g ive us freedom, something that we can not Ignore.And we never should stop training our willpower; sometimes we fall applying It, but with the time, It will be easier control ourselves. Willpower By Feline-Pacer Velasquez Every person in the world has their own goals, objectives to accomplish in a long or a effort to do it. Pursue this goals is key for our success and happiness, but many distractions are going to be present: little distractions with a wrong idea of freedom ND stay in a good way, we need to make use of our willpower, and understand better how it works.There are little things that make us happy like eat ice cream, listen to music, hang out with friends, buy a nice dress†¦ And there is no need to stop doing this. But it is some points: self-control helps us to maintain a meaning in our life and reach happiness, as well as give us freedom, something that we can not ignore. And we never should stop training our willpower; sometimes we fail applying it, but with the t ime, it will be easier control ourselves.

Romeo And Juliet †Act 1, Scene 5

Romeo And Juliet – Act 1, Scene 5 Free Online Research Papers Act1 Scene5 is hugely important to the rest of the play. It incorporates the roots of love where both Romeo and Juliet become infatuated with each other, even though Romeo has just broken up with his previous love, Rosaline, and with these roots shows some of what is yet to come, foreshadowing. Also it shows the warring nature between the houses of Capulet and Montague, where at the party, Tybalt; Juliet’s cousin, who on seeing a Montague at the Capulet’s party goes straight to his uncle to get them thrown out, but also of the penalty of torture if another civil brawl breaks out, this is shown that when Tybalt complains to his uncle, sir Capulet, who says that they are guests and it shall not be taken to remove them or start a fight. In the opening of Act1 scene5 we see some serving men rushing about getting the great hall ready for the party. One of the serving men is shouting for another person showing that there is a lot of activity and that there are still more people needed. He shouts, â€Å"Where’s Potpan, that he helps not to take away? He shift a trencher? He scrape a trencher†. This shows that even though there are many people helping out with the party there are still not enough people, shown when the serving man uses the rhetorical question to show that he needs more people even though everyone is already doing something. When Sir Capulet comes out there is even more commotion, with the line, â€Å"A hall, a hall, give room! And foot it girls.†, everyone starts to dance. This shows that there is a happy and upbeat atmosphere and that everyone is enjoying themselves. At the masked ball of the Capulet’s shows Romeo’s unstoppable falling in love with Juliet. When Romeo first sees Juliet he uses metaphors like â€Å"a snowy dove† and â€Å"teaches the torches to burn right†. This shows that Romeo thinks Juliet’s beauty shines and that she is as beautiful as snow. When he first sees Juliet he says a sonnet that uses iambic pentameter which during the age when this was written was considered to be of the upper class. Shakespeare uses the visual imagery of the party and everyone dancing to illustrate that even thought Romeo was so sad that Roseline had left him, that he could find love in the family of his enemy. â€Å" o dear account! My life is my foe’s debt† shows that Romeo believes that with the words the â€Å"my foe’s debt† that if his family and Juliet’s family weren’t fighting they could be together. The contrast between Romeos words about Juliet and the confrontation between Capulet and Tybalt. When we see Romeo talking about being head over heels for Juliet, Tybalt is trying to get him thrown out. We see Tybalt at first dumbfounded when he sees Romeo, but as the song ends he rushes over to Capulet, who is sitting with some of his friends. â€Å" content thee, gentle coz, let him alone†, is the line he tries to calm him with, â€Å"content thee† means calm yourself, which shows that he is looking out for his nephew so that he is not tortured by Paris’ men and when he says â€Å"gentle coz† it implies that he likes his nephew and thinks he is a calm friend. These two facts gives both a jolly atmosphere, but also a deeper felling of darkness or foreboding which could be related to future events that could happen in the play. Also this could be a catalyst for the events that happen later in the play, where Tybalt wants to start a fight with Romeo, who d eclines, so instead fights Mercutio, who he kills then Romeo retaliates and kills Tybalt. As soon as Romeo has done this, he deeply regrets it. â€Å"O, I am fortune’s fool† after he kills Tybalt, showing that he believes that fortune has played him â€Å"fortune’s fool†, because he has struck down his cousin-in-law because he killed his best friend. The playful but quick temperedness of Tybalt is shown in act 1 scene 5 when he discovers Romeo at the Capulet ball. In Act 1 Scene 5, Shakespeare gives Romeo a sonnet which in Elizabethan times was a highly admired skill, Juliet showing the love at first sight as a sonnet is seen as a love poem so showing that he can’t believe what he sees. He uses the religious imagery of a pilgrim and a saint to show that he thinks she is saintly compared to him. â€Å"dear saint, let lips do what hands do† shows that he wants the privilege of kissing Juliet’s lips like a person gets when he touches a saint’s hands. Also the quote, â€Å"my lips like two blushing pilgrims†, uses the metaphor to show with the word â€Å"pilgrims† that shows Romeo’s lips have waited a long time and have gone very far to find Juliet’s lips. Also the word â€Å"blushing† could show that Romeo is shy or worried or nervous about kissing Juliet. Plus the metaphor â€Å"palm to palm is holy, palmers’ kiss†, the palm was the only area on a woman’s body a man could touch before they were married, possibly foreshadowing events yet to come. On discovering each other’s identity, both Romeo and Juliet are extremely sad that each other are of the opposite warring house. On lines 117 and lines 137-140 both say how their love is of their enemy and that they may never see each other again. Juliet says that it was â€Å"too early seen unknown, and known too late†. It shows she fell in love with him before finding out who he truly was and if she should have fell in love with him. In Act 1 Scene 5 Shakespeare manages to incorporate the themes of love, hate, death and a sense of foreboding. It starts off with love when Romeo and Juliet first lock eyes, to when Tybalt sees them and becomes enraged. Overall this scene could be described as a microcosm of the whole play. It has the love of Romeo and Juliet as they spiral into an overpowering sense of passion for each other. The warring nature between Capulet’s and Montague’s, where Tybalt discovers Romeo’s identity and becomes fuming at the idea of him invading the festivities. The symbolism in the scene is woven in finely in today’s culture but when this play was written, it incorporated many ‘relevant’ events showing historical and religious reference woven into a hugely famous play around the world. Research Papers on Romeo And Juliet - Act 1, Scene 5The Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsWhere Wild and West MeetQuebec and CanadaHip-Hop is ArtThe Hockey GameTrailblazing by Eric AndersonCapital PunishmentComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

The Fed and Interest Rates Essays - Monetary Policy, Free Essays

The Fed and Interest Rates Essays - Monetary Policy, Free Essays The Fed and Interest Rates Dave Pettit of The Wall Street Journal writes a daily column that appears inside the first page of the journal's Money & Investment section. If the headlines of Mr. Pettit's daily column are any accurate record of economic concerns and current issues in the business world, the late weeks of March and the early weeks of April in 1994 were intensely concerned with interest rates. To quote, "Industrials Edge Up 4.32 Points Amid Caution on Interest Rates," and "Industrials Track On 13.53 Points Despite Interest-Rate Concerns." Why such a concern with interest rates? A week before, in the last week of March, the Fed had pushed up the short-term rates. This being the first increase in almost five years, it caused quite a stir. When the Fed decides the economy is growing at too quick a pace, or inflation is getting out of hand, it can take actions to slow spending and decrease the money supply. This corresponding with the money equation MV = PY, by lowering both M and V, P and Y can stabilize if they are increasing too rapidly. The Fed does this by selling securities on the open market. This, in turn, reduces bank's reserves and forces the interest rate to rise so the banks can afford to make loans. People seeing these rises in rates will tend to sell their low interest assets, in order to acquire additional money, they tend move toward higher yielding accounts, also further increasing the rate. Soon this small change by the Fed affects all aspects of business, from the price level to interest rates on credit cards. Rises and falls in the interest rate can reflect many changes in an economy. When the economy is in a recession and needs a type of stimulus package, the Fed may attempt to decrease the interest rates to encourage growth and spending in the markets. This was the case from 1989 until last month, during which the nation's economy was generally considered to be in a slight to moderate recession. During this period the Fed tried to keep interest rates low to facilitate growth and spending in hard times. However, when inflation is increasing too quickly and the economy is gaining strength, the Fed will attempt to raise rates, as it did late last March. This can be considered a sign that we are pulling out of the recession, or atleast it seems the Fed feels the recession of the early nineties is ending. Directly after the Fed's actions, the stock market was a mess. The Dow took huge dips, falling as much as 50 points a day. Although no one knows exactly what influences the market, the increase in interest rates played a major role in this craziness. Mr. Pettit's column on March 25th highlights, "Industrials Slide 48.37," Mr. Pettit attributes a large portion of the market's "tailspin" at this time to, "Rising interest rates at home." It is certainly no coincidence that these two events happened at the same time. Alan Greenspan, the current chairman of the Fed comes under great attack and praise with every move the Fed makes. He is, in a sense, the embodiment of the Fed. He has been in charge of the Fed since 1987. Some economists blame him for the recession of the early nineties. His influence on the interest rates as chairman of the Fed is monumental. It is his combined job as the Fed to steer the economy in a balanced manner that does not yield too much to inflation and to keep growth steady. Predictably, most economists are back seat drivers when it comes to watching the actions of Allen Greenspan, and they tend to feel they could much more successfully manage the economy than he. Many also agree with his tactics, so it is a two way street on which the chairman is forced to drive. It seems that not only the analysts are in disagreement of how the fed should operate, but interestingly enough, the internal policy makers seem to also disagree on what stance the Fed should take. Some of the internal policy makers are interested in making a more substantial increase now, while others opt for a more conservative approach, where the market can be tested for both good and bad influences from the rate increases. Allen Greenspan is one of this more conservative group, and it is he is critisized by some for the irradic behavior in the stock market as of late. The equilibrium that the Fed

Using E-book in higher education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Using E-book in higher education - Essay Example Different assessments that have been done in regards have supported Masrom’s piece of thought according to which normative beliefs and behavioral beliefs acts as a building block in terms of analyzing the certain action (Ros, 2004). Theory of Planned Behavior formulated as the addition of the Theory of Reasoned Action (Hashim & Adviser-Eisner, 2011). It deals with the consequences related attitude towards behavior and subjective norms along with the additional module of behavioral control that comprises the problem such as the lacking of control on the consciousness (Stone & Baker-Eveleth, 2013). Theory of planned behavior includes an array of intentions and behaviors. In the light TpB, it can be stated that, Perceived behavioral control significantly influence the decision making of an individual through behavioral intention (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). Technology acceptance model was formulated by Davis in 1986 (Ajzen, 1991). It deals with the evaluation of the appropriateness of the certain Information System by analyzing the acceptance behavior of the target users, in order to make advancement and improvement which means to be equally acceptable and adequate for the users of different IT applications (Davis & Venkatesh, 2004). As according to the Tam model which summed up attitude in terms of the set of destructive and productive emotions of the person that generated as the result of performing a target behavior such the greater PU’s and PEOS’s that considerably have more positive impact in the mind of the end user (Davis & Venkatesh, 2004). Although, the Technology acceptance Model became modified in which attitude buildup became eliminated. After the elimination of the consequence of attitude from TAM, behavioral intention again embedded to be majorly influenced by two beliefs of the end user (Eckhardt, 2009). According to the TAM, behavioral Intentional extensively manipulated by means of perceived attitude (Chong, Lim & Ling, 2009). Due to

Reflective commentary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflective commentary - Assignment Example Defining the substance of the study made it possible to undertake a focused study without going off-topic ‘(Hartley, 2010)’. The definition was followed by a further inquiry into the components of the council, with a focus on the parties that make up the council, how they are selected and the powers they wield. These components were better explained by the book titled The Foundations of EU Law by T. Hartley. This was an important step, since it broadens the study in a systematic manner. This is because, the study advances from the mere definition to understanding the components of the body and the powers held by the parties. Having understood the components of the EU council as a decision making body of the EU, it was relevant to understand how the decision making process is undertaken. This required some inquiry into the procedures of undertaking meetings, their venues and what the meetings entail. At this stage, the broad topic was narrowed down to engage in understand ing the specific details of the EU council meetings, who arranges them and how the agendas are raised ‘(Hartley, 2010)’. This is when the book titled Unlocking EU Law by T. Storey and C. Turner, became relevant, since it explained all the procedures of the meetings and the changes in venues at different times ‘(Storey & Turner, 2011)’. ... In studying the role of the EU council as a decision making body of the EU, I visited the Law Teacher website to obtain credible information. Additionally, reliable and relevant sources, which particularly address the EU council and its roles were consulted. Here, the second edition of the book by A. Kaczorowska, titled European Union Law proved worth, since it comprehensively addressed the EU council and its functions ‘(Kaczorowska, 2011)’. Therefore, the resources used were the ones directly addressing the decision making process of the EU, since they would discuss this topic widely and venture into finer details, compared to other sources which generally address the EU holistically. I used The Foundations of EU Law by T. Hartley, to gain the basis the EU council decision-making mandate ‘(Hartley, 2010)’. The process of selecting the resources for use entailed consulting both the old and the new version of such resources, since a combination of the old and the new resources could be more informing than dwelling on either version. I used the third edition of Unlocking EU Law by T. Storey and C. Turner to gain an insight on how the decision making mandate of the EU council has changed over time ‘(Storey & Turner, 2011)’. Additionally, sources of information that addressed the decision making role of the council both before and after the EU enlargement were consulted, since they could give systematic information regarding the changes in the roles of the council. Here, the book, EU Law by J. Steiner, became relevant for this purpose ‘(Steiner, 2012)’. Therefore, a range of resources were consulted, to compare and contrast the information obtained, and settle on the most promising details. The

An Arab from Qatar in the Middle East Assignment

An Arab from Qatar in the Middle East - Assignment Example A great abundance of my family resides in the metro Detroit, MI area. My family came from Qatar in the 1970s and have been relatively successful in the small business sector. My family owns a variety of small businesses spanning from liquor stores to restaurants. One of the fundamental successes of my family is the continuous reinforcement of unity and our strong family bond. Although my family in the metro Detroit area still adhere to fundamental beliefs of our culture, there are notable differences and the impact of western culture can be measured. My family from both the Qatar and America strongly believe in the sanctity of marriage and the strength of family unity. It is heavily believed that marriage is meant to be entered into for life duration and that the man is the head of the family. It is my family's belief that a big family should be sought as an abundance of children ensures perpetual family strength. Sons are heavily desired as the son will carry on the family's name and take of the elders in their ripe age. The religion of Islam which is learned and studied from the holy book Quran is practiced by the entire family in both Qatar and the United States. We strongly believe in Allah and his faithful messenger the prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and his divine revelation of Gods word. It is the desire of my family in both Qatar and the United States to make the pilgrimage of Hajj and visit the holy lands of Mecca and Medina at least once in our lifetime. The men in Qatar adorn the flowing robes and some opt to wear casual attire. Those who do choose to wear the adorning robes typically accompany them with hijab head garb. Most of the men from my family in the United States have adapted to the western culture of clothing. They choose to wear casual attire such as blue jeans and tee shirts, however, the overall belief system is still strong.

Amy Tan, Two Kinds Essay Example for Free

Amy Tan, Two Kinds Essay This storys main events take place in Chinatown throughout the 1950s and perhaps early 1960s. The main character of the story, who is also the protagonist, is the author herself: Amy Tan. The antagonist happens to be her own mother, who is always pushing Amy to discover some hidden talent and be someone she is not. There are a few other minor characters in the story. There is Lindo Jong (who she calls Auntie Lindo), who is a close friend of Amys mother. Waverly Jong is Auntie Lindos daughter, who is close to Amys age. Amys piano instructor, who she calls Old Chong, plays a small role in the story. Amys dad is included in the text, but does not play much of a role. In Two Kinds, the exposition is clear in the first couple of pages. The story begins by explaining that Amys family moved to America when she was a baby, in 1949. Her mother is clear in her goals: she wants Amy to be a child prodigy (a person with exceptional talent) and famous. Although in the beginning Amy seems accepting of her mothers goal, there are some undertones which are clear to the reader that her mother may go too far. Symbolism in literature might include visual or sound elements as well as language. Amys piano was the main symbol of this story. In the end of the story, the fact that she had it tuned and actually sat down to play shows us that she really cared about her mother-and the piano-after all. The songs that she plays at the end are also a symbol of the story, itself. She mentions playing two songs. The first is titled Pleading Child, and the second one: Perfectly Contented. These are songs that she had played when she was a child. She notices for the first time, after all of these years, that these two songs are actually two halves to the same song. The song represents Amys life. This is how the story ends. We get a pretty good idea of what Amys story is about and the theme behind it. She regrets not trying her best, and the way she has taken her mother for granted in her life. A strong message like this makes us reflect on our own lives and relationships with the ones we love. Amy constructs the story in a way that makes the plot flow, and we are interested in what will happen to her next. Some of us may even feel like she is too hard on the protagonist-her mother. The ending resolves these feelings, because we discover she feels this, too.

An Investigation of GAME :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

An Investigation of GAME The organisation I have chosen to investigate is Europe’s leading specialist retailer of computer software and video games, GAME. They operate from over 500 stores, concessions, and franchises in four territories in Europe. As a specialist, they have certain unique attribute that gives them the edge over their competitors. They are mainly due to: * Their customer friendly policies – in the GAME store, all members of staff are required to be friendly and polite to customers; even to customers that are rude and unpleasant. * Unrivalled product knowledge – the GAME Company has knowledge of all the latest products before their rivals. Especially because the company is the top seller of games and consoles. The manufacturing companies want to sell their products to companies that solely do retail in the visual entertainment department and the games/consoles department. They want companies with these requirements because they don’t want other products that do not relate to the product that they are selling. They do not want the customers to be distracted by other items. GAME has met these requirements with ease. * Pre-owned programme – this allows customers to bring in old games or consoles or accessories that they no longer use, but are fully functional, for an exchange for something else. They would be given a value for their product and then the customer will be allowed to deduct that amount away when they are making their purchase of the in-store items. * Pre-orders – customers are allowed to pre-order their product, so they are guaranteed a copy of their product. They are allowed to receive their products on the day it was released. This ensures the manufacturers of how many copies of their product they have to send to the GAME store for the customers that pre-ordered and also extra for the customers that go to the store to purchase their products. * Local price promise – this offer allows the customers to be assured that they are paying a reasonable price for their product and are not being made to pay more than the value of the product. Sometimes the GAME Company makes the price of their products lower than other companies to make sure more customers come to their shops. * 10-day returns policy - GAME has this unique offer, which allows customers ten days to try out the game or hardware they have bought. If the customers are not satisfied then they can return they’re product for something else or a refund, providing they have their receipt. * Widest range of software and accessories – the GAME Company has access to all the current software and accessories that are

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 37

Elena had been tied, like someone in a B-movie who will soon be released, standing upright against a pillar. Digging on the field was still going on in a dilatory way as the vampires who had put her up to this fetched an ash stick they had brought, and allowed Damon to inspect it. Damon himself was moving in slow motion. Trying to find points to kibitz about. Waiting for the rattling of coach wheels that would tell him the carriage was back. Acting brisk, but inside feeling as sluggish as half-cooled lead. I've never been a sadist, he thought. I've always tried to give pleasure – except in fights. But it should be me in that prison cell. Can't Elena see that? It's my turn beneath the lash now. He had changed into his â€Å"magician clothes,† taking as long as he dared without looking as if he wanted to put this off. And now there were somewhere between six and eight hundred creatures, waiting to see Elena's blood spill, to watch Elena's back cut and miraculously heal again. All right. I'm as ready as I'll ever be to do this. He came into his body, into the now of what was happening. Elena swallowed. â€Å"Share the pain† she'd said – without in the least knowing how to do it. But here she was, like a sacrifice tied to a pillar, staring at Bloddeuwedd's house and waiting for the blows to come. Damon was giving the crowd an introductory speech, talking gibberish and doing it very well. Elena found a particular window of the house to stare at. And then she realized that Damon was no longer speaking. A touch of the rod against her back. A telepathic whisper. Are you ready? Yes, she said immediately, knowing that she wasn't. And then hearing, against dead silence, a swish through the air. Bonnie's mind floating into hers. Meredith's mind flowing like a stream. The blow was a mere cuff, although Elena felt blood spill. She could feel Damon's bewilderment. What should have been a sword slash was a mere slap. Painful, but definitely bearable. And once again. The triumvirate portioned out the pain before Damon's mind could receive it. Keep the triangle moving. And a third. Two more to go. Elena allowed her gaze to wander over the house. Up to the third floor where Bloddeuwedd had to be enraged at what had become of her party. One more to go. The voice of a guest coming back to her. â€Å"That library. She has more orbs than most public libraries, and† – with his voice dropping for a moment – â€Å"they say she has all sorts of spheres up there. Forbidden ones. You know.† Elena hadn't known and still could still hardly imagine what might be forbidden here. In her library, Bloddeuwedd, a single, lonely figure, moved in the brilliantly lighted great sphere to find a new orb. Inside the house music would be playing, different music in each different room. Outside, Elena could hear nothing. The last blow. The triumvirate managed to handle it, allotting agonizing pain amongst four people. At least, Elena thought, my dress was already as red as it could be. And then it was over, and Bonnie and Meredith were quarrelling with some of the vampire ladies who wanted to help bathe the blood from Elena's back, showing it once again unblemished and perfect, glowing golden in the sunlight. Better keep them away, Elena thought rather drowsily to Damon; some of them may be compulsive nail-biters or finger-lickers. We can't afford for anyone to taste my blood and feel the life-force in it; not when I've gone through so much to conceal my aura. Although there was clapping and cheering everywhere, no one had thought to untie Elena's wrists. So she stood leaning against the pillar, gazing at the library. And then the world froze. All around her was music and motion. She was the still point in a turning universe. But she had to get moving, and fast. She yanked hard at her bonds, lacerating herself. â€Å"Meredith! Untie me! Cut these ropes, quick!† Meredith obeyed hastily. When Elena turned, she knew what she would see. The face – Damon's face, bewildered, half-resentful, half-humble. It was good enough for her, right then. Damon, we need to get to the – But then they were engulfed by a riot. Well-wishers, fans, skeptics, vampires begging for â€Å"a tiny taste,† gogglers who wanted to make sure that Elena's back was real and warm and unmarked. Elena felt too many hands on her body. â€Å"Get away from her, damn you!† It was the primal savage roar of a beast defending its mate. People backed away from Elena, only to close in†¦very slowly and timidly†¦on Damon. All right, Elena thought. I'll do it alone. I can do it alone. For Stefan, I can. She shouldered her way through the crowd, accepting bunches of hastily dug-up flowers from admirers – and feeling more hands on her body. â€Å"Hey, she really isn't marked!† At last, Meredith and Bonnie helped her to get out – without them she would never have made it. And then she was running, running into the house, not bothering to use the door that was near to Saber's barking place. She thought she knew what was there anyway. On the second floor she spent a minute being bewildered before seeing a thin red line in nothingness. Her blood! See how many things it was good for? Right now it highlighted the first of the glass steps for her, the one she had stumbled into before. And at that time, cradled in Damon's strong arms, she hadn't been able to imagine even crawling up these steps. Now she channeled all the Power she had into her eye nodes – and the stairs lit up. It was still terrifying. There were no handholds on either side, and she was woozy from excitement, fear, and loss of blood. But she forced herself up, and up, and up. â€Å"Elena! I love you! Elena!† She could hear the cry as if Stefan were beside her now. Up, up, up†¦ Her legs ached. Keep going. No excuses. If you can't walk, hobble. If you can't hobble, crawl. She was crawling as she finally reached the top, the edge of the nest of the owl Bloddeuwedd. At least it was still a pretty, if insipid-looking, maiden who greeted her. Elena realized at last what was wrong with Bloddeuwedd's looks. She had no animal vitality. She was, at heart, a vegetable. â€Å"I am going to kill you, you know.† No, she was a vegetable with no heart. Elena glanced around her. She could see outside from here, although in between was the dome that was made of shelves and shelves upon shelves of orbs, so everything was weirdly distorted. There were no hanging creepers here, no flagrant displays of exotic, tropical blooms. But she was already in the center of the room, in Bloddeuwedd's owl nest. Bloddeuwedd was nowhere near it; she was on the contraption that let her reach her star balls. The key could only be buried in that nest. â€Å"I don't want to steal from you,† Elena promised, breathing hard. Even as she spoke, she plunged two arms into the nest. â€Å"Those kitsune played a trick on both of us. They stole something of mine and put the key to it in your nest. I'm just taking back what they put in.† â€Å"Ha! You – human slave! Barbarian! You dared to violate my private library! People outside are digging up my beautiful ballroom, my precious flowers. You think you're going to get away again this time, but you're not! This time you're going to DIE!† It was an entirely different voice than the flat, nasal, but still maidenlike tones that had greeted Elena before. This was a powerful voice, a heavy voice†¦ †¦a voice to go with the size of the nest. Elena looked up. She couldn't make anything of what she saw. An enormous fur coat in a very exotic pattern? Some huge stuffed animal's back? The creature in the library turned toward her. Or rather, its head swiveled toward her, while its back remained perfectly still. It rotated its head sideways and Elena knew that what she was seeing was a face. The head was even more hideous and more indescribable than she could have imagined. It had a sort of single eyebrow which dipped from the edge of one side of its forehead down toward the nose (or where the nose should have been) and then went up again. The feature was like a gigantic V-shaped brow and below it were two huge round yellow eyes that often blinked. There was no nose or mouth like a human's, but instead there was a large, cruel, hooked black beak. The rest of the face was covered in feathers, mostly white, turning mottled gray at the bottom, where the neck seemed to be. It was also gray and white in two hornlike projections that shot up from the top of the head – like a demon's horns, Elena thought wildly. Then, with the head still staring at her, the body turned toward Elena. It was the body of a sturdy woman, covered in white and grizzled feathers, Elena saw. Talons peeked out from under the lowest feathers. â€Å"Hello,† the creature said in a grating voice, its beak opening and closing to bite off the words. â€Å"I'm Bloddeuwedd, and I never let anyone touch my library. I am your death.† The words Can't we at least talk about it first? were on Elena's lips. She didn't want to be a hero. She certainly didn't want to take on Bloddeuwedd while searching for the key that must be here – somewhere. Elena kept on trying to explain while frantically feeling inside the nest, when Bloddeuwedd extended wings that spanned the room and came at her. And then, like a streak of lightning, something zipped between them, giving out a raucous cry. It was Talon. Sage must have given the hawk orders when he left her. The owl seemed to shrink a little – the better to attack, thought Elena. â€Å"Please let me explain. I haven't found it yet, but there is something in your nest that doesn't belong to you. It's mine – and – and Stefan's. And the kitsune hid it the night you had to chase them off your estate. Do you remember that?† Bloddeuwedd didn't answer for a moment. Then she showed that she had a simple, one-size-fits-all-situations philosophy. â€Å"You set foot into my private quarters. You die,† she said and this time when she swooped by Elena, Elena could hear the clack of her beak coming together. Again something small and bright dove at Bloddeuwedd, aiming for her eyes. The great owl had to take her attention off Elena in order to deal with it. Elena gave up. Sometimes you just needed help. â€Å"Talon!† she cried, unsure of how much human speech Talon understood. â€Å"Try to keep her occupied – just for a minute!† As the two birds darted and wheeled and shrieked around her, Elena tried to search with her arms, while ducking when she needed to. But that great black beak was always too close. Once it sliced into her arm, but Elena was on an adrenaline high, and she hardly felt the pain. She kept searching without a pause. Finally, she realized what she should have done from the beginning. She snatched up an orb from its transparent rack. â€Å"Talon!† she called. â€Å"Here!† The falcon dove down toward her and there was a snap. But afterward Elena still had all her fingers and the hoshi no tama was gone. Now, now, Elena truly heard a shriek of rage from Bloddeuwedd. The giant owl went after the hawk, but it was like a human trying to slap a fly – an intelligent fly. â€Å"Give that orb back! It's priceless! Priceless!† â€Å"You'll get it back as soon as I find what I'm looking for.† Elena, mad with terror and soaked in hormones, climbed all the way inside the nest and began searching the marble bottom with her fingers. Twice Talon saved her by dropping orbs with a crash to the ground as the huge owl Bloddeuwedd was headed toward Elena. Each time, the noise of the crash caused the owl to forget about Elena and try to attack the hawk. Then Talon snatched another orb and swept at great speed right under the owl's nose. Elena was beginning to have a nightmare feeling that everything she had known just a half hour before was wrong. She had been leaning against the canopy pole, exhausted, staring up into the library and the maiden who inhabited it and the words had simply flowed into her mind. Bloddeuwedd's orb room†¦ Bloddeuwedd's globe room†¦ Bloddeuwedd's†¦star ball room†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Bloddeuwedd's ballroom. Two ways to take the same words. Two very different kinds of rooms. It was just as she was remembering this that her fingers touched metal.

The Blue Sword CHAPTER SIX

She remembered little more of that day. She settled herself on a heap of cushions a little way from the long table while the king and his men talked; and if they spoke at all of her, she did not know it, but she did notice that none but Corlath ever allowed his eyes to rest on her. The feeling she had had earlier, before she had tasted the Water of Seeing, that the closeness among the king and his men in some way supported her, was gone; she felt lost and miserably alone, and she decided that when there were eighteen people pretending you didn't exist in a small enclosed area, it was worse than two people pretending you didn't exist outside under the sky. The shadows nickered strangely through the tent, and the voices seemed muffled. There was a ringing in her ears – a ringing not like the usual fear-feeling of one's blood hammering through one's body, but a real ringing like that of distant bells. She could almost discern the notes. Or were they human, the shifting tones of s omeone speaking, far away? The taste still on her tongue seemed to muffle her brain. And she was tired, so tired †¦ When his Riders left, Corlath stood looking down at his captured prize. She had fallen asleep, and no wonder; she was smiling a little in her sleep, but it was a sad smile, and it made him unhappy. However much formal honor he showed her, seating her at his left hand, setting his household to serve her as they served him – he grimaced – he knew only too well that by stealing her from her people he had done a thing to be ashamed of, even if he had had no alternative – even if she and the kelar she bore were to do his beloved country some good he could not otherwise perform. Perhaps she could learn to see something of what made the Hills and their people so dear to him as a man, not as a king – ? Perhaps her Gift would bind her to them. Perhaps she would hate them for her lost land and family. He sighed. Forloy's young wife had not wished to hate the Hills, but that had not helped her. Harry woke in the dark. She did not know where she was; the shapes beneath her were not of pillow and mattress, and the odor of the air had nothing in common with Residency air, or Homeland air. For a moment hysteria bubbled up and she was conscious only of quelling it; she could not think, not even to decide why she wished to bottle up the panic – her pride automatically smothered her fear as best it could. Afterward she lay exhausted, and the knowledge of where she was reformed itself, and the smell was of the exotic woods of the carven boxes in the Hill-king's tent. But as she lay on her back and stared into the blackness, the tears began to leak out of her eyes and roll down her cheeks and wet her hair, and she was too tired to resist them. They came ever faster, till she turned over and buried her face in the scratchy cushions to hide the sobs she could not stop. Corlath was a light sleeper. On the other side of the tent he opened his eyes and rolled up on one elbow and looked blindly toward the dark corner where his Outlander lay. Long after Harry had cried herself to sleep again, the Hill-king lay awake, facing the grief he had caused and could not comfort. When Harry woke again, the golden tent flap had been lifted, and sunlight flashed across the thick heavy rugs to spill across her eyes and waken her. She sat up. She was still curled on and around a number of fat cushions; the back of the hand her cheek had lain against was printed with the embroidered pattern of the pillow beneath it. She yawned and stretched, gingerly pulling the knots of midnight fears out of her muscles. One of the men with a mark on his forehead approached her, knelt, and set a small table with pitcher and basin and towels and brushes before her. She saw nothing of Corlath. The tent looked as it had when she had first entered it the day before; the low tables had been removed, and the peak lamp raised again. When she had washed, she was brought a bowl of an unfamiliar cereal, hot and steaming like Homelander porridge, but of no grain she recognized. It was good, and she surprised herself by eating it all with good appetite. She laid down her spoon, and one of the men of the household approached again, bowed, and indicated that she should go out. She felt crumpled, in the same garments she had slept in; but she shook them out as best she could, observed that they didn't seem to wrinkle horribly as Homelander clothing would have done, raised her chin, and marched out – to be met by another man with a pair of boots for her, and a folding stool to sit on while she fumbled with the lacing. She felt a fool, let loose, however involuntarily, in a highly organized community which now wished to organize her too: like the grain of sand that gets into an oyster's shell. What if the grain doesn't want to become a pearl? Is it ever asked to climb out quietly and take up its old position as a b it of ocean floor? Did she want to go back? What did she have to go back to? But what was Dickie thinking of her absence? She had no more tears at present, but her eyelids were as stiff as shutters, and her throat hurt. People were moving hastily across the open space before the king's tent; and as she watched, the outlying tents began to come down. They seemed to float down of their own accord; all was graceful and quiet. If anyone was doing any protracted cursing over the recalcitrance of inanimate objects, it was only under his breath. Her brother should see this. She smiled painfully. She blinked, her eyes adjusting slowly to the bright sunlight. The sky overhead was a cloudless hard blue, a pale metallic blue. It was morning again; she'd slept almost a full day. To the left rose a little series of dunes, so gradually that she only recognized their height by the fact that her horizon, from where she stood, was the tops of them. Somewhere in that direction lay the General Mundy, the Residency, her brother – and farther, much farther, in that same direction, over desert and mountain, plain and sea, lay her Homeland. She felt the sand underfoot, nothing like the springy firm earth of Home, no more than the queer soft boots she wore were like her Homeland boots; and the strange loose weight of her robes pulled on her shoulders. The king's tent was being dismantled in its turn. First the sides were rolled up and secured, and she saw with surprise that the rugs and lamps, chests and cushions, were already gone from inside; all that remained was the sand, curiously smoothed and hollowed from what it had borne. She wondered if they might have rolled her up like an extra bolster if she had not awakened; or if they would have packed up all around her, leaving her on a little island of cushions in a sea of empty sand. The corner posts and the tall central ones folded up on themselves somehow, and the roof sank to the ground with the same stateliness she had admired in the smaller tents. She counted ten of the household men rolling and folding and tying. They stooped as they worked, and the great tent in only minutes was ten neat white-and-black bundles, each a mere armful for one of the men. They walked to a line of horses who stood patiently as their high-framed saddles were piled with boxes and bundles such as t hose the king's tent made. She noticed how carefully each load was arranged, each separate piece secured and tested for balance before the next was settled. At the end all was checked for comfort, and the horse left with a pat on the nose or neck. Horses were the commonest animals in the camp; there were many more horses than people. Even the pack horses were tall and elegant, but she could pick out the riding-horses, for they were the finest and proudest, and their coats shone like gems. There were also dogs: tall long-legged dogs with long narrow beautiful skulls and round dark eyes, and long silky fur to protect them from the sun. Some were haltered in pairs, and all were members of three or four separate groups. Sight-hounds, Harry thought. The groups roamed as freely as the untethered horses, yet showed no more inclination than they to wander from the camp. She noticed with interest that a few of the pack horses were tied in pairs, like the dogs, and reflected that perhaps it was a training method, a younger beast harnessed to an older, which could teach it manners. There were cats too. But these were not the small domestic lap-sized variety; these were as lean and long-legged as the dogs. Their eyes were green or gold or silver, and their coats were mottled brown and amber and black. One animal looked almost spotted, black on brown, while the next looked almost striped, fawn-pale on black. Some wore collars, leather with silver or copper fittings, but no leashes, and each went its solitary way, ignoring any other cats, dogs, or horses that might cross its path. One came over to Harry where she stood; she held her breath and thought of tigers and leopards. It viewed her nonchalantly, then thrust its head under her hand. It was a moment before Harry recovered herself enough to realize that her hand was trembling because the cat was vibrating as it purred. She stroked it gingerly and the purr grew louder. The fur was short and fine and very thick; when she tried, delicately, to part it, she could not see the skin. The cat had very long blond eyela shes and it looked up at her through them, green eyes half closed. She wondered how all the animals got on together: were there ever any fights? And did the big cats ever steal one of the green-and-blue parrots that rode on a few of the Hillfolk's shoulders? The tents were all down, and she was amazed at the numbers of beasts and people that were revealed. She wondered if the people were all men but herself, thinking of the attempt by the men of the household to wait on her at her bath the evening before. She could not tell, now, by looking, for everyone wore a robe similar to her own, and most wore hoods; and only a few wore beards. â€Å"Lady,† said a voice she knew, and she turned and saw Corlath, and Fireheart followed him. â€Å"Another long ride?† she said, feeling a flush in her cheeks for being called lady by the Hill-king. â€Å"Yes, another long ride, but we need not travel so quickly.† She nodded, and a smile came and went on the king's face, so quickly that she did not see it, as he realized that she would not plead, nor ask questions. â€Å"You will need this,† he said, and handed her a hood like the one he and most everyone else were wearing. She stood turning it over helplessly in her hands, for it was little more than a long tapered tube of soft material, and not too plainly meant as one thing or another to someone who had never seen one before. He took it away from her again and put it on her, then produced a scarf and showed her how to wrap it in place. â€Å"It grows easier with practice,† he said. â€Å"Thank you,† she said. Another voice spoke behind them, and both turned; a man stood with another horse at his heels. This man was dressed in brown, and wore leggings and a tunic above his tall boots and bore a small white mark on his right cheek; and Corlath told her that so the men of the horse, the grooms, dressed; men of the hunt, who cared for the cats and dogs, were dressed similarly, but their belts were red, and they wore red scarves over their hoods and their white mark of office was on the left cheek. â€Å"I – I thought all the Hillfolk wore sashes,† Harry said hesitantly. â€Å"No,† Corlath answered readily enough; â€Å"only those who also may carry swords.† The brown-clad man turned to the horse he had brought them. â€Å"His name is Red Wind, Rolinin,† Corlath said; he was another red bay, though not so bright as Fireheart. â€Å"For the present, you will ride him.† She speculated, a little nervously, about the for the present. She was pleased at the idea of not bumping on somebody else's saddlebow, but as she looked up at the tall horse, and he looked kindly down on her, she collected her courage and said, â€Å"I – I am accustomed to bit and bridle.† She thought, I am accustomed to stirrups too, but I can probably cope without them – at least if nothing too exciting occurs. He looks like he'll have nice gaits †¦ Oh dear. â€Å"Yes,† said Corlath in his inscrutable voice, and Harry looked up at him in dismay. â€Å"Red Wind will teach you how we of the Hills ride.† She hesitated a minute longer, but couldn't think of anything further to say that wouldn't be too humiliating, like â€Å"I'm scared.† So when the brown man went down on one knee and cupped his hands for her foot, she stepped up and was lifted gently into the saddle. No reins. She looked at her hands as if they should be somewhere else, rubbed them briefly down the legs, and then laid them across the rounded pommel like stunned rabbits brought home from a hunt. Red Wind's ears flicked back at her and his back shifted under her. She closed her legs delicately around his barrel and he waited, listening; she squeezed gently and he stepped gravely forward; she sat back and he stopped. Perhaps they would get along. Corlath mounted while she was arranging her hands; I suppose they'll expect me to learn to mount without help too, she thought irascibly; when she looked up from Red Wind's obedient ears Fireheart moved off, and Red Wind willingly followed. They traveled for some days. She meant to keep count, but she did not have the presence of mind immediately to find a bit of leather or rock to scratch the days on as they passed, and somewhere around four or five or six she lost count. The days of travel continued for some time after the four or five or six; every muscle in her body ached and protested from the unaccustomed exercise, after months of soft living at the Residency and aboard ship. She was grateful for her weariness, however, for it granted her heavy sleep without dreams. She developed saddlesores, and gritted her teeth and ignored them, and rather than getting worse as she had expected, they eased and then went away altogether, and with them the aches and pains. Her old skill in the saddle came back to her; she did not miss the stirrups except while mounting – she still needed someone to be a mounting-block for her every day – and slowly she learned to guide her patient horse without reins. She could bind her boots to her legs and her hood round her head as deftly – almost – as though she had been doing these things all her life. She learned to eat gracefully with her fingers. She met four women who were part of Corlath's traveling camp; they all four wore sashes. She learned the name of the friendly cat: Narknon. She often found her keeping her feet warm when she woke up in the morning. Narknon also, for all her carnivorous heritage, had a taste for porridge. Harry continued to eat at the king's table for the evening meal, with the eighteen Riders and Corlath; she still sat at the king's left hand, and she was still politely served and equably ignored. She began to understand, or at least to suspect, that Corlath kept her near him not only because the Hillfolk were not accustomed to dealing with enemy prisoners, but more because he was hoping to make her feel like a respected guest – he was quick to answer her questions, partly perhaps because she did not abuse the privilege; and there was often almost diffidence in his manner when he offered her something: a new cloak, or a piece of fruit of a sort she had never seen before. He wants me to like it here, she thought. She still slept in the king's tent, but a corner was now modestly curtained off for her, and when she woke in the morning and put the curtains back, Corlath was already gone. One of the men of the household would see her, and bring her towels and water, and breakfast. She grew fond of the porridge; sometimes they made it into little flat cakes, and fried them, and put honey over them. The honey was made from flowers she had never seen nor smelled; the rich exotic fragrance of it set her dreaming. She never asked Corlath why she was here, or what her future was to be. In the mornings, after breakfast, while the camp was broken, or, if they were staying an extra day while messengers came from nowhere to talk to the king, she rode Red Wind and, as Corlath had told her, taught herself, or let the horse teach her, to ride as the Hillfolk rode. After her riding-lesson, if they were not traveling that day, she wandered through the camp, and watched the work going forward: everything was aired and washed or shaken out or combed, and the beasts were all brushed till they gleamed. No one, horse or dog or cat or human being, ever tried to stop the Outlander from wandering anywhere in particular, or watching anything in particular; occasionally she was even allowed to pick up a currycomb or polishing-cloth or rug-beater, but it was obvious that she was so permitted out of kindness, for her help was never needed. But she was grateful for the kindness. She spoke her few words of Hill-speech: May I? And Thank you, and the Hillfolk smiled at her and said, Our pr ivilege, slowly and carefully, back to her. Sometimes she watched the hunts ride out; the dogs hunted in their groups, the cats alone or occasionally in pairs. There did not seem to be any order to those who rode with them, other than the presence of at least one man of the hunt; and she never saw any return without a kill: desert hares, or the small digging orobog – Corlath told her the names – or the great horned dundi that had to be hung on a pole and carried between two horses. She was homesick in unexpected spasms so strong that Red Wind, who was a faithful old plug by Hill standards and could be trusted to children and idiots, would feel her freeze on his back, and toss his head uncomfortably and prance. She had not wept herself to sleep since her first night in the king's tent and she thought, carefully, rationally, that it was hard to say what exactly she was homesick for: the Homeland seemed long past, and she did not miss her months at the Residency in Istan. She recalled the faces of Sir Charles and Lady Amelia with a pang, and she missed her brother anxiously, and worried about what he must think about his lost sister. She found she also missed the wise patient understanding of Jack Dedham; but she thought of him with a strange sort of peacefulness, as if his feeling for his adopted country would transcend the seeming impossibility of what had happened to her, and he would know that she was well. That sickness of dislocation came to her most often w hen she was most at ease in the strange adventure she was living. She might be staring at the line of Hills before them, closer every day, watching how sharply the edges of them struck into the sky; Red Wind at Fireheart's heels, the desert wind brushing her cheek and the sun on her shoulders and hooded head; and suddenly she would be gasping with the thing she called homesickness. It would strike her as she sat at the king's table, cross-legged, eating her favorite cheese, sweet and brown and crumbly, listening wistfully to the conversation she still could not understand, beyond the occasional word or phrase. I'm missing what I don't have, she thought late one night, squirming on her cushions. It's nothing to do with what I should be homesick for – Jack would understand, the oldest colonel still active, looking across the desert at the Hills. It's that I don't belong here. It doesn't matter that I'm getting burned as dark as they are, that I can sit a horse all day and not complain. It doesn't matter even that their Water of Sight works in me as it does in only a few of their own. It is only astonishing that it would work in one not of the Hills; it does not make that one any more of the Hills than she was before. There was a certain bitter humor to lying awake wishing for something one cannot have, after lying awake not so long ago wishing for the opposite thing that one had just lost. Not a very useful sort of adaptability, this, she thought. But, her thought added despairingly, what kind of adaptability – or genius – would be useful to me? She traced her life back to her childhood, and for the first time in many years recalled the temper tantrums that she had grown out of so early it was hard to remember them clearly; but she did remember that they had frightened even her, dimly, still a baby in her crib, realizing there was something not quite right about them. They had scared two nursemaids into leaving; it had been her mother who had at last successfully coped, grimly, with her and them. That memory brought into focus another memory she also had pushed aside many years ago: the memory, or knowledge, of not-quite-rightness that grew up after the tantrums had passed; and with that knowledge had also grown an odd non-muscular kind of control. She had thought at the time, with a child's first wistfulness upon being faced with approaching adulthood, that this was a control that everyone learned; but now, lying in the desert dark, she was not so sure. There was something in her new, still inexplicable and unforeseeable life in the Hills that touched and tried to shape that old long-ignored sense of restraint; and something in her that eagerly reached out for the lesson, but could not – yet – quite grasp it or make use of it. There was, too, a reality to her new life that her old life had lacked, and she realized with a shock that she had never truly loved or hated, for she had never seen the world she had been used to living in closely enough for it to evoke passion in her. This world was already more vivid to her, exhilaratingly, terrifyingly more vivid, than the sweet green country, affectionately but indistinctly recalled, of her former lif e. She did not have much appetite for breakfast the next morning, and fed hers to Narknon, who gave a pleased burp and went back to sleep again till the men of the household routed her out when they took down the king's tent. They were nearly to the foothills by the time they halted that evening. The scrub around them had begun to produce the occasional real leaf, and the occasional real leaf was green. For the first time, there was an open stream that ran past their camp, instead of the small secret desert springs; and Harry had a real bath in the big silver basin for the first time since her first evening with the camp, for there had been little water to spare since then. This time the men of the household left towels and a clean yellow robe for her, and left her, as soon as her bath was full. They made camp behind a ridge that ran into what was certainly itself a hill. The tents were pitched around a clear space at the center, with the king's tent at one edge of it. That clear space always held a fire in the evenings, but tonight the fire was built up till it roared and flung itself taller than the height of a man; and as everyone's duties were completed, all came and sat around it till they ringed it. The dogs' pale coats turned red and cinnamon in the firelight; the cats' shadowy pelts were more mysterious than ever. The wall of the king's tent facing the fire was rolled up, and Harry and the king and his Riders sat at the open edge and stared at the fire with the rest. After a time no more dark figures came to join the circle; the fire shadows fell and sidled and swam so that Harry could not guess how many people there were. The fire itself began to burn down till it was no more than the kind of glorious bonfire she and her brother had had now and again when they were children and the weather and their parents' mood had conspired together in their favor. Then the singing began. There were several stringed instruments like lutes, and several wooden pipes for accompaniment and harmony. She recognized ballads even when she could not understand the words, and she wished again that she could understand, and fidgeted on her rug, and glanced at Corlath. He looked back at her, intercepting her frustration, and while there was nothing particularly encouraging about that look, still there was nothing particularly discouraging about it either – as was usual with the looks he gave her now; as was also usual, there was an edge of wistfulness, or sheepishness, in his glance. He had either lost or, as she thought more likely, learned to restrain the slightly resentful puzzlement she had seen the night she had drunk the Water of Sight. She stood up and went over to him and sat down beside him, and pulled up her knees and put her chin on them and stared at the fire, and listened to the words she could not understand. She knew that there had to be at least one more person in the camp who spoke Homelander, the man who had acted as Corlath's interpreter – and, as Peterson had guessed, unnecessarily – at the Residency, but she had never learned who that man was. Someone else who might have spoken to her, and taught her some more Hill words, that she might be able to talk to those around her – might be able to translate the words of the songs they were singing now. But someone who had chosen not to make himself known to her; someone who liked his skill so little that he felt no pity for her isolation: she, an Outlander, who did not belong to the desert and the Hills. Corlath was watching her face as these thoughts went through her mind, and perhaps he read something of them there, for he said without prompting: â€Å"They sing of what is past, hundreds of years past, when the possession of kelar was so common it was hardly thought a Gift, any more than the length of your nose is a Gift. â€Å"Those given the kelar are far fewer today than they were then. I – we – believe that we are soon to learn at our gravest cost the worth of what we have lost.† He thought, wearily, looking at her and unable to read her expression, What does she see? What do we look like to her? And with a flash of anger he thought, Why is it so arranged that I must hope for the comprehension of an Outlander? Why must it be an Outlander who carries so precious a Gift? A Gift she may choose to repudiate or – or use against us, who need the strength so sorely? Harry hugged her knees closer, and for a moment she saw again a bright narrow thread of riders trotting up a mountain way. So I have the Gift, she thought, but of what use is it to see uninterpretable visions? She came back to herself as Corlath said: â€Å"We sing because we have returned to our Hills; tonight is the first night we sleep again in their shadow. â€Å"Listen. They will sing a ballad of Lady Aerin, Dragon-Killer.† Harry listened, listened hard, with the muscles of her back and of her thighs, as if the Hill-speech were a fractious horse she might tame; and out of the firelight came a figure, wavering with the leap and flicker of the flames, and with hair that was fire itself. A tall broad-shouldered figure with a pale face, and in its right hand it held a long slim blade that glittered blue. Harry stared till her eyes felt as dry as sand, and then the figure's face swam into focus, and it was a woman's face, and it smiled at her. But it didn't smile, it grinned, the wry affectionate grin of an elder sister; and Harry's head swam with love and despair. Then the woman shook her head gently, and her aureole of hair flamed and rippled about her, and she reached out her empty left hand, and Harry found herself on her hands and knees, reaching her hand back. But a gust of wind came from nowhere and whipped the fire as though it were an unruly dog, and the figure vanished. Harry fell where she had knelt, and pressed her face to the earth. One real dog sat up and howled. Corlath picked her up as gently as if she were a baby, fallen down after its first steps; and she found there were tears running down her face. He stood up, holding her in his arms, and she cared nothing but that Lady Aerin, Firehair and Dragon-Killer, had come to her and then left her again, more alone than she had ever been before. She threw her arms around the Hill-king's neck and buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed. And Corlath, holding her, her tears on his neck, felt his resentment waver and dim and fall to ashes; and he felt pity instead for the Outlander, as he had felt pity when she tasted the Meeldtar. The Gift had been a hard enough thing for him, he who had grown up with it, had always known it existed and been trained from childhood in its use, or at least its acceptance. He had had his father to tell him what to expect, and his father had not scorned him when he wept as the Outlander now wept; had, in fact, cradled and comforted him and soothed the headaches the kelar brought. He would help this girl now, as much as he might, stranger and thief as he might be to her. He would do what he could. Harry woke up the next morning in her usual corner, behind the usual curtains, her face still smudged with dirt and tears, and she remembered what she had done rather than what she had seen, and she went hot with shame and swallowed hard, wondering if she dared show herself outside her curtains, even for water to wash in. She could not think about seeing Corlath again at all. She thought, He must have laid the sleep on me again, as he did when he first took me away; put me to sleep like an unruly child because I behaved like an unruly child. Narknon didn't care; she walked up Harry's legs and rubbed her head against Harry's smudgy face, and Harry blinked hard and petted her fiercely. She put back her curtains with an effort, and washed her face, and ate her breakfast as she might have eaten wood chips, silent and stony-faced. A voice broke in on her sorry reflections, and she looked up, surprised, and was still more surprised to see one of the Riders: the short square grim man she had noticed during her first meal in the king's tent: the one man who had tasted the Water and made no sign. He spoke to her again. Whatever the words were, they had the inflection of â€Å"Good morning,† so she said, â€Å"Good morning.† Some expression passed lightly over his face, and still he looked at her till she began to wonder if â€Å"Good morning† in their language sounded like a terrible insult and he was now considering whether to strike her dead on the spot or spare her ignorance. Maybe he was only musing on how best to handle an unruly child. But he spoke to her again, slowly, patiently, and she was distracted from her shame of the night before. He broke his words down into syllables; so she took a deep breath and said them back to him. This time the flicker of expression was definitely kin to a smile, although she would never have seen it if she had not been watching his face so closely. He corrected her accent, and she said the phrase again, and this time apparently she said it properly; for next he bowed, laid a hand upon his chest, and said, â€Å"Mathin.† She said â€Å"Mathin† back at him, and she knew his name already from Corlath's speaking it and his answering. Then he stretched his hand out till the tips of his fingers did not quite touch her collarbone. â€Å"Harry,† she said, thinking that the two-syllable version of her impossible name would keep them both out of trouble; and Richard wasn't there to disapprove. â€Å"Hari?† he said, a little taken aback; and she nodded, and made hi m a small bow. It must have been a long day for Mathin. She knew he was one of the eighteen Riders, yet he did nothing till sunset but take her around the camp and touch various objects and speak their names. She also learned some useful all-purpose verbs, and the names – or at least she heard the names and tried to remember them – of about half of the men who sat around Corlath's table. She knew Faran and Innath already, for she had picked out their names from Corlath's calling of them, as she had Mathin's. They met her eyes as they were introduced, and quietly bowed, as if she had nothing to do with the awkward baggage their king had taken from the Outlander town in their company a few weeks ago; as if they were seeing her for the first time. Forloy was the man with the scar on his chin; Dapsim rode the black mare who won the horseraces often held in the evenings, till the other riders would no longer let her run. She did not see Corlath that day, nor the next. The camp remained whe re it was, in the shadow of the Hills, though the evening fires were small again, and there was no more singing. The hunting-beasts went out every day, and returned laden with a far wider variety of wildlife than the desert had offered. Harry learned that Narknon hunted alone, and was famous for permitting no other beast near her; she occasionally made friends with a human being, but she was very choosy about such friendships. Harry felt flattered. As the days passed, lean faces and flanks grew a bit plumper on men and beasts; but Narknon still begged for her porridge. Mathin came for Harry after breakfast each morning. By the end of the third day she was speaking in sentences, simple, painful, and ungrammatical ones; but she found that certain Hill words were creeping into her Homelander vocabulary and staying there; and the few people besides Mathin she tried to speak to stopped to listen to her and to answer. She was no longer invisible, and that was the best of all. She was fascinated by the specialties of the language she was learning; there were, for example, a number of kinds of tent. The king's great tent, with its internal grove of poles to hold it up, was called a zotar, the only one in this traveling camp. The smaller tents, where most of the people were housed, were called the barkash; the stable tents were pituin. Then there were several terms she didn't have quite straightened out yet that referred to how the thing was made, how many corners it had, made of what material, and so on. A dalgut was a cheap, poorly made tent; there were no dalguti in the king's camp, and to refer to another man's tent as a dalgut, if it wasn't one, was a profound insult. She woke up earlier than usual on the morning of the fourth day of Corlath's absence, and, despite Narknon's protests, went outside to stare at the eastern greyness that heralded the swift desert dawn. She heard the desert lark's song, a little speckled brown bird the Hillfolk called a britti. The camp was astir already; several of the men whose names she could recall hailed her as Hari-sol. She'd heard this the last two days and wondered if it was a term of respect, of definition, or a way of spinning out a name she could see did not meet with unqualified approval. As the early light flowed down into the mountains, she saw the trees and rocky ridges pick themselves out of the shadows and assert their individuality. She didn't notice till they rode into the center of camp that Corlath and three companions had returned. She turned around on her heel as she heard his voice, but her attention was distracted at once. Corlath still sat on Fireheart, who stood as still as a great red rock; and beside them stood another horse, riderless, as tall as Fireheart and a stallion like him, but golden, a chestnut as gold as the kicking flames of the bonfire three nights ago. She walked toward them silently, her bare feet in the still-cool sandy earth, but the chestnut horse turned his head and looked at her. She heard Corlath murmur something as she drew near, and at his words the horse took a step toward her, and lowered his head till she was looking into a calm, mahogany-brown eye. She raised her hands and cupped them, and she felt his warm breath, and his s oft nose touched her fingers. Corlath spoke aloud and a man of the horse appeared at once, carrying a saddle, golden leather only a few shades darker than the horse, with red stitching; and he set it delicately on the chestnut's back. The horse ignored him, not even shuddering his golden skin as the saddle settled into place; but he lipped Harry's fingers, and leaned his cheek against her shoulder. â€Å"I brought him back for you,† Corlath said, and she raised her eyes and found his resting on her; â€Å"I seem to have chosen well,† he said, and he smiled. The brown-clad man had girthed up the saddle and stood watching her expectantly. â€Å"Come, we will try his paces,† said Corlath. It wasn't till she was tossed into the saddle and felt the great horse quiver under her as her legs found their places against the long supple flaps of the saddle that she realized that Corlath had spoken to her in the Hill tongue. It was a glorious morning; more glorious than any she'd known since she had awakened as a disheveled huddle on the lee side of a scraggy little dune – more glorious than any since she'd set sail from the Homeland. â€Å"His name is Sungold,† Corlath told her, and this he translated. â€Å"Sungold,† she said. â€Å"Tsornin.† Corlath sent Fireheart forward at a long-striding trot, as though they would leap into the dawn; and as soon as her legs closed against the big chestnut's sides he surged forward to follow. She was, for the first few minutes, fearful of her own lack of skill, and of the strength of the big horse; but she found that they understood each other. She felt half grateful, half ashamed, of the time and patience the good Red Wind had spent on her; and at the same time she felt almost uneasy that it was too simple, that she understood too readily. But she was too caught up in the beauty of it to wish to doubt it long. If she thought of it at all, she drove it out of her head at once: didn't she deserve something for all her bruises, of both body and spirit, over the last weeks? She could think of nothing better than the feel of Sungold's mane as it washed over her hands. When the sun was almost overhead, and its rays were dazzling when they reflected off Tsornin's bright neck, and the emptiness of her stomach was beginning to force itself into her attention despite everything, Corlath said, â€Å"Enough,† and wheeled Fireheart back toward camp. Sungold waited for her signal, and she stood a moment, first looking at Fireheart's quarters jogging away from them and then up, where a brown hawk swung on an updraft, high overhead. Just to test the magnificence of her power, she kneed her horse a half-turn to the left and shot him off at a gallop; and just as he reached the peak of his speed she brought him back to a gentle canter, circled once, and sent him after Corlath, who had paused and was watching her antics. They stopped beside Fireheart and his rider, and the two stallions nodded to each other. Harry expected a lecture on frivolity, or something, and lowered her eyes to Sungold's withers; but Corlath said nothing. She looked up again as she heard the ring of metal on metal; Corlath had drawn the sword that hung at his side. She watched, surprised, as he held it, point up, and the sun glared fiercely on it. She remembered that this morning, as he rode into camp, he had been carrying it, the first time she had ever seen him armed with anything more ostentatiously threatening than a long dagger, or the slim short knives all the Hillfolk carried to cut up their food and perform any minor tasks where something with a sharp point was necessary. She'd forgotten about it as soon as she'd noticed Sungold; and now that she saw it more closely she decided she didn't much like the look of it. This was obviously a war-sword; it was much too unwieldy for anything but serious hacking and hewing. Corlath took the deadly thing in his left hand and handed it to her, hilt first. â€Å"Take it.† She grasped it, warily, and when Corlath let go it did not knock her out of the saddle, but it tried. â€Å"Lift it,† he said. And as she tried, â€Å"You've never held a sword.† â€Å"No.† She lifted it as if it were a snake that would crawl up its own tail and bite her. Corlath edged Isfahel out of harm's way as her arm and shoulder experimented with this new thing. She swung it in a short half-arc, and Tsornin came suddenly to life, and bounced forward on his hind legs, neighing. â€Å"Ouch,† she said, as he came to earth again; his ears were tipped back toward her, and all his muscles were tense. â€Å"Sungold's a war-horse,† Corlath said mildly. â€Å"You're giving him ideas.† She turned to glower at him, and he rode up beside her and took the sword back. There was a gleam of humor in his eye as he returned her glower; and they turned back toward camp together. He said something that she didn't quite catch, and as she turned to him to ask him to repeat it, Fireheart leaped forward into a gallop that flattened out to full stretch at once. After a moment's shock she recognized the challenge, and Sungold bolted after them, and gained ground till her face was flicked by Fireheart's streaming tail, and then Sungold's nose drew even with Corlath's toe; and then they were sweeping into the camp, and the horses steadied down to a canter, and then a walk. Their nostrils showed red as they breathed, and Sungold turned away from the camp, asking for more; but Harry said, â€Å"I don't think so,† and Sungold heaved a sigh and followed docilely at Fireheart's heels. It was only when she dismounted that she realized she was still barefoot. Corlath and Harry had b reakfast together, on one square of the long table. Harry did not speak, except to Narknon, who was inclined to be sulky; and Corlath's attention was for the men who came to speak with him, about the minor things that had gone wrong in his absence, and about messages they had received for him; and Harry understood much of what they said, and wondered if Corlath cared that it was no longer entirely safe to talk secrets around his Outlander. After they had eaten, a man of the household entered the zotar and handed the king a long thin bundle wrapped in linen. He bowed and retired; and Corlath shook the thing free of its covering and held up another sword. This one was appreciably smaller than the one he himself wore, but Harry still watched it with dislike. Corlath ran a quick hand over the scabbard with the linen cloth and then offered her, again, the hilt. She took it reluctantly, and rather than drawing it smoothly out, she backed up awkwardly, so that it rang free with a sullen cl unk. â€Å"You'll have to do better than that,† said Corlath; and she was sure that he was amused. â€Å"Why?† she said, anger beginning to uncoil itself somewhere deep inside her and make its way to the surface. â€Å"Why? What have swords and – † she gulped, for she loved Sungold already – â€Å"war-horses to do with me?† He came a step or two closer to her as she stood with the point of the sword unhandily dug into the heaped carpets, and her arm out, as if to keep the undesired object as far from her as she could; and he looked, thoughtfully, into her eyes. â€Å"It is because of what you have seen,† he replied. â€Å"When you tasted the Water of Sight you saw a war-party coming to battle; I and all my Riders heard you cry out what you saw – in the ancient tongue of our forebears here, the tongue that was spoken when Damar was one land, a great and green land, before †¦ â€Å" Before my people came, she thought, but she was not going to say it aloud if he was not. â€Å"And several days past the entire camp saw the Lady Aerin come out of the fire to greet you, carrying the Blue Sword, Gonturan, with which she won back the Hero's Crown and defeated the armies of the North.† He hesitated. â€Å"Aerin had not been seen since my father's father's day; and yet she has always looked after her country well, since she first rode out to face the Black Dragon, before Gonturan had come to her hand; and our dearest legends speak of her.† The bright bubbles of anger in her eyes burst and disappeared. She bowed her head; then bent her elbow and brought the sword under her eyes. The long wicked edge of it winked at her. It had a silver handle, nearly plain, with a few faint graceful scrolls on the underpart of the hand-guard, where it met the hilt. She stared at them unhappily: the sweep and arch of them seemed to her a more likely ornament for a church pew than a sword. Her wrist began to quiver with the unaccustomed weight. He said, as gently as he could: â€Å"Here, anyone who is granted the Gift of Seeing is given to what they see; it is thought to be a guide, a direction, a help sent by the gods; or by the heroes of our past greatness, who still care what happens to their children's children. Children now sip the Water when they meet their tenth birthday, in the hope that they may be told what apprenticeship they are most fit for. Many see nothing, for, as I have told you, the Water does not work for many people; and then the simpler considerations of parentage and availability are allowed to decide. But all our priests were given Sight of the priesthood on their tenth birthday; each of my Riders saw himself carrying a sword †¦ many of them will only choose a war-horse the color they saw themselves riding in the vision.† She broke out frantically: â€Å"But this is nothing to do with me. I am an Outlander, not of your Hills at all. If it is war I have seen, my people have feared war too; it is not strange that even I should feel it. This thing you have done to me, I – † She choked off, for she had heard herself speaking: Outlander she had instinctively said, and she was speaking swiftly in the Hill tongue that she had only – or so she had thought and now desperately was not sure – begun to learn, haltingly, a few days before. She heaved a breath that had she been a year younger might have been a sob; but it was not. She stood, trembling, holding the sword, waiting for it to speak to her too, to tell her her awful destiny. Corlath took her right wrist in his hand and then turned her around till she was standing next to him; he rearranged her fingers on the hilt, curled her thumb under it for her. She felt at once, wearily, that this was the way it was supposed to be held; and wondered if swordsmanship, like riding a war-stallion and speaking a language strange to her, was suddenly going to awaken in her blood like a disease. â€Å"Lady,† Corlath said over her shoulder, his right hand still supporting her wrist, â€Å"I know it is difficult for you. Perhaps this may make it easier: you have given my people hope by your presence, by your visions, by your very foreignness. It is the first hope we have had since we knew that the Northerners would come. We need that hope, my lady. It is so nearly the only thing we have.† She pulled away from his hand on her arm so that she could turn and look up at him. She stared, appalled, and he looked gently down at her. A frown collected slowly on his brow. â€Å"What is it they call you – Hari? That cannot be your name.† She grimaced. â€Å"No. it's a – † She did not know the Hill term for nickname and her mysterious sixth sense didn't seem to want to provide it for her. â€Å"It's a short-name. I don't like my real name.† â€Å"And it is?† There was a pause. â€Å"Angharad,† she said finally. He turned this over on his tongue a few times. â€Å"We will call you Harimad,† he said. â€Å"Harimad-sol, for you are of high rank. Few See so clearly that others too may see, as all saw Aerin-sol come out of the fire. â€Å"Try to have faith: even in these things that are strange to you. My kelar told me to bring you here, and your kelar speaks through you now. Lady, I know no more of your fate than that; but I believe, as do all the people in this camp, that your fate is important to us. And Aerin, who has long been the friend of her people, has given you her protection.† That does not make Aerin my friend, she thought sourly, but when she remembered the elder-sister grin Aerin had given her, she could not believe ill of her. And Corlath's kelar told him to bring me here. Oh dear. I suppose that explains something. Harimad. Mad Harry. I wish Aerin would stay long enough to talk to me – tell me what is going on. She looked up at him and tried to smile. It was a gallant effort; it was even almost a smile. But Corlath's gold-flecked brown eyes saw more than just the gallantry, and his heart went out to her; and he turned away from her and clapped his hands, and a man of the household b rought the hot brown drink Harry had first tasted behind a scrubby small sand hill, barefoot and in her Homelander dressing-gown, and that she had learned since to call malak. That evening Corlath and the Riders and Harimad-sol ate a great dinner of many dishes, and Harry made first acquaintance with the Hill mustard made of the jictal seeds, which burned out not only her mouth and tongue, but her throat and stomach lining; and the front of the zotar was rolled up, and outside much of the rest of the camp sat on rugs before small low tables and ate also, under the moon and the white stars. Harry began pulling nervously at her sleeves and twiddling the ends of her belt as the end of the meal approached; there was a tension hanging over the camp that she did not like, and she hoped that the tooled leather bag was not to put in an appearance tonight. It did not, but she suspected Corlath of eyeing her nervousness wryly. The conversation went too quickly for her to catch all of it – or perhaps her sixth sense had overstrained itself and was resting – but she understood that the purpose of the journey they had been on was to discover how well, or ill, prepared the many small mountain villages, north, south, and east of the great central desert, were for holding off Northerners; and how many horses, arms and warriors, supplies and supply transport, each could provide. It had not been a very cheerful journey, not least for the western excursion into Outlander territory, where a stubborn and pompous old man had refused to listen to the truth; but Corlath had expected what he found and – she thought – saw no use in being discouraged. They were near the end of their trek now: in the Hills before them, although still several days' journey hence, was Corlath's city, where his palace lay, and where what there was of a standing army was quartered. Harry rather thought, from the way they referred to it, that â€Å"the City† was the only city in Corlath's realm; his people were not much interested in building and maintaining and living in cities, beyond the king's own, which had the advantage of being thick with kelar. But the Hillfolk were an independent lot; they preferred to hold their own bits of land and work them, and neither cities nor positions in a regular army appealed to them. As she heard the word often, Harry was beginning to understand better what the word kelar indicated. It was something like magic; a Gift was the specific manifestation of kelar in a particular human being. Kelar was also something like a charm or a sorcery that hung in the air in a few places in the Hills; and one of those places was the City, where certain things might happen and other things be forbidden to happen, in ways quite unlike the usual physical laws. When all else was lost, the Hillfolk could retreat to the City; if the Northerners took or laid waste to all else, a few might live still in the City, for in it was some of the strength of the Damar of old. She began to speculate about the City, to look forward to seeing it. Around her the Riders and their king spoke of repairs to be made, and new forging to be done, and the best blacksmiths – dhogos – and leatherworkers – parisi – in the Hills. Narknon had her front half in Harry's lap, and was purring to rattle the bones of them both. It was very late. The Riders stared at their empty cups, the men outside stared at the stars; Harry was falling asleep, still listening to the hum in the air, and still unable to account for it. â€Å"Mathin,† said Corlath, and Harry twitched and woke up. Mathin looked up the table, and his eyes rested briefly on the golden-haired girl in the maroon robe before he looked at his king. â€Å"The laprun trials will be held six weeks from tomorrow on the plains before the City.† Mathin knew this perfectly well, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the girl look up at Corlath, puzzled, and then glance down the table at her patient language teacher. â€Å"Harimad-sol will ride in them.† Mathin nodded; he had expected this, and, having taken some measure of Hari in the days past, was not displeased. Harimad-sol herself swallowed rather sharply, but found she wasn't too surprised either; and after a day of war-horses and swords could guess the sort of thing the trials (what was a laprun?) would prove to be. Poor Mathin. She wondered what he thought of the idea-six weeks to knock the rawest of beginners, even if kelar-guided, into shape – and resigned herself to not knowing. â€Å"We will ride out two hours before dawn tomorrow,† said Mathin. Six weeks, thought Harry. How much can you learn in six weeks, even if Aerin is keeping an eye on you?