Kamikaze, Japan’s Suicide Gods Essay

Kamikaze is a Japanese word meaning â€Å"divine wind†. ‘Kami’ means ‘divine’ and ‘kaze’ ‘wind’. Kamikaze owes its origins to the 1274 and 1281 typhoons which wrought havoc on invasion forces from Mongolia. A Japanese World War II pilot specially trained to destroy an enemy ship by crashing on it was referred to as kamikaze. The plane to be used for such an attack, usually laden with explosives also bore the same name. Special air suicide attack units were given this name in World War II in 1944-45. The kamikaze concept originated from lower ranks officers in the field when they reported that pilots and crew were experiencing accidental crashes. Captain Motoharu first brought up the subject and led to the launch of initial investigations on the feasibility and modes of executing deliberate assaults. The Thunder Gods project was initiated soon afterwards in 1944 (Axell, 2002, p. 13) The first formal mention of kamikaze missions was in august 1944 when the Domei News Agency reported that Takeo Tagata, A flight instructor, was training pilots for suicide attacks in Taiwan. It is also claimed that the first kamikaze mission was carried out on September 13th 1944 after which the 31st Fighter Squadron of the army based on Negros Island imitated the following day. Takeshi Kosai, First Lieutenant and a sergeant, destined to crash into carriers, took off in separate fighter planes each loaded with 100 kilogram bombs. Other sources assert that the US cruiser, USS Reno CL96 was suicide bombed on October 14th 1944. It is also claimed that the commander of the 26th Air Flotilla, Captain Masafumi Arima, developed the kamikaze concept. He led 100 Yokosuka D4Y dive bombers to attack Franklin, an aircraft carrier on October 15th 1944. Arima got killed in the assault and was rewarded with the post of Admiral posthumously. Top ranking Japanese military officials embraced Arima’s example as a source of military propaganda. The attack of Suluan Island by Allied forces set off the battle of Leyte Gulf. The responsibility of destroying the Allied forces in Leyte Gulf lay with the 1st Air Fleet of the Japanese Navy. The 1st Air Fleet had the limitation of having only 40 planes: 3 Nakajima B6N Tenzan Torpedo bombers, 34 Mitsubishi zero fighters, 1 Mitsubishi G4M and 2 Yokosuka P1Y Ginga land bombers. This made the task ahead appear impossible and prompted Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi, the 1st Air Fleet commandant to constitute the Special Attack Unit. Onishi told the 201st flying group pilots of the plan on October 19th at a meeting at Mabalacat airfield near Manila. The assault would involve crashing a zero bomber with 250 kilogram bomb and ramming it into a US carrier with a view of grounding all American carriers. The initial plan was to only involve volunteers in such attacks. Onishi lied to the pilots that their commander, Captain Sakai Yamamoto, already knew of the plan when the pilots requested for an approval from their own boss. Yamamoto was, however, in hospital after a motor vehicle accident and thus he was not privy to Onishi’s plans. The 23 pilots in attendance volunteered and hence the first anti-Allied forces suicide strikes at Leyte were executed in a few days time (Astor, 1999, 32). The impact of the kamikaze strikes was momentous, damage greater than any preceding one was inflicted on the allied forces ships. The Japanese military top officials decided to have humans man rocket-propelled bombs, an operation they called Thunder Gods. The task of designing the flying bomb was signed to the Japan Aeronautical Research Laboratory. This was to counter the problems experienced in the remote guidance of German rockets and the threat of the advancing Allied forces. The Thunder Gods project initially had 100 volunteers whose training was parallel to the construction of the pioneer 150 Ohka rocket bombs. Japan’s strategy was the stationing of Thunder Gods in Formosa and the Philippines. American submarines and carrier ships didn’t allow maneuvering south from Japan. The November 27th 1944 sinking of Shinano, Japan’s carrier ship, by Archerfish, the American submarine, proved that America had firmly held its base in the region. Shinano held the first batch of 50 Ohkas. Unryu, a Japanese carrier loaded with the next 30 Ohkas was also sunk a few weeks later while traveling to the Philippines. It then became clear that Thunder Gods project would be fail. Students were mandated to recite the oath of the Imperial Rescript on Education as a ritual after the decree was passed in 1890. The oath stated that individuals would offer themselves, including sacrificing their lives, to the state as well as protect the Imperial family. Under the oath, dying for the emperor or for Japan was honorable. The Meiji restoration saw the establishment of Shinto as a state religion. Shinto doctrines were rampant in Japan in 1944 to 1945 and they were instrumental in the promotion of nationalism. Many Japanese were of the view that to be honored at the Yasukumi shrine, which the Emperor visited twice yearly, was a great honor. Many sailors, pilots and soldiers were thus mentally prepared to die and become eirei, ‘guardian spirits’ of the country (Axel, Kase, 2002, p. 35). Books and newspapers published stories, articles and advertisements about the suicide bombers after the kamikaze strategy was adopted. A case in point is the Nippon Times October 1944 issue which ran an article with the view of aiding the recruitment of the special attack corps. The propaganda that kamikaze were enshrined at Yasukumi from publishers and exaggerated stories of the kamikaze added to the Japanese ideology that kamikaze were divine people. Peer pressure also had a hand in popularizing the kamikaze. The Japanese government also had its share in the fanning of the kamikaze spirit by falsely declaring victories (Axell, Kase, 2002, p. 38). Ancient folklore also helped in the recruitment of volunteers into the suicide missions. For instance, it was widely believed that the bonds connecting an individual to his family were similar to the ones that joined him to his nation. The Japanese so valued their close relationship with both the emperor and the nation that they were convinced that it would be useless to be Japanese if one didn’t have this links. Spiritistic ceremonies were held to bid kamikaze farewell before they departed to their assignments. The Japanese flag or the Japanese naval flag with spiritually inspirational words written on it were given to the kamikaze. The soldiers also drank sake; a-rice based alcoholic drink, before leaving. A headband with the rising sun and sennibari, a belt with a thousand stitches each made by a single woman were also among the kamikaze insignia. The kamikaze were also supposed to compose a death poem and read it. This feat borrows heavily from the samurai, a pre-industrial Japan military nobility. Samurai also composed and read a death poem before undertaking seppuku, a Japanese disembowelment ritual. It is alleged that the kamikaze pilots flew southwest over mount Kaimon. The pilots then looked back to face the mountain, said farewell to Japan and saluted the mountain. This is an indication that some spiritism was associated with the kamikaze missions (Astor, 1998, p. 47). The 1281 AD invasion of Japan by Mongols prompted the emperor to pray for divine salvation. A huge typhoon came up and drowned the enemy by sinking their ships. The typhoon was called kamikaze or the ‘divine wind’. This episode was one inspiration of the kamikaze suicide missions in World War II. The pilots had the divine mission of destroying their enemy. Suicide pilot manuals instructed pilots to obtain a high level of spiritual training, be always pure-hearted and cheerful and to maintain perfect health conditions. This instructions were found in a book ‘Transcend life and death’ which were given to each pilot. Pilots were supposed to loudly yell ‘Hissatsu’ translated ‘sink without fail’ moments before crashing into a target. Many kamikaze had the conviction that by crashing into a target, they would pay the debts they owed their friends’ families and the Emperor. The heavy sanctions imposed on Japan by the United States and Washington’s order for Japan to vacate China precipitated the Pacific war in which kamikaze were utilized (Astor, 1998, p. 54). References Astor, G. (1999). The greatest war: Americans in combat, 1944-1945. California, United States. Presidio Press, pp. 32, 47, 54 Axell, A. & Kase, H. (2002). Kamikaze: Japan’s suicide gods. London, United Kingdom. Longman Publishers, Pp. 13, 35, 38

Community Book Festival Essay

According to the United States Census Bureau (2013), Queens, New York, has an estimated population of 2. 2 million people living in this growing region. With a large population like this, it would be an ideal place to promote reading by conducting a book festival for the community. Not only will the book festival promote reading among all age groups, but also, it will address the economic changes in the community in an effort to keep threatened libraries of Queens open. Funding a non-profit book festival is very difficult because in order to conduct a successful event, participation from the community is essential. For a successful event, community members must work together in the festival to promote reading and raise awareness of economic changes, and the funding for this function must come from donations, sponsors, and fundraising events. From time to time people wonder why reading is important. Since reading is the fundamental skill to function in society, it is important for various reasons. For example, reading is essential to understand instructions on a medicine bottle, to complete a job application, to read warning signs on the road, or even follow directions on a map (June, S.n. d). These are all everyday tasks that individuals conduct that require literacy. Understanding written material is one way the mind grows and expands the ability of comprehension and vocabulary. In addition, it is imperative that individuals learn, develop, and practice their reading skills, because it ultimately aids them to developing their language skills. (June, S. n. d) Through reading, individuals discover new information and concepts. For example, books, magazines, periodicals, and the internet material are unlimited learning tools that require the ability to read. Since daily activities for adults and children are different, the importance of reading also varies. Reading is essential for carrying out many tasks as an adult. For example, without literacy, adults cannot operate a vehicle, register to vote, or even become hired for a job. Since reading is a vital skill to have, illiteracy will hold back any adult in a number of opportunities. According to PBS Newshour (2013), Queens, New York holds the highest percentage of adult illiteracy in all New York counties at 45. 6%. It is important for the book festival to emphasize reading among these adults because it can open many doors for this high percentage of illiterate adults. In addition, it is important for adults to know how to read so they can provide their children with the fundamentals at a young age. Adult literacy is also important for child development. If parents are illiterate, they are not able to provide their children with the necessary tools to begin reading. For children, the importance of reading begins at a very early age and it is the building blocks of life (Time with your kids reading to children, 2013). â€Å"The more young children are read to, the greater their interest is in mastering reading. Reading aloud exposes children to proper grammar and phrasing. It enhances the development of their spoken language skills, their ability to express themselves verbally (Freedman-De Vito, 2004). † Reading to young children would teach them to develop listening skills as well as develop their imagination in a creative way (Rasinski & Stevenson, 2005). One great exercise to do when reading to children is to stop in the middle of the story and ask them what is going to happen next. Get them involved in the story for them to think about possible endings to the story. Encourage them to illustrate, draw, and make up another story with the same characters. This kind of exercise would get their creative thinking flowing for children (Rasinski & Stevenson, 2005). The book festival will give children a great opportunity to become involved in reading and help them with the skills they need to succeed in the future. The book festival is essential to the community because of recent economic changes in the Queens area. â€Å"The Queens Library serves 2. 3 million people from 62 locations plus seven Adult Learning Centers and two Family Literacy Centers. It circulates among the highest numbers of books and other library materials in the country (Queens Library, 2013). † With government officials adjusting ways to better the economy, Queens Library is directly affected. Since budget cuts are a way to reduce debt in the economy, a proposal by the City Council was to cut back on the employment and hours of operation for the Queens Library. Colangelo (2010) addressed that there may be a shutdown of 14 libraries, and 34 libraries would only be open 2-3 days a week in an effort to save 17 million dollars as directed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. This affects the community as a whole because it will also cut back on the resources and programs that are available to the public that promote reading. From this book festival, as we promote reading, we can also encourage the community to fight for the libraries to stay open so children, as well as adults, can have a place to access books and material necessary to succeed in their education. Libraries and learning centers offer many different resources for students to further their education and gain success in their academics. With approval of the budget cuts, students will have less access to books they need in order to help them find useful information for assignments they have to complete. Libraries offer a wide range of informational textbooks and encyclopedias that individuals can use to research topics and retrieve material. Without having access to this material from books, it limits individuals to browse the internet to find information. However, many people do not have everyday access to the internet. Libraries are a good resource to use for people that fall into this category because they can gain access to the internet from the library’s computers in order to conduct research. If implementation of the budget cuts occurs, this will leave the community with practically no assisting resources if they do not have these tools readily available for them in their own homes. Not only do libraries help students with their studies, but they also conduct beneficial workshops for the community. Libraries and learning centers have a wide range of programs and events geared toward assisting the community and furthering education. For example, Queens Library offers adult and youth literacy programs, special needs assistance programs, and veteran workshops at designated branches. â€Å"Some 707,000 people attended more than 37,500 free programs in FY 12 (Queens Library, 2013). † With these budget cuts coming into play, some of these programs will no longer be available to the public. This statistic emphasizes how much the community relies on Queens Library each year. Furthermore, libraries also offer workshops that promote personal development. In addition to the programs, Queens Library periodically holds mock interview events and resume writing for individuals looking for jobs in the community. With approval of the budget cuts, the community greatly suffers from the downsizing of all of these resources offered by the libraries and learning centers. The community will begin to see these services disappear as the economy changes due to the decisions by government officials. Therefore, the whole community has to work together to promote reading and keep these resources available to the public. With this being done, as a result, the City Council will realize how much the community will be negatively affected by terminating these services to the public. Funding a nonprofit book festival can be a very challenging task. However, with help from the community and local businesses in the area, funding for this event can come from several different ways. One of the most beneficial ways for funding this event will come from donations from the community members. Though this book festival is a free event, upon entrance to the festival, we will ask attending members for donations to help fund and aid the event. In addition, we will contact local bookstores and organizations for donations prior to the festival in order to help make the book festival possible. For example, Barnes and Noble and Borders Bookstore are two of the largest community bookstores in the Queens area that may contribute to make the festival successful. Spencer (2010) stated that with donations, non-profit organizations are able to help fulfill others’ goals as well as help the less fortunate who are usually the targets for the foundations. This idea holds true for our book festival because of the economic changes in the community and the potential threats to the libraries in the area we can help keep these resources open to the less fortunate individuals in the community. Another way to facilitate funding for this event is to gain sponsors from local businesses and other organizations in the area. This is beneficial because it gathers more individuals to attend the event. For example, if Barnes and Noble sponsored the event, more individuals would attend because a well know corporation will be there to help facilitate the function. Not only will this benefit the book festival, but also if will gain more exposure to the sponsoring organization with a successful event. â€Å"Associating with nonprofit organizations is a great public relations boost. By giving back to the community, you demonstrate you are a company with heart, not a faceless corporation (Stanfords, 2010). † Aside from the sponsors, having more community members attend the festival is essential because it will help promote reading amongst a larger population. In addition, with more attendees there will be more chances of gaining donations from individuals. Furthermore, with more proceed that are circulated through the festival, the chances of keeping the local public libraries open will be higher. Prior to the book festival, we will have a community car wash in order to raise awareness of the event. Since many people will not know of the book festival, promoting the event before it happens is essential. With help from volunteers, a community car wash will take place the weekend prior to the event. Though we do not anticipate receiving the majority of our funding from the fundraising events, it is still crucial to conduct them so the community becomes more involved. â€Å"While fundraising events may no longer be the most important component of your organization’s fundraising strategy, it’s still a good idea to host an event for your supporters and take the opportunity to interact with your community (Wooden, 2011). † With more involvement of the community, there is a higher chance of having a more successful book festival because it will show the City Council how important these resources are to the community. Finally, the most active way to fund this book festival is from fundraising measures during the event itself. This is the area that the community and volunteers help the most. During the book festival, there will be food, games, and raffles to help raise money to keep the Queens’ libraries open. Individuals will bring their own dishes, snacks, or baked goods to the book festival and sale them at reasonable prices. For a small fee, attendees can also participate in fun games provided by volunteers to win small prizes to take home such as bookmarks or book covers. Lastly, there will be a raffle at the end of the book festival. Each raffle ticket will cost one dollar, and some of the prizes that are included are best-selling books and comics for the children. In the end, we will present the earnings from these fundraising activities to the City Council in hopes to keep the Queens Library systems open. Overall, funding for this event can be very difficult. However, with help from community members and volunteers this book festival will be a success. Proper funding is essential from donations, sponsors, and fundraising events to help aid and facilitate the event. In the end, a successful book festival will promote reading among the population, and raise awareness of the potential threats to the available resources in the community. With everyone working together, we hope that we can keep these libraries open by raising enough money to show that the elimination of the resources will negatively affect the city. In the end, if these libraries stay open we will begin to conduct successful book festivals every year to make sure these valued resources remain available to the public. References Colangelo, L. L. (2010, May 18). Budget cuts forces Queens Library to shutter 14 branches, cut 300 workers and reduce hours. Retrieved from http://www. nydailynews. com/new-york/queens/budget-cuts-forces-queens-library-shutter-14-branches-cut-300-workers-reduce-hours-article-1. 446195 Freedman-De Vito, B. (2004). Why Reading Is So Important For Children. Retrieved from http://www. familyresource. com/parenting/child-development/why-reading-is-so-important-for-children June, S. (n. d). Commentary: Reading is the key to learning. Daily Record, (The Baltimore, MD PBS Newshour. (2013). Adult Illiteracy in New York counties. Retrieved from http://www. pbs. org/newshour/interactive/patchworknation/stats/education/adult-literacy/ny/ Queens Library. (2013). About Us. Retrieved from http://www. queenslibrary. org/about-us Rasinski, T. , & Stevenson, B. (2005). The Effects of Fast Start Reading: A Fluency-Basedhome Involvement Reading Program. Reading Psychology, 26(2), 109-125. Spencer, M. T. (2010, July 29). Donate to Non Profit Organizations. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles. com/? Donate-to-Non-Profit-Organizations&id=4764969 Stanfords, J. P. (2010, Feb 26). Companies Reap Benefits of Charitable Sponsorships. Retrieved from http://ezinearticles. com/? Companies-Reap-Benefits-of-Charitable-Sponsorships&id=3834293 Time with your kids reading to children. (2013, April 9). Retrieved from Building Blocks: http://bblocks. samhsa. gov/family/time/reading. aspx United States Census Bureau. (2013, June). Queens County (Queens Borough), New York. Retrieved from http://quickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/36/36081. html Wooden, G. (2011, Sep 21). 10 Tips For A Successful Fundraising Event. Retrieved from http://www. socialbrite. org/2011/09/21/10-tips-for-a-successful-fundraising-event/

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Visual Heirarcy and Mind Motion in Printed Advertising Research Paper

Visual Heirarcy and Mind Motion in Printed Advertising - Research Paper Example Gestalt psychological theory is the basis upon which the concept of hierarchy is construed. This 20th century German theory recommends that the human intellect has an instinctive organizing propensity that â€Å"structure individual elements, shapes or forms into a coherent, organized whole† (Ian, 2008, p.256). The word Gestalt in English means â€Å"form,† â€Å"shape,† or â€Å"pattern† (Rune, 2010). Ideally, when a visual component set its self apart from the ‘whole’ shaped by a person’s intellect perceptual organization, it becomes very conspicuous in the eye of the observer. Usually, the shapes that are the most conspicuous are those that highly set themselves apart from their surroundings and identified by the viewer through mind motion. As a matter of fact, the human brain uses distinctive physical characteristics to differentiate objects from others. These characteristics can be categorized into four aspects including character, alignment, size and color. The aspect of color, which perceives texture, includes saturation, hue, and value. Size explains the surface area of a structure while alignment is the aspect that describes the array of structures with regards to their orientation, direction, or pattern (Feldsted, 1950). Character is the curvilinearity and rectilinearity of structures. In view of this, a distinction between structures can be drawn from the differences in these characteristics. ... ar is organized with respect to the significance of each concept, the visual hierarchy in print advertisement is organized in a similar manner (Groeger, 2002). Visual hierarchy is one of the most significant concepts behind effective print advertisements. This paper will study why developing a visual hierarchy and mind motion is important when designing a poster, the theory behind it, and how the very principles can be used to put these concepts into practice. Design is equal to communication The basic idea behind a print design is visual communication. As such, an effective advert designer should able to evidently communicate their thoughts to the audience failures to which they can lose their attention. Interestingly, most people are visual thinkers rather than data processors, and that is why they do not pay attention to huge blocks of information. This happens because people categorize what they see based on â€Å"visual relationships†, instead of taking visual information and processing it uniformly. In the above illustration, chances are that a certain person may fail to notice the two circles but rather notice one red circle and one black circle. The reason why this happens is because, when a person is presented with simple things like two circles, they tend to find a way of differentiating them rather than just observing the two circles. Therefore, people use such differences to make a distinction between objects at attach unique meanings to them. In the above figure, since the level of complexity has been increased, the viewer’s desire to categorize the images in respect to the relationship has become even higher. The basis upon which the shapes are viewed through includes the similarities and the differences. The differences in scale imply that one image is

CALL research review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Senufo Kponyungo Mask Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Fiat Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Fiat - Assignment Example There are many reasons such as inflation, increased competitiveness from Japanese and Korean manufacturers, the emergence of low cost Asian manufacturers, change in policies and the global crisis. As a result, huge losses have been faced in terms of sales and turnover. There are many internal issues as well that have added to the existing problem of Fiat. This can be handled by identifying the key opportunities. The transformation of opportunities into strengths is the need of Fiat to come out from the crisis. Legal and consumer trends are looking for green technology and gas- efficient cars. This can be a major advantage for Fiat as it has always been addressing environmental concerns. In this report, an analysis of all such areas has been done which have contributed towards the decline of the Fiat’s performance and ranking in the automotive industry. The aim is to figure out the problematic areas where change and direction is required. In the first section, the background of the company is discussed. The external factors such as economic or technological which are the major indicators of growth or decline in any industry are evaluated to understand the current market trends and situation. The major challenges faced by Fait group are outlined keeping in mind its strengths and weaknesses. In the end, recommendations are given in the form of solutions that must be incorporated in the company’s strategy to address the major areas of concern. Company Background: Fiat is one of the founders of European Automotive Industry and has a history of more than 100 years. The acronym of FIAT is Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino. It was established on the eleventh of July 1899 by a group of investors and has its headquarters in Turin, Italy. Today, it has been operating in more than 61 countries with 1,063 companies. It has diversified into a pool of industries and has been designing and selling cars, trucks, construction & agriculture equipment, engines, mil itary vehicles, aviation etc. At the time of its inception, Giovanni Agnelli, one of the members of the Board of Directors, stood out and was known as the company’s innovator and mastermind. He had a great strategic vision and determination to make the company highly successful. Due to his utmost efforts along with the other members of the company, Fiat gained recognition at a very early stage and it is said to produce more than 10% percent of Italy’s GDP. In 1900, the first factory was opened in Carso Dante with a workforce of 150 workers who produced 24 cars. As of 2009, only the domestic workforce has reached to 198,348 workers. It has a workforce of about 223,000 people. Out of which, 111,000 are outside Italy. Fiat logo was designed in 1904 which has become a status symbol due to the superior and world-class cars manufactured by the company. During the First World War, it aimed at the production of munitions. With the rapid technological changes, developments were made at the railway sector, commercial vehicles etc. The year 1958 was marked as an economic boom for Italy which was facing a downfall due to the advent of the Second World War. The automobile sector also grew as it was the driving force for the Italian economy. Fiat experienced an increased production along with the exports from 1965 to 1977. In the year 1979, an independent automobile sector came into existence which was named as Fiat Auto S.P.A which included Fiat, Autobianchi, Ferrari, Abarth

Examine the differences and similarities between European and Arabic Essay

Examine the differences and similarities between European and Arabic romanticism. Illustrate your answer with examples - Essay Example We might begin by distilling some of the central themes and features of the Romantic Movement in Europe. It first gained prominent in the later 18th century, as the Continent felt the pressures of rapid economic development, although it was with the industrialization of the 19th century that Romanticism reached its most influential period. Confronted with the transformation of life in Europe, with rapid industrialization and urbanization changing the very landscape, many authors, artists and others looked to strong emotion as a response, while the basic themes of literature were transformed. A preoccupation with nature in its wildest, untamed and purest form became a widespread concern in literary circles, while remembrance of a simpler, pastoral past was also a common subject. At the same time, there was a new focus on women and children, and on the heroic role of the storyteller or the artist as an important cultural figure, whose position should be exalted in society. All of this constituted a clear break with much of what had gone before it in European culture, but the issue before us here is whether this movement took on a similar character in Arabic literature, when a movement which has been characterized as ‘Romanticism’ arose there. A crucial difference between Arabic and European Romanticism is surely the time and circumstances of their inception. As noted above, European Romanticism was born of a period of extreme socioeconomic change in the region, and reached its height in the 19th century. Arabic Romanticism, by contrast, arose much later, with its zenith usually placed in the period between the First and Second World Wars. By the time Arabic Romanticism was having a major impact, European Romanticism had long since ceased to be a dynamic force. For example, al-Shadi was living in England as T. S. Eliot wrote, but was mainly interested in Victorian and Romantic poetry. Badawi (1985) formulates several possible reasons for the Arabic in terest in Romanticism rather than newer cultural movements in Europe. Chief among these is that it was still perhaps the most popular movement, and was ‘more spontaneous and emotional in its appeal’ (p.125). Perhaps they also identified with its aims, in making a break with previous European literary traditions, as they themselves sought to innovate in their own language. Also, Arabic Romanticism was at its height in a period of political, cultural and socioeconomic change for the Middle East, and shares that with the European movement. The circumstances were different for sure, with Arab nationalism and pan-Arabism, which flourished under European colonialism, as well as the rise of an urban middle class, being major changes, but movements found their roots in revolutionary periods. Of course, Arabic Romanticism, despite many similarities of theme and preoccupation, also differed in its aims. A major concern was its search for cultural identity, in a Middle East which was increasingly being westernized. The role of the Mahjar poets – those who had left for the Americas in search of cultural freedom and economic opportunity, also displayed some unique themes. A feeling of homesickness runs through many of their compositions. However,

What is Ailey’s typical dance-music relationship Essay Example for Free

What is Ailey’s typical dance-music relationship Essay Name two dance techniques (created by other choreographers) which are fundamental in Ailey’s choreographic style. What is the chief choreographic device used by Alvin Ailey in Revelations? Hermit songs was created by Alvin Ailey after Revelations. It was a solo for Ailey based on 8th-13th century poems by Irish monks. What year was it created? What dance was created in 1958 and was the debut programme of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Jazz and African American dance forms were a huge influence on Alvin Ailey. Talley Beatty, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and the Nicholas Brothers were four different choreographers in this genre. Name two others. There are three main starting points for Revelations. African American traditional religious music, a desire to create opportunities for African American dancers to perform serious modern dance. What was the third? Name four props which are used in Revelations There are four main themes in Ailey’s Revelations. A) Oppression/freedom/survival/fortitude, B) Placing the African American experience as central in American culture, C) Celebrating African American music as historically significant. What is the fourth? Key movements include wing-like arm designs, prone positions and deep plies. Name two more. Which episode is being described here: ‘in unison, and in close wedge-shaped formation, the deep plie is repeated with variation of the gestures. The arms open sharply to second position and are held during the second plie. The lights darken as before and the group splinters, though not so far this time, seeming to be more entrapped within the pool of light. Small steps are taken in different directions, placing the palms of the hands randomly in levels as if invisible walls restricted them’. Which section is being described below? The group, in two columns, travel along the diagonal, performing a repeated pattern of slow walking steps. These match the musical pulse and are embellished with Dunham-style, swivelling hips. The group, in unison, undulates forwards and backwards so that the pattern can be repeated. Which section is being described here? The women repeat phrases from their opening material; for instance, while sitting again, they bow forwards and backward and the men again complement this. As the women, facing the front, shoot on arm upwards, the men, facing upstage, take up both their hands clasped. The groups go in opposite and complementing directions when they repeat the torso circles. Which section is being described here: The light brightens. The backcloth is suffused with a blood red colour. The three men wear only black trousers. This contrasts in colour to the trousers worn in the previous dance. A connection to sin is obvious but it also makes a visual link in the style of the other costumes. Which section is described here? The music adds atmosphere which enhances the narrative context, as well as providing a clear rhythm for the actions. The words provide the basis for the actions and walking with the predominant action in this number. Which section is described here? They continue in unison. For example: a step close action with train wheel, chugging arms; a plie in second with arms thrust forward to clap; a quick rotating of the hips with pumping arms; and the pointing gesture seen before. This is varied by the women facing the same way as the men or sometimes moving in the opposite direction which provides moments of complementary design. Out of this a canon emerges, beginning with the dancers stage right. Name the dances in Revelations in the correct order identifying which sections they are in.

Working With Different Service User Groups

Working With Different Service User Groups Explore the challenges faced by the differences in working with three Service User Groups adults, older people and children. Discuss how, by drawing on relevant life course theories, your communication skills would need to be modified in order to meet these challenges and remain effective, anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive. Interacting via communication with Service users is of one of the highest important aims for social / care workers providing care. Each individual case is unique and I will be explaining how communication skills differ from each person to the next. There are many different life course theories that can be used to explain how a person develops through the stages of life. In this assignment I will be looking at Eric Bernes Transactional analysis for the adult group and showing how adults have to change their tone and manner as they are seen as the teachers for the next generation. I will be explaining Cunning and Henrys Disengagement theory as this is a very important phase for older people and communication can be limited because of the perils of old age. Also I will be looking at Piagets cognitive development theory and Bolwbys attachment theory in relation to children and how these theories affect communication. Eriksons eight stages of psychosocial development contains elements for all three age groups so I will be looking briefly at the different stages involved, and I will also be looking at any challenges that occur within the groups and what skills are needed to overcome this via social work / care workers. Interacting via communication with Service users is of one of the highest important aims for social / care workers providing care. Each individual case is unique and I will be explaining how communication skills differ from each one person to the next. There are many different life course theories that can be used to explain how a person goes through the stages of life. For adults I will be taking you through Eric Bernes Transactional analysis and for the elderly group I will look at Cunning and Henry Disengagement Theory and how this affects communication for the older generation and then I will be looking at Piagets cognitive development theory and Bowlbys attachment theory and how these theories affect communication within the childrens group. Then I will be showing how Eriksons eight stages of psychosocial development are involved in all three service user groups and I will also be looking at any challenges that occur within the groups and what skills are needed to overcome this via social work / care workers. A life course is the advancement a person takes from birth to cessation (Crawford and Walker, 2003 p. 3) Also (Newman and Newman, 2007 p. 185) shows the life course as a perspective which helps to explain how altering societal predicaments affect development and combination of the phases of family and work life over a number of years. (Fiske, 1982 p. 2) explains communication as being an action that every person can identify with, by talking, listening to the television or distributing knowledge these are all forms of communication. He describes two main studies of communication as being either an expression of words or a creation and replacement of meanings. If we take a look at the Transactional analysis theory (Woods, 2010) shows that Eric Bernes theory was about ego states which are parent, adult and child. It covers a wide range of exclusive advancement including communication, behaviour and personality. Looking at adult communication he saw this as being the main voice used to influence the whole learning process. He believes that if someone is talking in a childish manner automatically the adult will respond with a voice of authority, either in a sarcastic tone or a caring parenting manner. (Chapman, 1995) also shows that transactional analysis is used for therapeutic, personal development and communication; it helps a person understand ones self. To communicate we use our own feelings which can shift at any one given time, and to reply we will use the exact way of thinking. So to have stable conversations an adult needs to act interested to what is being said and show the person speaking that they have their full attention and thi s will make for a stronger relationship between them both. Favourable communication according to (Weger and Polcar, 2002) is the basic domain of an interpersonal friendship. If you offer support and are willing to provide comfort through good and bad times then this will in turn be a healthy natural relationship. (Wolvin, 2010 p.144) believes the art of communication is to listen, with doing this you are better able to understand the concept of communicating, and then you can identify and evaluate the question helping you to make sense of it. Behavioural issues can be defined by a persons determined state, they show up as objectives and by using these objectives a person will come up with a way of achieving their potential via talking. So by communicating it is up to the individual to put as much information into the conversation so the recipient can define their answer to make it a purposeful state (Ackoff, 1958) (Nussbaum, 2000) states that elderly people have to regularly change their lifestyle to adapt to adjustments associated with getting older. Age can cause many challenges for communication, examples are: memory loss or loss of hearing. Because of these it could take considerable time for any acknowledgement whilst trying to communicate, they may tend to make inaccurate sentences and be less sensitive about issues that may otherwise hurt someone elses feelings. There are many theories linked to prosperous aging examples of these are: continuity theory, activity theory, socioemotional selectivity theory and disengagement theory. Looking at the disengagement theory (Maddox, 1964) states that the disengagement is the final stage of the life course process. Life goals are a very important phrase in everybodys life and this seems to extend through to the older generation also. The belief is that psychological departure leads to total exclusion from the older persons social life, and without this communication will be very limited as they may not have any family of friends visiting on a daily basis. Communication with older people can be a complicated process. At the time when it is needed the most communication seems to be a burden because of the life processes which come with the old age. To overcome some of the frustrations of speaking to an older person if you allow extra time for them to speak and sit face to face with them, then if there is any hearing loss at least the person can watch your lips to understand what you are saying to them. If you speak slowly and clearly or even write down some of the conversation to explain in a bit more detail this then will help the person immensely and by doing this you are showing respect and helpfulness towards to person you are talking to (Robinson et al. 2006) There are many challenges involved with working with older people, (Hepple, 2004) shows there are many approaches that can be used to try and boost communication issues. Group and behavioural approach or reality familiarisation is widely used to try and amend the forgotten memories. Whichever approach is used will depend mainly on the resources of the institution that is providing the care plan for the service users involved. Looking at Piagets cognitive development (Feldman, 2004) believes that his work was not the dominant competitor for a while but now it has accomplished extensive significance to researchers again. Some critics thought his work was to complex and to widespread but his stages still form the basis of the developing mind. (Boeree, 1999) shows the stages of development for a child as being the Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations and the formal operations stage. According to (Koprowska, 2005 p. 97) a baby within the first couple of months will try and make blubbering noises in response to you talking to them and will only start trying to develop simple words by the age of one. So the best means of communication with young children would be via play and interaction. Children do not enjoy sitting for long periods of time so by drawing or innovative games could be the easiest way for communication to take place for the younger age groups in Piagets stages. (Geddes, 2007) believes that using Bowlbys attachment theory will help in the understanding of sensitive experiences which in turn helps you to communicate with young children. The basis of communication is to show your inner self via your feelings, thoughts and creativity. So by looking at Bowlby, the attachment for a child will help with their future experiences if the start of their life is one of security within a family unit. The child then will be able to examine the world and if there are any pressures they can always return to their safe haven for security. With a negative attachment a child will struggle with communication and relationships. They tend to be insecure and prefer to keep themselves to themselves as they dont respond well to any attention and can start to be disruptive and aggressive because they feel vulnerable and out of their depth. The Children Act 1989 sets out the rights of the child, so the child needs to engage in any outcomes that will modify their lives and future. Social workers need impressive skills in communication as there are many barriers that can stop any interaction with the child so they need the ability to be able to cope under any form of pressure or obstacle placed before them. Social workers deal with many families and young children all with very different backgrounds examples of these are: children who are leaving care, children who have behavioural problems and children who may have health problems or disabilities, each case is different so the social worker needs to be able to produce a care plan and have the skills in place to communicate on every different level to provide the best possible care for the service users involved. (Koprowska, 2005 p. 94) Eriksons eight stages of psychosocial development involve all three age groups, when looking at children Eriksons stages progress through at least four of them. (Adoption media, 1995) states that if a child wants to proceed onto the next stage they need to complete the one before. A child will develop trust if well cared for and be insecure if not; this will show up in all the stages there is a negative to every positive. So a child will only learn from what they are taught and if they are shown the right way to develop through the various stages then as they become parents they will be secure and happy to show their children the right upbringing to carry on the process to the next generation. (Zastrow and Ashman, 2007 p. 444) states that the seventh stage of Eriksons life development is Generativity versus stagnation. Generativity is instructing family and friends to make improvements in their lives to make the future better for their offspring. This will involve safeguarding and improving the lives of future generations for a better quality of life. Stagnation on the other hand is the selfish side of the stage, adults who only think about their own needs and are not willing to take anyone elses feelings into consideration. (Greene and Kropf, 2009 p. 90) shows Eriksons final stage as being Integrity versus Despair. Absoluteness is achieved if the person involved has leaded a full and complete life, dealing with everyday disappointments as well as accomplishments successfully. Despair on the other hand is for the people who fear death and the ones who have not accomplished everything they wanted to do in their lives and wish for another chance to achieve this. If communication is not sort in the identity stage (Sanchez, 2002) states that this could affect self confidence in later life. New ideas start from communication, a person needs to be able to express their thoughts and feelings. Interpersonal communication through all of Eriksons stages will help an individual have a healthy developed identity. (SCIE 2010) shows how social workers have to work by their codes of ethics and values showing respect, empathy and a genuine helpfulness towards the service user they are working with. They will always provide a complete care package to help empower the individual to deliver the best possible outcome. If the social care worker uses an interpersonal approach this in turn will guide the service user to help them decide how their care is achieved and help make the decision process a group decision, so communication is a key element to this approach which will then help with the relationship between the user and the social care worker. To summarise there are many different ways to communicate with the three service user groups. People who work in the social work/care sector are trained to be able to customise their expertise to care and communicate at all levels. If the care worker shows empathy and helpfulness they will get more back from the service user then they would if you started the conversation with an aggressive attitude. Service users what to be listened to, they want you to understand what care they expect. You will have to change the way you speak in all different circumstances, speaking to children will be completely different to speaking to an adult or an elderly person. Body language and facial gestures also show as an important part of communicating with someone, even repeating what the other has said will show that you are taking them seriously. You need to be able to change your approach for all different situations and use different interventions to cater for each individual seeking care. Word count 2055

Fighting the War on Terrorism Essay -- Terror Terrorists 9/11 Essays

It has been said that the easiest way to discredit someone in the political field is to accuse them of possessing "Machiavellian morals." Until recently, today's political arena has been consumed by such illusive and controversial topics as human rights and the environment. Thus, it is easy to see why being referred to as a disciple of the austere Machiavellian principle could result in the untimely death of a political career. However, as of September 11th, the times have changed and so should the mindset with which politicians approach such elusive topics. This tragedy was not, however, suffered in vain. Underneath this enveloping shroud of sadness, there were a few blessings in disguise. Outwardly, the nation acquired a renewed sense of unity and the spirit of nationalism was re-ignited. However, there was another consequence left behind by that fateful day that was not witnessed in the displays of American flags or candle light vigils. In this moment of utter despair, the United States was afforded an opportunity to re-assert itself as the avenger of justice and defender of liberty. As the trailblazer, the United States has earned the right and privilege to set the precedents in this unconventional war against terror. The ambiguity surrounding the issue of terrorism has been in large part responsible for the failure of past attempts at international cooperation on this matter. It is time to pursue alternative methodology. As Machiavelli implies, "The [state] is expected to devise his own, 'new,' remedies if the old ones will not suffice"(Parel, 10). Surprisingly, the solution to this proverbial problem is found in one of the most traditional and perhaps, polemical political ideologies. The most promising pr... ...In order to successfully combat terrorism, the United States must adopt a modified mindset similar to that of the terrorists. Specifically, it must begin see the world as a fight between good versus evil. However, it must remember to be prudent in its conduct of foreign policy. But above all the United States must bear in mind, "It is better to be feared, than to be loved. But that it is also "better to be loved than hated" (Machiavelli). Bibliography Books: Betts, Richard, K. Conflict After the Cold War. New York: Longman Press, 2001. Machiavelli, Niccà ³lo. The Prince. Trans. H. C. Mansfeld. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1985. Parel, Anthony. The Political Calculus: Essays on Machiavelli’s Philosophy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1972. Internet: http://www.religion-on-line.org http://www.newsmax.com

Executive Summary Essay -- Economics

Executive Summary ----------------- The 2000 were a period of enormous growth, Australian is a prosperous nation has benefited from 9 years of uninterrupted economic growth. However, the international tourist industry was suffer from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon in the USA on 11 September 2001. Overall, the Australian international tourist industry continues to be strong because of the board mix of natural environment and cosmopolitan cities located here, including high-tech, stable international political situation and economic prosperity. In order to increase Australian international tourist industry, Sport and Tourism of Australia’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources must develop a strategic plan to reach more potential visitors. With Australia unique natural resources, its appeal to more Asian travellers come to Australia. Over the past decade, most visitors came from the UK, Europe and North America. Now, Australia must begin some strategies to attract more travellers from Asia countries. This will give Australia the best opportunity to expand its tourism. Introduction Although Australia has been booming, the world economy has been in recession for some time. Indeed, Australian tourism is slowly declining has been far less than originally expected. Even though the Australian government strives to sustain growth in the economy without damaging the natural environment, but these improvement do not seem to be reaching the travellers its need to influence. Therefore, I am asked to summarise the marco environmental issues affecting Australian Tourism and propose additional strategies that the Sport and Tourism of Australia’s Department of Industry, Sc... ...ung singles, offer a lower price during peak season by effectiveness of adverting campaigns and promotion in generating more Asian, including: Â · Australia and Singapore have established a Joint Tourism Council that will aim to increase international arrivals to both Australia and Singapore from key markets through a co-operative partnership between the Australian Tourist Commission and the Singapore Tourism Board. Â · Most key operators selling Australia have developed websites providing product information, special deals, travel clubs and newsletters and online enquiry response mechanisms. Â · There are 10 major wholesalers/retail agents selling Australian group tour packages, with extensive branch office network of sales point location. These agents are linked with the three major carriers: Qantas, Cathy Pacific and Singapore Airlines.

Educational Research Single Su :: essays research papers

Educational Research Single-Subject Critique Establishing Discriminative Control of Responding Using Functional and Alternative Reinforcers During Functional Communication Training Wayne W. Fisher, David E. Kuhn, and Rachel H. Thompson Appropriateness of research question or purpose: The purpose of this research was interesting and of value as it focused on problems that often occur when Functional Communication Training (FCT) is in use. This study sought to find effective solutions as desired “. . .response[s] may be weakened and destructive behavior[s] may reemerge . . .'; when reinforcements of communication are delayed or denied due to impossibility or inconvenience of the caregiver or instructors ability to provide said reinforcement in a timely manner. “. . .procedures are needed to increase the effectiveness of FCT in situations in which it is impractical or impossible to deliver a given reinforcer.'; Research design and design rationale: This study was broken up into 4 phases (the fourth phase “. . .was completed with only 1 participant in only one condition because of time limitations on the participants’ hospital admission.';) Phase 1: Functional Analyses and Descriptive Assessments. Alternating treatment with no baseline design. “During this analysis, a test condition . . .and a control condition were compared using a multi-element design.'; Phase 2: Communication and Discrimination Training. Phase 3: Treatment Evaluation of FCT with Discriminative Stimuli. Between series, alternating treatment (ABAB) design was used to compare FCT + EXT vs. ACT + EXT in two conditions for one participant (Amy) and in one condition for one participant (Ned). Phase 4: Independent Effects of FCT and EXT. Between series, alternating treatment and a final treatment design was used to compare FCT/ACT (w/o EXT) vs. EXT alone with the final series being strictly FCT/ACT (w/o EXT). The order of presentation for Amy’s discrimination training were “. . .stimulus-present and stimulus-absent periods [that] were alternated every 30 s for the duration of the 10-min session. For Ned, “. . .one SD at a time was presented for 1 min. The order of the first three SD presentations in a given session was randomized, without replacement; thereafter, the order remained constant.'; Phase 1 was “conducted to test the hypotheses generated by the results of. . .descriptive assessments. . .to determine whether . . .destructive behavior was multiply maintained by both attention and access to tangible items, but under specific stimulus conditions [for Amy]. . .[and whether] destructive behavior was maintained by . Educational Research Single Su :: essays research papers Educational Research Single-Subject Critique Establishing Discriminative Control of Responding Using Functional and Alternative Reinforcers During Functional Communication Training Wayne W. Fisher, David E. Kuhn, and Rachel H. Thompson Appropriateness of research question or purpose: The purpose of this research was interesting and of value as it focused on problems that often occur when Functional Communication Training (FCT) is in use. This study sought to find effective solutions as desired “. . .response[s] may be weakened and destructive behavior[s] may reemerge . . .'; when reinforcements of communication are delayed or denied due to impossibility or inconvenience of the caregiver or instructors ability to provide said reinforcement in a timely manner. “. . .procedures are needed to increase the effectiveness of FCT in situations in which it is impractical or impossible to deliver a given reinforcer.'; Research design and design rationale: This study was broken up into 4 phases (the fourth phase “. . .was completed with only 1 participant in only one condition because of time limitations on the participants’ hospital admission.';) Phase 1: Functional Analyses and Descriptive Assessments. Alternating treatment with no baseline design. “During this analysis, a test condition . . .and a control condition were compared using a multi-element design.'; Phase 2: Communication and Discrimination Training. Phase 3: Treatment Evaluation of FCT with Discriminative Stimuli. Between series, alternating treatment (ABAB) design was used to compare FCT + EXT vs. ACT + EXT in two conditions for one participant (Amy) and in one condition for one participant (Ned). Phase 4: Independent Effects of FCT and EXT. Between series, alternating treatment and a final treatment design was used to compare FCT/ACT (w/o EXT) vs. EXT alone with the final series being strictly FCT/ACT (w/o EXT). The order of presentation for Amy’s discrimination training were “. . .stimulus-present and stimulus-absent periods [that] were alternated every 30 s for the duration of the 10-min session. For Ned, “. . .one SD at a time was presented for 1 min. The order of the first three SD presentations in a given session was randomized, without replacement; thereafter, the order remained constant.'; Phase 1 was “conducted to test the hypotheses generated by the results of. . .descriptive assessments. . .to determine whether . . .destructive behavior was multiply maintained by both attention and access to tangible items, but under specific stimulus conditions [for Amy]. . .[and whether] destructive behavior was maintained by .

The Return: Midnight Chapter 15

Bonnie woke slowly, coming up from some dark place. Then she wished she hadn't. She was in some out-of-doors place – only buildings blocked the horizon where the sun hung forever. Around her were a lot of other girls, al approximately her own age. That was puzzling, first of al . If you took a random sampling of females off the street there would be little girls crying for their mothers, and there would be mother-aged women taking care of them. There might be a few older women. This place looked more like – – oh, God, it looked like one of those slave warehouse places that they had had to pass the last time they had come to the Dark Dimension. The ones that Elena had ordered them not to look at or listen to. But now Bonnie felt sure she was inside one herself, and there was no way not to look at the Stillfaces, at the terrified eyes, at the quivering mouths around her. She wanted to speak, to find the way – there would have to be a way, Elena would insist – to get out. But first she gathered al the Power at her command, wrapped it into a cry, and soundlessly screamed Damon! Damon! Help! I really need you! Al she heard in return was silence. Damon! It's Bonnie! I'm at a slave warehouse! Help! Suddenly she had a hunch, and lowered her psychic barriers. She was instantly crushed. Even here, at the edge of the city, the air was choked ful of long messages and short: cries of impatience, or camaraderie, of greeting, of solicitation. Longer, less impatient conversations about things, instructions, teasings, stories. She couldn't keep up with it. It turned into a menacing wave of psychic sound that was curled like a wave about to break over her head, to crush her into a mil ion pieces. And then, all of a sudden, the telepathic melee vanished. Bonnie was able to focus her eyes on a blond girl, a little older than her and about four inches taller. â€Å"I said, are you okay?†the girl was repeating – obviously she'd been saying it for a while. â€Å"Yes,†Bonnie said automatically. No! Bonnie thought. â€Å"You might want to get ready to move. They've sounded the first dinnertime whistle, but you looked so out of it, I waited for the second one.† What am I supposed to say? Thank you seemed safest. â€Å"Thanks,†Bonnie said. Then her mouth said all on its own, â€Å"Where am I?† The blond girl looked surprised. â€Å"The depot for runaway slaves, of course.† Well, that was that. â€Å"But I didn't run away,†she protested. â€Å"I was going right back after I got a sugarplum.† â€Å"I don't know about that. I was trying to run away, but they finally caught me.†The girl slammed one fist into an open hand. â€Å"I knew I shouldn't have trusted that litter carrier. Carried me right to the authorities and me blind and without a clue.† â€Å"You mean you had the litter curtains down – ?†Bonnie was asking, when a shril whistle interrupted her. The blond girl took hold of her arm and began dragging her away from the fence. â€Å"That's the second service dinnertime whistle – we don't want to miss that, because after that they shut us up for the night. I'm Eren. Who're you?† â€Å"Bonnie.† Eren snorted and grinned. â€Å"All right by me.† Bonnie allowed herself to be led up a dirty stairway and into a dirty cafeteria. The blond girl, who seemed to regard herself as Bonnie's keeper, handed her a tray, and pushed her along. Bonnie didn't get any choice in what she was to have, not even to veto the noodles that were squirming slightly, but she did manage to snatch an extra bread rol in the end. Damon! Nobody was tel ing her not to send a message, so she kept on doing it. If she was going to be punished, she thought defiantly, she was going to be punished for trying to get out of here. Damon, I'm in a slave warehouse! Help me! Blond Eren grabbed a spork, so Bonnie did too. There were no knives. There were thin napkins, which relieved Bonnie, because that was where the Squirmy Noodles were going to end up. Without Eren, Bonnie would never have found a place at the tables, which were crammed with young girls eating. â€Å"Shove over, shove over,†Eren kept saying, until there was room for Bonnie and her. Dinner was a test of Bonnie's courage – and also of how loud she could scream. â€Å"Why are you doing all this for me?†she shouted into Eren's ear, when a lul in the deafening conversation gave her a chance. â€Å"Oh, Well, you being a redhead and all – it put me in mind of Aliana's message, you know. To the reall Bonny.†She pronounced it oddly, sort of swall owing the y, but at least it wasn't Bonna. â€Å"Which of them? Which message, I mean?†Bonnie screamed. Eren gave her an are you kidding look. â€Å"Help when you can, shelter when you have room, guide when you know where to go,†she said in a sort of impatient chant, then looked chagrined and added, â€Å"And be patient with the slow.†She attacked her food with an air of having said everything there was to say. Oh, boy, Bonnie thought. Somebody had really taken the balland run with it. Elena had never said any of those things. Yeah, but – but maybe she'd lived them, Bonnie thought, a tingling breaking out all over her body. And maybe somebody had seen her and made up the words. For instance, that crazy-looking guy she'd given her ring or bracelet or something to. She'd given her earrings away to people with signs, too. Signs that said: POETRY FOR FOOD. The rest of dinner was a matter of picking up food with the spork and not looking at it, crunching it once, and then deciding whether to spit into her Still-writhing napkin, or to try to swallow without tasting. Afterward the girls were marched into another building, this one fil ed with pal ets, smal er and not so comfortable-looking as Bonnie's at the inn. She was now horrified at herself for leaving that room. There she had had safety, she had had food that she could actual y eat, she had had entertainment – even the Dustbins were clothed in a golden glow of remembrance now – and she had had the chance of Damon finding her. Here she had nothing. But Eren seemed to have some mesmeric influence on the girls around, or else they al were Aliana-ites too, because when she shouted â€Å"Where's a pal et? I've got a new girl in my bedroom. Think she's gonna sleep on the bare floor?†And eventual y, a dusty pal et was passed hand over hand into Eren's â€Å"bedroom† – a group of pal ets al spread with the heads together in the middle. In exchange, Eren handed over the wriggling napkin Bonnie had given her. â€Å"Share and share alike,†she said firmly, and Bonnie wondered if she thought Aliana had said that, too. A whistle shril ed. â€Å"Ten minutes until lights-out,†a hoarse voice shouted. â€Å"Every girl not on her pal et in ten minutes wil be punished. Tomorrow section C goes up.† â€Å"All right! We're going to be bloody deaf before we're sold,†Eren muttered. â€Å"Before we're sold?†Bonnie repeated stupidly, even though she had known what would happen from the first moment she had recognized this as a warehouse for slaves. Eren turned and spat. â€Å"Yeah,†she said. â€Å"So you can have one more breakdown and then that's it. Only two per customer, and by tomorrow you may wish you'd saved one up.† â€Å"I wasn't going to have a breakdown,†Bonnie said, with al the courage at her command. â€Å"I was going to ask how we're going to be sold. Is it at one of those horrible public places, where you have to stand in front of a crowd in just a shift?† â€Å"Yeah, that's what most of us wil be doing,†a young girl, who had been crying quietly through dinner and the pal et-arranging time, spoke up in a soft voice. â€Å"But the ones they pick out as special items wil have to wait. They'l give us a bath and special clothes, but it's al just so we look more presentable for the clients. So the clients can inspect us more closely.†She shuddered. â€Å"You're frightening the new girl, Mouse,†Eren scolded. â€Å"We cal her Mouse, because she's always so scared,†she told Bonnie. Bonnie silently screamed, Damon! Damon was decked out in his new captain of the guard suit. It was nice, being black on black, with lighter black piping (even Damon recognized the necessity of contrast). It had a cloak. And he was a ful vampire again, as powerful and prestigious as even he could have imagined. For a moment he simply luxuriated in the feeling of a job well done. Then he flexed his vampire muscles more strongly, urging Jessalyn, who was upstairs, into deeper sleep, while he sent tendrils of Power al over the Dark Dimension, sampling what was going on in different districts. Jessalyn†¦now there was a dilemma. Damon had the feeling that he should leave her a note or something, but he wasn't quite sure what to say. What could he tel her? That he was gone? She would see that for herself. That he was sorry? Well, obviously he wasn't so sorry that he'd chosen not to go. That he had duties elsewhere? Wait. That might actual y work. He could tel her that he needed to check up on her territory and that if he were to stay here in the castle he doubted he'd ever get anything done. He could tel her he'd be back†¦soon. Soonish. Soonishly. Damon pressed his tongue against a canine and felt the prompt rewarding sharpness and length. He real y wanted to try out those legendary Black Ops vs. vampires programs. He wanted to hunt, period. Of course, there was so much Black Magic wine about the place that when he stopped a male servant and asked for some, the servant had brought a magnum. Damon had been having flutes every now and then, but what he real y wanted was to go hunting. And not to hunt a slave and certainly not an animal, and it hardly seemed fair to wander the streets on the chance that there was a noblewoman to get to know better. It was at that moment that he remembered Bonnie. In a matter of three more minutes he had everything he needed to do wrapped up, including the annual delivery of dozens of roses to the princess in his name. Jessalyn had given him a very liberal al owance, and already advanced for the first month. In a matter of five minutes he was flying, though that was very bad manners on the street, and doubly so in a market district. In a matter of fifteen minutes he had his hands around the landlady's neck, the one whom he had paid very well to make sure that exactly what had happened never happened. In sixteen minutes, the landlady was grimly offering him the life of her young and not very intel igent slave as recompense. He was Stillwearing his captain of guard suit. He could have the boy to kil , to torture, whatever†¦he could have the money back†¦ â€Å"I don't want your filthy slave,†he snarled. â€Å"I want my own back! She's worth†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Here he came to a stop, trying to calculate how many ordinary girls Bonnie was worth. A hundred? A thousand? â€Å"She is worth infinitely more – â€Å"he began, when the landlady surprised him by interrupting. â€Å"Why'd you leave her in a dump like this, then?†she said. â€Å"Oh, yes, I know what my own lodgings are like. If she was so damn precious, why'd you leave her here?† Why had he left her in this place? Damon couldn't think now. He'd been panicked, half out of his mind – that was what being human had done to him. He'd been thinking only about himself, while little Bonnie – fragile Bonnie, his little redbird – had been shut up in this filthy place. He didn't want to keep thinking about it. It made him feel searing hot and icy cold at once. He demanded that a search be made of al the neighborhood buildings. Someone had to have seen something. Bonnie had been awakened too early and parted from Eren and Mouse. She immediately had an urge to lose control, to have a breakdown at once. She was shivering al over. Damon! Help me! Then she saw a girl who couldn't seem to get up off her pal et and saw a woman with arms like a man's go over with a white ash rod to administer punishment. And then something seemed to go blank in Bonnie's mind. Elena or Meredith might have tried to stop the woman, or even this huge machine they were caught in, but Bonnie couldn't. The only thing she could do was try not to have a breakdown. She had a song stuck in her head, not even a song she liked, but it repeated endlessly over and over as the slaves around her were dehumanized, broken into mechanical, but clean, mindless bodies. She was being scrubbed mercilessly by two muscular women whose whole life doubtless consisted of scrubbing grimy street girls into pink cleanliness – at least for a night. But final y her protests led the women to actual y look at her – with her fair, almost translucent skin scrubbed raw – and concentrate instead on washing her hair, which felt as if it were being pul ed out at the roots. Final y, though, she was done and was given an adequate towel with which to dry off. Next, in what she was realizing was a giant assembly line, were kinder plump women who stripped off the towel and proceeded to put her on a couch and massage her with oil. Just when she was starting to feel better she was hustled up to have the oil removed, except that which had soaked into her skin. Women then appeared who measured her, cal ing out the numbers as they did, and by the time Bonnie had tramped to the wardrobe station, three dresses were waiting for her on a bar. There was a black one, a green one, and a gray one. I'l get the green for sure because of my hair, Bonnie thought blankly, but after she had tried al three on, a woman took the green and gray away, leaving Bonnie in a little black bubble dress, strapless, with a glittery touch of white material at the neck. Next was a giant sanitary room, where her dress was careful y covered with a white paper robe that kept ripping. She was led to a chair with a hair dryer and the rudiments of makeup, which a white-shirted woman used to put too much on Bonnie's face. Then the hair dryer was swung over her head, and Bonnie, with a stolen tissue, took off as much makeup as she dared. She didn't want to look good, didn't want to be sold. When she finished she had silvery eyelids, a touch of blush, and velvety rose-red lipstick that wouldn't wipe off. After that she just sat and finger-combed her hair until it was dry, which the ancient machine announced with a ping. The next station was a bit like the day after Thanksgiving at a big shoe store. The stronger or more determined girls managed to wrench shoes away from their weaker sisters and jammed them on one foot, only to start the process again the next minute. Bonnie was lucky. She saw a tiny black shoe that had a faintly silvery bow coming down the ramp and kept her eye on it while it passed from girl to girl until someone dropped it and then she swooped in and tried it on. She didn't know what she would have done if it hadn't fit. But it did fit, and she went to the next station to get its mate. As she sat waiting, other girls were trying on perfume. Bonnie saw two entire bottles go down the bodices of girls and wondered if they meant to sel them or try to poison themselves with them. There were also flowers. Bonnie was already dizzy with perfume and had decided not to wear any, but a tal woman bel owed over her head and a garland of freesia was pinned to frame her curls, without anyone asking her permission. The last station was the hardest to bear. She had on no jewelry and would have worn only one bracelet with the dress. But she was given two: slim unbreakable plastic bracelets, each with a number on it – her identity from now on, she was told. Slave bracelets. She had now been washed, packaged, and stamped, so that she could be conveniently sold. Damon! she cried voicelessly, but something had died inside her, and she knew now that her cal s would not be answered. â€Å"She was picked up as a runaway slave and confiscated,†the sweetshop man told Damon impatiently. â€Å"And that's al I know.† Damon was left with a feeling he didn't often have. Sickening terror. He was real y beginning to believe that this time he had cut it too fine; that he would be too late to save his redbird. That any of several dreadful scenarios might have played out before he got to her. He couldn't stand to visualize them in detail. What he would do if he didn't find her in time†¦ He reached out and without the slightest effort gripped the sweetshop man around the throat, lifting him off the floor. â€Å"We need to have a little chat,†he said, turning the ful force of his menacing dark eyes on the bulging ones of his prey. â€Å"About just how she got confiscated. Don't struggle. If you haven't hurt the girl, you've got nothing to fear. If you have†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He pul ed the terrified man completely across the counter and said very softly, â€Å"If you have, then, by al means struggle. It won't make any difference in the end – if you know what I mean?† The girls were put into the largest carriages Bonnie had yet seen in the Dark Dimension, three slim girls to a seat and two sets of seats in a carriage. She got a nasty jolt, though, when instead of going forward like a carriage, the whole thing was lifted straight up by sweaty male slaves straining at poles. It was a giant litter and Bonnie immediately snatched off her freesia garland and buried her nose in it. It had the added function of hiding her tears. â€Å"Do you have any idea of how many homes and dancing rooms and hal s and theaters there are where girls are being sold tonight?†The golden-haired Guardian looked at him sardonical y. â€Å"If I knew that,†Damon said with a cold and ominous smile, â€Å"I wouldn't be here asking you.† The Guardian shrugged. â€Å"Our job is real y only to try to keep the peace here – and you can see how well we succeed. It's a matter of too few of us; we're insanely understaffed. But I can give you a list of the venues where girls are being sold. Still, as I said, I doubt you'l be able to find your runaway before morning. And by the way, we'l have an eye on you, because of your little query. If your runaway wasn't a slave, she's Imperial property – no humans are free here. If she was, and you freed her, as reported by the baker across the street – â€Å" â€Å"Sweet-sel er.† â€Å"Whatever. Then he had a right to use a stun gun when she ran. Better for her, real y, than being Imperial property; they tend to char, if you get my drift. That level's a long way down.† â€Å"But if she was a slave – my slave†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Then you can have her. But there's a certain mandatory punishment set before you can have her. We want to discourage this kind of thing.† Damon looked at her with eyes that made her shrink and look away, abruptly losing her authority. â€Å"Why?†he demanded. â€Å"I thought you claimed to be from the other Court. You know. The Celestial one?† â€Å"We want to discourage runaways because there've been so many since some girl named Alianna came around,†the Guardian said, her frightened pulse visible in her temple. â€Å"And then they get caught and have even more reason to try it again†¦and it wears out the girl, eventual y.† There was no one in the Great Hal when Bonnie and the others were hustled off the giant litter and into the building. â€Å"It's a new one, so it's not on the lists,†Mouse said, unexpectedly at her shoulder. â€Å"Not that many people wil know about it, so it doesn't fil up til late, when the music gets loud.† Mouse seemed to be clinging to her for comfort. That was fine, but Bonnie needed some comfort of her own. The next minute she saw Eren and, dragging Mouse behind her, headed for the blond girl. Eren was standing with her back against the wal . â€Å"Well, we can stand around like wal flowers,†she said, as a few men came in, â€Å"or we can look like we're having the best time of any of them right here by ourselves. Who knows a story?† â€Å"Oh, I do,†Bonnie said absently, thinking of the star bal with its Five Hundred Stories for Young Ones. Instantly there was a clamor. â€Å"Tel it!†Ã¢â‚¬ Yes, please tel !† Bonnie tried to think of the fairy tales that she had experienced. Of course. The one about the kitsune treasure.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 18. INSTRUCTION

â€Å"THAT HAD TO BE THE LONGEST PARTY IN THE HISTORY of the world,† I complained on the way home. Edward didn't seem to disagree. â€Å"It's over now,† he said, rubbing my arm soothingly. Because I was the only one who needed soothing. Edward was fine now – all the Cullens were fine. They'd all reassured me; Alice reaching up to pat my head as I left, eyeing Jasper meaningfully until a flood of peace swirled around me, Esme kissing my forehead and promising me everything was all right, Emmett laughing boisterously and asking why I was the only one who was allowed to fight with werewolves. . . . Jacob's solution had them all relaxed, almost euphoric after the long weeks of stress. Doubt had been replaced with confidence. The party had ended on a note of true celebration. Not for me. Bad enough – horrible – that the Cullens would fight for me. It was already too much that I would have to allow that. It already felt like more than I could bear. Not Jacob, too. Not his foolish, eager brothers – most of them even younger than I was. They were just oversized, over-muscled children, and they looked forward to this like it was picnic on the beach. I could not have them in danger, too. My nerves felt frayed and exposed. I didn't know how much longer I could restrain the urge to scream out loud. I whispered now, to keep my voice under control. â€Å"You're taking me with you tonight.† â€Å"Bella, you're worn out.† â€Å"You think I could sleep?† He frowned. â€Å"This is an experiment. I'm not sure if it will be possible for us all to . . . cooperate. I don't want you in the middle of that.† As if that didn't make me all the more anxious to go. â€Å"If you won't take me, then I'll call Jacob.† His eyes tightened. That was a low blow, and I knew it. But there was no way I was being left behind. He didn't answer; we were at Charlie's house now. The front light was on. â€Å"See you upstairs,† I muttered. I tiptoed in the front door. Charlie was asleep in the living room, overflowing the too-small sofa, and snoring so loudly I could have ripped a chainsaw to life and it wouldn't have wakened him. I shook his shoulder vigorously. â€Å"Dad! Charlie!† He grumbled, eyes still closed. â€Å"I'm home now – you're going to hurt your back sleeping like that. C'mon, time to move.† It took a few more shakes, and his eyes never did open all the way, but I managed to get himoff the couch. I helped him up to his bed, where he collapsed on top of the covers, fully dressed, and started snoring again. He wasn't going to be looking for me anytime soon. Edward waited in my room while I washed my face and changed into jeans and a flannel shirt. He watched me unhappily from the rocking chair as I hung the outfit Alice had given me in my closet. â€Å"Come here,† I said, taking his hand and pulling him to my bed. I pushed him down on the bed and then curled up against his chest. Maybe he was right and I was tired enough to sleep. I wasn't going to let him sneak off without me. He tucked my quilt in around me, and then held me close. â€Å"Please relax.† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"This is going to work, Bella. I can feel it.† My teeth locked together. He was still radiating relief. Nobody but me cared if Jacob and his friends got hurt. Not even Jacob and his friends. Especially not them. He could tell I was about to lose it. â€Å"Listen to me, Bella. This is going to be easy. The newborns will be completely taken by surprise. They'll have no more idea that werewolves even exist than you did. I've seen how they act in a group, the way Jasper remembers. I truly believe that the wolves' hunting techniques will work flawlessly against them. And with them divided and confused, there won't be enough for the rest of us to do. Someone may have to sit out,† he teased. â€Å"Piece of cake,† I mumbled tonelessly against his chest. â€Å"Shhh,† he stroked my cheek. â€Å"You'll see. Don't worry now.† He started humming my lullaby, but, for once, it didn't calm me. People – well, vampires and werewolves really, but still – people I loved were going to get hurt. Hurt because of me. Again. I wished my bad luck would focus a little more carefully. I felt likeyelling up at the empty sky: It's me you want – over here! Just me! I tried to think of a way that I could do exactly that – force my bad luck to focus on me. It wouldn't be easy. I would have to wait, bide my time. . . . I did not fall asleep. The minutes passed quickly, to my surprise, and I was still alert and tense when Edward pulled us both up into a sitting position. â€Å"Are you sure you don't want to stay and sleep?† I gave him a sour look. He sighed, and scooped me up in his arms before he jumped from my window. He raced through the black, quiet forest with me on his back, and even in his run I could feel the elation. He ran the way he did when it was just us, just for enjoyment, just for the feel of the wind in his hair. It was the kind of thing that, during less anxious times, would have made me happy. When we got to the big open field, his family was there, talking casually, relaxed. Emmett's booming laugh echoed through the wide space now and then. Edward set me down and we walked hand in hand toward them. It took me a minute, because it was so dark with the moon hidden behind the clouds, but I realized that we were in the baseball clearing. It was the same place where, more than a year ago, that first lighthearted evening with the Cullens had been interrupted by James and his coven. It felt strange to be here again – as if this gathering wouldn't be complete until James and Laurent and Victoria joined us. But James and Laurent were never coming back. That pattern wouldn't be repeated. Maybe all the patterns were broken. Yes, someone had broken out of their pattern. Was it possible that the Volturi were the flexible ones in this equation? I doubted it. Victoria had always seemed like a force of nature to me – like a hurricane moving toward the coast in a straight line – unavoidable, implacable, but predictable. Maybe it was wrong to limit her that way. She had to be capable of adaptation. â€Å"You know what I think?† I asked Edward. He laughed. â€Å"No.† I almost smiled. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"I think it's all connected. Not just the two, but all three.† â€Å"You've lost me.† â€Å"Three bad things have happened since you came back.† I ticked them off on my fingers. â€Å"The newborns in Seattle. The stranger in my room. And – first of all – Victoria came to look for me.† His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. â€Å"Why do you think so?† â€Å"Because I agree with Jasper – the Volturi love their rules. They would probably do a better job anyway.† And I'd be dead if they wanted me dead, I added mentally. â€Å"Remember when you were tracking Victoria last year?† â€Å"Yes.† He frowned. â€Å"I wasn't very good at it.† â€Å"Alice said you were in Texas. Did you follow her there?† His eyebrows pulled together. â€Å"Yes. Hmm . . .† â€Å"See – she could have gotten the idea there. But she doesn't know what she's doing, so the newborns are all out of control.† He started shaking his head. â€Å"Only Aro knows exactly how Alice's visions work.† â€Å"Aro would know best, but wouldn't Tanya and Irina and the rest of your friends in Denali know enough? Laurent lived with them for so long. And if he was still friendly enough with Victoria to be doing favors for her, why wouldn't he also tell her everything he knew?† Edward frowned. â€Å"It wasn't Victoria in your room.† â€Å"She can't make new friends? Think about it, Edward. If it is Victoria doing this in Seattle, she's made a lot of new friends. She's created them.† He considered it, his forehead creased in concentration. â€Å"Hmm,† he finally said. â€Å"It's possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely . . . But your theory – there's something there. Victoria's personality. Your theory suits her personality perfectly. She's shown a remarkable gift for self-preservation from the start – maybe it's a talent of hers. In any case, this plot would put her in no danger at all from us, if she sits safely behind and lets the newborns wreak their havoc here. And maybe little danger from the Volturi, either. Perhaps she's counting on us to win, in the end, though certainly not without heavy casualties of our own. But no survivors from her little army to bear witness against her. In fact,† he continued, thinking it through, â€Å"if there were survivors, I'd bet she'd be planning to destroy them herself. . . . Hmm. Still, she'd have to have at least one friend who was a bit more mature. No fresh-made newborn left your father alive. . . .† He frowned into space for a long moment, and then suddenly smiled at me, coming back from his reverie. â€Å"Definitely possible. Regardless, we've got to be prepared for anything until we know for sure. You're very perceptive today,† he added. â€Å"It's impressive.† I sighed. â€Å"Maybe I'm just reacting to this place. It makes me feel like she's close by . . . like she sees me now.† His jaw muscles tensed at the idea. â€Å"She'll never touch you, Bella,† he said. In spite of his words, his eyes swept carefully across the dark trees. While he searched their shadows, the strangest expression crossed his face. His lips pulled back over his teeth and his eyes shone with an odd light – a wild, fierce kind of hope. â€Å"Yet, what I wouldn't give to have her that close,† he murmured. â€Å"Victoria, and anyone else who's ever thought of hurting you. To have the chance to end this myself. To finish it with my own hands this time.† I shuddered at the ferocious longing in his voice, and clenched his fingers more tightly with mine, wishing I was strong enough to lock our hands together permanently. We were almost to his family, and I noticed for the first time that Alice did not look as optimistic as the others. She stood a little aside, watching Jasper stretching his arms as if he were warming up to exercise, her lips pushed out in a pout. â€Å"Is something wrong with Alice?† I whispered. Edward chuckled, himself again. â€Å"The werewolves are on their way, so she can't see anything that will happen now. It makes her uncomfortable to be blind.† Alice, though the farthest from us, heard his low voice. She looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed again. â€Å"Hey, Edward,† Emmett greeted him. â€Å"Hey, Bella. Is he going to let you practice, too?† Edward groaned at his brother. â€Å"Please, Emmett, don't give her any ideas.† â€Å"When will our guests arrive?† Carlisle asked Edward. Edward concentrated for a moment, and then sighed. â€Å"A minute and a half. But I'm going to have to translate. They don't trust us enough to use their human forms.† Carlisle nodded. â€Å"This is hard for them. I'm grateful they're coming at all.† I stared at Edward, my eyes stretched wide. â€Å"They're coming as wolves?† He nodded, cautious of my reaction. I swallowed once, remembering the two times I'd seen Jacob in his wolf form – the first time in the meadow with Laurent, the second time on the forest lane where Paul had gotten angry at me. . . . They were both memories of terror. A strange gleam came into Edward's eyes, as though something had just occurred to him, something that was not altogether unpleasant. He turned away quickly, before I could see any more, back to Carlisle and the others. â€Å"Prepare yourselves – they've been holding out on us.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Alice demanded. â€Å"Shh,† he cautioned, and stared past her into the darkness. The Cullens' informal circle suddenly widened out into a loose line with Jasper and Emmett at the spear point. From the way Edward leaned forward next to me, I could tell that he wished he was standing beside them. I tightened my hand around his. I squinted toward the forest, seeing nothing. â€Å"Damn,† Emmett muttered under his breath. â€Å"Did you ever see anything like it?† Esme and Rosalie exchanged a wide-eyed glance. â€Å"What is it?† I whispered as quietly as I could. â€Å"I can't see.† â€Å"The pack has grown,† Edward murmured into my ear. Hadn't I told him that Quil had joined the pack? I strained to see the six wolves in the gloom. Finally, something glittered in the blackness – their eyes, higher up than they should be. I'd forgotten how very tall the wolves were. Like horses, only thick with muscle and fur – and teeth like knives, impossible to overlook. I could only see the eyes. And as I scanned, straining to see more, it occurred to me that there were more than six pairs facing us. One, two, three . . . I counted the pairs swiftly in my head. Twice. There were ten of them. â€Å"Fascinating,† Edward murmured almost silently. Carlisle took a slow, deliberate step forward. It was a careful movement, designed to reassure. â€Å"Welcome,† he greeted the invisible wolves. â€Å"Thank you,† Edward responded in a strange, flat tone, and I realized at once that the words came from Sam. I looked to the eyes shining in the center of the line, the highest up, the tallest of them all. It was impossible to separate the shape of the big black wolf from the darkness. Edward spoke again in the same detached voice, speaking Sam's words. â€Å"We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self-control.† â€Å"That is more than enough,† Carlisle answered. â€Å"My son Jasper† – he gestured to where Jasper stood, tensed and ready – â€Å"has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style.† â€Å"They are different from you?† Edward asked for Sam. Carlisle nodded. â€Å"They are all very new – only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you – it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves.† A rumble passed down the shadowy line of wolves, a low growling mutter that somehow managed to sound enthusiastic. â€Å"We are willing to take more than our share, if necessary,† Edward translated, his tone less indifferent now. Carlisle smiled. â€Å"We'll see how it plays out.† â€Å"Do you know when and how they'll arrive?† â€Å"They'll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path.† â€Å"Thank you for the information. We will watch.† With a sighing sound, the eyes sank closer to the ground one set at a time. It was silent for two heartbeats, and then Jasper took a step into the empty space between the vampires and the wolves. It wasn't hard for me to see him – his skin was as bright against the darkness as the wolves' eyes. Jasper threw a wary glance toward Edward, who nodded, and then Jasper turned his back to the werewolves. He sighed, clearly uncomfortable. â€Å"Carlisle's right.† Jasper spoke only to us; he seemed to be trying to ignore the audience behind him. â€Å"They'll fight like children. The two most important things you'll need to remember are, first, don't let them get their arms around you and, second, don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they'll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving, they'll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?† Emmett stepped out of the line with a huge smile. Jasper backed toward the north end of the opening between the allied enemies. He waved Emmett forward. â€Å"Okay, Emmett first. He's the best example of a newborn attack.† Emmett's eyes narrowed. â€Å"I'll try not to break anything,† he muttered. Jasper grinned. â€Å"What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett.† Jasper backed up a few more paces, his body tensing. â€Å"Okay, Emmett – try to catch me.† And I couldn't see Jasper anymore – he was a blur as Emmett charged him like a bear, grinning while he snarled. Emmett was impossibly quick, too, but not like Jasper. It looked like Jasper had no more substance than a ghost – any time it seemed Emmett's big hands had him for sure, Emmett's fingers clenched around nothing but the air. Beside me, Edward leaned forward intently, his eyes locked on the brawl. Then Emmett froze. Jasper had him from behind, his teeth an inch from his throat. Emmett cussed. There was a muttered rumble of appreciation from the watching wolves. â€Å"Again,† Emmett insisted, his smile gone. â€Å"It's my turn,† Edward protested. My fingers tensed around his. â€Å"In a minute.† Jasper grinned, stepping back. â€Å"I want to show Bella something first.† I watched with anxious eyes as he waved Alice forward. â€Å"I know you worry about her,† he explained to me as she danced blithely into the ring. â€Å"I want to show you why that's not necessary.† Though I knew that Jasper would never allow any harm to come to Alice, it was still hard to watch as he sank back into a crouch facing her. Alice stood motionlessly, looking tiny as a doll after Emmett, smiling to herself. Jasper shifted forward, then slinked to her left. Alice closed her eyes. My heart thumped unevenly as Jasper stalked toward where Alice stood. Jasper sprang, disappearing. Suddenly he was on the other side of Alice. She didn't appear to have moved. Jasper wheeled and launched himself at her again, only to land in a crouch behind her like the first time; all the while Alice stood smiling with her eyes closed. I watched Alice more carefully now. She was moving – I'd just been missing it, distracted by Jasper's attacks. She took a small step forward at the exact second that Jasper's body flew through the spot where she'd just been standing. She took another step, while Jasper's grasping hands whistled past where her waist had been. Jasper closed in, and Alice began to move faster. She was dancing – spiraling and twisting and curling in on herself. Jasper was her partner, lunging, reaching through her graceful patterns, never touching her, like every movement was choreographed. Finally, Alice laughed. Out of nowhere she was perched on Jasper's back, her lips at his neck. â€Å"Gotcha,† she said, and kissed his throat. Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. â€Å"You truly are one frightening little monster.† The wolves muttered again. This time the sound was wary. â€Å"It's good for them to learn some respect,† Edward murmured, amused. Then he spoke louder. â€Å"My turn.† He squeezed my hand before he let it go. Alice came to take his place beside me. â€Å"Cool, huh?† she asked me smugly. â€Å"Very,† I agreed, not looking away from Edward as he glided noiselessly toward Jasper, his movements lithe and watchful as a jungle cat. â€Å"I've got my eye on you, Bella,† she whispered suddenly, her voice pitched so low that I could barely hear, though her lips were at my ear. My gaze flickered to her face and then back to Edward. He was intent on Jasper, both of them feinting as he closed the distance. Alice's expression was full of reproach. â€Å"I'll warn him if your plans get any more defined,† she threatened in the same low murmur. â€Å"It doesn't help anything for you to put yourself in danger. Do you think either of them would give up if you died? They'd still fight, we all would. You can't change anything, so just be good, okay?† I grimaced, trying to ignore her. â€Å"I'm watching,† she repeated. Edward had closed on Jasper now, and this fight was more even than either of the others. Jasper had the century of experience to guide him, and he tried to go on instinct alone as much as he could, but his thoughts always gave him away a fraction of a second before he acted. Edward was slightly faster, but the moves Jasper used were unfamiliar to him. They came at each other again and again, neither one able to gain the advantage, instinctive snarls erupting constantly. It was hard to watch, but harder to look away. They moved too fast for me to really understand what they were doing. Now and then the sharp eyes of the wolves would catch my attention. I had a feeling the wolves were getting more out of this than I was – maybe more than they should. Eventually, Carlisle cleared his throat. Jasper laughed, and took a step back. Edward straightened up and grinned at him. â€Å"Back to work,† Jasper consented. â€Å"We'll call it a draw.† Everyone took turns, Carlisle, then Rosalie, Esme, and Emmett again. I squinted through my lashes, cringing as Jasper attacked Esme. That one was the hardest to watch. Then he slowed down, still not quite enough for me to understand his motions, and gave more instruction. â€Å"You see what I'm doing here?† he would ask. â€Å"Yes, just like that,† he encouraged. â€Å"Concentrate on the sides. Don't forget where their target will be. Keep moving.† Edward was always focused, watching and also listening to what others couldn't see. It got more difficult to follow as my eyes got heavier. I hadn't been sleeping well lately, anyway, and it was approaching a solid twenty-four hours since the last time I'd slept. I leaned against Edward's side, and let my eyelids droop. â€Å"We're about finished,† he whispered. Jasper confirmed that, turning toward the wolves for the first time, his expression uncomfortable again. â€Å"We'll be doing this tomorrow. Please feel welcome to observe again.† â€Å"Yes,† Edward answered in Sam's cool voice. â€Å"We'll be here.† Then Edward sighed, patted my arm, and stepped away from me. He turned to his family. â€Å"The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents – so they don't make mistakes later. If we could hold very still, it will make it easier for them.† â€Å"Certainly,† Carlisle said to Sam. â€Å"Whatever you need.† There was a gloomy, throaty grumble from the wolf pack as they all rose to their feet. My eyes were wide again, exhaustion forgotten. The deep black of the night was just beginning to fade – the sun brightening the clouds, though it hadn't cleared the horizon yet, far away on the other side of the mountains. As they approached, it was suddenly possible to make out shapes . . . colors. Sam was in the lead, of course. Unbelievably huge, black as midnight, a monster straight out of my nightmares – literally; after the first time I'd seen Sam and the others in the meadow, they'd starred in my bad dreams more than once. Now that I could see them all, match the vastness with each pair of eyes, it looked like more than ten. The pack was overwhelming. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Edward was watching me, carefully evaluating my reaction. Sam approached Carlisle where he stood in the front, the huge pack right on his tail. Jasper stiffened, but Emmett, on the other side of Carlisle, was grinning and relaxed. Sam sniffed at Carlisle, seeming to wince slightly as he did. Then he moved on to Jasper. My eyes ran down the wary brace of wolves. I was sure I could pick out a few of the new additions. There was a light gray wolf that was much smaller than the others, the hackles on the back of his neck raised in distaste. There was another, the color of desert sand, who seemed gangly and uncoordinated beside the rest. A low whine broke through the sandy wolf's control when Sam's advance left him isolated between Carlisle and Jasper. I stopped at the wolf just behind Sam. His fur was reddish-brown and longer than the others, shaggy in comparison. He was almost as tall as Sam, the second largest in the group. His stance was casual, somehow exuding nonchalance over what the rest obviously considered an ordeal. The enormous russet-colored wolf seemed to feel my gaze, and he looked up at me with familiar black eyes. I stared back at him, trying to believe what I already knew. I could feel the wonder and fascination on my face. The wolf's muzzle fell open, pulling back over his teeth. It would have been a frightening expression, except that his tongue lolled out the side in a wolfy grin. I giggled. Jacob's grin widened over his sharp teeth. He left his place in line, ignoring the eyes of his pack as they followed him. He trotted past Edward and Alice to stand not two feet away from me. He stopped there, his gaze flickering briefly toward Edward. Edward stood motionless, a statue, his eyes still assessing my reaction. Jacob crouched down on his front legs and dropped his head so that his face was no higher than mine, staring at me, measuring my response just as much as Edward was. â€Å"Jacob?† I breathed. The answering rumble deep in his chest sounded like a chuckle. I reached my hand out, my fingers trembling slightly, and touched the red-brown fur on the side of his face. The black eyes closed, and Jacob leaned his huge head into my hand. A thrumming hum resonated in this throat. The fur was both soft and rough, and warm against my skin. I ran my fingers through it curiously, learning the texture, stroking his neck where the color deepened. I hadn't realized how close I'd gotten; without warning, Jacob suddenly licked my face from chin to hairline. â€Å"Ew! Gross, Jake!† I complained, jumping back and smacking at him, just as I would have if he were human. He dodged out of the way, and the coughing bark that came through his teeth was obviously laughter. I wiped my face on the sleeve of my shirt, unable to keep from laughing with him. It was at that point that I realized that everyone was watching us, the Cullens and the werewolves – the Cullens with perplexed and somewhat disgusted expressions. It was hard to read the wolves' faces. I thought Sam looked unhappy. And then there was Edward, on edge and clearly disappointed. I realized he'd been hoping for a different reaction from me. Like screaming and running away in terror. Jacob made the laughing sound again. The other wolves were backing away now, not taking their eyes off the Cullens as they departed. Jacob stood by my side, watching them go. Soon, they disappeared into the murky forest. Only two hesitated by the trees, watching Jacob, their postures radiating anxiety. Edward sighed, and – ignoring Jacob – came to stand on my other side, taking my hand. â€Å"Ready to go?† he asked me. Before I could answer, he was staring over me at Jacob. â€Å"I've not quite figured out all the details yet,† he said, answering a question in Jacob's thoughts. The Jacob-wolf grumbled sullenly. â€Å"It's more complicated than that,† Edward said. â€Å"Don't concern yourself; I'll make sure it's safe.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† I demanded. â€Å"Just discussing strategy,† Edward said. Jacob's head swiveled back and forth, looking at our faces. Then, suddenly, he bolted for the forest. As he darted away, I noticed for the first time a square of folded black fabric secured to his back leg. â€Å"Wait,† I called, one hand stretching out automatically to reach after him. But he disappeared into the trees in seconds, the other two wolves following. â€Å"Why did he leave?† I asked, hurt. â€Å"He's coming back,† Edward said. He sighed. â€Å"He wants to be able to talk for himself.† I watched the edge of the forest where Jacob had vanished, leaning into Edward's side again. I was on the point of collapse, but I was fighting it. Jacob loped back into view, on two legs this time. His broad chest was bare, his hair tangled and shaggy. He wore only a pair of black sweat pants, his feet bare to the cold ground. He was alone now, but I suspected that his friends lingered in the trees, invisible. It didn't take him long to cross the field, though he gave a wide berth to the Cullens, who stood talking quietly in a loose circle. â€Å"Okay, bloodsucker,† Jacob said when he was a few feet from us, evidently continuing the conversation I'd missed. â€Å"What's so complicated about it?† â€Å"I have to consider every possibility,† Edward said, unruffled. â€Å"What if someone gets by you?† Jacob snorted at that idea. â€Å"Okay, so leave her on the reservation. We're making Collin and Brady stay behind anyway. She'll be safe there.† I scowled. â€Å"Are you talking about me?† â€Å"I just want to know what he plans to do with you during the fight,† Jacob explained. â€Å"Do with me?† â€Å"You can't stay in Forks, Bella.† Edward's voice was pacifying. â€Å"They know where to look for you there. What if someone slipped by us?† My stomach dropped and the blood drained from my face. â€Å"Charlie?† I gasped. â€Å"He'll be with Billy,† Jacob assured me quickly. â€Å"If my dad has to commit a murder to get him there, he'll do it. Probably it won't take that much. It's this Saturday, right? There's a game.† â€Å"This Saturday?† I asked, my head spinning. I was too lightheaded to control my wildly random thoughts. I frowned at Edward. â€Å"Well, crap! There goes your graduation present.† Edward laughed. â€Å"It's the thought that counts,† he reminded me. â€Å"You can give the tickets to someone else.† Inspiration came swiftly. â€Å"Angela and Ben,† I decided at once. â€Å"At least that will get them out of town.† He touched my cheek. â€Å"You can't evacuate everyone,† he said in a gentle voice. â€Å"Hiding you is just a precaution. I told you – we'll have no problem now. There won't be enough of them to keep us entertained.† â€Å"But what about keeping her in La Push?† Jacob interjected, impatient. â€Å"She's been back and forth too much,† Edward said. â€Å"She's left trails all over the place. Alice only sees very young vampires coming on the hunt, but obviously someone created them. There is someone more experienced behind this. Whoever he† – Edward paused to look at me – â€Å"or she is, this could all be a distraction. Alice will see if he decides to look himself, but we could be very busy at the time that decision is made. Maybe someone is counting on that. I can't leave her somewhere she's been frequently. She has to be hard to find, just in case. It's a very long shot, but I'm not taking chances.† I stared at Edward as he explained, my forehead creasing. He patted my arm. â€Å"Just being overcautious,† he promised. Jacob gestured to the deep forest east of us, to the vast expanse of the Olympic Mountains. â€Å"So hide her here,† he suggested. â€Å"There's a million possibilities – places either one of us could be in just a few minutes if there's a need.† Edward shook his head. â€Å"Her scent is too strong and, combined with mine, especially distinct. Even if I carried her, it would leave a trail. Our trace is all over the range, but in conjunction with Bella's scent, it would catch their attention. We're not sure exactly which path they'll take, because they don't know yet. If they crossed her scent before they found us . . .† Both of them grimaced at the same time, their eyebrows pulling together. â€Å"You see the difficulties.† â€Å"There has to be a way to make it work,† Jacob muttered. He glared toward the forest, pursing his lips. I swayed on my feet. Edward put his arm around my waist, pulling me closer and supporting my weight. â€Å"I need to get you home – you're exhausted. And Charlie will be waking up soon. . . .† â€Å"Wait a sec,† Jacob said, wheeling back to us, his eyes bright. â€Å"My scent disgusts you, right?† â€Å"Hmm, not bad.† Edward was two steps ahead. â€Å"It's possible.† He turned toward his family. â€Å"Jasper?† he called. Jasper looked up curiously. He walked over with Alice a half step behind. Her face was frustrated again. â€Å"Okay, Jacob.† Edward nodded at him. Jacob turned toward me with a strange mixture of emotion on his face. He was clearly excited by whatever this new plan of his was, but he was also still uneasy so close to his enemy allies. And then it was my turn to be wary as he held his arms out toward me. Edward took a deep breath. â€Å"We're going to see if I can confuse the scent enough to hide your trail,† Jacob explained. I stared at his open arms suspiciously. â€Å"You're going to have to let him carry you, Bella,† Edward told me. His voice was calm, but I could hear the subdued distaste. I frowned. Jacob rolled his eyes, impatient, and reached down to yank me up into his arms. â€Å"Don't be such a baby,† he muttered. But his eyes flickered to Edward, just like mine did. Edward's face was composed and smooth. He spoke to Jasper. â€Å"Bella's scent is so much more potent to me – I thought it would be a fairer test if someone else tried.† Jacob turned away from them and paced swiftly into the woods. I didn't say anything as the dark closed around us. I was pouting, uncomfortable in Jacob's arms. It felt too intimate to me – surely he didn't need to hold me quite so tightly – and I couldn't help but wonder what it felt like to him. It reminded me of my last afternoon in La Push, and I didn't want to think about that. I folded my arms, annoyed when the brace on my hand intensified the memory. We didn't go far; he made a wide arc and came back into the clearing from a different direction, maybe half a football field away from our original departure point. Edward was there alone and Jacob headed toward him. â€Å"You can put me down now.† â€Å"I don't want to take a chance of messing up the experiment.† His walk slowed and his arms tightened. â€Å"You are so annoying,† I muttered. â€Å"Thanks.† Out of nowhere, Jasper and Alice stood beside Edward. Jacob took one more step, and then set me down a half dozen feet from Edward. Without looking back at Jacob, I walked to Edward's side and took his hand. â€Å"Well?† I asked. â€Å"As long as you don't touch anything, Bella, I can't imagine someone sticking their nose close enough to that trail to catch your scent,† Jasper said, grimacing. â€Å"It was almost completely obscured.† â€Å"A definite success,† Alice agreed, wrinkling her nose. â€Å"And it gave me an idea.† â€Å"Which will work,† Alice added confidently. â€Å"Clever,† Edward agreed. â€Å"How do you stand that?† Jacob muttered to me. Edward ignored Jacob and looked at me while he explained. â€Å"We're – well, you're – going to leave a false trail to the clearing, Bella. The newborns are hunting, your scent will excite them, and they'll come exactly the way we want them to without being careful about it. Alice can already see that this will work. When they catch our scent, they'll split up and try to come at us from two sides. Half will go through the forest, where her vision suddenly disappears. . . .† â€Å"Yes!† Jacob hissed. Edward smiled at him, a smile of true comradeship. I felt sick. How could they be so eager for this? How could I stand having both of them in danger? I couldn't. I wouldn't. â€Å"Not a chance,† Edward said suddenly, his voice disgusted. It made me jump, worrying that he'd somehow heard my resolve, but his eyes were on Jasper. â€Å"I know, I know,† Jasper said quickly. â€Å"I didn't even consider it, not really.† Alice stepped on his foot. â€Å"If Bella was actually there in the clearing,† Jasper explained to her, â€Å"it would drive them insane. They wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything but her. It would make picking them off truly easy. . . .† Edward's glare had Jasper backtracking. â€Å"Of course it's too dangerous for her. It was just an errant thought,† he said quickly. But he looked at me from the corner of his eyes, and the look was wistful. â€Å"No,† Edward said. His voice rang with finality. â€Å"You're right,† Jasper said. He took Alice's hand and started back to the others. â€Å"Best two out of three?† I heard him ask her as they went to practice again. Jacob stared after him in disgust. â€Å"Jasper looks at things from a military perspective,† Edward quietly defended his brother. â€Å"He looks at all the options – it's thoroughness, not callousness.† Jacob snorted. He'd edged closer unconsciously, drawn by his absorption in the planning. He stood only three feet from Edward now, and, standing there between them, I could feel the physical tension in the air. It was like static, an uncomfortable charge. Edward got back to business. â€Å"I'll bring her here Friday afternoon to lay the false trail. You can meet us afterward, and carry her to a place I know. Completely out of the way, and easily defensible, not that it will come to that. I'll take another route there.† â€Å"And then what? Leave her with a cell phone?† Jacob asked critically. â€Å"You have a better idea?† Jacob was suddenly smug. â€Å"Actually, I do.† â€Å"Oh. . . . Again, dog, not bad at all.† Jacob turned to me quickly, as if determined to play the good guy by keeping me in the conversation. â€Å"We tried to talk Seth into staying behind with the younger two. He's still too young, but he's stubborn and he's resisting. So I thought of a new assignment for him – cell phone.† I tried to look like I got it. No one was fooled. â€Å"As long as Seth Clearwater is in his wolf form, he'll be connected to the pack,† Edward said. â€Å"Distance isn't a problem?† he added, turning to Jacob. â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"Three hundred miles?† Edward asked. â€Å"That's impressive.† Jacob was the good guy again. â€Å"That's the farthest we've ever gone to experiment,† he told me. â€Å"Still clear as a bell.† I nodded absently; I was reeling from the idea that little Seth Clearwater was already a werewolf, too, and that made it difficult to concentrate. I could see his bright smile, so much like a younger Jacob, in my head; he couldn't be more than fifteen, if he was that. His enthusiasm at the council meeting bonfire suddenly took on new meaning. . . . â€Å"It's a good idea.† Edward seemed reluctant to admit this. â€Å"I'll feel better with Seth there, even without the instantaneous communication. I don't know if I'd be able to leave Bella there alone. To think it's come to this, though! Trusting werewolves!† â€Å"Fightingwith vampires instead of against them!† Jacob mirrored Edward's tone of disgust. â€Å"Well, you still get to fight against some of them,† Edward said. Jacob smiled. â€Å"That's the reason we're here.†