The Pedestrian free essay sample

This short story is an example of Dystopian fiction – dealing with a society that embodies a flawed perfection – achieved at a cost. In the story, Ray Bradbury attacks a society which is, in effect, a police state – a totalitarian regime. The sole representative of the regime is, appropriately, the police car. Mead is a non-conformist whose ‘crime’ is to walk for pleasure – a most simple and natural activity. The oppressive nature of the regime is emphasised by the fact that such a basic human activity is prohibited and has been eradicated – as indicated by the disused sidewalks. The nature of this soulless society is emphasised again and again by numerous images connected with death: â€Å"dark windows† â€Å"not unlike walking through a graveyard† â€Å"tomb-like buildings† and â€Å"grey phantoms† By contrast the vivid sensory description of Mead’s walk is conveyed through crisp natural images which evoke the senses and show his delight in simple pleasures and sensations: breathing in the cold November air and its â€Å"crystal frost† makes his â€Å"lungs blaze like a Christmas tree inside† the â€Å"branches filled with invisible snow†. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pedestrian or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is a society which (it is implied) is kept docile and uninformed by a diet of poor quality TV programmes (which, we assume from the Police Car’s incredulity when Mead explains that he has no TV, are controlled by the State). The minds of the population have been dulled by the TV they are incessantly and acceptingly fed. Only Mead can see through the banality and predictability of the programmes: †Where are the cowboys rushing? † †A dozen assorted murders† †A comedian falling off the stage† There is nothing to stimulate the intellect of the population here. Despite the (large) number of channels, there is a complete absence of any political programme which might challenge the government. Possibly suggesting brain-washing. If not, it is clear from the way that the population is described that they are not capable intellectually of challenging the government – they are portrayed as automatons – unthinking, unchallenging, uninformed. The suggestion is that the minds of this population are chained and dulled by the government’s actions. Informed, intelligent, alert people would pose a threat and ask awkward questions. Mead is the last of such people and his nightly covert walks are, we presume a way to find like-minded people. His rebellion, if we can call it that, is hardly the most active – he seems to have accepted or resigned himself to the fact that he can no longer pursue his career and seems a broken man at the end of the story. Setting In contrast to the rest of the population, the individuality and free-thinking nature of Mead’s mind is emphasised by natural images. The simile â€Å"only his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk† conveys both an impression of a hunter and an image of soaring freedom. The fact that â€Å"he could imagine himself upon the centre of a plain, a wintry, windless Arizona desert† highlights his individuality and the sense of emptiness that he feels in a society that is, effectively, dead. The rest of the population and the city itself are portrayed as being dead. The buildings and city are architecturally dead – the â€Å"buckling concrete walk† suggesting decay and â€Å"tomb-like buildings† suggesting that those inside are dead. Even Nature itself seemed outraged by the setting and tried, it seemed, to bury it â€Å"like cement was vanishing under flowers and grass† The Police Car The imagery associated with the police car is harsh, cold, threatening, oppressive, that of hunter and its paralysed prey â€Å"flashed a fierce white cone of light upon him† â€Å"It smelled of riveted steel. It smelled of harsh antiseptic† Images which mirror the nature of the regime which is personified and represented by the car. Frequent use of word-choice linked to metallic, robotic, mechanical ideas. The voice of the police car also sounds robotic: short, sharp peremptory commands contrast with Mead’s fuller more warm and personal replies. The clearest indication of the nature of the regime comes in the interrogation: The lack of recognition of Mead’s profession and the incredulity that he does not have a TV set hint strongly at state control. In this dystopian society, anything connected with the arts: creativity, beauty, the senses†¦ is not recognised. Only that which is manufactured is recognised. Books and writing have no place in this regime. In a similar manner, the police car is unable to comprehend that Mead was simply walking for its own pleasurable sake. â€Å"Walking, just walking, walking? The repetition of walking gives the impression of the car’s brain malfunction. It cannot grasp that anyone would do something simply for the pleasure of it, not without a reason. Only Mead is capable of wry humour (a human quality) Are you married, Mr Mead No Nobody wanted me, said Leonard Mead with a Smile. Irony Mead is to be taken to an asylum – â€Å"To the Psychiatric Centre for Research o n Regressive Tendencies†. Note the use of official sounding language – a euphemism designed to hide the true purpose of such a place – echoing Soviet Asylums in which those who actively opposed the state’s political ideals were sent to an ‘asylum’ to be ‘re-educated’ – brain-washed until they did accept what the state wanted them to believe. The great irony here is that Mead – the only sane man in this insane society is being sent to an asylum. Symbolism. On their way to the asylum through, they pass Mead’s house. It is ablaze with lights in contrast to the dark city. â€Å"electric light brilliantly lit, every window a loud yellow illumination. It is a symbol of hope of vibrant life – light is a universal symbol of hope, but the car is swallowed up once more into the darkness (literally and figuratively). â€Å"The car moved down the empty river-bed streets† natural images of decay and life-lessness. Structure Mead’s capture is represented in stages. Contrast the positive, empowering image of him as a hawk – conveying a sense of freedom with his re action to the car †not unlike a night moth, stunned by the illumination† The short story remains fairly uneventful throughout, therefore the structure reflects this. However, the featurelessness of structure (which in turn reflects the bleakness of the landscape) is broken by the tension created by the interrogation of the police car. The apparent tedium of the walk through the grey town is transformed into a gripping tense episode. Near the end, the short story bursts into another high point of hope with the wonderful climactic symbol of the house ablaze with light – a symbol of hope. Nevertheless, we are again plunged into dark anti-climax as we realise that the house is only one lone point of hope, soon to be submerged within the blanket of darkness everywhere.

Firearms in America essays

Firearms in America essays Firearms in America: An Invitation to Murder Every 2 years since 1988, more Americans are slayed due to gunshot on their own soil than the entire number of American casualties during the Vietnam War. The time has come that we realize the fact that firearms are unnecessary to civilians and should be forbidden. While many pro-gun activists allege that firearm issues need not be dealt with at this time, that everything is fine, they are gravely mistaken. With an estimated two hundred fifty million firearms currently circulating in America, attributed to over thirty-six million deaths per year, it is our obligation as citizens of humanity to put an end to the needless deaths, while we have the chance. These pro-gun activists, such as the NRA (National Rifle Association), are convinced the right to bear arms is inalienable and an important part of the American culture, and should not change. They will also argue that having many guns in a country acts as a deterrent to crime; having iron bars on a window and car alarms can be likened to guns, all being means of protection. In a last attempt to win their argument, one may plead that the simple fact is not that the firearm is bad, but rather the media, which glorifies and ennobilizes the use of firearms against each other. Controversely, any human being possessing a faith in the mental stability of our race would take time out to think and realize that these activists make sense only to the ill-minded. The Amendments to the United States Constitution were written in 1791, and the lifestyles of Americans have made day to night changes in the past two hundred years. In this day and age, when nearly all people live in urbanized areas, the chance of attack by an animal is nearly non-existent. Furthermore, prior to the day when guns became an everyday item, bank robberies did not exist. The minute guns were invented, murder became all the more easy, gi...

Advantages of oligopoly in UK supermarket industry

Advantages of oligopoly in UK supermarket industry Oligopoly in UK supermarket industry Supermarket, which provides a retail sales service, is an indispensable place for people who buy the daily things. The definition of oligopoly is that an economic condition in which there are few independent suppliers of a particular product that competitive pricing does not take place (Answer, 2010). It is manifest that the UK supermarket is under the structure of oligopoly. There are four main characteristics of supermarket in the UK. The first point with respect to this is that all the super markets in the UK sell similar products and produce branded products. Secondly, look at the bar chart on the right, the big companies has larger market share, because the big supermarkets will set high barriers to avoid new supermarket into market. More importantly, the companies must be interdependent. If one large supermarket takes an action, it will directly affect another supermarket. The chairman in the supermarkets has to take into account likely rea ctions of rivals to any change in price and output and the interdependence of sellers can keep the price stability. Finally, non-price competition is a significant strategy for selling, such as the VIP cards, online shopping. The term marketing mix refers to different elements within a strategy designed to create demand for a product (Anderton, 2008; 324). Considering of the marketing mix right for the products means all the important bases are covered in the marketing campaign and it will help the companies gain more profits. This market structure creates both advantages and disadvantages. The lower price and the creative services are the advantages, but in the oligopoly market, the collusion between the companies will have detrimental influence upon the consumers. In oligopoly market consumers can enjoy a lower price for the products. Most of supermarkets in the UK sell the products from the same grocery brands, such as Kellogg’s, Heinz and Walkers Crisps (Which, 2007). The products which be sold in different supermarkets are the same and we called it homogeneous. Mysupermarket (2010) illustrates that the same products in different supermarkets have a similar price. Thus, it means that all the supermarkets need to pay almost the same cost of the products. The larger companies might pay slightly lower than the smaller one, because the quantity of the goods which the larger companies need to buy is more than the small companies so that larger companies will have a bigger discount. The lower cost help the larger supermarkets have superiority in the low price to attract the consumers. Because of the oligopolistic market, all the companies compete on price so that different companies take different measures appeal to the consumers. Figure 2 is a kinked demand curve and it assumes that a firm will reduce its price if a competitor starts a price war, but will leave price unchanged if a competitor raises its price. Thanks for the oligopoly structure, price is rigidity. Tesco promotes the discount coupon to the consumers and they can use these coupons to save their money while they buy goods in Tesco (Couponmountain, 2010). Discount coupon appeals consumers to shopping in this supermarket, thereby making the contribution to marketing. BBC(2006) reports â€Å"Supermarket Sainsbury’s is to sell more than 500 of its own-brand products in compostable packs instead of plastic as it seeks to cut packaging waste†. Sainsbury’s uses new packing way to pack the organic fruit and vegetables. This can reduce the cost of products and it is also a good way for the environment. Providing the low price is in the best interests of consumer.

Social & Emotional Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social & Emotional Intelligence - Essay Example 2) Which of these if not managed well can de-rail your career? What is the basis for your answer? Self management, if not taken seriously, can derail an individual’s career. This is because self management includes the correct use of one’s time in order to ensure that all tasks are performed at the appropriate time. If one does not ‘self-manage’, then he or she is open to being influenced by any suggestion from others or even him or herself that might not be conducive to achieving personal goals. Many business people have succeeded in spite of not being self-aware. Their inability to relate to the deepest emotions within themselves, however, does not hinder their ability to achieve what they wish. Also, there are many achievers who find that they still have relationship problems even after achieving their life’s dreams. Either way, their lack of relationship management skills has not stopped them from being the best they can be. There are also many s uccessful people in numerous fields whose faults include self-centeredness. This means that they are lacking in an awareness of the needs of others. In spite of this, they are able to attain career firsts. Moreover, there are no people to whom success ‘just happened’- unless they inherited money and good reputation from hardworking parents. Self management is vital for career success. 3) Do you believe Social & Emotional Intelligence is important for managers to understand or is it something only HR Managers and Leaders should pay attention to? Explain. What is the basis for your answer? It is more important for managers to have emotional and intelligence than it is for human resource workers to have it. This is because a manager will need self awareness, as well as the awareness of the feelings of others to be able to sense his own needs as well as those of his workers. Self awareness helps the manager to realize what is wrong with a situation while social intelligence helps the manager to be able to correctly perceive the feelings of his workers (Goleman 285). Self confidence, a vital part of emotional intelligence, will also aid the manager to remain confident while leading the company and maintain a positive outlook which inspires the workers even when the company goes through hard times. 4) The Social & Emotional Intelligence Model that your Instructor referenced is made up of 26 Competencies – as you consider all 26 which three do you believe you have the greatest strength in, and why do you believe that? Which three do you believe are your weakest? Why? I have the greatest strengths in behavioral self-control, resilience, and intentionality. I have noticed that I can withstand hardships for longer periods of time than others can. Owing to this fact, I tend to benefit from better life experiences than most of my peers. For instance, I made the decision to postpone serious relationships until I was sure about who I was and what I wante d in life. This was a hard decision that took a lot of perseverance because I did not just stumble into the revelation of what I wanted out of life after a few days of reflection. Moreover, I know find that when I form relationships, they tend to be more long-lasting than those of the people around me. My weaknesses are in the areas of situational awareness, service orientation, and empathy. This is because

Critical thinking art paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical thinking art paper - Essay Example Such depiction was evident by the use of multimedia that added to the value of the entire art entertainment. Truly, it is evident that the conceptual basis for such entertainment was the modern time that allows almost everyone in all walks of life to relate with. Therefore, the artwork in the event significantly involved computer technology. By being able to use multimedia presentations synchronizing the actors’ performance on stage, the entire show elaborated a truly new form of entertainment that was remarkably aligned with the modern times. It showcased an art that the new generation today with highly advanced technology can eventually appreciate. As already stated, the use of multimedia was enticing viewers to appreciate the whole theatrical event that is truly different from the classical one. Therefore the use of technology alone was a fundamental component of the Blue Man Group Universal that allowed it to be differentiated from the other theatrical and artistic performers. This eventually created a word of mouth, and as a result, many people were encouraged to experience the live artistic performance of the Blue Man Group Universal. Although the presentation of the Blue Man Group Universal still have important elements like those in any other classical theatrical event, what differentiated it from the rest was the level of interaction it tried to create with its target audience. The artistic performance was eventually designed in such a way that people in different walks of life can relate, both young and old. The interaction was able to create appreciation of the advantage of using technology in order to enhance or refine the presentation of the artistic design. Computer arts was remarkable in the presentation, prior to appealing to human emotion by triggering laughter and awe-inspiring creativity that was made possible via the employment of multimedia presentation. In this case, the use of

Xbox Doxing Guide Essay Example for Free

Xbox Doxing Guide Essay How to get agent on: Call 1800-4 After intro message, push 1 then say other and then wait till the robot says please say or enter your home phone number and say agent. When the agent answers they will tell you their name, and may say whats your name or how may I help you? This is your Response: Hello _______, My name is ___________ with the Universal department of xbox support, and I am need of help from a fello agent. I have a customer on the other line that claims his Xbox 360 CONSOLE has been stolen from his House Hold, and he says he just bought a new xbox 360 and is trying to recover his gamertag, but it will nto recover, So what I was going to do was console ban his STOLEN xbox 360, and get the customer through base line verification to help him on his way to getting a password reset. I tryed pulling his account up in CCF to get him past BASE LINE VERIFICATION and as soon as I opened his account my CCF and my system both froze. So I contacted my team lead and she stated that she would come to my office in the next 10-20 mins to help me fix my system and forward this customer to TIER 2 because it is a major case, if you can help me with this I highly appreciate it! Choices: A:Agent Says no, hang up! B:Agent says yes do the following: Say thanks so much, ask him/her if they can pull the account up in their CCF, if agent says yes, say I was told by my team lead to document all information, including your name and the accounts information on paper so I can document later on my system, so i will need to copy down the base line verification info, and that will make it even easier to verify with customer so we do not have to switch back and fourth to see if the information is correct or not. Then just have the agent give you the BASE LINE INFORMATION that he/she is able to see, one bit of information you have to ask for to get is the Date the Customer joined, and this will help the chances of you getting a reset, You also may want to ask for the Console Serial Number, Some times they give it some times they dont/wont, becuase most are to dumb adn do not know how to locate that information. NOTE: Agents cannot see the Secrect Answer nor the last 4 digits of the Credit Card, so do not waste your time asking for it. How ever they can see what payment method they last used, and the PrePaid Card Code.

Effects of Atmospheric Instability on the Anthrosphere :: Geology

EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY ON THE ANTHROSPHERE INTRODUCTION The atmosphere rises to 500 km above Earth's surface. The atmosphere is divided into four parts based on temperature change in relation to change in altitude. The four parts are the: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere. This paper will be discussing instability in the Troposphere, the lowest level, since it is where the Earth's weather takes place. Tropospheric instability often times yields severe weather, such as tornadoes. A Tornado is a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendent from a cumulonimbus cloud. A tornado's fierce winds have the ability to severely impact the lives of humans by: turning innocent stationary objects into flying missiles, collapsing buildings, and even throwing people hundreds of yards. One researcher summarized tornadoes well when he said "Tornadoes are one of the World's strongest forces, and they will not stop at anything that will get in their way!"(Elias Demakes). FORMATION OF SEVERE WEATHER HOW: Atmospheric instability is the result of air rising in a cloud that is warmer than its surroundings. The heat released by the condensation within the cloud allows the rising air to maintain its relative warmth in comparison to its surroundings. This is characteristic of a supercell, the strongest type of thunderstorm (Supercell). Supercells occur when the warm updraft moves through an overlying stable layer and continues upward into a zone of cool dry air. This process produces fierce vortex motions, a pre-requisite for tornadoes. WHERE: Tornadoes can occur anywhere as long as the conditions are favorable. However, the United States is host to more tornadoes than any other country. And within the United States, geographically, the western plains has the highest frequency of tornado occurences. The western plains has so many that it has become known as "Tornado Valley". One reason that this area receives so much tornadic activity is because here, the warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico converges with the cool dry air from the north. This creates the unstable atmosphere necessary for the formation of a tornado. WHEN: Tornadoes can occur on any day of the year at any hour. However, tornadoes occur most frequently in the spring.

Literature review on the cognitive processes involved with face recognition Essay

To human beings, facial recognition is not only essential for identification of persons in the social context, but also a vital social tool. There are various reasons why facial recognition process is a vital to human beings. Facial recognition serves an essential purpose of identifying members within our society; as a result, we are able to select those that we can socialize with that aid our survival in society. For instance, the males are able to select or identify the female and establish relationship that results to continuity of generation (Matsuo, Nakai, 1998, p. 110). While strong relationship and bonding exhibited in mother to child are facilitated by the facial recognition aspect.   The other vital function played by the facial recognition function is its ability to give information about individual’s emotional status through expression aspect like a smile or gloominess which serves as a mode of communication. Therefore, due to this significance importance of the facial recognition, psychologists have shown interest in studying the cognitive processes involved in facial recognition. In this line of thought, this paper shall examine and discus the cognitive processes and systems involved in facial recognition by individuals. Encoding of face by individual It is a common knowledge that in order for a person to recognize the face, the face features or cues must be encoded first in the long term memory. Thus, understanding face encoding precedes the recognition action. The first and initial stages of facial coding are referred to as structural encoding. In this stage, the visual information is encoded from the face into the information that shall provide information or be a data bank to face recognition systems in the stage of facial recognition. Encoding takes place in two separate processes, with the first one being â€Å"view centered description† that encodes the facial features like beards, color, eyes, nose, mouth and eyebrows which can be identified when viewed at an angle. From initial onsite of a person view centered description is involved in perceptual input that records the aspects of the face including its features. From the information input from the view cantered description, information is further processed to create a structural model of the face that facilitates comparison with other faces in memory. The second part of the processes is the expression independent descriptions that take its inputs from the view centered expressions. This second phase uses the already processed structural model of the face which is transferred to notional FRUs (face recognition units) (Matsuo, Nakai, 1998, p. 113) that will be now coded in semantic memory and would allow the facial recognition based on this stored information. In other words, facial recognition starts from basic perceptual manipulations on the sensory information to derive details about the person that generate cognitive ability to recall meaningful details of a person by seeing his or her face. Properly encoded face features enables the retrieval of features that relate to relevant past experiences of the individual and name that assists in recognizing the person. After structural encoding of the face features into FRUs, there are other parallel processes which occur like expression analysis processing stage receiving inputs from the view-centered process whereby an individual would analyze facial expression and imagine. But for the persons with brain damage cannot interpret expressions but can recognize faces. This is because these individuals with damaged brain, they can see facial features movements but they can not read the meaning of this facial features movement. Other parallel processes stage after encoding of the facial features into the FRUs is the facial speech analysis. This facial speech analysis stage of processing helps to separate distinct information from general information that gives more meaning to the encoded information (Shepherd, 2008, p. 320). Face recognition and identification After the information has been encoded into the semantic memory and can be used, the person visual perception shall be active and ready to retrieve features to identify the face.   According to Pretty and Benson, (2001); they states that face recognition involves stages that involve FRUs (Face Recognition Units). FRUs are nodes within individual’s long term memory that are associated with familiar face. When an individual eyes as a sensory organ sees an individual face which is referred to as a stimuli, it results to activation that is fed into FRUs. Within the FRUs there is inhibition and interactive activation, the node that reaches level of threshold activation will correspond to the face being observed, shall result to that face being recognized. While nodes that do not reach threshold activation level shall not correspond to the face being observed, therefore it will not be recognized. After recognizing the face, the FRUs and PINs (Persons Identifying Nodes) links and PINs receive input from the FRUs. This linkage enables the PINs to process and provide necessary information about the person. However, it is important to note that FRUs and PINs interact at levels of subject’s reaction time and name generation process for complete facial recognition. This is a simple process that leads to an individual recognizing and identifying the face of a friend or stranger. Possible errors associated with face recognition Most researches indicate that there are various errors that may occur in the process of facial recognition (Parkin, 2000; Retterstol, 2004). The errors are attributed to the brain disorders or neurological illness associated with such patients that are likely to make such errors. The dominant error is Prosopagnosia as a face perception disorder. Prosopagnosia is an impairment in recognizing faces that is usually caused by brain injury or neurological illness. In this case of Prosopagnosia, an individual’s ability to understand face is impaired, as a result, he or she can not recognize a face despite other perceptual skills like discriminating objects and recognizing remaining intact. The other error associated in facial recognition is misidentification. Misidentification error which is as a result of a syndrome which psychologist scholars refer to it as Delusional misidentification syndrome being a branch of the disorders which are caused by either neurological or mental illness to a patient. Misidentification error occurs as a result of a patient believing that the identity of an object or place or a person has somehow changed or has been altered. For instance, some patients with Delusional misidentification syndrome believe that close relative has been replaced is an example of the misidentification (Blakemore, 1970, p. 216) Reference Parkin, A.J. (2000) Essential Cognitive Psychology: Psychology Press,   Retterstol, N. (2004). â€Å"Delusional misidentification syndromes†: Psychopathology 27117–120. Matsuo, K. & Nakai, T (1998) â€Å"Cognitive Studies†: Journal of Cognitive Psychology vol.5, p.100–118. Blakemore, C. (1970). â€Å"The representation of three dimensional visual spaces†: Journal of Physiology, 209, 155–178. Shepherd, J. (2008) â€Å"Face recognition accuracy as a function of mode of representation.† Journal of Applied Psychology, 63, 180–187

Thorn Queen Chapter Fifteen

I stood there for several long seconds, staring at Shaya but not really seeing her. â€Å"Thank you,† I said at last, my voice unnaturally flat even to me. She hesitated, eyes worried. â€Å"Is there†¦is there anything I can get for you?† More wine, I thought. But I shook my head. Wine suddenly didn't seem strong enough. I wanted to go home just then and raid my liquor cabinet, seeking solace in my own home and its bed, not this godforsaken Dark Ages fortress. The wine was going to make transitioning between the worlds harder, though. It wasn't impossible but would hardly be as smooth as usual. No, it seemed I might be stuck here for a while. â€Å"I need to see Volusian,† I said. She stepped aside for me, and though I didn't ask for it, she followed me solicitously as I headed downstairs, down to the keep's dungeon. It seemed darker and drearier than it had last time, but maybe that was the wine. Jasmine's cell was easy to spot because four guards stood in the hall outside it. I reached it, and through the bars, I saw Volusian standing in one corner, perfectly still, with his arms crossed over his chest. Jasmine sat as absolutely far from him as she could, her face equal parts fear and sullenness. â€Å"What do you want now?† she snapped. I didn't even look at her. â€Å"Volusian,† I said. â€Å"I have an errand for you. I'll watch Jasmine while you're gone.† Volusian walked forward, passing through the bars and coming to stand in front of me. â€Å"No doubt my mistress has a more urgent task.† â€Å"Moderately. I want you to go back to Tucson and bring me the bottle of tequila I keep in my liquor cabinet. And don't scare Tim.† Volusian remained motionless in that way of his. â€Å"My mistress grows increasingly creative in her ways to torment me.† â€Å"I thought you'd appreciate it.† â€Å"Only in so much as it inspires me to equally creative means to rip you apart when I am able to break free of these bonds and finally destroy you.† â€Å"You see? There's a silver lining to everything. Now hurry up.† Volusian vanished. With him gone, Jasmine grew bolder. She hurried to the front of the cell, holding the bronze bars as best she could with her bound hands. â€Å"When are you going to let me go?† I sat down against the hall's wall, opposite her. I wondered if she'd try any of her stunted magic with me around. â€Å"When are you going to stop asking?† â€Å"You're a real bitch, you know that?† â€Å"Look, little girl,† I growled. â€Å"You do not want to mess with me tonight. I'm not in a good mood.† Jasmine was undeterred. â€Å"I can't believe you're keeping me in here with that†¦that thing! That's just cruel and sadistic.† â€Å"Wow, sadistic's kind of a big word. I didn't think you'd stayed in school long enough to learn that kind of vocabulary.† Her glower darkened. â€Å"When I get out, I'm going to kill you.† â€Å"Then you and ‘that thing' should get along beautifully, seeing as he spends all his time plotting my grisly death too.† She nodded down to her bound hands. â€Å"I can barely feed myself, you know.† â€Å"Barely isn't the same as can't.† But I did feel a little bad about that. Was I really going to keep her in cuffs forever? Yet, how could I not? Maybe I should investigate that potion Rurik had told me about. No†¦that wasn't right either. I sighed, and spent the next half-hour listening to her alternate between insults and whining. It was better than thinking about Kiyo, though. All the while, I was sobering up, so when Volusian finally appeared and handed me over a full bottle of Jose Cuervo, I gave silent thanks that I'd purchased an extra-large bottle. â€Å"Thanks,† I said, rising to my feet. I pointed to Jasmine's cell. â€Å"Now-back to guard duty.† I turned around without a second glance, Jasmine's cries of outrage echoing behind me. Shaya, who had waited silently the whole time, fell in step with me as I walked back upstairs. â€Å"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do for you?† I eyed the bottle. â€Å"See if you can find some little glasses about this big.† I held my fingers out to the size of a shot glass. â€Å"And bring enough for†¦I don't know. You, Rurik†¦hell, anyone who wants to get drunk with me. Even Ysabel.† I was feeling magnanimous tonight. Or, well, at least in a misery-loves-company mood. Shaya's face looked more troubled than ever, but I paid it little concern as I walked outside to a small circular courtyard in the castle's center. This seemed to be a fixture in most gentry holdings. Dorian had a couple. I'd been told that this one had been green in Aeson's time, filled with lilies and lilacs. Now, it was sandy and gravelly, lined with cacti, mesquite, and even some of the thorn trees that had given the land its name. At least the mesquite scented the air, and I decided one perk of the Otherworld was that those trees always seemed to be in bloom. I sat down cross-legged in the middle of the courtyard, noticing that someone had started to set stone tiles into it to create a kind of patio area. It hadn't been there last time, and I wondered if it was Shaya's doing, just like the patches of grass she kept trying to grow around here. Not waiting for shot glasses, I uncapped the tequila and took a long swig, the strong liquor burning my throat. Shaya returned shortly, Rurik following. His face was uncharacteristically serious. After a brief moment of exchanged looks, they joined me on the tiled ground. Shaya set down some tiny cups made of engraved silver. Not quite shot glasses, but they would do. I took the bottle and filled three of them up. â€Å"To the Willow Queen and her child,† I said, holding my cup in the air. I downed it one gulp. â€Å"Damn. Wish I had some salt and lime.† Shaya and Rurik exchanged glances once more-did they honestly think I didn't notice each time?-and then followed my lead with the tequila. Rurik took his down stoically, but Shaya choked on hers. â€Å"What†¦what is this?† she asked, once she was able to speak. â€Å"God's favorite liquor. I should have had Volusian run to the grocery store and get some margarita mix while he was out.† I paused, laughing at the thought. I poured another shot. â€Å"It's made from a kind of cactus, you know.† Shaya eyed the bottle askance. â€Å"Truly?† â€Å"Yup. Huh. I wonder if we could manufacture this stuff. I've seen agave around. I bet we could set up some serious trade with it.† â€Å"I'm not so certain,† she said. Rurik was pouring another glass. â€Å"I don't know. It might appeal to some.† â€Å"Ah, Rurik. I knew we were kindred spirits.† I held up my empty shot glass, studying the way the half-moon's light shone on it. My head was regaining its pleasant buzz again. â€Å"Do you think Maiwenn's going to have a boy or a girl?† â€Å"I don't know,† said Shaya after several moments of silence. â€Å"There are those who can magically determine such things. But I haven't heard of the Willow Queen doing that.† â€Å"Probably not.† Kiyo would have told me. Or would he have? Maybe he would have held on to that news, keeping it as a special secret between him and Maiwenn. I poured another shot but didn't drink it yet. Shitfaced was one thing; sick was another. â€Å"Back in my world, they would have known its gender a long time ago. They also would have been able to tell all sorts of things-its size, if it had any diseases, even if it was twins or triplets. There's this machine we've got. You run a paddle over the mother's stomach, and then you can see the baby up on this screen. Or, sometimes, even earlier, they can take a needle and suck up amniotic fluid to find out the same things.† Rurik and Shaya were staring at me wide-eyed. It was a common expression amongst Otherworldly denizens whenever I began talking about human technology. â€Å"I wonder sometimes if there's any mystery or wonder left in your world at all.† I glanced over and saw Ysabel's form silhouetted in the doorway to the castle. â€Å"Oh, sure. Plenty of it.† I gestured her over. â€Å"Come have a drink. I'm pretty sure I'm too drunk to kill anyone tonight.† Ysabel hesitated a few seconds and then slowly walked over, sitting near Rurik and Shaya, as far from me as she could respectfully go. She grimaced slightly at the tiles as she tucked her flowing silk skirts underneath her. No doubt being on the ground went against her fastidious nature. Rurik cheerfully handed her a tequila shot. She sniffed it, and her scowl returned. My mind was still on babies. â€Å"Seems like ultrasounds would be useful to you guys. I mean, what with the trouble you have having kids.† There was a good chance, I knew, that Maiwenn might not even survive the delivery. Or that her child wouldn't. It was common among the gentry, sort of the cost for their long and healthy lives. I didn't know how I felt about that. I didn't wish death on either of them†¦and yet, how much simpler would things be if there was no Maiwenn and no baby? Even now, I could picture Kiyo by her side, holding her hand. His handsome face would be lined with worry as he spoke words of encouragement. Surely, with his human blood, their baby would be healthy and strong. And Maiwenn was a healer†¦. would that be useful to herself? Maybe. Everything would go well, I was certain, and they'd undoubtedly have a beautiful baby, one that would create a bond between them forever, a bond I could never be a part of†¦. I drank my next shot and noticed that Ysabel had manfully downed hers. â€Å"Nice work,† I said. â€Å"You want another?† She shook her head. â€Å"I don't consider it ladylike to drown oneself in excess, losing hold of inhibitions and all sense of decorum.† â€Å"Of course you don't,† I said. â€Å"I believe,† she added primly, â€Å"that the Willow Queen shares my views.† I smiled, spinning my cup on the ground, watching in fascination as it turned in smaller and smaller circles before coming to a stop. With Maiwenn's baby consuming my thoughts, Ysabel's baiting seemed insignificant tonight. We continued on for a while, Rurik keeping up with me in shots, with Shaya only occasionally indulging. Ysabel seemed to have lost her fear of me and continued her running commentary of barbed remarks. I think knowing I was in a fragile state over Maiwenn's labor had emboldened her. In fact, she was in the middle of some anecdote about how Kiyo and Maiwenn had first gotten involved when her words came to a halt, and her features lit up with surprise. â€Å"My lord!† she cried, springing up just as one of my servants began announcing, â€Å"His royal majesty, King Dorian, of the House of Arkady, caller of earth-â€Å" Dorian strode forward into the courtyard without waiting for his titles to finish. Ysabel fell to her knees before him, face radiant. â€Å"My lord!† He gave her a brief nod of acknowledgment and then swept on past her toward me. I don't think anyone except me saw the devastation that filled her face over the slight. Shaya and Rurik began to rise out of courtesy, but Dorian quickly motioned them down. Unfastening his cloak-it appeared to be navy in the moonlight-he spread it on the ground and sat beside me. â€Å"Well, well, a party, and no one invited me.† â€Å"It was kind of impromptu,† I said, reaching over to pour him a shot. My hand trembled as I held the bottle. Dorian took it from me and finished pouring. He eyed me carefully. â€Å"And yet, it appears to have been going on for some time.† â€Å"Yes. We're toasting the birth of the next king or queen of the Willow Land.† â€Å"So I've heard, which is why I came to see how the news was received here.† Dorian tossed back the tequila. His eyebrows rose in surprise at the taste, but it didn't stop him from pouring another. â€Å"And don't presume her child will inherit. It all depends on strength and power.† His words reminded me distantly of Leith's own inheritance problems, which then reminded me of Leith's declaration of love. Ugh. I'd probably killed our one chance at engineering help. Well, that was a concern for another day. â€Å"How'd you get here so fast?† I asked Dorian. â€Å"Not that fast. I heard hours ago.† Hours ago. Dorian had found out before I had. Probably everyone had. Who was I, after all? Certainly no one who was connected to this birth. I was just another monarch who'd be expected to send jewels or tapestries when the baby was born. I poured another shot, but Shaya reached for it. â€Å"May I have another?† She wasn't a fan of this stuff, but I had a feeling she wanted to stop me from drinking any more. Oh, well. There appeared to be about one more shot in the bottle-though Dorian beat me to that one too. â€Å"You'll make yourself sick,† I warned, reaching for the bottle. Only a few drops poured into my cup. â€Å"I'll take my chances. This is a fascinating substance.† â€Å"It comes from cacti,† I said helpfully, hoping it might deter him from that last shot. It didn't. â€Å"Intriguing,† he said after downing it. â€Å"You should try producing it here. I'm certain a number of people would trade for it.† I couldn't be certain in the near-darkness, but it looked like Shaya rolled her eyes. Part of me resented Dorian's presence, though I had to admit that he did a good job in keeping the subject away from Maiwenn and Kiyo. That didn't stop me from thinking about them, of course, but I couldn't help but smile as he entertained the others. Whether it was part of being a king or just something inherently Dorian, he had a powerful charisma about him that could make everyone laugh and stay captivated. With my social reticence, his were skills I admired-and occasionally envied. As the night wore on, though, I could feel the tequila's effects lessening a little. That wasn't to say I still wasn't drunk as hell; I'd taken down half that bottle myself. But, I wanted to go to bed while I was still in that delirious haze. It didn't stop me from feeling down over Kiyo, but I had to imagine being sober would be worse. Everyone stood up when I did, and I felt my legs struggle for balance. â€Å"Let me assist you,† said Shaya, reaching toward me. Dorian intervened before she could help. â€Å"No, no. Allow me to guide the Thorn Queen to her room. I'd like a few words.† Ysabel's face darkened at this, and he gave her a chastising look. â€Å"Oh, stop it. I'll come to you shortly-provided Eugenie will allow me to stay overnight in her castle.† â€Å"Sure, sure,† I said. â€Å"Come on over. Make yourself at home. Pick out curtains.† He extended his arm to me, and I decided the indignity of letting Dorian guide me was less than that of me falling over in front of my servants. Ysabel's eyes followed us furiously, and I couldn't blame her. If my boyfriend were taking a drunk woman to her bedroom, I'd be pissed too. â€Å"It was very high-handed of you to think I needed your moral support,† I told him once we were out of earshot of the others. â€Å"Right. You only need the moral support of a bottle,† he teased. â€Å"Be honest, Eugenie. Your lover's at the side of a former lover, eagerly awaiting the birth of their child. I'd be distressed as well.† â€Å"Nothing distresses you,† I grumbled. We reached my room, and he followed me in without invitation. â€Å"Plenty of things do,† he said. He frowned, ever so slightly, and it occurred to me he was none too sober himself. I let go of his arm and walked over to the full-length mirror that stood on one side of the room, edged in gold. I'd pinned up my hair earlier and let it down now, wondering if I wanted to bother with sending Nia for a nightgown or if I'd just sleep in my clothes. Standing there, I stared at my body, thinking again of my mother's claims that I was too skinny. I always argued it was an athletic build. Running my hands over the sides of my stomach and down to my hips, I studied my figure. Whatever you wanted to call it, it was slim. â€Å"I can never do that for him,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"I can never give him a baby like she can.† Dorian strolled over and stood behind me, meeting my eyes in the mirror. â€Å"Do you want to?† â€Å"I don't know. Kids were never on my radar†¦it was always a ‘maybe someday' kind of thing. But now†¦knowing I can't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My hips and stomach suddenly seemed as unhealthily skinny as my mother had always said. They would remain untouched and infertile, never filling out with the kind of life Maiwenn's had. I would never share that with Kiyo. I flinched as Dorian reached from behind and placed his hands on the narrowest part of my waist. He rested his head on my shoulder, and I was too weary to shoo him away. â€Å"You speak like someone who's been condemned with infertility or like you've passed your prime.† â€Å"I might as well be.† â€Å"That's not true. You're young. You radiate health and fertility. You could have a dozen children.† I shook my head slowly. â€Å"I can't,† I said sadly. â€Å"I won't. You know I won't, no matter how much you and every other Otherworldly creature want me to.† â€Å"Maybe you'd have a daughter.† â€Å"I can't take the risk.† I knew I'd never be confiding in him sober. â€Å"And what if Kiyo decides he doesn't want that-to be with someone who's always going to be childless? What if he wants more kids? Maybe this baby†¦Maybe he'll go back to Maiwenn. Maybe†¦maybe he'll leave me†¦.† I could feel tears forming in my eyes and hated myself for the weakness. Dorian tightened his grip on my waist. â€Å"He'd be a fool. And you'd be a fool to mourn him if he did. You're more than a childbearing vessel.† â€Å"Not the way everyone talks. Not the way you talk.† To my shock, Dorian spun me around. Still gripping me, he pressed his forehead to mine so that only an inch was between us. I could smell the tequila on his breath, no doubt mirroring my own. â€Å"Eugenie, you're a woman without equal, and no matter how much you annoy the hell out of me and no matter how much I try to get you out of my head-and believe me, both occur regularly-I can't stay away from you. Even if you were barren, I'd take you as my consort in an instant and spend the rest of my life with you-childless, so long as it meant you'd be by my side. I would gladly bring you to my bed with no other thoughts than taking joy from your body. It would be enough.† I swallowed. â€Å"But you're with†¦I mean, what about†¦what about Ysabel? She can have kids†¦.† â€Å"Ysabel,† he said dismissively, â€Å"is nothing. A pale imitation of you-and not even a good one at that.† That was harsh of him, but it filled me with something warm and loved and special. I realized then that no matter the bantering, sexual tension, and many schemes, Dorian really was my friend. I also realized that I wanted so badly then for him to kiss me, to crush his body against mine and run his hands along my bare skin. I wanted to have sex with him against the wall, on the bed, on the floor†¦it honestly didn't matter, so long as our bodies were joined, and I could feel him in me†¦. Whoa. I jerked away, my heart racing, barely stopping myself from doing something I'd regret. Deciding he was my friend was one thing; jumping into bed was another. I knew it was the tequila and my worry over Kiyo causing this. I didn't want to be with Dorian again; I couldn't be. Even if he claimed it would be for love and pleasure, I knew it could never be that simple. There would always be politics and schemes†¦. And so, I did the most unsexy thing I could. I summoned Volusian. The icy, dark presence of my minion caught even Dorian by surprise, and he took a step back. It was the Otherworldly equivalent of a cold shower. Volusian's eyes flicked to him and then turned back to me. â€Å"My mistress requires more intoxication,† he said. â€Å"No.† My magical hold on him trembled ever so slightly. It was nowhere near enough for me to lose control, but the alcohol messed with my power a bit. â€Å"I wanted you to go to the Willow Land and see if there's any news.† â€Å"More romantic errands.† â€Å"Just go,† I snapped, trying to sound as harsh and commanding as I could. As soon as Volusian was gone, Dorian strode angrily to me, all traces of sensuality gone. â€Å"That was stupid, Eugenie. You shouldn't have summoned him after drinking so much.† I turned away from him. â€Å"I need to find out what's going on.† â€Å"You need to banish him. You're going to regret keeping him someday.† â€Å"He's useful,† I protested. â€Å"I don't need any lectures. You should go to Ysabel now. I don't need any more declarations of love today.† â€Å"Oh?† His light tone returned. â€Å"Had a few of those today?† â€Å"Leith,† I admitted. â€Å"He came by tonight to profess his undying devotion and see if he had a chance with me.† Dorian's green eyes watched me carefully. â€Å"And?† â€Å"And, of course not. I had to tell him no a few times before he finally got it.† Dorian didn't bother hiding his satisfaction. â€Å"You've broken the poor boy's heart. And his mother's, no doubt. There'll be no ball now. Would you like me to throw one instead?† â€Å"No.† My sadness was turning into irritability. â€Å"I want you to leave. Go to Ysabel and paint her or tie her up or whatever it is you do together. I'm tired and want to go to bed. Alone.† To my surprise, Dorian didn't protest. Much. â€Å"As you wish. If you need me, you know where I'll be.† â€Å"It would take a lot for me to interrupt you,† I said dryly. Dorian gave me one of his knowing, sly smiles and then left without another word. The thought of him going to Ysabel's bed troubled me more than I would have liked. He'd barely been gone a few minutes when Volusian returned. â€Å"Well?† I asked. My stomach was queasy. I didn't know what I wanted to hear. If it was in Volusian's nature to smile, I swear, he would have. â€Å"The servants of the Willow Land report joyfully that their queen has given birth to a daughter. All are healthy and well.† My body went perfect still, and for a moment, I saw nothing in the room except those glowing red eyes. Finally, I snapped back to myself. â€Å"Thank you, Volusian.† â€Å"Does my mistress require me to learn anything else about this joyous occasion?† There was a sneer in his voice. â€Å"No. Go back to Jasmine. Now.† He obeyed, leaving me alone. I sat on the bed for several minutes, thinking of everything and nothing. I felt numb. I felt every emotion in the world. And when I suddenly ripped the air from the room and used it to smash a vase against the wall, I couldn't say if it was because of Dorian or Kiyo.

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