Judgement At Nuremberg Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Judgement At Nuremberg - Movie Review Example In 1948, a series of trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany, by an international tribunal, headed by American legal and military officials, with the intent of bringing to justice those guilty of crimes against humanity. However, by that time most of the major figures of the Nazi regime were either dead or long missing, and in the resulting legal proceedings American judges often found themselves confronting the question of how much responsibility someone held who had "just followed orders." (Judgement At Nuremberg) The movie revolves around four judges who enact the Nazi Law and inflict a lot of pain on humanity. The director has tried his best to put across the fact that people take law for granted and they can go to any level in order to inflict pain upon the people. There were several scenes that caught the attention and because of the same the movie also got many Academy Awards. The role of Spencer Tracy was immaculate and Spencer is the lynchpin of the movie, Spencer's conspicuous presence makes the movie a great hit. In addition to this Burt Lancaster also plays a very pivotal role in shaping up the movie, these two characters are arguably the most important characters of the movie. The most appealing aspect about the movie is the theme of the movie which no other director touched upon prior to the launch of this movie and the theme is one of a kind and instantly catches the attention of the audience. This movie should

Findyourdeal.com Thesis Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Findyourdeal.com - Thesis Proposal Example Specifications for all these components are standardized and are available off the shelf in any computer store or an e-commerce website. We will extensively use open source software applications to run our IS resources. Most of the open source software applications are royalty free, and hence will shoot down our costs. Some examples of free and open source applications will be Ubuntu as the operating system, Open Office as the general productivity suite, Mozilla Firefox/Google Chrome as the browser, GIMP as photo editor. We will outsource annual maintenance contracts to local hardware providers, thereby nullifying the requirement of any dedicated manpower for maintenance of hardware resources at out office. We will also employ freelance technical help personnel from lower cost economies to drive down our software maintenance costs. 1. Aggregate deals from companies: To keep costs down in the initial phase, we will use the internet to scout for deals being offered by companies. Sourcing of deals may be done through 3 distinct processes: E-commerce businesses range from a multibillion dollar business like Amazon, to really small mom-and-pop-managed kind of a website that generates not more than$5000 revenues in a month. The set of features required in an e-commerce website obviously depends on the present status of an e-commerce business, and also perhaps on the future growth potential. While the initial two components are common place, it selecting appropriate e-commerce software that will be a critical activity. Available e-commerce systems may be categorized using a whole lot of parameters like, Open source / Proprietary, Off-she Shelf/Custom made, Microsoft Technologies/LAMP based or Product/SaaS. Every available e-commerce component have its own utility and caters to a specific set of customers, we have chosen to use LAMP based open source e-commerce systems for our business. LAMP is an acronym for Linux, Apache, MySQL and

Music and studying

Music and studying COMPARISON OF STUDYING WITH MUSIC  AND STUDYING IN A SILENT ROOM /  WITHOUT MUSIC OUTLINE INTRODUCTION Hook â€Å" Everybody has that point in their life where you hit a crossroads and you’ve had a bunch of bad days and there’s different ways you can deal with it and the way I dealt with it was just turned completely to music† (Taylor Swift) Background of the research paper Thesis Statement: â€Å" Some Student prefer studying with music while others wants to study in a silent room/place.† BODY / DISCUSION Music What is Music? How music affects our moods? Studying with music How affects our study? Is Music can help you study? Studying in a Silent room or Without music How Affects our study How can affect our moods? CONCLUSION Should you listen to music while Studying? Opinion about Studying with music or without Comparison of Studying with music and Studying in a Silent room / without music INTRODUCTION One of My favorite singer, Taylor Swift said that â€Å"Everybody has that point in their life where you hit a crossroads and you’ve had a bunch of bad days and there’s different ways you can deal with it and the way I dealt with it was just turned completely to music†. Music made lives of people lighter and easier. It can be your company where ever you are. It helps you to bring out the best in you. Listening with music when you are doing something made you feel happy and the eagerness in yourselves. Music helps us to relax and it can help us to motivate ourselves. Sometimes it can activate our creative minds. It can help us too, to discipline our self and at the same time to manage our time properly. Music is one of our daily buddies in life because whenever you go, you can hear/use it and music makes you feel better. Lastly, it can benefit us in studying as they said Music makes our learning more enjoyable and it is a good buddy in memorization. Studying, one of the greatest battle that students are facing, can be so tiring and stressful. But with the modern technology, a lot can be done to help us survive studying one of those is Music. A research found that listening with music before doing something can help us improve our attention, memory and last is our math ability (Doraiswamy, 2012). Some Students prefer studying with music while others want to study in a silent room/ without music. Comparison of Studying with music and Studying in a Silent room / without music DISCUSSION What Music mean to us? Music, it can be so hard to describe but if we are asked how it affects us it is easy to answer. Music can help you to express yourself, it can calm us down, and it can explain the words when it fails it means Music speaks. Music is part of lives even though we realize it or not. The â€Å"Mozart Effect† is a set of research that indicates listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Music it can makes us smarter. And it can help the parts of our brain to develop our Language and Reasoning. (Stricker, 2013) I have researched about some comments about â€Å"what is the role / importance of music to our lives?† here are some of the comments: According to Malabika Sen â€Å"If man is the best creation of God then music is the best creation of man. It not only touches the heart but also manifests the implicit humanity and sensitivity which has separated man from animal. Great music for example songs of Rabindranath Tagore both patriotic and spiritual have stirred the whole world. The music of R. N Rahaman in different films have touched millions of souls. Music breaks all divisions of race, religion, cast and creed. It is a wonderful force which can bring and establish international peace, love and brotherhood. What speeches and articles cannot do, the magic of music can do easily and naturally. Infinite salutes to music.† And according also to Laju Lesley â€Å"Music has a universal language and appeal irrespective of the dialect used in it.Music sustains a person in the most difficult phases of life.Music shelters the wounded soul and heals the broken heart.Music fosters friendship and ties hearts forever. If there had been no music (rhythm) it’s doubtful whether the universe would ever have continued to sustain.Music contains all the emotions and sentiments of life.Let music make this world a better place to live. Let guns be replaced by guitars let words of love, unity and harmony be sung instead of rhetoric of hate.† Those two comments made me realize that music has a big part in our lives because it help us in many ways like in our studies, when we are sad it can be our company everywhere. How Music Affect our moods? The Scientist at the University of Missouri found that listening to music can boost a person’s mood simply by upbeat music. In the study that has been conducted, Participants improved their moods when after being told to try to do so, but they only succeeded when they have listened to the upbeat music. But others who simply listened to music without changing their mood, they didn’t report about the increase of happiness. Music isn’t just good in increasing our mood. Another Research, Journal of Consumer Research found that people who are going through a break up or relationship problems they prefer to listen to a music. Studying with a Music The studies have shown that Music there’s a right kind of music that will help you in studying that can help you to concentrate better. It is perfect for studying, doing some home works, and lastly while studying for an exam. It helps you to cut down Distractions and helps you to focus more to your work. (UNC Charlotte and University City, 2014) According to Sheela Doraiswamy the Student were given 5 Serial Recall Test in Different Senarios: â€Å"1. Quiet environment 2. with â€Å"steady state† speech. This means a single word (in this case, â€Å"three†) was repeated for the duration of the test 3. with â€Å"changing state† speech. It means Variety of Words (in this case, random digits from 1-9) were played during the test 4. with â€Å"liked† music, meaning a song of the student’s choice (such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, or Arcade Fire). Students brought in their own music; the only requirement was that it had to have vocals 5. With â€Å"disliked† music, which in this case was a metal song called â€Å"Thrashers† by Death Angel (all students in the study disliked metal)† The results was surprisingly, found out that there is no significant difference between the scores of those 5 Serial Recalls Test. In other word, even though the student is enjoying or not with a particular music, having it on while they worked was just as distracting as hearing someone talk. The Score in Quiet Environment is higher than others. The Researcher Hypothesize that they will see same results when they will conduct this procedure again using a Reading Comprehension Test. (Doraiswamy, 2012) I conclude that listening to music when we are reviewing for an exam or doing Home works is a Choice because it seems that in general, music with vocals is distracting for us. While instrumental helps you perform well. (Doraiswamy, 2012) Studying without music / in a silent room David Cutler said He noticed that several students are fond of listening to music while doing something. There are Impaired Performance REFERENCES Books Bonds, Mark Evan, (2003). A History of Music in Western Culture, New Jersey, Pearson Education, Inc. Harvard Business School, (2006). The Essentials of Strategy, United States, Press Kennedy, Michael, (2004). Dictionary of Music, Hoo, near Rochester, Oxford University Press Recto, Angel, (2005). Foundations of Education, Sampaloc, Manila, Rex Book Store Wilentz, Sean, (2010). Bob Dylan in America, United States, Doubleday Websites Peter Rutenburg (year not stated). The Importance of Music in Everyone’s Life. Retrieved from https.

European Economic and Monetary Union Essay -- essays papers

European Economic and Monetary Union The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is a single currency area within the European Union in which people, goods, services and capital move without restriction (Europa Quest (1), 2001). Imperative to the success of the EMU is the implementation of a single European currency, the Euro, and the application of specific macro-economic policies by the EMU member states (Harris, 1999: 78). Moreover, it is the foreseeable intent of European governments to create a framework for stability, peace and prosperity through the promotion of structural change and regional development (JP Morgan, 2001). This essay will endeavor to highlight the fundamental gains likely to be accrued by the European business community as a result of EMU policy provisions. The developments and circumstances preceding the EMU formation will be examined to give insight into the functioning of a monetary union. Furthermore, it is essential to analyze the implications the EMU has for firms within both ‘Euroland†™ and other European nations. To establish a strong understanding of the intricacies of the EMU, it is essential to discuss both the antecedents and major developments in this monetary union. The origins of the EMU can be traced to the formation of the European Coal and Steel community (ECSC) in the early 1950s, which was the first attempt to harness European economic unity to achieve greater international competitiveness (Per Jacobson, 1999) (Duisenberg, 1998). The success of this venture prompted the foreign ministers of six ECSC nations to examine the possibility of further economic integration (Chulalongkorn University, 1999). Hence, in 1957 one the most significant agreements in European economics history, The Treaty of Rome, was signed. The Treaty of Rome’s fundamental goal was to provide for the creation of a common market (Kenwood & Lougheed, 1999:280). The most significant aspect of this treaty was the commitment made by such countries as Belgium, France, West Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg to facilitate the free movement of goods, services and factors of production. Essentially, these European governments sought to eliminate internal trade barriers, create common external tariffs and harmonies member states laws and regulations (Hill, 2001: 233). This movement towards a common European market continued with relative success ... ...gheed, 1999. The Growth of the International Economy: 1820-2000. Routledge Press: London. ï‚ · Martin, Peter, 1997. EMU’s New Horizon. www.stern.nyu.edu/nroubini/EMU/. Visited Mach 2001. ï‚ · Preston Robert, 1997. Note of Confusion on Single Currency. www.princetoneconomics.com. Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Princeton Economics, 1998. Country Analysis: United Kingdom. www.princetoneconomics.com . Visted April 2001. ï‚ · Roubini, Nouriel, 1997. Notes on Europe, the Euro and EMU. www.stern.nyu.edu/nroubini/EMU . Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Salmon, Pierre, 2000. Decentralisation and Supernationality: The Case of the EU. www.imf.org. Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Salvatore, Dominick, 1998. International Economics (Sixth Edition). Prentice Hall: New Jersey. ï‚ · Solomon, Robert, 1999. International Effects of the Euro. www.brook.edu/comm/policybriefs/ . Visited March 2001. ï‚ · Soltwedel, Rudiger, Dohse Dirk & Krieger-Boden, Christianne. 2000. European Labour Markets and the EMU Challenges Ahead. www.imf.org . Visited April 2001. ï‚ · Tett, Gillian, 1996. The Single Currency: Everything you wanted to know? . www.stern.nyu.edu/nroubini/EMU . Visited April 2001.

Brain control

The brain controls all aspects of our functioning, from the moment we were conceived until the last of our breath. Much of what we do is not a result of just one action or function of the brain but a series of simultaneous processes that all work at the same time to be able to accomplish a task. In this particular scenario wherein an individual, like myself for example, is in the middle of a room and has a table and two different colored balls, red on the left side and green on the right, is asked by another person to pick up the ball placed on the left side with my left hand.After which the instructor, which is behind the table asks what color is the ball that I picked. In accomplishing the aforementioned tasks, my brain will go through several processes that might seem insignificant when looked at in real time due to the immediate and rapidly firing neurons happening in an instant that we are not even aware that these minute details are happening. I am in the middle of the room; I know where my position is. Being aware of one’s position also requires that the brain recognize where I am. The parietal lobe of the cerebrum is responsible for orientation and movement (Serendip).This part of the brain will be able to tell me that I am in the middle because one of its functions is to construct a spatial coordinate system to represent the area where I am to be found. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain that is thought to control higher brain function like that of thought and action (Serendip). This information will reach our brain through an ascending pathway. The afferent fibers will travel through the posterior column, like other functions such as sterognosis, graphesthesia, among many others (University of Idaho).The stimulus will travel through the spinal cord and will find itself interpreted in the somatosensory cortex of the parietal lobe (University of Idaho). After interpretation, I will now know my position and where I am. In addition to th at, I see where I am. Without seeing my surroundings, I may not be able to actually predict my spatial location, which is the middle of the room. I know that I am in the middle of the room because I see the room and I was able to calculate that my position is in the middle of this big box of a room.This stimulus, particularly the visual one, wherein I was able to see the room and all of its contents, including the table in front of me with the two balls and another person behind the table will be perceived by the visual area of the brain, which is the occipital lobe (Serendip). I can see where the objects are because there are light rays being reflected off them and these rays enter my eyes and pass through my lens. The image that will be projected through my lens will be an inverted version of what I see and this information will be sent to my retina (Montgomery).Inside the retina there are rod and cone cells that will produce signals to be relayed onto the optic nerve and reach th e lateral geniculate nucleus (Montgomery). The details of the objects and the person I see in front of my will travel to selected areas of the primary visual cortex and then to other areas of the cortex that would process the global aspects of the objects and the person in front of me like their shape, color, or movement (Montgomery). The person behind the table will ask me to pick up the left ball with my left hand. I will hear his instructions.The temporal lobe of the cerebrum is the one to process the auditory stimuli that I receive as he said in his command. My ears will catch the sound and the auditory nerve will receive the stimuli and bring this to auditory nucleus of thalamus, which is the medial geniculate nucleus (Washington University School of Medicine). This will project to the primary auditory cortex in the temporal lobes. After hearing and processing his command, I will now move my left hand to pick up the left ball. I already know which ball I am to pick up with my l eft hand as I saw the balls and the table and I interpreted its position relative to mine earlier.Now all I have to do is move my hands and pick it up. The primary motor cortex found in the precentral gyrus, is the area of the cerebrum that will process this movement (Dubuc). First off, I have already signaled my parietal and frontal lobes to alert my attentiveness in processing his command. Once I know that it is my left hand, which should pick the ball and not my right hand, I can tell my left hand to move already and this involves activation of the supplementary and premotor cortical areas and the application of these information from subcortical structures to the primary motor complex (Dubuc).A closer look at how this happens is through the passing of the stimulus to the corticospinal tract. The corticospinal tract is responsible for stimulating motor neurons located in the spinal cord that are responsible for movement of the axial muscles of body in addition to the arms and leg s (Dubuc). The lateral system pathway is followed to produce this movement and the pathway involves passing through the fibers of the lateral corticospinal tract continuing onto the spinal cord before reaching the motor neurons (Dubuc). However, a unique process is occurring in the junction between the medulla and the spinal cord.Fibers coming from the lateral corticospinal tract cross the midline before continuing their way onto the opposite side of the spinal cord, and is called decussation (Dubuc). The cerebellum also plays a role in movement. The learned movement sequences are stored in the cerebellum, in addition to the coordination of movements and its fine-tuning, avoiding clumsy and large movements (Dubuc). This will help me know how to actually move my left hand and to avoid unnecessary movements. As I am now moving my left hand to reach the left ball, I know from my long-term memory what a ball is and what it looks like.I also know from memory which is left and which is ri ght. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is known to store our long-term memory. After knowing what a ball is and which is left and which is right, these information will be transferred from our short-term memory to our long-term memory. Information that we need to summon up every time is considered to be categorized as a long-term memory such as names, dates, colors, among many others. Long-term memory is of three types and color is categorized under semantic memory, that contains facts which we do not need an effort to recall (Aetna, Inc. ).The acquisition of memory happens when we learn the different colors and we learn to distinguish which is the left side from the right. Consolidation of this information will make us remember the colors and directions more. Then when needed, we will be able to easily recall this information. Since I have already identified which is the ball on my left and I have been able to move my left arm now to pick up the left ball, I can answer what color the ball is. According to the information given, the left ball is colored red. I know from my stored long-term memory and from what I see that the ball on the left side is red.Works Cited: Aetna, Inc, â€Å"Memory Loss. † InteliHealth. 2004. InteliHealth. 22 Feb 2009 . Dubuc, Bruno. â€Å"The Motor Cortex. † The brain. 2001. Canadian Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and addiction. 22 Feb 2009 . Montgomery, Geoffrey. â€Å"The Visual pathway. † Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 2000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute. 22 Feb 2009 . Serendip, â€Å"Brain Structures and their Functions. † Brain and behavior. 2005. Serendip. 22 Feb 2009 . University of Idaho, â€Å"Ascending Pathways. † A self-study module to be used for Med Sci 532. 2004. University of Idaho. 22 Feb 2009 . Washington University School of Medicine, â€Å"AUDITORY AND VESTIBULAR PATHWAYS. † Neuroscience Tutorial. 1997. Washington University School of Medicine. 2 2 Feb 2009 .

Storm Born Chapter Eighteen

It was like deja vu. Two fights, two blackouts, and two â€Å"mornings after† back in my own bed. Talk about tedious. Only this time, I wasn't alone in bed. I knew Kiyo was with me even before I opened my eyes. I recognized his smell, the way his arms wrapped around me. They held me with delicacy now, not with the fierceness that usually seized him. â€Å"You don't quit,† I murmured, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. â€Å"Even wounded, you're still trying to get me back in bed.† â€Å"I've already got you here.† He lay on his side, his eyes staring into mine. Smiling, he ran a hand over my hair, smoothing it back. â€Å"I was so worried about you.† I snuggled against him, slowly dredging up memories from last night. â€Å"I was worried about you too. What happened? Why wouldn't you change back?† â€Å"I did†¦eventually.† Well, that was obvious. I waited expectantly, needing more. â€Å"Being a kitsune isn't just about the novelty of turning into a fox. It's more than that. It's like†¦I also can turn into – I don't know – a fox god. No. That's not right. I don't know how to describe it.† â€Å"A superfox?† His soft laughter vibrated against my forehead, and he kissed the skin there. â€Å"That's not quite right either. The foxes of the Otherworld are like the progenitors of mortal foxes in this world. They're stronger, more powerful, wilder. I can change into one of those, but to do so†¦I almost have to give up my humanity. They're too animal, too†¦I don't know, primordial. When I'm a normal red fox, I'm still pretty much the same as I am now unless I've been in that form for a really long time. Then the human part starts to go. But for your ‘superfox,' I'm already gone in one transformation. I can hang on to only a few human instincts – like that I had to fight that thing and that I had to protect you.† I took all this in, frowning. â€Å"But that doesn't explain why you didn't change back.† â€Å"It takes time to go in and out of that form. The change is more than physical. I have to give up my human nature to go in, my fox nature to come out. Both are hard. That's why it took me awhile to even help in the first place. I had to make a quick call, even though it left you undefended. I thought I'd do more damage in the other form.† â€Å"Yeah, you did do a pretty good job. But you sure scared me there.† I fell silent, recalling those terrible moments of uncertainty while I bled all over myself. â€Å"When did you finally change back?† â€Å"Not long after you passed out, I think.† â€Å"That would explain why I'm still alive.† He nodded. â€Å"You lost a lot of blood. You needed ten stitches.† I blinked. â€Å"Did you take me to a doctor?† He grinned. â€Å"You bet I did.† It took me a moment to catch on. I pulled back the covers and lifted the skirt of one of my racier and rarely used nightgowns – how'd I get dressed in that anyway? – and saw black stitches standing out starkly against my skin, off to the side of my stomach. â€Å"You did this?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You stitched me up? Without a doctor?† â€Å"I am a doctor. I do this all the time.† â€Å"Yeah†¦to cats and dogs. Not to people.† â€Å"It's exactly the same. We're animals too.† I eyed the stitches uneasily. The skin around them was red. â€Å"Was everything sanitized?† He made a disparaging sound in his throat. â€Å"Of course it was. The standards are the same. Come on, stop worrying. It was either that or let you bleed to death in the car. I had a kit in the back and used it.† â€Å"How'd you have enough light out there?† â€Å"The overhead lamp still worked.† I couldn't believe he'd stitched me up in a smashed car with a vet's kit. Improvisation at its best. â€Å"Did the car actually start?† â€Å"Sort of†¦I got us back to the freeway before it died. I found your cell phone and called Tim.† â€Å"Poor Tim. When I first told him I was a shaman, I think he thought it was as fake as his own Indian charade.† â€Å"Wait – he's not actually Indian? I've been trying forever to figure out what tribe he's from.† â€Å"He's from the tribe of Tim Warkoski. It's ridiculous, but – â€Å" The air in the room rippled, pressure building. I had to blink a few times to ensure the shimmering around us wasn't in my head. Kiyo propped himself up, alert and wary. The pressure abruptly faded. A rift from the Otherworld opened up in front of us, and suddenly Dorian stood on a small table in the corner. Not unexpectedly, it promptly broke under his weight, making a horrible crashing sound as its pieces and contents fell to the floor. To his credit, he sidestepped the disaster rather gracefully, easily landing both feet on the floor. I winced, seeing the anchor ring lying among the debris. I'd set it on the table, not considering the consequences of Dorian arriving exactly where it lay. â€Å"What the hell – † Kiyo started to climb out of bed, but I was in his way. I laid a restraining hand on his chest. â€Å"No, it's all right. He's here for our next lesson. Jesus†¦I can't believe it's that time already.† I'd lost a lot of time since the car. Dorian wore his usual simple but fine clothes, covered by another elaborate robe. This one was black satin, edged in silver and small seed pearls. If the present circumstances surprised him, he didn't show it. He kept his face typically unimpressed and sardonic. His smile twisted as he regarded us. â€Å"I can come back later if it's more convenient. I do so hate to interrupt.† â€Å"No, no,† I said hastily, sitting up and swinging my legs over the bed's edge. The movement uncomfortably tugged the skin around my stitches. â€Å"We were just, um†¦resting.† Dorian arched an eyebrow. â€Å"You rest in that?† I glanced down, flushing. I'd worn this exactly once when Dean and I had gone to Mexico for a weekend. The nightgown was pale green, its top and bottom hems ornamented with elaborate green leaves and tiny pink flowers. The mid-thigh-length skirt was sheer chiffon. Note to self: Never let Kiyo dress me again, unconsciousness notwithstanding. Tim chose that moment to walk in, summoned by the noise. â€Å"Eug, what†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His mouth dropped – and not just because of me. I looked around at us all: me in my nightgown, Kiyo bare-chested, Dorian in his extravagant robes, and Tim in his Native getup. â€Å"God,† I muttered, standing up, â€Å"we look like the Village People.† I pulled the terry cloth robe over me, wondering how I always seemed to be half-naked lately. Tim continued to stare, wearing the shocked look of one who has just walked in on his parents having sex. â€Å"Everything's fine,† I told him. He still didn't move, and I waved a hand in front of his face. â€Å"Hey, wake up. Think you can make some breakfast?† He blinked. â€Å"It's three in the afternoon.† I gave him a pathetic look. The familiarity of it seemed to snap him back to normal. He could never resist it. That, or he felt he owed me food for the free rent. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Eggs and toast.† â€Å"Healthy or unhealthy toast?† I considered. â€Å"Healthy.† â€Å"Are your, uh, friends eating too?† I glanced at the other two men. â€Å"I'd love to,† replied Dorian with a cordial half-bow. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"Famished,† said Kiyo, eyes still narrowed on Dorian. â€Å"Thanks, Tim, you're the best.† I practically pushed him out the door. â€Å"Charming man,† remarked Dorian politely. He glanced around. â€Å"And a charming room.† The broken table aside, the room's other contents included: a pile of laundry, the wicker chair, a case of ammunition, a dresser, and a small desk with my laptop and a half-finished puzzle of the Eiffel Tower. The room didn't have a lot of space, so everything had been jammed in. It all seemed so chintzy compared to the opulence of his bedroom. Kiyo also got out of bed, wearing just a pair of jeans. â€Å"You want to tell me again what's going on?† â€Å"I already did.† I opened my dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a shirt that said I'LL GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT on it. â€Å"We're doing my next lesson.† â€Å"She can't do it today,† Kiyo told Dorian. â€Å"She was in a fight last night.† â€Å"Unless I'm mistaken, she gets in a fight every night.† â€Å"This one was bad. She was injured. Didn't you see the stitches?† â€Å"My humble eyes had better things to occupy themselves with than her stitches.† â€Å"Hey, guys?† I snapped. â€Å"I'm still here, you know. Stop talking about me in the third person.† Kiyo walked over and touched my arm. â€Å"Eugenie, this is crazy. You need to go back to bed.† â€Å"Today's lesson will not require physical exertion,† said Dorian primly. â€Å"There, you see?† I said. â€Å"I've got to keep going with our deal.† Kiyo looked darkly from me to Dorian. â€Å"Your ‘deal' doesn't seem to be doing a lot of good. I thought it was going to keep your would-be rapists away.† I had turned my back to them, opened the robe, and started pulling my jeans on. I froze, considering. â€Å"The fachan wasn't trying to rape me,† I said slowly. â€Å"He wanted to kill me.† â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"He tried to throw me through a windshield. That's not very romantic.† â€Å"A fachan?† asked Dorian. I shed the robe and nightgown and pulled the shirt over my head before turning back around to face them. I gave Dorian the short version of what had happened. He stood up from where he'd been leaning against my desk and strolled over to the window, hands clasped behind his back. â€Å"A fachan,† he mused. â€Å"Here. Curious.† â€Å"Not really. Not compared to anything else that's happened to me,† I reminded him. He pointed out the window. â€Å"You live in a desert. Fachans like bodies of water. You have a lot of enemies, my dear, but I doubt any fachan would hate you enough to show up here of his own volition.† â€Å"What are you saying?† asked Kiyo. â€Å"That someone went to considerable trouble to summon him here. Someone with either a lot of raw power or simply an affinity for water creatures.† â€Å"Who could do that?† I asked. â€Å"Any number of people. Maiwenn could.† Kiyo took a few dangerous steps toward him. â€Å"Maiwenn didn't do that.† Dorian smiled, unfazed by Kiyo's intimidating presence. They were the same height, but Dorian's frame was lean and slim, Kiyo's broader and more muscled. â€Å"You're probably right,† Dorian said after several tense moments of silence. â€Å"Particularly since she's been so under the weather lately.† Kiyo's face grew darker. I glanced back and forth uneasily, uncertain as to what I was in the middle of. â€Å"Do you guys know each other?† Dorian extended a hand to Kiyo, cool and collected. â€Å"I know of you, but I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I am Dorian, king of the Oak Land.† Kiyo grudgingly took his hand. â€Å"I know who you are.† â€Å"This is Kiyo,† I said. â€Å"Delightful to meet you. You're a†¦kitsune.† Dorian said the word in an odd tone. It wasn't exactly disrespectful, but it clearly implied they were not equals. I grabbed both their arms and steered them out. â€Å"No pissing contests. Come on. It'll only take Tim about five minutes to whip up the food.† Whatever antagonism existed between Kiyo and Dorian, it took a break as the gentry king entertained himself with the rest of my house. He was like a kid, unable to keep his hands off of everything. Well, everything that wasn't made of plastic or an iron affiliate. My living room was a veritable wonderland, with everything conveniently piled up in junk heaps for him to explore. â€Å"What's the purpose of this?† He held a fluorescent pink Slinky, tossing it from side to side so he didn't have to touch the plastic extensively. My impression was gentry could touch the taboo substances in small doses with minor discomfort; prolonged exposure grew much more uncomfortable. Charge it up with power, and it could kill them. â€Å"It doesn't really have a purpose,† I decided. â€Å"You just sort of†¦play with it when you're bored.† He tossed it back and forth, watching it spring up in arches. â€Å"Let me see it,† I said. I held it, closing my eyes. My focus was back now with the excruciating pain vanquished. I concentrated on the Slinky, putting a small piece of my essence into it. I handed it back. â€Å"Wrap it up and take it with you. It'll be my anchor.† He grinned. With so many other distractions, we eventually had to drag him to the kitchen table when the food was ready. â€Å"Haven't you ever been in the human world before?† I asked, once we all sat down. â€Å"There you go again, assuming we all just traipse over here for no good reason.† â€Å"So you haven't.† â€Å"Well, actually, I've vacationed here a number of times. Not in this desolate place, of course, but several other nice spots.† I rolled my eyes and slapped butter on my toast. It was made of good, hearty bread, chock-full of whole wheat and about a billion other grains. You could use this stuff as sandpaper. I doused my coffee with sugar and cream, gulping it to chase down some ibuprofen. I might not be dying anymore, but myriad aches and stiffness filled my body. I didn't think I could handle regularly getting into high-magnitude fights every other night. When the whole prophecy thing had surfaced, I had joked that I preferred attempts on my life to sexual advances. I didn't really believe that anymore. At least when the bad guys wanted my clothes off, it bought me some time. That fachan, however, had had no intentions short of crushing me. And he'd done a pretty good job of doing that. I had never fought something so massive before. Most of my fights, before this all started, had been with spirits and elementals. I could take them out with barely any effort. The fachan had been in a different league. The spirit army from the other day had also been new. Dorian's words rang back to me. The fachan had been deliberately sent. But by whom? One of the many who had a grudge against Odile? Someone like Maiwenn who wanted the prophecy to fail? Maiwenn herself? This latter thought bothered me. She'd seemed more or less trustworthy, despite her bland personality. If she turned into an enemy, it was going to create some serious friction between Kiyo and me. We finished breakfast, and Dorian declared we had to go outside for our lesson. I took one look at him and the scalding sunshine and saw imminent disaster for that perfect, alabaster skin. Figuring he wouldn't want my prissy, vanilla sunscreen, I dug him out a wide-brimmed cotton hat of Tim's that looked only mildly ridiculous. â€Å"Are you going to be able to do this?† I asked, leading Dorian out to my back patio. Tim had left for drumming practice, but Kiyo followed us, still watchful. â€Å"Your magic's weaker on this side.† Dorian draped his elegant robes over a lawn chair. â€Å"Not me who needs to do the magic. And really, I doubt you will either. Not in the way you're thinking of. Hmm†¦yes, this area may work better than I'd hoped.† He surveyed the patio area and the small grassless yard surrounded by a stucco wall. Dragging up another chair, he set it near the center of the patio, facing the house, and beckoned me to it. I sat down. â€Å"Now what? More meditation?† He shook his head. â€Å"Now we need a bowl of water.† â€Å"Kiyo? Can you grab us one? There's a big ceramic bowl in the back of one of my cupboards.† Kiyo silently complied, looking as though leaving us alone for even one minute would result in Dorian trying something. I found that protectiveness endearing, albeit a bit over the top. And then Dorian did try something. â€Å"What are those?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Think of them as†¦learning aids.† He had produced a handful of silken cords from the deep pockets of his robe, all in different colors. â€Å"What are you – no. You are not serious.† He had moved behind my chair and grasped my hands. I jerked away. â€Å"You're trying to tie me up?† â€Å"Not for sinister purposes, I assure you, although if you'd like to experiment with them later, I'd be happy to show you their various and sundry uses. For now, simply trust me that they'll be useful.† I continued to regard the cords warily. He shook his head, smiling. Moving behind me, he gently ran his hands down my arms. â€Å"You still don't trust me. And yet you do. An interesting mix. You fear me but want to connect with me. Do you remember what I said the night we met?† He knelt down, speaking softly in my ear. â€Å"This is exactly the way it will be when you come to my bed. You'll surrender yourself, and though it'll scare you, you'll exult in it too.† â€Å"I think you're imagining more to our charade than there is. And I don't really see myself feeling exultant over being tied up.† â€Å"Have you ever tried it?† His fingers slowly slid back up to the sleeves of my shirt, like butterflies on my skin. It was†¦nice. I shrugged him off. â€Å"No. And I don't need to. Besides, whatever your kinky intentions are, it doesn't matter. I've got something going with Kiyo.† â€Å"Ah. Of course you do. From what I hear, he's always ‘got something going.'† I stiffened. â€Å"Don't try to cause trouble.† â€Å"I'm attempting nothing of the sort. Just stating a fact. A man with human blood is just as appealing to our women as you are to our men.† â€Å"I already know about Maiwenn.† â€Å"I see. What do you know?† â€Å"The truth. They used to be involved. Now they're not.† â€Å"Ah. And that doesn't bother you? Especially considering it's likely she'll try to kill you someday?† I turned around as much as I could and glared at him. â€Å"I meant it: Don't try to pick a fight. I trust Kiyo, and I like Maiwenn. End of story. Now if you're going to tie me up, just get it over with.† He rose from his crouch, the sensuality gone from his voice as he began the business of binding me. â€Å"I'd never dream of picking a fight. Your pet fox in there will break my neck if I so much as look at you the wrong way.† â€Å"Don't act like you're actually afraid of him. You can supposedly bring down buildings.† I relaxed back in the chair and let him tie my hands together behind me. He took a long time in doing it, like he was weaving or braiding. â€Å"Why, Eugenie, are you saying you'd wager on me in a fight? I'm touched. Very touched. Although, I do hear foxes have very sharp claws. How are those scratches on your back, by the way?† Kiyo walked out just then, carrying the bowl of water. He froze when he saw Dorian tying a cord above my breasts and around my upper arms. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"An awakening,† said Dorian. â€Å"It's fine,† I said. â€Å"Set the water over there.† Kiyo did so and then stood next to me, arms crossed and eyes on the gentry king. Again, Dorian took his time in tying my upper body. He used multiple cords, and able to see better this time, I realized he had indeed woven them into an intricate pattern. Aesthetic and functional. â€Å"There.† With a last tight knot, he straightened up and regarded his work. â€Å"Not bad. It seems I haven't forgotten how to tie a decent knot after all. One more thing, and we're set.† â€Å"One more thing† turned out to be a blindfold. â€Å"No way,† I said. â€Å"Eugenie, my sweet, your outraged protests are adorable, but they only continue to slow us down. If you want me to help you, then let me. If you don't, then take me to one of those places where human women wear revealing clothing and quickly lose their virtue through alcohol.† I let him blindfold me, feeling uneasy. I trusted Kiyo and sort of trusted Dorian, but the other bindings had already unsettled me. I didn't like being trapped or in someone else's control. The bright world went dark as fabric covered my eyes. â€Å"This is all giving me a bad feeling,† Kiyo said nearby. â€Å"On the contrary,† said Dorian, â€Å"it's giving me a very warm, very pleasant feeling. But I suppose we should return to the lesson at hand, hmm?† â€Å"Is this the part where you explain the bondage getup?† I asked. â€Å"Or where I find out you just did it for fun.† â€Å"No, no. As hilarious as that would be, I do have my reasons. Now. I'm going to pick up this bowl of water that Kato so kindly fetched – â€Å" â€Å"It's Kiyo,† came the irritated response. â€Å"So sorry. Anyway, I'm going to set it somewhere out here in this miniature wasteland, and you will tell me where it is.† â€Å"Oh. I get it. I'm supposed to, like, work on my non-visual senses? Listen to where you set it?† â€Å"You won't use any of your physical senses at all.† I heard him walk away, presumably with the water, but I couldn't tell where he set it. He paced and paced in circles, kicking rocks and scuffing his shoes so I was clueless by the time he returned to me. When he spoke next, his words were right by my ear again. â€Å"Now, given freedom, even with just a blindfold, you'd be inclined to move and want to use something – anything – to find the water. You'd turn around, sniff the air, whatever. Now you have to accept that all of that is gone. You cannot rely on what you usually can. You are trapped and powerless – more or less. Give in to that. Open yourself up to whatever comes. Find the water.† â€Å"How?† â€Å"By reaching out to it. Tap into a sense other than the usual five. Remember the exercises we did last time, about reaching beyond yourself – in this world, not the spirit one.† â€Å"I thought magic was inborn. Isn't that what separates humans and gentry?† â€Å"It is inborn. And your inner magic summons and controls storms. To do that, you must summon and control the appropriate elements. And to do that, you must be able to find them. Hence, you focus outward.† â€Å"How do I do that?† â€Å"Just concentrate. But relax too. Think about the water. How it feels, what it's like. Spread your consciousness out around you, but don't go into a trance and let your spirit slip out. That'd be cheating.† â€Å"How long does it take?† â€Å"As long as you need.† He retreated, and I sat there and waited for some revelation. Okay. Somewhere around me was a bowl of water. And something inside of me was supposed to be able to sense it. I wouldn't have believed any of it if the living room on the other side of the patio door didn't stand as proof of my supernatural powers. But I hadn't had to think to cause the storm. This was different. All I mostly felt at first was my own body. Dorian's binds didn't hurt me, but they were snug. The stitched-up cut stung a little. The back of my head ached. My leg muscles felt stretched and inflamed. I slowly took inventory of every part of me, assessing how each one felt. I could feel the beat of my own heart, the steadiness of my breathing. After that, I started concentrating on the stuff around me. I heard someone, Dorian maybe, slide up a chair and sit down. A plane droned overhead. One of my neighbors kept a bird feeder, and sparrows regularly chirped and squabbled around it. The harsher cries of less melodic birds sounded in the distance. My street had few houses and was removed from real traffic, but a block or so away, a car started and then drove off. I thought about water, its appeal growing as the sun beat down. I had put on my own sunscreen and was grateful for it. Still, I could feel sweat pouring off of me. Water would be cool, refreshing. My mom's house had a pool, and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to dive into that crystal-blue surface. I thought about the bowl of water, thinking of its cool temperature, the wetness on my skin. I tried to feel it, to call to it. â€Å"There,† I said at last. I don't know how much time had passed. Awhile. â€Å"Where?† asked Dorian. â€Å"Four o'clock.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"She means over there,† I heard Kiyo say. Presumably he pointed. â€Å"No,† said Dorian. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Was I close?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Not even a little?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Damn it! Get me out of this.† I wriggled against my constraints. â€Å"Hardly.† Dorian's voice held mild surprise. â€Å"We must try again.† â€Å"Oh, dear lord. This might be even more boring than the meditation,† I grumbled. â€Å"Can I at least get something to drink?† He hesitated. â€Å"Actually, I think your odds will increase if you're thirsty.† â€Å"Oh, come on – â€Å" â€Å"Here we go,† said Dorian. I heard him get up and walk around again, and once more, I couldn't tell where the bowl ended up. When he returned to his chair, I tried again. More time passed as I concentrated my little heart out. At one point, I heard someone get up and move toward the door. â€Å"Who is that?† â€Å"Me,† said Dorian. â€Å"I'm bored.† â€Å"What? You're my teacher.† â€Å"The kitsune will call if you need me.† â€Å"I don't believe this,† I said when he was gone. â€Å"Hey, this was your idea,† said Kiyo. I heard him shift in a chair, getting comfortable. I was on the verge of my next guess when Dorian came outside again. â€Å"There. Nine o'clock.† Kiyo must have pointed again. â€Å"No,† said Dorian. He made me do it again, and by then, I was furious. My poor muscles, already put through enough, were locking up from lack of movement. The heat was unbearable. To make matters worse, Kiyo asked if Dorian wanted something to drink and then went inside. He returned, and I heard the sound of a two-liter of pop opening, followed by the filling of two glasses. After that, they started carrying on casual conversation. â€Å"Eugenie will be at my Beltane ball,† Dorian explained, â€Å"as my special guest.† â€Å"Sounds great.† â€Å"Your enthusiasm is palpable.† â€Å"Just not my thing, that's all.† â€Å"Ah, pity. Because if you wanted to come, I'd be happy to extend the invitation.† â€Å"I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble.† â€Å"It's no trouble at all. You could come with Eugenie. I always make special arrangements for dignitaries' entourages and servants.† â€Å"Will you two shut up?† I asked. â€Å"I'm working here.† They fell silent. Water, water. I needed that goddamned water so that Dorian would untie me and I could return to air conditioning. I'd also drink a gallon of water while I was at it. Maybe two or three. In fact, when I found that stupid bowl, I'd dump it over my head. Sweat pooled along the hem of my shirt and where the cords and blindfold pressed against my skin. I'd probably sweated away the sunscreen and would burn. As if my body hadn't been through enough. Where the hell was that water? Why couldn't I find it? I thought again about my mom's pool, vowing I'd pay her a visit tomorrow. God, it was so hot. I just wanted to be cooler. Water, water, water. I felt like Helen Keller. Or maybe one of those people in the Lakota sun dances where excessive heat exposure induced hallucinations. Maybe I could imagine the water. I sighed, and then, somehow, I felt coolness touch me. It was a reprieve from the heat. I straightened up as much as I could. Had I done it? Was this what it felt like to touch the water? The third time was the charm. Yes. There it was again. Like cool, moist air blowing at me from the east. I could taste its dampness, hanging around me like humidity in the sauna. I inclined my head in the direction I'd sensed the cool air. â€Å"I've got it. Three o'clock.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"The hell it isn't!† I heard Dorian get up. He sighed. â€Å"I think we'd better quit for the day.† â€Å"But I swear I had it! I could feel it! I was thinking about water so hard.† â€Å"I know you were.† He undid the blindfold, and I looked up. Billowing clouds, colored like lead, inked out the sky. Wind blew at me from the east – not imagined after all – picking up in strength. Great, heavy drops fell around us, landing with loud splashes. Water at last.