A Child in Pre-Revolutionary America Free Essays

Perhaps I am too young to be on the right side, my mother told me.   As a five year old in Pre-Revolutionary America, I am unable to understand the true meaning of the â€Å"writs of assistance† or the â€Å"Sugar Act.† However, I feel enough for my family and the people I love to want nonviolence to prevail. We will write a custom essay sample on A Child in Pre-Revolutionary America or any similar topic only for you Order Now    In other words, I would not want bloodshed to enter my home, nor affect the friends I have got here, including the few British friends I have recently made and who are honestly good to me.   I know about the Indian clashes against the British. While they were happening – as they still do from time to time – my mother was silent most of the time.   Yet, my father, who is a prominent lawyer and the owner of a large estate, which is referred to as a Colonial home, told me everything possible about a bigger war that may or may not be started, depending upon the conditions between the British Empire and the people of the Colonies. My father is a great man.   My mother tells me that Dad is visited by some of the brightest people in the Colonies.   And yet, I cannot force myself to believe in him when he tells me that the people are generally unhappy with the British Empire. When I was born, the British Empire was my so-called ruler anyway.   I did not care that they formed my government.   Neither do I care now.   I would rather allow the British Empire to stay on and pursue their goals in the Colonies, than to see war kill my family and all of my friends.   My mother, who writes poetry, tells me that my father might have to go to some of the most influential people of America and advise them in the event of a big war.   I do not want to believe her. More importantly, I fear for her more than anything else, perhaps, in the event that my father goes away during the big war that is expected and not expected at the same time.   At one time when my father became seriously ill, my mother nearly died of sadness.   She wrote and published a beautiful, sad poem in the New York Mercury at the time.   When she read the poem to me and told me how appreciated the poem was by all the people who knew her, I informed her that she need not be sad anymore because she has succeeded. She reminded me, however, that it is perfectly appropriate to be sad in the event of one’s husband’s illness.   I changed the topic then.   But I somehow gathered that at the back of her mind was the fear that my father might lose his life during a big war with the British Empire that the people in the Colonies were about ready to wage.   Perhaps a poem would not be able to alleviate her suffering at a time like that! The other day when some so-called intellectuals were visiting my home, my mother told me that they were asking all the women at the gathering, including herself, to consider working on the fashions of the times that would have nothing whatsoever to do with the British imported fashions.   Mom explained to me later that even my clothing was British most of the time.   Dad said that that was not true. Perhaps it is only in part true that I wear the kinds of clothes that British children wear in America.   And so, Mom was asked along with many other women to start thinking of new fashions that could be introduced in the absence of the British after the big expected and unexpected war. Although I do not know yet what the new fashions may or may not be, I would be interested in seeing my mother act creatively while designing the new clothes, and stop thinking about war while she is at it.   Maybe she does not think about war all of the time.   But I feel that she does. How to cite A Child in Pre-Revolutionary America, Papers

Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace Essay Sample free essay sample

Protection against favoritism in employment extends to all facets of the employment relationship. from the enlisting and choice procedure. through all the assorted facets of the working relationship. to the expiration of the employment. Pregnant adult females have important legislated rights other than those under the Human Rights Code. hereinafter referred to as â€Å"the Code† . most significantly under the Ontario Employment Standards Act ( ESA ) and the federal Employment Insurance Act ( EIA ) . These rights may overlap with the Code protections. or may supply extra protections. Common negative stereotypes and attitudes are frequently causes for favoritism in employment on the footing of gestation. such as the fact that a pregnant adult female will non be able to work expeditiously and efficaciously during her gestation and that adjustment of her demands will be burdensome. This thought is digesting and persistent. even though it is non tolerated by the facts and can be in fluential to employers to non engage pregnant adult females. Pregnancy in the workplace is a cardinal human rights issue of equality of chance between adult females and work forces. Womans should non endure negative effects in the workplace merely because they are pregnant. Workplace regulations and occupation maps may impact a pregnant employee otherwise than other employees. For illustration. in this instance. the employer refused to engage the occupation applier who was pregnant for 7 months. because of the period of her gestation and that she would non be able to transporting heavy supplies from bringing new waves into the kitchen. although she was willing to transport reasonably heavy 1s. This illustration shows the occupation applicant having differential intervention and negative effects. British Columbia ( Public Service Employee Relations Commission ) v. British Columbia Government Service Employees’ Union ( 1999 ) SCC 48. known as Meiorin for short. created a incorporate trial to find if a misdemeanor of human rights statute law can be justified as a Bona Fide Occupational Requirement ( BFOR ) . In this instance. Tawney Meiorin was employed as a fireman by the British Columbia ministry of Forests. The authorities adopted a series of fittingness trials that all employees were required to go through. three old ages after being hired. Meiorin passed all the trials except for one that required her to run two and a half ( 2. 5 ) kilometres in 11 ( 11 ) proceedingss. Her best clip was 49. 4 seconds over the lower limit allowed. Due to this. Meiorin was fired. The Supreme Court of Canada examined the old methods of analysing Human Rights misdemeanors. observing where they were deficient in that the research that the trials were based on was uncomplete and â€Å"impressionistic† . and did non take into history the differences between adult females and work forces in set uping a criterion. The Court so proposed a new â€Å"Meiorin Test† . In this trial an employer can warrant the disputed criterion by set uping on the balance of chances that the employer adopted the criterion for a intent rationally connected to the public presentation ; that the employer adopted the pecu liar criterion in an honest and good religion belief that it was necessary to the fulfilment of that legitimate work-related intent ; and that the criterion was moderately necessary to the achievement of that legitimate work-related intent. To demo this. it must be demonstrated that it is impossible to suit separate employees sharing the features of the complainant without enforcing undue adversity upon the employer. Furthermore. prima facie instances of gestation favoritism occur when the employee. occupation applier in this instance. demonstrates that she was pregnant at the relevant clip and the employer was cognizant of her gestation. doing her to see inauspicious intervention with regard to her employment. As explained in the facts of the instance and in conformity with the Meiorin trial. the employer justified the favoritism because he or she believes that the occupation demand to raise heavy supplies could non be fulfilled by the occupation applicant due to her gestation. doing differential intervention to the applier. The applicant notified the employer of her gestation. which triggered the employer to indicate out the occupation demand of raising heavy supplies. Although the applier was willing to raise reasona bly heavy supplies. the employer still refused to engage her for the mere fact of her advanced period of gestation. hence making a Prima facie instance. Second. The Canadian Human Rights Act. hereinafter referred to as â€Å"the Act† . prohibits favoritism related to gestation. Since adult females are the lone 1s who can go pregnant. favoritism related to gestation is a signifier of sex favoritism. Discriminatory patterns related to gestation. such as negative intervention. expiration of employment. torment. and refusal to engage or advance are against the jurisprudence under the Act. Harmonizing to subdivision 5 ( 1 ) of the Code. every person has a right to be treated every bit sing employment without favoritism of â€Å"race. lineage. [ sex ] . sexual orientation. gender individuality. gender look. etc. † Further. harmonizing to subdivision 10 ( 2 ) of the Code. â€Å"the right to be intervention without favoritism because of sex includes the right to be intervention without favoritism because a adult female is or may go pregnant. † Therefore. as shown in the facts of this instance. the employer infringed upon these rights. giving the occupation applicant the right to action based under sex favoritism. since merely adult females can go pregnant. This misdemeanor of the Code is capable to the bona fide demands because the fact that the applier is pregnant is non rationally connected to the public presentation of the occupation. and the applier would be able to transport out bulk of the occupation demands. Similarly to the Meiorin instance. whether the applier was pregnant or non. the employer failed to see the strength differences between work forces and adult females. If there are boxes that are exceptionally heavy. a male might still hold to be the one to transport it from the bringing new wave to the kitchen. alternatively of a non-pregnant female. This is because work forces and adult females have different criterions of strength. Consequently. accommodations to working conditions may be required to cut down or extinguish prejudiced effects. Unless the adjustment will do undue adversity. employers have a legal duty to suit demands related to gestation. The pregnant employee. the employer. and other parties such as brother hood representatives. must collaborate and compromise to happen sensible and practical solutions. In most instances. adjustments for demands related to gestation affect increasing the flexibleness of policies. demands. and regulations. and will non necessitate important disbursals. Therefore. in this instance. the employer could’ve hired the applier because she was demoing her ability and willingness to carry through all occupation demands. including raising reasonably heavy supplies that any non-pregnant female could raise. The applier was seeking to compromise with the employer sing the abovementioned occupation demand. nevertheless the employer did non demo any marks of cooperation. via media. or consideration of strength criterions. In the instance of Dorvault v. Ital Decor Ltd. ( 2005 ) BCHRT 148. a adult female applied for an office place. After her interview. the employer called her and offered her a place. At that point. the adult female told the employer that she was pregnant. and would necessitate to take a pregnancy leave in about six month’s. The employe r said that he would hold to confer with his concern spouse. and he would name her dorsum. nevertheless. the pregnant adult female neer heard from the company once more. The Tribunal found that the employer had decided non to engage the adult female based on her gestation. This is an illustration of how employers discriminate on the footing of gestation. neglecting to recognize the effects they may digest such as being sued. Discrimination on the footing of gestation constitutes improper sex favoritism. It is against the jurisprudence in Canada for an employer to decline to engage a adult female because she is pregnant if she is able to execute the â€Å"essential duties† of the occupation. The applier in this affair seemed to be able to transport out the indispensable responsibilities of the occupation. which were to assist around the kitchen. including transporting reasonably heavy supplies to the kitchen from bringing new waves. The employer in this affair could hold made adjustments such as taking into consideration strength criterions for work forces and adult females. If employers were more careful in the hiring stage with regard to the things they say. grounds they give for non engaging. and sing all fortunes surrounded them and the emplo yee such as assorted criterions. like strength. so they would non hold to travel through differences such as being sued for refusal to engage.

The Original Sources Of Romeo And Juliet Essays -

The Original Sources of Romeo and Juliet There were many other written stories of Romeo and Juliet before William Shakespeare first wrote his version of Romeo and Juliet (Watts 13). The earliest rendition of the play Romeo and Juliet dates back to the third century AD. Then the story reappears in the fifteenth century in a more detailed form. Luigi da Porto publishes a version of this story in 1530. De Porto's play version is where Shakespeare gets the plot of his version of Romeo and Juliet (Bentley138). Then in 1544, Matteo Bandello publishes his version of the story of Romeo and Juliet based on De Porto's play. Boiastuau then translated Bandello's play into French in 1559. Then in 1562 Arthur Brooke translates the French version of Romeo and Juliet into English with a few additions. From these stories William Shakespeare based his famous play Romeo and Juliet. The earliest rendition of Romeo and Juliet was a story called Ephesiaca of Xenophon of Ephesus that was written in the third century AD (Gibbons 33). The wife Anthia is separated from her husband and rescued from robbers by Perilaus; to avoid marrying him she obtains a drug from a doctor that she believes will kill her but it is only a sleeping potion. She awakens in tomb and is carried off by tomb robbers. In the fifteenth century the story is written by Masuccio Salernitano titled Cinquante Novelle (Campbell and Quinn 710). The story takes place in Siena; Mariotto secretly marries Giannozza with the help of a bribed Friar. In a fight Mariotto kills a prominent citizen, and he is then banished. Mariotto asks his brother to keep him informed of the events that take place in Siena as he goes into exile in Alexandria. Giannozza now comes under pressure of her father to marry a suitor that he thinks to be satisfactory. She bribes the Friar to make her a sleeping potion, which she drinks, after sending a message to her husband. She is then buried, and is brought out of the tomb by the Friar. She then sails for Alexandria to reunite with her banished husband. However, pirates captured the message that she sent to her husband. Mariotto, on hearing of her supposed death, returns to Siena disguised as a pilgrim. He tries to open her tomb but is caught and beheaded. Giannozza comes back to Siena and dies of grief in a convent. In 1530 Luigi de Porto publisher his own version of the legend sets the scene in Verona. In his story the lovers are named Romeo and Guilietta and the two families of Montecchi and Capelletti are enemies (Gibbons 34). There is a Friar Lorenzo, and de Porto invents Marcuccio, Thebaldo, and the Conte di Lodrone (Shakespeare's Paris). Romeo goes disguised as a nymph to a carnival ball at his enemy's house in the hope of seeing a lady who is as beautiful as his Rosaline. Giulietta falls in love with him at first sight and, in a dance, a change of partners brings him next to her. They express their attraction to one another and they meet each other each night at Giulietta's balcony until one night Romeo asks her to marry him and she accepts. Friar Lorenzo, a friend of Romeo, marries the two, hoping to bring peace to the two feuding families. Then in a brawl Romeo at first tries to avoid harming any Capelletti, but when his friends are threatened he kills Thebaldo. Romeo then flees to Mant ua, leaving a message to the Friar to keep him in touch with events in Verona. Since Giulietta is eighteen, her parents interpret her grief as a sign that she wishes to be married (Gibbins 35). They arrange for her to be married to Lodrone. She refuses, and so angers her father. She asks the Friar for poison but he substitutes it with a sleeping potion intended to last for forty-eight hours. The next morning she is found apparently dead and is buried in the family vault. A message from Friar Lorenzo fails to reach Romeo, but a servant, believing that Giulietta is dead, gives Romeo the fatal news. Romeo returns to Verona disguised as a peasant and

Stereotyping Essays

Stereotyping Essays Stereotyping Essay Stereotyping Essay Stereotyping has always been viewed as a form of prejudice that interferes with the harmonious relationships of people.   But, there are some groups that view stereotyping as advantageous. During a diversity management session, a manager suggests that stereotypes are a necessary part of working with others. â€Å"I have to make assumptions about what`s in the other person`s head, and stereotypes help me to that,† she explains. â€Å"It`s better to reply on stereotypes than to enter a working relationship with someone from another culture without any idea of what they believe in!† This statement of the manager has some merits, as well as problems. Based on current research, what does stereotyping bring into the work environment? Does stereotyping lead to more advantages than disadvantages? If stereotyping results to negative consequences, how can these be minimized or managed?What is stereotyping?The most definitive definition of stereotyping mu st be assembled from various sources so that any biases in definitions must be removed. In doing so, three important aspects about stereotyping have been discovered. First, stereotyping is based on either initial or early judgment.   Second, stereotyping has basis. This means that physical, social, historical, economic, cultural, geographical, and emotional events create stereotypes. For example, the 9-11 terrorist attacks placed almost all people from the Middle East a member of the Al Qaeda (Wharhaftig 1991).. And lastly, the third aspect of stereotyping has many forms. That is, there can be stereotypes based on gender, age, socio-economic status, religion, and race. In the workplace and within a country, the most common form of stereotyping is based on race. For example, the progressive country of Singapore is composed of the Chinese, the Malays, the Indians, the Eurasians, and other races. Racial stereotyping exists in Singapore (Zhuang 2006). In all three aspects of stereotyp ing, there is no bias towards the negative consequences. It appears that stereotyping may have advantages, especially in the workplace.Why is stereotyping beneficial?In the workplace, stereotyping becomes an important part of decision making, especially when the manager is forced to come up with a decision based on incomplete information.   The argument against this reason is that the manager should have obtained all necessary information so that he would not make a prejudiced decision. Unfortunately, some economists find that the benefits of obtaining more information do not exceed the disadvantages of quickly making a stereotypical decision.   Thus, one strong reason for employing stereotyping is economics. In Europe for example, the strict labor laws prevent many employers from firing workers who do not exactly meet their expectations. Thus, the employer uses stereotyping. If an employer does not heed his preconceive notions and hire someone who does not physically appear as capable, perhaps the beard and hair are too long and the clothes are sloppy, in order to give this applicant a chance, the employer may end up with a lazy worker and this is an economic loss to the company (Malek 2006).Aside from economics, stereotyping is also beneficial in the field of anthropological and cultural studies. The way that social scientists classify culture, into high-context and low-context culture, is an example of stereotyping. High-context culture is composed of people who are more group-oriented, such as most Asians. On the other hand, low-context culture is composed of people who are more individualistic, such as North Americans (Burgess 2003). If speaking before a group of people, the lecturer must take into consideration the nature of the audience. Is it high-context or low-context? In doing so, the speaker will be more effective.What problems does stereotyping bring?Stereotyping also presents problems in the workplace especially when it is typically based on wrong assumptions. A female worker, because of a pretty face, will most probably be stereotyped as less intelligent than the other workers. While there are instances when stereotypes are helpful, there are also instances that stereotypes create a hostile environment in the workplace. With a hostile workplace environment, the whole organization cannot function effectively and efficiently. Stereotyping may also lead to lawsuits, especially in countries where there are strict laws against gender, age, and race discrimination (Hoffman Hurst 1990). Thus, even if stereotyping is pervasive in all aspects of human interaction (Parker, Archer Scott 1992), there is a need to take actions that will reduce stereotyping and minimize or manage its negative consequences.How to minimize and manage stereotyping?There are many books and articles that offer various ways of dealing with stereotypes. For example, Burgess (2003) suggests that media must take more responsibility so that stereotyping is not developed easily especially in children. And then, Breslin (1991) suggests that a person must always focus on the individual. But such a method may not be easily implemented, especially when there are cultural differences. It would be interesting to compare two nations and the different ways that they manage racial stereotypes. The United States deal with racial stereotypes by recognizing the uniqueness of each race. Thus, a Chinese-American is aware of his cultural heritage from China. On the other hand, the government of Singapore suppressed open discussion of racial differences. As a result, a Chinese-Singaporean is only knowledgeable about being a Singaporean, but not about being Chinese (Moore 2000). Which method is better? There is no accurate or morally acceptable answer. Therefore, in managing and minimizing the negative consequences of stereotyping, there must be a scientific approach that focuses on how stereotyping or the early pre-judgments of people can change throu ghout time.Allport (1954) described two ways of changing stereotypes: bookkeeping and conversion. In bookkeeping, the manager accommodates new information that does not agree with the original stereotype. It is a slow process but this is the usual path that people take when they have strong stereotypes of others. Conversion, on the other hand, is a radical change of the preconceived image when a contradictory fact is revealed. For example, if an American coworker is stereotyped as arrogant and he showed humility, then the stereotype is removed.   By focusing on these two processes, the management can deal with the negative consequences of stereotyping.ConclusionStereotyping presents advantages from the perspective of economics, effective communication and cultural studies. However, in the workplace, stereotyping will most likely bring about conflict, hostilities, lower production, and even lawsuits. These negative consequences must be minimized. Unfortunately, stereotyping is prev alent and often utilized. Removing stereotypes, therefore, is neither possible nor practical. But the management can help change, not remove, stereotypes by modeling two processes, bookkeeping and conversion. These two processes happen as more information about the workers is revealed and longer working relationships are carried out. Stereotyping Essays Stereotyping Essay Stereotyping Essay Stereotyping has become so prevalent in the business world. It is as if people have created a giant system that categorizes people and groups into classes. In todays international business world, it is commonplace to work with people from different cultures and thus stereotyping will inevitably exist especially when dealing with people from diversified backgrounds. Stereotypes is defined as A fixed impression which conforms very little to the facts it pretends to represent and results from our defining first and observing second (Katz Brady 1935, cited In Schneider 2004, p. 6). American Journalist Walter Lifespan introduced the concept stereotyping In his 1922 book Public Opinion as a means of describing the way society set about categorizing people -stamping human beings with set of characteristics ( Nacho Lease 1992, n. P). Stereotypes as deflations are usually link to as offensive: they have negative connotations. Elderly are absent minded, athlete as dumb, mother-in-law as troub le maker. And you can easily fill in many others that are far more offensive. But there are also stereotypes which are costive, Asian Americans are smart and hardworking, Hispanics are family oriented, black is good athletes and women are kind and caring (McCrea, Stanton Weston 1996, IPPP). In an organization context, manager tends to engage In stereotypes because drawing on the cognitive Ideas of Lifespan (1992) and Laptop (1954) that as human beings, we need to simplify and categorize the social world (Hint 2000, p. 20). Machines and Tetravalent (2007) states, It Is Impossible to recall the entire unique characteristic of the employee that they have work with. They do not have much information when hey first meet. Therefore they rely extensively on stereotypes to fill in missing pieces. Negative perception views of employer through stereotypes usually limit the persons ability to contribute to the company (Stanton, 2000). Women in the past have been excluded from specific occupation such as engineering. Studies indicate that females and males hold negative stereotypes about the ability of women to be effective engineers. Likewise, to be a good mother, you have to dedicate a lot of time and energy to It and therefore there is this belief that you have less time and energy for ark and so you cant do a good Job. Thus, a woman who Is a mother Is often denied the opportunity to move forward and that Is detrimental to women. This forms a halo effect If a general Impression Is drawn based on a single characteristic (Robbins et al. 1998 p. 130). Easier since it permits us to maintain consistency. It is less difficult to deal with an unmanageable number of stimuli if we use stereotypes (Robbins et al. 1998, p. 128). For example, if a company is hiring a sales manager, the candidate who is young and a fresh graduate will likely to get the Job compared to a candidate who is older in age, aired and with children. The business manager perceives that it will be easier to engage in people who is y oung and has motivation than people who is more devoted to their family and children than with Job responsibility. This supports the managers statement that it is better to rely on stereotypes than engaging with someone of another culture. Advantages of stereotyping have its limitation. Problem occurs when we inaccurately stereotype especially when we speed read others, drawing incorrect pictures because we see what we want to see resulting in unwarranted conclusions from an ambiguous situation. For example, all accountants are not quiet and introspective, just as all salespeople are not aggressive and outgoing. Stereotype in recruitment interviews will hinder the company of an opportunity to recruit the right candidate when interviewers make instinctive Judgment that are often inaccurate which are based on appearance, racial, gender, education level and age. For example Overweight people are viewed in very negative terms, such as being lazy and undisciplined and lacking in self control, and they face widespread coordination'(Allan 1982, cited in Blaine 2000 p. 144). Inevitably, the interviewer will stifle that individuals imagination, initiative, sense of responsibility, and most importantly, his or her investment in the organization. If stereotyping is put in practice in a diversified management, it will become the biggest hurdle in growing developing talent in the organization by not capitalizing on peoples knowledge and such discrimination crushes entrepreneurial spirit. The organization will suffer because no senior management knows or can do everything. A stereotypical assumption about class kills everything that the company is working towards, including profits. Therein, leaders who are serious about fully engaging and leveraging the knowledge of the work force in the enterprise must be adamant about confronting these ingrained views to ensure the companys success, both in the short and long-term. Singapore is a paper chasing society especially in public sector as it still banks on typical assessment methodologies that rely too heavily on academic grades, degrees from top schools, prior industry experience and subjective interview results. Most Job positions are primarily determined by the academic grades and the working experience of the candidates. Thus, civil servants holding middle management level and above are local university graduates with good academic grades. Women in Singapore today have achieved great improvement in various aspects of men. Unfortunately, at the organizational level, women are still under-represented, facing psychological and corporate barriers as they try to move ahead in their careers. Based on Statistic Singapore workforce, the percentage of male holding the cost of administrative, managerial and professional Jobs are higher than females. Major Jobs for women are still dominantly employed in production and clerical work making them more vulnerable to economic fluctuation and retrenchment, low pay and little chance for advancement. This explains why there is still an income gap between female and male having the same Job scope. In short, Old stereotypes can be hard to change as men by virtue of their gender have higher status than women (Basso 1992 IPPP). Todays workforce (and society) demographics are more complex and hybrid than ever before and there is rarely any such thing as pure culture anymore. Thus, despite the fact that stereotyping is a natural method of classification and has useful functions under certain circumstances, it should not be used a standard platform to assess and rely on when it comes to hiring the right person for the company. An effective recruitment process will reduce the subjective element in interviews, increase the success rate of choosing the right candidate and hence cost saving for the company. References: Bigness. Com/papers/30247/Stereotyping/

Bloodlines Chapter Twelve

We tried to tell him that Tamara was killed by Strigoi, but he won’t believe it. He doesn’t want to. He can’t take revenge on a Strigoi. They’re immortal. Invincible. But some human vampire hunter? Somehow, in his head, that’s something he can go after. And if he can’t, then he can focus his energy on how the guardians won’t go after these nonexistent vampire hunters.† I just barely heard Eddie mutter, â€Å"Strigoi aren’t that invincible.† In the rearview mirror, I saw Jill’s face filled with compassion. She was seated between Lee and Eddie. â€Å"Even if it’s a fantasy, maybe it’s better this way,† she suggested. â€Å"It gives him comfort. I mean, kind of. Having something tangible to hate is what gets him through. Otherwise he’d just give in to despair. He’s not hurting anyone with his theories. I think he’s sweet.† She caught her breath in that way she did when she’d said a whole lot all at once. My eyes were back on the road, but I could swear Lee was smiling. â€Å"That’s nice of you,† he told her. â€Å"I know he likes having you around. Turn right up here.† That was to me. Lee had been giving me directions ever since we left Clarence’s. We were just outside of Palm Springs proper, nearing the very impressive-looking Desert Gods Golf Course and Resort. Further guidance from him led us to the Mega-Fun Mini-Golf Center, which was adjacent to the resort. I searched for a parking spot and heard Jill gasp when she caught sight of the golf course’s crowning glory. There, in the center of a cluster of gaudily decorated putting greens, was a huge fake mountain with an artificial waterfall spouting from its top. â€Å"A waterfall!† she exclaimed. â€Å"It’s amazing.† â€Å"Well,† said Lee, â€Å"I wouldn’t go that far. It’s made of water that’s been pumped over and over and has God only knows what in it. I mean, I wouldn’t try to drink or swim in it.† Before I even had the car to a stop, Adrian was out the door, lighting a cigarette. We’d gotten in an argument on the way over, despite me telling him three times that Latte was a strictly no-smoking car. The rest of us soon got out as well, and I wondered what I’d signed up for here as we strolled toward the entrance. â€Å"I’ve actually never been mini-golfing,† I remarked. Lee came to a halt and stared. â€Å"Never?† â€Å"Never.† â€Å"How does that happen?† asked Adrian. â€Å"How is it possible that you’ve never played mini-golf?† â€Å"I had kind of an unusual childhood,† I said at last. Even Eddie looked incredulous. â€Å"You? I was practically raised at an isolated school in the middle of nowhere Montana, and even I’ve played mini-golf.† Saying I was homeschooled was no excuse this time, so I just let it go. Really, it just came down to having a childhood more focused on chemical equations than on fun and recreation. Once we started playing, I soon got the hang of it. My first few attempts were pretty bad, but I soon understood the weight of the club and how the angles on each course could be maneuvered. From there, it was pretty simple to calculate distance and force to make accurate shots. â€Å"Unbelievable. If you’d been playing since you were a child, you’d be a pro by now,† Eddie told me as I knocked my ball into a gaping dragon’s mouth. The ball rolled out the back, down a tube, bounced off a wall, and into the hole. â€Å"How’d you do that?† I shrugged. â€Å"It’s simple geometry. You’re not that bad either,† I pointed out, watching him make his shot. â€Å"How do you do it?† â€Å"I just line it up and putt.† â€Å"Very scientific.† â€Å"I just rely on natural talent,† said Adrian, strolling up to the start of the Dragon’s Lair. â€Å"When you have such a wealth of it to draw from, the danger comes from having too much.† â€Å"That makes no sense whatsoever,† said Eddie. Adrian’s response was to pause and take out a silver flask from his inner coat pocket. He unscrewed it and took a quick drink before leaning in to line up his shot. â€Å"What was that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can’t have alcohol out here.† â€Å"You heard Jailbait earlier,† he countered. â€Å"It’s the weekend.† He lined up his ball and shot. The ball went directly for the dragon’s eye, bounced off it, and shot back toward Adrian. It rolled and came to a stop at his feet, nearly where it had started. â€Å"Natural talent, huh?† asked Eddie. I leaned forward. â€Å"I think you broke the dragon’s eye.† â€Å"Just like Keith,† said Adrian. â€Å"I figured you’d appreciate that, Sage.† I gave him a sharp look, wondering if there was any hidden meaning behind that. Mostly, Adrian seemed amused by his own wit. Eddie mistook my expression. â€Å"That was inappropriate,† he told Adrian. â€Å"Sorry, Dad.† Adrian shot again and managed not to maim any statues this time. A couple more shots, and he sank the ball. â€Å"There we go. Three.† â€Å"Four,† said Eddie and I in unison. Adrian looked at us incredulously. â€Å"It was three.† â€Å"You’re forgetting about your first one,† I said. â€Å"The one where you blinded the dragon.† â€Å"That was just the warm-up,† Adrian argued. He put on a smile I think he hoped would charm me. â€Å"Come on, Sage. You understand how my mind works. You said I was brilliant, remember?† Eddie glanced at me in surprise. â€Å"You did?† â€Å"No! I never said that.† Adrian’s smile was infuriating. â€Å"Stop telling people that.† Since I was in charge of the scorecard, his play was logged as four, despite his many further protests. I started to move forward, but Eddie held out a hand to stop me, his hazel eyes gazing over my shoulder. â€Å"Hold up,† he said. â€Å"We need to wait for Jill and Lee.† I followed his gaze. The two of them had been in deep conversation since we arrived, so much so that they’d slowed and lagged behind the rest of us. Even during his bantering with Adrian and me, Eddie had continually checked on her – and our surroundings. It was kind of amazing the way he could multitask. Thus far, Jill and Lee had only been one hole behind us. Now it was nearly two, and that was too far for Eddie to keep her in his sight. So, we waited while the oblivious couple meandered their way toward the Dragon’s Lair. Adrian took another drink from his flask and shook his head in awe. â€Å"You had nothing to worry about, Sage. She went right for him.† â€Å"No thanks to you,† I snapped. â€Å"I can’t believe you told her every detail of my visit that night. She was so mad at me for interfering behind her back with you, Lee, and Micah.† â€Å"I hardly told her anything,† argued Adrian. â€Å"I just told her to stay away from that human guy.† Eddie glanced between our faces. â€Å"Micah?† I shifted uncomfortably. Eddie didn’t know about how I’d gone proactive. â€Å"Remember when I wanted you to say something to him? And you wouldn’t?† I proceeded to tell him how I’d then sought out Adrian’s help and found out about Lee’s interest in Jill. Eddie was aghast. â€Å"How could you not tell me any of this?† he demanded. â€Å"Well,† I said, wondering if everything I did was going to result in the wrath of a Moroi or dhampir, â€Å"it didn’t involve you.† â€Å"Jill’s safety does! If some guy likes her, I need to know.† Adrian chuckled. â€Å"Should Sage have passed you a note in class?† â€Å"Lee’s fine,† I said. â€Å"He obviously adores her, and it’s not like she’ll ever be alone with him.† â€Å"We don’t know for sure that he’s fine,† said Eddie. â€Å"Whereas Micah’s a hundred percent okay? Did you do a background check or something?† I asked. â€Å"No,† said Eddie, looking embarrassed. â€Å"I just know. It’s a feeling I get about him. There’s no problem with him spending time with Jill.† â€Å"Except that he’s human.† â€Å"They wouldn’t have gotten serious.† â€Å"You don’t know that.† â€Å"Enough, you two,† interrupted Adrian. Jill and Lee had finally reached the start of the Dragon’s Lair, meaning we could move on. Adrian lowered his voice. â€Å"Your argument’s useless. I mean, look at them. That human boy doesn’t enter into it.† I looked. Adrian was right. Jill and Lee were clearly enthralled with each other. Some guilty part of me wondered if I should be a doing a better job of looking out for Jill. I was so relieved that she was interested in a Moroi that I hadn’t stopped to wonder if she should even be dating anyone. Was fifteen old enough? I hadn’t dated at fifteen. I’d actually, well, never dated. â€Å"There is an age difference between them,† I admitted, more to myself. Adrian scoffed. â€Å"Believe me, I’ve seen age differences. Theirs is nothing.† He walked off, and a few moments later, Eddie and I went to join him. Eddie maintained his simultaneous vigil of Jill, but this time, I got the impression the danger he was watching out for was right beside her. Adrian’s laughter rang out ahead of us. â€Å"Sage!† he called. â€Å"You have got to see this.† Eddie and I reached the next green and stared in astonishment. Then I burst out laughing. We had reached Dracula’s Castle. A huge, multi-towered black castle guarded the hole some distance away. A tunnel was cut out through the center of it with a narrow bridge meant for the ball to go over. If the ball fell off the sides before getting through the castle, it was returned back to the starting point. An animatronic Count Dracula stood off to the castle’s side. He was pure white, with red eyes, pointed ears, and slicked-back hair. He jerkily kept raising his arms to show off a batlike cape. Nearby, a speaker blasted eerie organ music. I couldn’t stop laughing. Adrian and Eddie looked at me as though they’d never seen me before. â€Å"I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh,† Eddie told him. â€Å"Certainly not the reaction I was expecting,† mused Adrian. â€Å"I’d been counting on abject terror, judging from past Alchemist behavior. I didn’t think you liked vampires.† Still grinning, I watched Dracula raise his cape up and down. â€Å"This isn’t a vampire. Not a real one. And that’s what makes it so funny. It’s pure Hollywood camp. Real vampires are terrifying and unnatural. This? This is hilarious.† It was clear from their expressions that neither really understood why this would appeal to my sense of humor so much. Adrian did, however, offer to take a picture with my cell phone when I asked him. I posed by Dracula and put on a big smile. Adrian managed to snap the shot just as Dracula was raising his cape. When I viewed the picture, I was pleased to see it had come out perfectly. Even my hair looked good. Adrian gave the picture a nod of approval before handing me the phone. â€Å"Okay, even I can admit that’s pretty cute.† I found myself overanalyzing the comment. What had he meant in saying even he could admit it? That I was cute for a human? Or that I had just met some kind of Adrian hot-girl criteria? Moments later, I had to forcibly stop thinking about it. Let it go, Sydney. It’s a compliment. Accept it. We played through the rest of the course, finally finishing off with the waterfall itself. That was a particularly challenging hole, and I took my time lining up the shot – not that I needed to. I was beating everyone pretty handily. Eddie was the only one who came close. It was clear Jill and Lee didn’t even have their attention on the game, and as for Adrian and his natural talent†¦ well, they were very solidly in last place. Eddie, Adrian, and I were still ahead of the other two, so we waited for them by the waterfall. Jill practically ran to it when she had the chance, gazing up at it with enchanted eyes. â€Å"Oh,† she breathed. â€Å"This is wonderful. I haven’t seen this much water in days.† â€Å"Remember what I said about the toxicity,† teased Lee. But it was clear he found her reaction endearing. As I glanced at the other two guys, I saw that they shared the same feelings. Well, not exactly the same. Adrian’s affection was clearly brotherly. Eddie’s? It was hard to read, kind of a mix of the other two. Maybe it was a kind of guardian fondness. Jill made a gesture to the waterfall, and suddenly, part of it broke off from the tumbling cascade. The chunk of water shaped itself into a braid, then twisted high into the air, making spirals before shattering into a million drops that misted over us all. I had been staring wide-eyed and frozen, but those drops hitting me shocked me awake. â€Å"Jill,† I said in a voice I barely recognized as my own. â€Å"Don’t do that again.† Jill, eyes bright, barely spared me a glance as she made another piece of water dance in the air. â€Å"No one’s around to see, Sydney.† That wasn’t what had me so upset. That wasn’t what filled me with so much panic that I could barely breathe. The world was doing that thing where it started to spin, and I worried I was going to faint. Stark, cold fear ran through me, fear at the unknown. The unnatural. The laws of my world had just been broken. This was vampire magic, something foreign and inaccessible to humans – inaccessible because it was forbidden, something no mortal was meant to delve into. I had only once seen magic used, when two spirit users had turned on each other, and I never wanted to see it again. One had forced the plants of the earth to do her bidding while the other telekinetically hurled objects meant to kill. It had been terrifying, and even though I hadn’t been the target, I’d felt trapped and overwhelmed in the f ace of such otherworldly power. It was a reminder that these weren’t fun, easy people to hang out with. These were creatures wholly different from me. â€Å"Stop it,† I said, feeling the panic rise. I was afraid of the magic, afraid it would touch me, afraid of what it might do to me. â€Å"Don’t do it anymore!† Jill didn’t even hear me. She grinned at Lee. â€Å"You’re air, right? Can you create fog over the water?† Lee stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away. â€Å"Ah, well, it’s probably not a good idea. I mean, we’re in public†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Come on,† she pleaded. â€Å"It won’t take any effort for you at all.† He actually appeared nervous. â€Å"Nah, not right now.† â€Å"Not you too.† She laughed. Above her and in front of her, that demon water was still spinning, spinning, spinning†¦ â€Å"Jill,† said Adrian, a harsher note in his voice than I’d ever heard before. In fact, I couldn’t recall him ever addressing her by her actual name. â€Å"Stop.† It was all he said, but it was like a wave of something went through Jill. She flinched, and the water spirals disappeared, falling away in droplets. â€Å"Fine,† she said, looking confused. There was a moment of awkwardness, and then Eddie said, â€Å"We should hurry. We’re going to be pushing curfew.† Lee and Jill set out to make their shots and soon were laughing and flirting again. Eddie continued watching them in his concerned way. Only Adrian paid any attention to me. He was the only one who really understood what had happened, I realized. His green eyes studied me, with no trace of their usual bitter humor. I wasn’t fooled, though. I knew there had to be some witty quip coming, mocking my reaction. â€Å"Are you okay?† he asked quietly. â€Å"I’m fine,† I said, turning from him. I didn’t want him to see my face. He’d already seen too much, seen my fear. I didn’t want any of them to know how afraid of them I was. I heard him take a few steps toward me. â€Å"Sage – â€Å" â€Å"Leave me alone,† I snapped back. I hurried off toward the course’s exit, certain he wouldn’t follow me. I was right. I waited for them to finish the game, using the alone time to calm myself down. By the time they caught up to me, I was fairly certain I had wiped most of the emotions from my face. Adrian still watched me with concern, which I didn’t like, but at least he didn’t say anything else about my breakdown. Surprising to no one, the final score showed that I had won and Adrian had lost. Lee had come in third, which seemed to trouble him. â€Å"I used to be a lot better,† he muttered, frowning. â€Å"I used to be perfect at this game.† Considering he’d spent most of the time paying attention to Jill, I thought third was a pretty respectable performance. I dropped him and Adrian off first and then just barely got Eddie, Jill, and me back to Amberwood on time. I was more or less back to normal by then, not that anyone would’ve noticed. Jill was floating on a cloud as we went into our dorm room, talking nonstop about Lee. â€Å"I had no idea he’d traveled so much! He’s maybe been more places than you, Sydney. He keeps telling me that he’ll take me to all of them, that we’ll spend the rest of our lives traveling and doing whatever we want. And he’s taking all sorts of classes in college because he’s not sure what he wants to major in. Well, not all sorts this semester. He’s got a light schedule so that he can spend more time with his father. And that’s good for me. For us, I mean.† I stifled a yawn and nodded wearily. â€Å"That’s great.† She paused from where she’d been searching her dresser for pajamas. â€Å"I’m sorry, by the way.† I froze. I didn’t want an apology for the magic. I didn’t even want to remember it had happened. â€Å"For yelling at you the other night,† she continued. â€Å"You didn’t set me up with Lee. I should never have accused you of interfering. He really has liked me all along, and, well†¦ he’s really great.† I let out the breath I’d been holding and attempted a weak smile. â€Å"I’m glad you’re happy.† She returned cheerfully to her tasks and to talking about Lee until I left to go down to the bathroom. Before brushing my teeth, I stood in front of the sink and washed my hands and arms over and over, scrubbing as hard as I could to wash away the magical drops of water I swore I could still feel on my skin. Bloodlines Chapter Twelve We tried to tell him that Tamara was killed by Strigoi, but he won’t believe it. He doesn’t want to. He can’t take revenge on a Strigoi. They’re immortal. Invincible. But some human vampire hunter? Somehow, in his head, that’s something he can go after. And if he can’t, then he can focus his energy on how the guardians won’t go after these nonexistent vampire hunters.† I just barely heard Eddie mutter, â€Å"Strigoi aren’t that invincible.† In the rearview mirror, I saw Jill’s face filled with compassion. She was seated between Lee and Eddie. â€Å"Even if it’s a fantasy, maybe it’s better this way,† she suggested. â€Å"It gives him comfort. I mean, kind of. Having something tangible to hate is what gets him through. Otherwise he’d just give in to despair. He’s not hurting anyone with his theories. I think he’s sweet.† She caught her breath in that way she did when she’d said a whole lot all at once. My eyes were back on the road, but I could swear Lee was smiling. â€Å"That’s nice of you,† he told her. â€Å"I know he likes having you around. Turn right up here.† That was to me. Lee had been giving me directions ever since we left Clarence’s. We were just outside of Palm Springs proper, nearing the very impressive-looking Desert Gods Golf Course and Resort. Further guidance from him led us to the Mega-Fun Mini-Golf Center, which was adjacent to the resort. I searched for a parking spot and heard Jill gasp when she caught sight of the golf course’s crowning glory. There, in the center of a cluster of gaudily decorated putting greens, was a huge fake mountain with an artificial waterfall spouting from its top. â€Å"A waterfall!† she exclaimed. â€Å"It’s amazing.† â€Å"Well,† said Lee, â€Å"I wouldn’t go that far. It’s made of water that’s been pumped over and over and has God only knows what in it. I mean, I wouldn’t try to drink or swim in it.† Before I even had the car to a stop, Adrian was out the door, lighting a cigarette. We’d gotten in an argument on the way over, despite me telling him three times that Latte was a strictly no-smoking car. The rest of us soon got out as well, and I wondered what I’d signed up for here as we strolled toward the entrance. â€Å"I’ve actually never been mini-golfing,† I remarked. Lee came to a halt and stared. â€Å"Never?† â€Å"Never.† â€Å"How does that happen?† asked Adrian. â€Å"How is it possible that you’ve never played mini-golf?† â€Å"I had kind of an unusual childhood,† I said at last. Even Eddie looked incredulous. â€Å"You? I was practically raised at an isolated school in the middle of nowhere Montana, and even I’ve played mini-golf.† Saying I was homeschooled was no excuse this time, so I just let it go. Really, it just came down to having a childhood more focused on chemical equations than on fun and recreation. Once we started playing, I soon got the hang of it. My first few attempts were pretty bad, but I soon understood the weight of the club and how the angles on each course could be maneuvered. From there, it was pretty simple to calculate distance and force to make accurate shots. â€Å"Unbelievable. If you’d been playing since you were a child, you’d be a pro by now,† Eddie told me as I knocked my ball into a gaping dragon’s mouth. The ball rolled out the back, down a tube, bounced off a wall, and into the hole. â€Å"How’d you do that?† I shrugged. â€Å"It’s simple geometry. You’re not that bad either,† I pointed out, watching him make his shot. â€Å"How do you do it?† â€Å"I just line it up and putt.† â€Å"Very scientific.† â€Å"I just rely on natural talent,† said Adrian, strolling up to the start of the Dragon’s Lair. â€Å"When you have such a wealth of it to draw from, the danger comes from having too much.† â€Å"That makes no sense whatsoever,† said Eddie. Adrian’s response was to pause and take out a silver flask from his inner coat pocket. He unscrewed it and took a quick drink before leaning in to line up his shot. â€Å"What was that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can’t have alcohol out here.† â€Å"You heard Jailbait earlier,† he countered. â€Å"It’s the weekend.† He lined up his ball and shot. The ball went directly for the dragon’s eye, bounced off it, and shot back toward Adrian. It rolled and came to a stop at his feet, nearly where it had started. â€Å"Natural talent, huh?† asked Eddie. I leaned forward. â€Å"I think you broke the dragon’s eye.† â€Å"Just like Keith,† said Adrian. â€Å"I figured you’d appreciate that, Sage.† I gave him a sharp look, wondering if there was any hidden meaning behind that. Mostly, Adrian seemed amused by his own wit. Eddie mistook my expression. â€Å"That was inappropriate,† he told Adrian. â€Å"Sorry, Dad.† Adrian shot again and managed not to maim any statues this time. A couple more shots, and he sank the ball. â€Å"There we go. Three.† â€Å"Four,† said Eddie and I in unison. Adrian looked at us incredulously. â€Å"It was three.† â€Å"You’re forgetting about your first one,† I said. â€Å"The one where you blinded the dragon.† â€Å"That was just the warm-up,† Adrian argued. He put on a smile I think he hoped would charm me. â€Å"Come on, Sage. You understand how my mind works. You said I was brilliant, remember?† Eddie glanced at me in surprise. â€Å"You did?† â€Å"No! I never said that.† Adrian’s smile was infuriating. â€Å"Stop telling people that.† Since I was in charge of the scorecard, his play was logged as four, despite his many further protests. I started to move forward, but Eddie held out a hand to stop me, his hazel eyes gazing over my shoulder. â€Å"Hold up,† he said. â€Å"We need to wait for Jill and Lee.† I followed his gaze. The two of them had been in deep conversation since we arrived, so much so that they’d slowed and lagged behind the rest of us. Even during his bantering with Adrian and me, Eddie had continually checked on her – and our surroundings. It was kind of amazing the way he could multitask. Thus far, Jill and Lee had only been one hole behind us. Now it was nearly two, and that was too far for Eddie to keep her in his sight. So, we waited while the oblivious couple meandered their way toward the Dragon’s Lair. Adrian took another drink from his flask and shook his head in awe. â€Å"You had nothing to worry about, Sage. She went right for him.† â€Å"No thanks to you,† I snapped. â€Å"I can’t believe you told her every detail of my visit that night. She was so mad at me for interfering behind her back with you, Lee, and Micah.† â€Å"I hardly told her anything,† argued Adrian. â€Å"I just told her to stay away from that human guy.† Eddie glanced between our faces. â€Å"Micah?† I shifted uncomfortably. Eddie didn’t know about how I’d gone proactive. â€Å"Remember when I wanted you to say something to him? And you wouldn’t?† I proceeded to tell him how I’d then sought out Adrian’s help and found out about Lee’s interest in Jill. Eddie was aghast. â€Å"How could you not tell me any of this?† he demanded. â€Å"Well,† I said, wondering if everything I did was going to result in the wrath of a Moroi or dhampir, â€Å"it didn’t involve you.† â€Å"Jill’s safety does! If some guy likes her, I need to know.† Adrian chuckled. â€Å"Should Sage have passed you a note in class?† â€Å"Lee’s fine,† I said. â€Å"He obviously adores her, and it’s not like she’ll ever be alone with him.† â€Å"We don’t know for sure that he’s fine,† said Eddie. â€Å"Whereas Micah’s a hundred percent okay? Did you do a background check or something?† I asked. â€Å"No,† said Eddie, looking embarrassed. â€Å"I just know. It’s a feeling I get about him. There’s no problem with him spending time with Jill.† â€Å"Except that he’s human.† â€Å"They wouldn’t have gotten serious.† â€Å"You don’t know that.† â€Å"Enough, you two,† interrupted Adrian. Jill and Lee had finally reached the start of the Dragon’s Lair, meaning we could move on. Adrian lowered his voice. â€Å"Your argument’s useless. I mean, look at them. That human boy doesn’t enter into it.† I looked. Adrian was right. Jill and Lee were clearly enthralled with each other. Some guilty part of me wondered if I should be a doing a better job of looking out for Jill. I was so relieved that she was interested in a Moroi that I hadn’t stopped to wonder if she should even be dating anyone. Was fifteen old enough? I hadn’t dated at fifteen. I’d actually, well, never dated. â€Å"There is an age difference between them,† I admitted, more to myself. Adrian scoffed. â€Å"Believe me, I’ve seen age differences. Theirs is nothing.† He walked off, and a few moments later, Eddie and I went to join him. Eddie maintained his simultaneous vigil of Jill, but this time, I got the impression the danger he was watching out for was right beside her. Adrian’s laughter rang out ahead of us. â€Å"Sage!† he called. â€Å"You have got to see this.† Eddie and I reached the next green and stared in astonishment. Then I burst out laughing. We had reached Dracula’s Castle. A huge, multi-towered black castle guarded the hole some distance away. A tunnel was cut out through the center of it with a narrow bridge meant for the ball to go over. If the ball fell off the sides before getting through the castle, it was returned back to the starting point. An animatronic Count Dracula stood off to the castle’s side. He was pure white, with red eyes, pointed ears, and slicked-back hair. He jerkily kept raising his arms to show off a batlike cape. Nearby, a speaker blasted eerie organ music. I couldn’t stop laughing. Adrian and Eddie looked at me as though they’d never seen me before. â€Å"I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh,† Eddie told him. â€Å"Certainly not the reaction I was expecting,† mused Adrian. â€Å"I’d been counting on abject terror, judging from past Alchemist behavior. I didn’t think you liked vampires.† Still grinning, I watched Dracula raise his cape up and down. â€Å"This isn’t a vampire. Not a real one. And that’s what makes it so funny. It’s pure Hollywood camp. Real vampires are terrifying and unnatural. This? This is hilarious.† It was clear from their expressions that neither really understood why this would appeal to my sense of humor so much. Adrian did, however, offer to take a picture with my cell phone when I asked him. I posed by Dracula and put on a big smile. Adrian managed to snap the shot just as Dracula was raising his cape. When I viewed the picture, I was pleased to see it had come out perfectly. Even my hair looked good. Adrian gave the picture a nod of approval before handing me the phone. â€Å"Okay, even I can admit that’s pretty cute.† I found myself overanalyzing the comment. What had he meant in saying even he could admit it? That I was cute for a human? Or that I had just met some kind of Adrian hot-girl criteria? Moments later, I had to forcibly stop thinking about it. Let it go, Sydney. It’s a compliment. Accept it. We played through the rest of the course, finally finishing off with the waterfall itself. That was a particularly challenging hole, and I took my time lining up the shot – not that I needed to. I was beating everyone pretty handily. Eddie was the only one who came close. It was clear Jill and Lee didn’t even have their attention on the game, and as for Adrian and his natural talent†¦ well, they were very solidly in last place. Eddie, Adrian, and I were still ahead of the other two, so we waited for them by the waterfall. Jill practically ran to it when she had the chance, gazing up at it with enchanted eyes. â€Å"Oh,† she breathed. â€Å"This is wonderful. I haven’t seen this much water in days.† â€Å"Remember what I said about the toxicity,† teased Lee. But it was clear he found her reaction endearing. As I glanced at the other two guys, I saw that they shared the same feelings. Well, not exactly the same. Adrian’s affection was clearly brotherly. Eddie’s? It was hard to read, kind of a mix of the other two. Maybe it was a kind of guardian fondness. Jill made a gesture to the waterfall, and suddenly, part of it broke off from the tumbling cascade. The chunk of water shaped itself into a braid, then twisted high into the air, making spirals before shattering into a million drops that misted over us all. I had been staring wide-eyed and frozen, but those drops hitting me shocked me awake. â€Å"Jill,† I said in a voice I barely recognized as my own. â€Å"Don’t do that again.† Jill, eyes bright, barely spared me a glance as she made another piece of water dance in the air. â€Å"No one’s around to see, Sydney.† That wasn’t what had me so upset. That wasn’t what filled me with so much panic that I could barely breathe. The world was doing that thing where it started to spin, and I worried I was going to faint. Stark, cold fear ran through me, fear at the unknown. The unnatural. The laws of my world had just been broken. This was vampire magic, something foreign and inaccessible to humans – inaccessible because it was forbidden, something no mortal was meant to delve into. I had only once seen magic used, when two spirit users had turned on each other, and I never wanted to see it again. One had forced the plants of the earth to do her bidding while the other telekinetically hurled objects meant to kill. It had been terrifying, and even though I hadn’t been the target, I’d felt trapped and overwhelmed in the f ace of such otherworldly power. It was a reminder that these weren’t fun, easy people to hang out with. These were creatures wholly different from me. â€Å"Stop it,† I said, feeling the panic rise. I was afraid of the magic, afraid it would touch me, afraid of what it might do to me. â€Å"Don’t do it anymore!† Jill didn’t even hear me. She grinned at Lee. â€Å"You’re air, right? Can you create fog over the water?† Lee stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away. â€Å"Ah, well, it’s probably not a good idea. I mean, we’re in public†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Come on,† she pleaded. â€Å"It won’t take any effort for you at all.† He actually appeared nervous. â€Å"Nah, not right now.† â€Å"Not you too.† She laughed. Above her and in front of her, that demon water was still spinning, spinning, spinning†¦ â€Å"Jill,† said Adrian, a harsher note in his voice than I’d ever heard before. In fact, I couldn’t recall him ever addressing her by her actual name. â€Å"Stop.† It was all he said, but it was like a wave of something went through Jill. She flinched, and the water spirals disappeared, falling away in droplets. â€Å"Fine,† she said, looking confused. There was a moment of awkwardness, and then Eddie said, â€Å"We should hurry. We’re going to be pushing curfew.† Lee and Jill set out to make their shots and soon were laughing and flirting again. Eddie continued watching them in his concerned way. Only Adrian paid any attention to me. He was the only one who really understood what had happened, I realized. His green eyes studied me, with no trace of their usual bitter humor. I wasn’t fooled, though. I knew there had to be some witty quip coming, mocking my reaction. â€Å"Are you okay?† he asked quietly. â€Å"I’m fine,† I said, turning from him. I didn’t want him to see my face. He’d already seen too much, seen my fear. I didn’t want any of them to know how afraid of them I was. I heard him take a few steps toward me. â€Å"Sage – â€Å" â€Å"Leave me alone,† I snapped back. I hurried off toward the course’s exit, certain he wouldn’t follow me. I was right. I waited for them to finish the game, using the alone time to calm myself down. By the time they caught up to me, I was fairly certain I had wiped most of the emotions from my face. Adrian still watched me with concern, which I didn’t like, but at least he didn’t say anything else about my breakdown. Surprising to no one, the final score showed that I had won and Adrian had lost. Lee had come in third, which seemed to trouble him. â€Å"I used to be a lot better,† he muttered, frowning. â€Å"I used to be perfect at this game.† Considering he’d spent most of the time paying attention to Jill, I thought third was a pretty respectable performance. I dropped him and Adrian off first and then just barely got Eddie, Jill, and me back to Amberwood on time. I was more or less back to normal by then, not that anyone would’ve noticed. Jill was floating on a cloud as we went into our dorm room, talking nonstop about Lee. â€Å"I had no idea he’d traveled so much! He’s maybe been more places than you, Sydney. He keeps telling me that he’ll take me to all of them, that we’ll spend the rest of our lives traveling and doing whatever we want. And he’s taking all sorts of classes in college because he’s not sure what he wants to major in. Well, not all sorts this semester. He’s got a light schedule so that he can spend more time with his father. And that’s good for me. For us, I mean.† I stifled a yawn and nodded wearily. â€Å"That’s great.† She paused from where she’d been searching her dresser for pajamas. â€Å"I’m sorry, by the way.† I froze. I didn’t want an apology for the magic. I didn’t even want to remember it had happened. â€Å"For yelling at you the other night,† she continued. â€Å"You didn’t set me up with Lee. I should never have accused you of interfering. He really has liked me all along, and, well†¦ he’s really great.† I let out the breath I’d been holding and attempted a weak smile. â€Å"I’m glad you’re happy.† She returned cheerfully to her tasks and to talking about Lee until I left to go down to the bathroom. Before brushing my teeth, I stood in front of the sink and washed my hands and arms over and over, scrubbing as hard as I could to wash away the magical drops of water I swore I could still feel on my skin.

Transition from Military to a Democracy Rule in South Korea Research Paper

Transition from Military to a Democracy Rule in South Korea - Research Paper Example This paper considers the process of successful transition from a military dictatorship regime to a democratic led nation in South Korea. It attempts to study that process and give an explanation to success of that transition, that brought economic prosperity to the country. The history of the path to democracy in South Korea began in the year 1945 when the country liberated itself from colonial rule by the Japanese. Economic development was envisaged to pick soon after. However, the postcolonial period saw a shift from Japanese led colonial leadership to an authoritarian rule, also referred to as a strong state. This shift was mostly fuelled by political divisions in the period after liberalization and the Korean War. The continued authoritarian rule elicited country wide protests, which continued to gain support and momentum as the strong state ideology also continued to widen and deepen. The protests were in favor of democratization, with the protestors demanding the adoption of democracy in governance, and consequently formed a resistance union, called the democratization movement’s resistance. Increased confrontations and resultant clashes between the pro democracy and the authoritarian rule parties led to the start of the journey to democracy which was characterized by a series of movements. These include the 1960 revolution which took place on April 19th, the uprising of 1980 popularly known as the Gwangju Popular Uprising, and lastly the 1987 June Democratic Uprising. The direct and democratic election of Kim Dae Jung as president of South Korea in 1997 propelled the country into a state of political and economic stability signifying the strong correlation that exists between democracy and economic development.

Network design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Network design - Essay Example However, ABC Company can achieve these capabilities by implementing a corporate network technology system that can offer the business different facilities, tools, and services such as data sharing, communication, files transfer, and linking different departments inside the company. The management of ABC wants to implement a computer network in order to enhance business productivity and provide better services to its clients. In addition, the management is willing to invest heavily in new facilities and equipments or providing a consistently superior standard of services. With the traditional ways of data sharing and communication the ABC Company is facing a lot of problems in managing the business activities. Some problems with the traditional working arrangement are given below: Since, the problems and issues ABC Company is facing are very critical. To effectively deal with these problems and issues there is need to implement an effective network by making use of latest tools and technologies. The new network technology based platforms will be aimed at offering a better business support and working capabilities. The new technology platform will be a centralized business network arrangement that will offer better business working and operational