Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome Essay

Compare and Contrast Country Lovers and The Welcome - Essay Example However, other issues that are related to the study of literary works such as style are usually the same. The thematic concerns that are centered in literary works are also mostly the same. These are the various factors that are discussed when looking at literary works. This paper will be a discussion of two literary works Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer and The Welcome Table by Alice Walker. Focus will be on content, form, style and setting of the two literary works. These features will be analyzed so as to ascertain the rationalization that they have towards developing the themes of race and ethnicity that are common in both works. All these aspects as pertains to the two stories will be compared and contrasted. Both literary works, Country Lovers and The Welcome Table are short stories. They can be found in a number of collected anthologies. However, despite the fact that they are both story stories, they are quite different. While Gordimer’s story is long and quite detai led, this is not the case in The Welcome Table. This story is quite brief but still manages to pass the message that it was intended to. Through descriptive words, the author has still managed to come up with a plot that is interesting to follow. Therefore, while both literary works are short stories, one is long and much more detailed than the other. This is what contrasts the two literary works of art in terms of form. It also makes them quite interesting to study. ? ­ One aspect that is similar in both Country Lovers and The Welcome Table is the protest about racism; this is followed by the tragic human consequences that this practice comes with. Despite the fact that the stories are written based on the same thematic concerns, the context in which they are written is very different. Moreover, the way in which they are written and the emotional impact that they have on the readers are not the same. For example, whilst Gordimer’s story is written in South Africa when the apartheid regime was rampant, Walker’s story is set in the United States during the post civil war period. These were different historical times that occurred in places that are far apart and the experiences that the characters in this stories had may not have been the same. During the Apartheid system, the law, under the operation of the state was used to impose difficult living conditions on the non-whites in South Africa (Union of South Africa, 2012). This situation can be seen from the text, while Paulus went to school and lived in full comfort and sometimes even enjoying some luxuries, like movies, this was not the same case with Thebedi, she was supposed to do manual labor on the white man’s house with education being a secondary objective to her and the other black children (Gordimer, 1975). This was as per the law that ensured that there was a great disparity between the lives of the blacks and the whites. While this was the situation for the blacks, all wealth , economic and educational opportunities were privileges that were exclusively reserved for the whites in South Africa. On the other hand Walker focuses on the plight that the older rural based African Americans go through. This is through the life of complete slavery that they have been subjected to and they are still subjected to. Even though some reforms were made during the Civil Rights era, there is a lot of subjugation that the blacks

Access to E-Mail Essay Example for Free

Access to E-Mail Essay Traditionally, the standard of evaluation an administrative law judge might use when determining the importance of an error was the question of intent. If the person committing the error had no intent to cause harm, the additional evidence provided to the law enforcement agency would likely remain inadmissible, but there would be no penalties to either the provider of the information or the law enforcement agency receiving it. In fact, in not too ancient American history, the extra information would have been viewed as a bonus for the law enforcement agency and the discussion would have stopped there. However, in more recent cases, the court has placed a new set of restrictions and responsibilities on the law enforcement agency, possibly to the detriment of law enforcement. The best example of this new anti-law enforcement attitude is evidenced in Eric Lichtblau’s New York Times article â€Å"F. B. I. See more:  Capital budgeting essay Gained Unauthorized Access to E-Mail†. The article firmly places the blame for the mistake on the internet provider and yet expects the FBI to correct the mistake. â€Å"Marcia Hofmann, a lawyer for the privacy foundation, said the episode raised troubling questions about the technical and policy controls that the F. B. I. had in place to guard against civil liberties abuses. â€Å"How do we know what the F. B. I. does with all these documents when a problem like this comes up? † Ms. Hofmann asked. † (Lichtblau, 2008). The author likens the mistake to the FBI receiving a warrant to search one apartment and the landlord mistakenly giving them the keys to the whole building, but the problem with that analysis is that in this case, the FBI did not immediately know it had been given a master set of keys. Perhaps more appropriately would be to say that the FBI had permission to search a single book in the library and the librarian provided them with every book in the library. Somehow, privacy activists are claiming that the FBI must have a policy in place to prevent the mistake in the first place and clean it up when it does happen. Hofmann specifically questions how the FBI was disposing of the documents and there is a legitimate question there; however, the article misses the point and creates an administrative law nightmare for the bureau and subsequently for all law enforcement agencies. By implying that the FBI is somehow responsible for the manner in which other comply with search warrants, the newspaper article is promoting a significant shift in the administration of the law. Instead of simply asking law enforcement to be able to investigate crime and enforce that aspect of the law, we are asking them to act as administrators of the law as well. Though the title law enforcement does imply that they should be responsible for the administration of court orders including warrants, this new approach seems to blur the line between the court and the investigating agency, making it that much more difficult for the investigators to do their jobs. In the American tradition, with common law as its backing, law enforcement traditionally has served to enforce the compliance with administrative orders (like search warrants) only when the person responding to the warrant has refused to comply with the court’s orders. Now, with issues like the one discussed in this article, it appears that the focus may be changing and law enforcement may be charged with determining how well the respondent complies with the warrant as well. Though this initially will mean more work for the agency, as in this example, the FBI would need to ascertain that it received only the information in the search warrant, this could spell problems for civil rights down the road. If the law enforcement agency is now defining the degree of compliance with a search warrant, it is completely plausible that a future agency could demand more information than the warrant initially authorized and with the right judge, could justify whatever actions they took to get the information. The erosion of individual rights begins when we move away from judicial review of search warrant compliance and place it in the hands of law enforcement. Works Cited Lichtblau, Eric. â€Å"F. B. I. Gained Unauthorized Access to E-Mail†, New York Times, February 18, 2008. Available at: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/02/17/washington/17fisa. html? ex=1203829200en=58b05e0425027b1bei=5123partner=BREITBART, Accessed march 5, 2008.

Critical Essay On Human Error In Healthcare System Nursing Essay

Critical Essay On Human Error In Healthcare System Nursing Essay The potentially devastating consequences of accidents means the NHS has a clear mandate to prioritise medical error reduction, whilst utilising energy, attention, and creativity towards delivering high-performance, high-confidence healthcare (DoH, 2000). The application of psychological theories of human action and error has an important part to play within this endeavour, not least because they exceed the merely descriptive, instead combining cognitive, affective and behavioural considerations to provide more integrated understandings of patient safety issues (Parker Lawton, 2006). Indeed, according to Zhang and colleagues (2002, p.75) medical error is primarily an issue for cognitive scienceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦not for medicine. Psychology has a long and distinguished tradition of discerning the nature and sources of human error (e.g., Broadbent, 1958; Rasmussen, 1990; Reason, 2000) and, in terms of patient safety, researchers are increasing recognising that appreciating such mechanisms is a vital prerequisite for devising suitable remediation (Parker Lawton, 2003, 2006). One important distinction in this regard is between the concept of slips/lapses (a sound plan, poorly executed), mistakes (an inappropriate plan, correctly implemented) and violations (a deliberate deviation from recommended practice). In contrast to the latter, which are generally intentional, slips/lapses and mistakes are primarily driven by failures in cognitive processing, and are therefore amenable to interventions based on knowledge acquisition, skills enhancement, and information provision (Lawton, 1998). It is these particular principles that form the basis of this review. Practitioner Errors Error in the health industry is ubiquitous, and the capacity for mistakes within even routine medical procedures is considerable (Bogner, 2004a). For example, a sobering compilation by Van Cott (1994) identified medication/anesthesia administration, laboratory testing, blood transfusions, diagnostic screening and the operation of medical technology as regular candidates for both incident reporting and malpractice claims. However, while healthcare providers conventionally emphasised refining technical proficiencies, appreciating the intricacy of staffs cognitive performance (and developing strategies to augment it) has a greater likelihood of enhancing safety (Hudson, 2003; Looseley et al., 2009; Zhang et al., 2004). According to Casey (1993, p.9) the individual as an independent system (i.e., unhampered by any kind of technology) is actually remarkably reliable; conversely, error likelihood is amplified by incompatibilities between the characteristics of peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and the characteristics of the things we create and use. Applying psychological principles within healthcare systems has shown that working conditions, conventions, and procedures can be tailored to complement what we know about human behaviour, and that this wisdom can be utilised in a corrective way. Psychological research within other high-risk industries demonstrates that while mental operations often function beyond voluntary control, it is both possible and desirable to modify conditions in which staff perform (Green, 2004; Raab et al., 2006; Wilf-Miron et al., 2003). For example, McCulloch and colleagues (2009) designed an intervention derived from aviation-style Crew Resource Management coaching, implemented in the o perating theatre of a UK teaching hospital. The programme, comprised of teamwork skills, safety attitudes and performance training, was associated with significant reductions in operative technical errors and non-operative procedural errors. Similar results have been reported by Haller et al. (2008), who found that aviation-style training contributed to a significant improvement in multidisciplinary teamwork and organisational safety culture. In contrast, Rogers and colleagues (2004) advocate designing nurses work-shift cycles in concordance with current psychological knowledge about the impact of sleep disruption on acuity and performance, whereas Laschinger and Finegan (2005) suggest using empowerment principles derived from organisational psychology (e.g., workplace trust, respect, and justice) to motivate staff to lend their energy and expertise to prioritising patient safety. In more cognitive terms, Valenstein (2008) used tenets from the psychology of perception (e.g., optimized information density, ease of transfer, maximized fidelity/speed) to devise strategies for pathologists to format surgical reports in a manner that communicates most effectively and limits the chance of misinterpretation. Similarly, Shojania (2002) suggests that research inspired both by cognitive psychology and accident investigation within other industries provides the raw materials for predicting errors, recording critical incidents, and r eacting to them in a proactive, non-punitive manner. According to Reason (1994, p.ix) blaming fallible individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is universal, natural, emotionally satisfying and legallyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦convenient. Unfortunately it has little or no remedial value  [1]  . One of the most basic principles of error management that transitory mental states like preoccupation, disorientation, and distraction are mostly inadvertent and hugely variable has been guided by psychological research into human performance that emphasise the necessity of systems-based approaches which identify latent organisational failures in addition to active individual errors (Bogner, 2004b). Medical systems incorporate vast, intricate arrays of disparate and semi-autonomous components, operating within variable, diffused and unpredictable circumstances. Indeed, according to Van Cott (1994, p.55) of all sociotechnical systems [healthcare delivery]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦is the largest, most complex, most costly and, in some respects, the most unique. Furthermore, it is grounded within a person-centred, person-driven system, with human operators its most ubiquitous and valuable element. Using the science of human thought and behaviour to enhance and refine human performance therefore appears a profitable way of pursuing healthcare quality and safety. Patient Errors Poor adherence to self-administered medical interventions is a pervasive, wide-ranging problem which compromises the efficacy of prescribed healthcare, squanders therapeutic resources and, most seriously, potentially endangers patient well-being (Park et al., 2004; Roter et al., 1998; Thomas, 2009). Research suggests that at least 50% of patients fail to receive the full benefit of therapeutic recommendations (e.g., preventative practices, medication regimens, lifestyle modification) due to inadequate observance of medical advice (Morisky et al., 2009), whereas up to 30% use drug prescriptions in a manner that poses a serious risk to health (Schmittdiel et al., 2008). Both conceptually and methodologically, medical compliance raises complex issues for patients and providers, meaning that a careful consideration of the problem is necessary before significant and meaningful enhancements in adherence (and consequent health status) can be achieved (Haynes et al., 1996). An important contribution from psychology for precluding self-care errors is a systematic understanding of the cognitive changes that may provoke them. Specifically, memory and comprehension deficits are a manifest cause of poor compliance (Park et al., 2004). This is particularly prevalent in terms of age-related cognitive decline, although even younger adults with high cognitive functioning are not exempt from the kind of intellective impairments that thwart the ability to attend to ones medical needs. This is consistent with the well-established finding that declines in cognitive ability are gradual, continuous and linear across the adult lifespan (Baltes Lindenberger, 1997). For example, medical errors in elderly individuals may be partly generated by deteriorations in processing speed, working memory and long-term recall (Davis et al., 2010; Hayes et al., 2009; Stoehr et al., 2008), which impede the ability to both encode and retrieve unfamiliar medical regimens, or to incorpor ate them into a treatment plan compatible with daily routine. In contrast, deficits in time-based prospective memory (Woods et al., 2009), working memory (Smith, 2007), and source memory (Park et al., 2004) can compromise the capacity of younger adults to adequately self-manage medical recommendations, an effect exacerbated amongst those who are inexperienced healthcare consumers (Park, 1999), or who are subject to excessive distraction, stress or fatigue (Stilley et al., 2010). Similarly, the illusion of truth effect, whereby statement repetition heightens perceived truth (Begg, 1992), is a powerful memory distortion to which adults of all ages are susceptible, and which can be dangerous in the medical realm if false information is remembered as true (for example, a conscientious clinician who repeatedly extols the futility of herbal remedies for diabetes may risk her patient paradoxically recalling herbal remedies as advantageous, due to failures in context-dependent memory: Park et al., 2004). In response to this, psychological research has informed a range of interventions to reduce medical self-management errors. For example, providing older adults with novel information in written form promotes assimilation through decreasing burdens on working memory (Tsai, 2006), whereas comprehension and decision-making can be enhanced through environmental supports like audiovisual materials, telephone instruction, and follow-up sessions with a healthcare provider (Myers Midence, 1998). Cognitive resources may also be supplemented with contextual supports, which help consolidate memory for health communications at the time of encoding and retrieval for patients of all ages. For example, simplified treatment regimens, or those that are conveniently tailored to daily habits (Smith, 2007), medication organizers and reminder pill packaging/prescription refills (Petersen et al., 2007), supportive home visits (Kripalani et al., 2007), behavioural contracting and modelling (Christensen J ohnson, 2002), text-message prompts (Matsui, 2009), and electronic beepers (Kalichman, 2005), have all been shown to consistently enhance treatment adherence, with subsequent improvements in treatment outcomes. A considerable benefit of all these strategies is that they employ resources that are readily accessible within clinical settings. Conclusions According to Rasmussen (1994, p.392) patient safety is a frontier for change. An important aspect of this process is effective transfer of research themes into clinical practice. While psychological approaches have facilitated enhanced performance and learning at both organisational and individual levels, ensuring such improvements remain sustained and intentional is a complex task. Successful diffusion of evidence-based interventions to real-world applications requires prudent planning, implementation, and evaluation in order that healthcare quality can be constantly revised and refined. For example, inadequate understandings of the theoretical processes implicated in behaviour change means evidence-based guidelines are often poorly implemented within medical settings (Michie et al., 2005), while the intense rapidity and intricacy of change within healthcare means conflict can exist between academics seeking to develop and refine theories, and the more immediate, practical need of p ractitioners seeking information on which to develop interventions. In this respect, a promising area for development is increased multidisciplinary working, not only in terms of partnerships between practitioners and psychologists, but in the active involvement and recruitment of patients themselves (DoH, 2005). Collaboration can be seen as the coming together of diverse interests and people to achieve a common purpose via interactionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and coordination of activities(Jassawalla Sashittal, 1998, p.239), with such alliances potentially facilitating the merging of science and practice through enhanced information-sharing, formulating accessible and meaningful research questions, developing shared visions of patient safety, and designing/disseminating interventions using appropriate materials and methods for practitioner/patient needs. As Carr and Kemmis (1996, p.165) observe, within this aspiration is: Improvement of a practice of some kindà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦improvement of the understanding of a practiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the improvement of the situation in which the practice takes placeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Those involved in the practice being considered are to be involved inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦all its aspects of planning, acting, observing and reflecting for optimum results. 1782=1727

Comparing The Grapes of Wrath and The Power of One Essay -- comparison

Comparing The Grapes of Wrath and The Power of One "Two heads are better than one," it's always been said. But is another person always valuable, or can extra baggage keep an individual from achieving his goals? Both sides can be argued effectively, and both may be true depending on the circumstances. Two historical novels, The Grapes of Wrath and The Power of One, show how two sets of characters took different routes to achieve their goals and how they fared along the way. In The Grapes of Wrath, The Joads, a family of penniless migrant workers, travel to California to look for work, depending on the help of assorted strangers along the way, while The Power of One tells the story of Peekay, a young South African boy growing up alone in a hostile world bent on destroying his chances of success. The books portray very different views on life that are equally valid and convincing; while The Grapes of Wrath is a tale that emphasizes the power that can be achieved in numbers and the consequences of trying to survive alone, Th e Power of One is a testimony to the things one person can achieve when he is forced to depend on and trust in himself only.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The Joads, after they are forced to vacate their farm in Oklahoma, decide to pack all of their belongings and make the voyage to California, where there is supposedly so much work that everyone can make a living. But along the way, they quickly run into trouble. They have little money, an unreliable vehicle, a truckload of people to feed, and miles to go before they reach their destination. The Joads quickly discover something that becomes a major theme throughout the book: cooperating with others to achieve a common goal is sometimes necessary for surviva... ...ss birds banished, their rocky nests turned to river stones"(513;Ch. 24)   Ã‚  Ã‚   Each of these novels, although powerful and influential in its own right, contrasts the other greatly in terms of theme. The Joads in The Grapes of Wrath had to rely on others to obtain their goal, while Peekay in The Power of One struggled to find his way in life completely alone. Though each book is very different from the other, each is an emotional story of life's obstacles and the tremendous human spirit, whether combined or individual, that it takes to overcome them.    Sources Courtenay, Bryce. The Power of One. New York: Random House, 1989 Levant, Howard. "The Fully Matured Art: The Grapes of Wrath." John Steinbeck, Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 35-62. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin Books, 1978.

New criticism essay

Grace Lear Ms. Joan Richmond English 2261 17 Feb. 2013 New Criticism: A Focused Summary New criticism is a type of literary theory that focuses on the close reading of literature and how the literature functions as the object it’s meant to be. No external influences are to be taken into consideration, strictly the writing itself. This movement emphasizes the text in literature and explains the writers meaning to the reader. The author’s intention, excluding historical and cultural context is taken into consideration for analysis.When reading as a â€Å"New Critic† it’s important to separate emotion and the literal text used by the author, which can be hard to do. Close reading is something used by New Critics to bring out the straightforward and uncontroversial approach to understanding literature. Terms like paradox, ambiguity, irony, and tension help break down the story in different ways to understand the meaning new critics expect. These terms also sho w a conservative side to New Criticism taking away the controversial, external, social issues like race, gender and class.New criticism is sometimes looked at as the scientific approach to reading literature compared to other theories. In order to analyze in a new critic way its important to take notice of the terms above and the literal meaning of the setting, plot and theme. The subject and the object of the story should be separated and stable in mind while readers analyze in this type of theory. The focus should be literal not emotional and bring out the social function and effect of the literature the writer makes.The application of this theory, New Criticism can be shown through the story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner. The title â€Å"A Rose for Emily† could symbolize death. This also could also symbolize her oppressed, sad life due to her father, possibly meaning she was dead before she actually died (437). â€Å"The man himself lay in the bedâ₠¬ ¦ what was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt, had become inextricable from the bed in which he lay† (Faulkner). This connects to the ongoing theme of an older generation struggling to keep its place in this modern era.The tension between the past and the present or two generations is seen in the background of this story. Emily’s house was called a â€Å"stubborn and coquettish decay† compared to the gasoline pumps next to her house. The older generation of the town took care of Miss Emily in respects to her father (who donated money to the city). â€Å"A sort of hereditary obligation†, until the new generation mayors and aldermen expected taxes from her (Faulkner). There are some flashbacks to the past, which create images of death in her past specifically her father’s death.Is it ironic she doesn’t want to believe he’s dead? â€Å"She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days with ministers calling on her and the doctors trying to persuade her†(Faulkner) This could possibly mean the past isn’t ready to let go of a new coming era, an ongoing theme shown throughout this story. The description of her home, old furniture, dusty rooms, and dark shadowy halls are sensory details. The smell of her home due to dead bodies is so bad towns people come by to drop lime through her basement windows.These all give an eerie, dirty image and mood for the story. The question of why wouldn’t she put postal numbers on her house is her almost refusing new society that rejected her right back. Her characteristics steady show stubbornness, isolation and rejection. The main point of the story is to show the comparisons between the old days and the new and tensions between them are shown through Emily’s sad life. Another story that can be used to explain New Criticism would be â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemingway in the use of char acters, symbolism and conflict.In the story the only character that is referred to as the American is the male protagonist. He is distant from her on an emotional level and create what he thinks would be a resolution to a problem he clearly cares nothing about. The other character is a non-English speaking waitress who is deep in her own but is indecisive and afraid to say what she wants. These characters create tension throughout the story. The symbolism is started in the title â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† making readers question the comparison between the two.The â€Å"White Elephant† is the burden and decision of the unborn baby. â€Å"They look like White Elephants† (Hemingway). The waitress is talking about the hills but later deciding they didn’t look like elephants, which could lead to her indecisiveness about what to do with the baby. The setting of the story is at a train station, which creates theme and symbol. The train tracks going in dif ferent directions are the crossroads of their relationship on their decision of what to do with the unborn baby. She comments on the hills being beautiful and the country being brown or dry

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 18

Maggie stared at her wildly. â€Å"You†¦what?† â€Å"I shouldhave told you earlier,† Aradia said. â€Å"ButI didn't realize he was your brother until my mind became clearer. You're a lot alike, but I couldn'tthink properly to put it together.† She added,quickly and with terrible gentleness, â€Å"But, Maggie, I don't want to get your hopes up. I don't thinkthere's much chance he's all right.† Maggie went still. â€Å"Tell me.† â€Å"He actually saved me before you ever did. I wascoming to this valley, but I wasn't alone-therewere several other witches with me. We didn'tknow where the pass was exactly-we'd only man aged to get incomplete information from our spiesin Hunter Redfern's household.† Maggie controlled her breathing and nodded. â€Å"It was Samhain evening-Halloween. We werewandering around in the general area of the pass,trying to find a spell that would reveal it. All wedid was set off an avalanche.† Maggie stopped breathing entirely. â€Å"An avalanche?† â€Å"It didn't hurt your brother. He was on the road,the place we should have been, if we'd only known.But it did kill the others in my party.† â€Å"Oh,†Maggie whispered. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I wasn't seriously hurt, but I was completely dazed. I could feel that the others were dead, butI wasn't sure where I was anymore. And that waswhen I heard your brother shouting. He and Sylvia had heard the avalanche, of course, and they cameto see if anyone was caught in it.† â€Å"Miles would always stop to help people,† Maggiesaid, still almost in a whisper. â€Å"Even if they only needed batteries or socks or things.† â€Å"I can't tell you how grateful I was to hear him.He saved my life, I'm sure-I would have wandered around dazed until I froze. And I was so happy torecognize that the girl with him was a witch †¦ â€Å"She grimaced. â€Å"Huh,† Jeanne said, but not unsympathetically.†I bet that didn't last.† â€Å"She recognized me, too, immediately,† Aradiasaid. â€Å"She knew what she had. A hostage to bargainwith all the other witches. And to buy credit withHunter Redfern. And of course, she knew that she could stop me from seeing Delos.† â€Å"All she cares about is power,† Maggie said quietly. â€Å"I heard hertalking-it'sall about her, and how the witches have given her a bad deal becauseshe's not a Harman or something.† Aradia smiled very faintly. â€Å"I'm not a Harman byname, either. But all true witches are daughters of Hellewise Hearth-Woman-if they would just realize it.† She shook her head slightly. â€Å"Sylvia was so excited about finding me that she couldn't resist explaining it all to your brother. And he †¦ wasn't happy.† â€Å"No,† Maggie said, burning with such fierce pride that for a moment the cold cell seemed warm to her. â€Å"She'd only told him before that she was taking him to some secret place where legends were stillalive. But now she told him the truth about theDark Kingdom, and how she wanted him to be apart of it. She told him that it could be theirstheir own private haven-after Delos left with Hunter Redfern. He could become a vampire orshapeshifter, whichever he liked better. They wouldboth be part of the Night World, and they couldrule here without any interference.† Maggie lifted her hands helplessly, waving themin agitation because she couldn't find words. How stupid could Sylvia be? Didn't she know Miles atall? â€Å"Miles wouldn't care about any of that,† she finally got out in a choked voice. â€Å"He didn't. He told her so. And I knew right awaythat he was in trouble with her.† Aradia sighed.†But there was nothing I could do. Sylvia played it very cool until they got me down the mountain.She pretended all she cared about was getting meto a doctor and telling the rangers about my friends. But once we were in her apartment, everything changed.† â€Å"I remember her apartment,† Maggie said slowly.†The people there were weird.† â€Å"They were Night People,† Aradia said. â€Å"And Sylvia's friends. As soon as we were inside she toldthem what to do. I was trying to explain to Miles,to see if we both could get away, but there weretoo many of them. He put himself in between meand them, Maggie. He said they'd have to kill himbefore getting to me.† Maggie's chest felt not so much tight now asswollen, like a drum barrel full of water. She couldfeel her heart thudding slowly inside, and the wayit echoed all through her. She steadied her voice and said, â€Å"Did they killhim?† â€Å"No. Not then. And maybe not ever-but that'sthe part that I don't know. All I know is that theyknocked him out, and then the two slave tradersarrived. Bern and Gavin. Sylvia had sent for them.† And they must have come fresh from kidnappingP.J., Maggie thought. What wonderful guys. â€Å"They knocked me out. And then Sylvia boundme with spells and practiced with her truth potions on me. She didn't get much information, becauseI didn't have much information. There was no armyof witches coming to invade the Dark Kingdomright now, I wish there were. And she already knew that I was coming to see Delos.† Aradia sighed again and finished quickly. â€Å"Thetruth potion poisoned me, so that for days afterwards I was delirious. I couldn't really understandwhat was going on around me -I just faded in andout. I knew that I was being kept ina warehouse until the weather cleared enough to take me to thevalley. And I knew that Miles had already been disposed of-Sylvia mentioned that before she left mein the warehouse. But I didn't know what she haddone with him-and I still don't.† Maggie swallowed. Her heart was still thumping in that slow, heavy way. â€Å"What I don't understandis why she had to set up a whole scenario to explainwhere he went. She let some rangers find her onthe mountain, and she said that he fell down acrevasse. But if he was dead, why not just let himdisappear?† â€Å"I think I know the answer to that, at least,† Aradia said. â€Å"When Miles was fighting them off he saidthat his roommates knew he'd gone climbing withher. He said that if he didn't come back, they'dremember that.† Yes. It made sense. Everything made sense-except that Maggie still didn't know what had becomeof him. There was a long silence. `†Well, he was brave,† Jeanne said finally, andwith unexpected seriousness. â€Å"If he did die, he wentout the right way. We just ought to hope we cando the same.† Maggie glanced at her, trying to read the angularfeatures in the darkness. There was no trace ofmockery or sarcasm that she could see. Well, Cady's changed into Aradia, Maiden of allthe witches, and I've changed into the Deliverernot that I've been much good at it, she thought. But I think maybe you've changed the most afterall, Jeanne â€Å"You know, I don't even know your last name,† she said to Jeanne, so abruptly and so much offthe subject that Jeanne reared back a little. â€Å"Uh-McCartney. It was-it is?CMcCartney.† Sheadded, â€Å"I was fourteen when they got me. I was at the mall playing Fist of Death at the arcade. And Iwent to go to the bathroom, and it was down this long empty corridor, and the next thing I knew Iwas waking up in a slave trader's cart. And now you know everything,† she said. Maggie put out a hand in the dimness, â€Å"Hi,Jeanne McCartney.† She felt the cold grip of slen der, callused fingers, and she shook Jeanne's hand.And then she just held on to it, and to Aradia's soft warm fingers on the other side. The three of themsat together in the dark cell, slave, human, andwitch Maiden-except that we're really all just girls,Maggie thought. â€Å"You didn't tell me one thing,† Maggie said suddenly. â€Å"What'd they callyou when you started working here? What was your job?† Jeanne snorted. â€Å"Second Assistant Stable Sweeper.And. now you know everything. â€Å" Maggie didn't think she could possibly sleep in aplace like this, but after the three of them had sat quietly for a long time she found herself dozing. And when the rattle of the dungeon door startledher, she realized that she'd been asleep. She had no idea what time it was-the flare wasburning low. She could feel Aradia and Jeannecome awake beside her. â€Å"Dinner?† Jeanne muttered. â€Å"I just hope it's not PJ.-† Maggie began, and then broke off as firm, determined steps sounded on the stone floor of the corridor. She recognized the stride and she stood up tomeet Delos. He stood outside the cell, the dying torchlightflickering on his dark hair, catching occasionalsparks off his golden eyes. He was alone. And he didn't waste time getting to the point. â€Å"I came to see if you've decided to be reasonable,† he said. â€Å"I've been reasonable from the beginning,† Maggie said quietly and completely seriously. She was searching his face and the slight link she felt between their minds at this distance, hoping to findsome change in him. But although she felt turmoilthat was almost anguish, she also felt the steel ofhis resolve. I won't let you be killed. Nothing else matters. Maggie felt her shoulders sag. She turned slightly. Aradia and Jeanne were stillsitting on the bench, Aradia motionless, Jeannecoiled and wary. But she could tell that they bothfelt this was her fight. And they're right. If I can't do it, nobody can†¦But how? â€Å"They're people,† she said, gesturing toward theother girls, but watching Delos's face. â€Å"I don't knowhow to get you to see that. They matter, too.† He hardly glanced back at them. â€Å"In the time ofdarkness that is coming,† he said, as carefully as ifreciting a lesson, â€Å"only the Night People will survive. The ancient forces of magic are rising. They'vebeen asleep for ten thousand years, but they'rewaking up again.† A low voice, not belligerent, but not afraid either,came from the back of the cell. â€Å"Some of us believethat humans can learn to live with magic.† â€Å"Some of you are idiots and fools and are goingto die,† Delos said, without even looking. He stared at Maggie. She stared back at him.They were willing each other ashard as possible to understand. And I think he's got a stronger will, Maggiethought, as she broke the locked gaze and looked away, thumping the heel of a clenched fist against her forehead. No. That's not right. I'm Steely Neely and I nevergive up. If I tell him that some things are worth dyingfor†¦ But I don't think he's afraid to die. He's justafraid for me. And he just won't listen if I say that I'd rather die than see some things happen. Butthat's the truth. There are some things that you just can't allow to happen, whatever the cost. There are some things that have just got to be stopped. She froze, and the cell seemed to disappeararound her. She was seeing, in her mind's eye, an equallydark and uncomfortable little cart. And her ownvoice was saying, Jeanne. It's got to stop. Feeling very light-headed, she turned toward thebench. â€Å"Jeanne? Come over here.† Jeanne straightened and walked up doubtfully.She looked into Maggie's face. Maggie looked at her and then at Delos. â€Å"Now you show him,† she said in a voice thatwas like her own voice, but older and much grimmer, â€Å"what his Night People do to slaves who try to escape. Like you showed me.† Jeanne's expression was inscrutable. She went onstaring at Maggie for a moment, then she raisedher eyebrows and turned around. She was wearing the same slave tunic she hadbeen wearing for the last four days. She lifted it upin the same way and showed Delos her back. He took one look and reeled back as if she'd hit him. Maggie was braced, but even so the backlash ofhis shock and horror nearly swamped her. Shegrabbed on to the iron bars of the cell and waitedit out, teeth gritted while her vision went fromblack to red to something like a normal gray. â€Å"Who did this?†Delos managed finally, in a voice like ground glass. He was dead white, except forhis eyes, which looked black in contrast. â€Å"Who?† Jeanne dropped her tunic. â€Å"I thought you didn't care about vermin.† And she walked away without answering him, leaving him speechless. Maggie watched her sit down, then turned back. â€Å"Some things have got to be stopped,† she saidto Delos. â€Å"Do you see what I mean? Some thingsyou just can't let go on.† And then she waited. I knew he didn't know that kind of thing washappening, she thought, feeling vaguely glad in avery tired, sad, and distant way. But it's good to see it proved. The silence stretched endlessly. Delos was still staring at Jeanne. He had run ahand through his hair at some point; it was disheveled and falling over his forehead. The skin of hisface seemed to be stretched, very tight and his eyeswere burning gold. He looked as if he'd completely lost his bearings,and he didn't know what to trust anymore. And then he looked at Maggie. She was still standing there, waiting and watching. Their eyes met and she realized suddenly thatshe'd never seen him so vulnerable-or so open. But if there was one thing Prince Delos had, it was resolution. After another moment of helplessness, she saw him straighten his shoulders and draw himself up. And, as usual, he got directly to the point.†You're right,† he said simply. â€Å"And I was wrong. There are some things that have got to be stopped.†Maggie leanedagainst the bars and smiled.†I'll get the key,† he said, and then went on,briskly planning. â€Å"I want the three of you out ofthe castle, at least, before I confront Hunter.†Ã¢â‚¬ You can't do it alone,† Maggie began.Sheshould have known he'd immediately start arranging everybody's life again. â€Å"Especially not with yourpower blocked-â€Å" â€Å"There's no reason for you to be in any moredanger than you have to be,† he said. â€Å"I'll send youoff with some of my people who can be trusted-â€Å" â€Å"I'm afraid that won't be possible,† a voice saidfrom the corridor. It gave Maggie a horrible jolt. They were all tired,and all caught up in the moment, and none of themhad seen the figure until it was almost behindDelos. Hunter Redfern was standing there smiling. Sylvia was behind him. And behind them,crowdedtogether, were armed guards. â€Å"We've had to dispose of the few idiots who insisted on remaining loyal to you,† Hunter said amiably. His eyes were shining like the purest gold.†The castle is now under our control. But do go onwith your plans, it's very sweet to hear you trying to save each other.† â€Å"And it's no use trying to pretend,† Sylvia addedspitefully. â€Å"We heard everything. We knew you couldn't be trusted, so we let you come down here on purpose, to see what you'd say.† For someone who'd known Delos a while, shedidn't understand him very well, Maggie thought.Maggie could have told her that pretending was thelast thing that would occur to Delos. Instead he did what Maggie knew he would; he launched himself at Hunter Redfern's throat. Delos was young and strong and very angry but it was no contest. After Sylvia had squeaked and withdrawn, the guards all came to help Hunter. After that it was over quickly. â€Å"Put him in with his friends,† Hunter said, brushing off his sleeves. â€Å"It's a real pity to see my onlysurviving heir come to this,† he added, once Deloshad been kicked and thrown into the cell. For amoment there was that note of genuine feeling in his voice that Maggie had heard before. Then the golden eyes went cold and more bitter than ever. â€Å"I think tomorrow morning we'll have a very special hunt,† he said. â€Å"And then there will be onlythree Wild Powers to worry about.† This time, when the guards left, they took all theflares with them. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Maggie whispered, trying to inspectDelos's bruises by touch alone. â€Å"Delos, I'm sorry†¦I didn't know †¦ â€Å" â€Å"It doesn't matter,† he said, holding her hands.†It would have happened eventually anyway.† â€Å"For a vampire, you didn't put up much of afight,† Jeanne's voice came from the back of the cell. Maggie frowned, but Delos turned toward herand spoke without defensiveness. â€Å"That witch bound more than just the blue fire when she putthis spell on my arm,† he said. â€Å"She took all myvampire powers. I'm essentially a human until she removes it.† â€Å"Aradia?† Maggie said. â€Å"Can you do anything? Imean, I know only Sylvia is supposed to be able totake the spell off, but †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Aradia knelt beside them, graceful in the darkness. She touched Delos's arm gently, then sighed. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said. â€Å"Even if I were at full power, there's nothing I could do.† Maggie let out her breath. â€Å"That's the only thing I regret,† Delos said. â€Å"ThatI can't save you.† â€Å"You have to stop thinking about that,† Maggiewhispered. She was filled with a strange resignation. Itwasn't that she was giving up. But she was very tired, physically and emotionally, and there wasnothing she could do rightnow†¦. And maybe nothing ever, she thought dimly. Shefelt something steadying her and realized it was Delos's arm. She leaned against him, glad of hiswarmth and solidity in the darkness. There was a tremendous comfort in just being held by him. Sometimes just having fought is important, shethought. Even if you don't win. Her eyelids were terribly heavy. It felt absolutely wonderful to close them, just for a moment †¦ She only woke up once during the night, and thatwas because of Delos. She could sense something in himsomething in his mind. He seemed to beasleep, but very far away, and very agitated. Was he calling my name? she wondered. I thought i heard that †¦ He was thrashing and muttering, now. Maggieleaned close and caught a few words. â€Å"I love you†¦ I did love you †¦always remember that †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Delos!† She shook him. â€Å"Delos, what are youdoing?† He came awake with a start. â€Å"Nothing.† But she knew. She remembered those wordsshe'd heard them before she had actually met Deloson the mountain. â€Å"It was my dream. You were †¦ going back intime somehow, weren't you? And giving me thatdream I had, warning me to get away from thisvalley.† She frowned. â€Å"But how can you? I thought you couldn't use your powers.† â€Å"I don't think this took vampire powers,† he said,sounding almost guilty. â€Å"It was more-I think itwas just the bond between us. The soulmate thing.I don't even know how I did it. I justwent to sleepand started dreaming about the you of the past. Itwas as if I was searching for you-and then I foundyou. I made the connection. I don't know if it's ever been done before, that kind of time travel.† Maggie shook her head. â€Å"But you already know it didn't work. The dream didn't change anything.I didn't leave as soon as I woke up in the cart,because I'm here. And if I had left, I would never have met you, and then you wouldn't have sentthe dream†¦.† â€Å"I know,† he said, and his voice was tired and abit forlorn. He sounded very young, just then. â€Å"Butit was worth a try.†