Ishmael Reeds America The Multinational Society Essays

Ishmael Reeds America The Multinational Society Essays Ishmael Reeds America The Multinational Society Paper Ishmael Reeds America The Multinational Society Paper Shame Reed, discusses how many people In modern American society believe that America Is a monoculture, despite Its long history as a melting pot of diverse cultures. He successfully uses varying appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos to convince the audience of his Ideas and to persuade them that, indeed, America is more than just a descendent of European, or Western ideals and warns of the dangers of believing otherwise. He does this by providing specific anecdotes, like the story about diversity at a fair in Detroit, and by quoting owned scholars like Robert Thompson, a Yale professor, and even quoting racially charged bathroom graffiti. Reed establishes his credibility and builds his ethos in a few ways. Before the essay even begins, there is a half-page artist biography that includes many of Reeds previous works and background information about the author. This helps establish his credibility especially on cultural phenomena, based on his previous works. The fact that this essay Is published In a college textbook as material to be studied also helps validate his credibility as an author. Throughout the essay, Reed continues to build his ethos by speaking about a Yale professor Glenn a speech at The university of Wisconsin. Yale Is a prestigious university, so having a professor from there who agrees with his viewpoint helps build even more credibility in his argument. The Yale professor refers to America as a cultural bouillabaisse which supports Reeds view that America is a melting pot of cultures (64). Reed appeals to pathos, or emotion, throughout the essay. One example of this is when Reed quotes a famous novelist saying Western civilization was the greatest achievement of mankind, and then directly compares that to the bathroom graffiti including White Power, Naggers and Spics Suck, and even Hitler was a prophet. The author uses emotionally charged terms and events to equate the idea of Western civilization to some of the worst events In human history (65). By directly comparing the opposing viewpoint to Hitters views or the murder and lynching of thousands of Afro-Americans, he forms a strong negative emotional connection with is oppositions views. In the essay, Reed also uses logic, or logos, to persuade the viewer of his argument by using well known examples in history and today of cross-cultural influence. For example, Beethoven, a famous German composer, used entire sections of Turkish marches. He mentions both French painters and cubists and how theft been influenced by foreign cultures. He even mentions a common phenomenon that many people have experienced in recent years: the bilingual recorded instructions at an airport in Texas. These examples all show how foreign cultures influence all aspects of Western civilization from music to art to travel. Reed successfully uses the three appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos to convince the audience that the US Is more than Just a single culture, but Is a diverse group of cultures living together. He encourages the audience to embrace cultural differences and use them to make our country a cultural leader and to move away from the type of thinking that led to genocide and racial lunette so Tanat we can Decode a cultural nave Tort people AT all Docudramas.

Differences Between Centipedes and Millipedes

Differences Between Centipedes and Millipedes Centipedes and millipedes  seem to get lumped together in a miscellaneous group, simply, the critters that are not  insects or arachnids. Most people have difficulties telling the two apart. Both centipedes and millipedes belong to the subgroup of multilegged creatures called myriapods. Centipedes Within the myriapods, the centipedes belong to their own class, called chilopods. There are 8,000 species.  The class name originates from the Greek cheilos, meaning lip, and poda, meaning foot. The word centipede comes from the  Latin  prefix  centi-, meaning hundred, and  pedis, meaning foot. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 354. Centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs, which means no species has only 100 legs as the name suggests.   Millipedes Millipedes belong to a separate class of diplopods. There are about 12,000 species of millipedes.  The class name is also from the Greek, diplopoda which means double foot.  Although the word millipede derives from the  Latin  for thousand feet, no known species has 1,000 feet, the record holds at 750 legs.   Differences Between Centipedes and Millipedes Besides the number of legs, there are a number of characteristics that set centipedes and millipedes apart.   Characteristic Centipede Millipede Antennae Long Short Number of legs One pair per body segment Two pairs per body segment, except for the first three segments, which have one pair each Appearance of legs Visibly extend from sides of body; trail backward behind body Do not visibly extend from body; rear leg pairs in line with body Movement Fast runners Slow walkers Bite Can bite Do not bite Feeding habits Mostly predatory Mostly scavengers Defensive mechanism Use their fast moves to escape predators, injects venom to paralyze prey and can squeeze prey with back legs. Curls body into tight spirals to protect their soft undersides, head, and legs. They can burrow easily. Many species discharge a smelly and disgusting-tasting liquid that drives off many predators. Ways That Centipedes and Millipedes Are Alike Although they vary in a lot of ways, there are some similarities between centipedes and millipedes like belonging to the largest phylum in the animal kingdom, Arthropoda. Body Similarities Besides both having antennae and many legs, they also breathe through little holes or spiracles on the sides of their bodies. They both have poor vision. They both grow by shedding their external skeletons, and when they are young, grow new segments to their bodies and new legs each time they molt. Habitat Preferences Both centipedes and millipedes are found throughout the world but are most abundant in the tropics. They require a moist environment and are most active at night. Meet the Species The giant Sonoran centipede,  Scolopendra heros, which is native to Texas in the U.S., can reach 6 inches in length and has sizeable jaws that pack quite a punch. The venom can cause enough pain and swelling to land you in the hospital and can be very dangerous to small children or  individuals that are sensitive to insect toxins. The giant African millipede,  Archispirostreptus  gigas, is one of the largest millipedes, growing up to 15 inches in length. It has approximately 256 legs. It is native to Africa but rarely lives in high altitudes. It prefers forest. It is black in color, is harmless and is often kept as a pet. Generally, giant millipedes have a life expectancy of up to seven years.

The Rise and Fall of Solyndra Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Rise and Fall of Solyndra - Research Paper Example A firm uses its particular strengths to compete in the marketplace while seeking to minimize the effect of its weaknesses. The case of Solyndra, the solar panel manufacturer, is unique because it was the only company in the solar panel manufacturing industry of the USA that relied on silicon based technology. The Formation of Solyndra Solyndra was founded in 2005 by Dr. Christian Gronet and had its headquarters in Fremont, California. The company manufactured cylindrical panels of CIGS (copper-indium-gallium-diselenide) based thin film solar cells which, as it was believed, represented a superior technology having certain advantages over conventionally produced solar cells. Thus, the company hoped to have created its own niche within the industry. The sales revenues for 2009 and 2010 were $100 million and $140 million respectively, before a peculiar set of circumstances forced the company to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 in 2011. The company claimed to have set up 1000 systems all around the world (The Solyndra Website, 2011). The Emergence of Legal and Other Issues Solyndra has been a company that was touted to be a success story exemplifying the usefulness of the Obama Administration’s green energy plan for the nation. The founder of the company was replaced by Bernie Harrison, an Intel veteran as CEO in September 2009. The company resorted to lobbying and had contributed a sizeable sum to the Obama campaign. Small wonder then- that out of 143 companies applying for a Federal loan, Solyndra was the first to receive a sum of $527 million from the Federal Financing Bank, under conditional guarantee from the US Department of Energy. By that time, it had already spent about $1.8 million lobbying for this cause. Further investigations have revealed that due to Chinese solar panels flooding the US markets, the company had been unable to compete effectively and had been forced to sell many of its products at below the cost of production. Moreover, as t he cost of silicon plummeted in the world market, it became more and more difficult to make a profit. It appeared that the company had chosen the wrong silicon based technology to make its products and was now bearing the brunt of this mistake. Controversies Surrounding the Company Ethical considerations notwithstanding, one might have expected that the loan from the Obama Administration would be used to correct an already worsening situation and that the company would try to claw its way of the abyss it had fallen into. Sadly, this was never the case. Investigations by the FBI and newspaper reports by the Washington Post and others have revealed that company executives and top management went on a spending spree following the approval of the loan. However, weakening demand in the light of competition from Chinese firms such as Yingli and Suntech was cited as a worry. Solyndra’s new plant was built from the proceeds of the loan and another $198 million from private investors. At the time of taking the loan, the company had promised to create at least 3000 jobs in the construction and solar manufacturing industries, of which 1000 would be US based. But it all came to nothing and Solyndra was forced to file for bankruptcy

The Professional Accountant Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Professional Accountant Assignment - Essay Example In this case, the definition of the independent directors may vary. An independent member of the board should be in depend in terms of not just the definition but also in terms of the structure of his or her work and how he relates to the firm. They have to be independent from the executives of the firm with regard to the financial gains. The new governance is very difference from the UK cooperate governance standards. For instance, it will have to include a council o a maximum of 100 members who will be in control of the firm with regard to overseeing the decisions of the firm through voting. This is very different from the corporate governance for UK cooperates because they do not usually have these (Solomon, 2011). This is however necessary for the cooperative because as Lord Myner said in his report, the cooperative should always be in the control of its owners. In this regard, he proposed that there must be as many members of the council in order to make sure that they oversee the decisions and actions for the executives. Corporations do not have this kind of government and only depend on bound members and the CEO as well as the chainman to the board. However, for a cooperative, this may be necessary on order to guarantee that the vested interests of the cooperative members have been achieved (Mallin, 2013). The other difference between the new structure in the cooperative and the UK cooperate structure is the senate which will be elected by the council members. This senate will help co-ordinate the activities of the council. It will also help in coordinating the relationships and operation of the council, the board and the executives of the cooperative. This is different from the standard UK corporate governance as these corporations do not have a senate or even a council (Thompson & Wright, 2013). The non-executive directors are involved in the strategy development by contributing to the processes they help in this by challenging

How Muslim practises reflect Islamic teaching on the role and status of women Essay Example for Free

How Muslim practises reflect Islamic teaching on the role and status of women Essay Explain how Muslim practises reflect Islamic teaching on the role and status of women Islamic teaching and theories are such so that they can be applied to modern life. Islam recognizes the fact that men are generally physically stronger than women, but does not place men above women. They are given different skills to do so women are given the duty of providing food for the hungry, refuge for the weary, hospitality for the guest, comfort for the distressed, peace for the troubled, hope for the insecure and encouragement for the weak. They are expected to cook for the family, clean and give love to her husband. This sounds all very one sided, however marriage in Islam is a team effort- the husband has his expectations and requirements to. Islam treats women as equals to men and that their role is as important as men. The rights of a woman are sacred; ensure that women are maintained in the rights assigned to them [Hadith] A Muslim woman has the right to stay a virgin, unmolested by anyone. She has the right to be looked after when in pain. She does not have to fast during Ramadan, because she is going through so much pain, therefore she must be treated with respect. It is a privilege given to women because Islam recognizes the crucial role they play in life. Since they are burdened with the responsibility of upholding the home and bringing up the children, she is not expected to work or earn money. Allah says in Quran, surah 2, verse 228, and women shall have the rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable A man came to Prophet Muhammad asking, O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said, Your mother. The man said, Then, who is next? The Prophet said, Your mother. The man said, Then, who is next? The Prophet said, Your mother. The man further asked, Then who is next? Only then did the Prophet say, Your father. This shows the importance that Islam gives to women. Islamic teaching about modesty states that men and women, but especially women, should cover themselves up and present themselves modestly so that men do not stare at them. This is not compulsory however, but most women choose to do it anyway. This shows that women do not feel that they are treated inferior to men and being forced to wear it. Instead of totally covering themselves up completely in some countries, they just dress modestly by covering their heads or wearing a scarf. They never wear anything tight. Modesty and faith are joined closely together; if either of them is lost, the other goes also. Every religion has a special character; the characteristic of Islam is modesty [Hadith] This is an example of how Islamic teaching about women is applied in every day life. Men also have to dress modestly. Women do not have to go to the mosque, but instead pray at home. This reflects the teaching about women having to bring up the household. Since this is their duty, they are allowed to pray at home. Because women are not seen as objects, but as equals to men they are given a dowry from the husband when they get married. This is to show that the woman is not just an object to fulfil any sexual desires, or work for him, but that she is a human being. A man being allowed to have more than one wife is not just a benefit to the man. The woman chooses whether or not she wants to marry a man with a wife already, or if the man she is marrying is allowed to have more than one wife after her. It is entirely her choice. By allowing her husband to have more than one wife she will benefit by the fact that there will be someone else to help her bring up the children and to bring up the household. The man is allowed to have more than one wife, but the woman decides it in the end. In Islam, the woman can have any job she pleases, since they are equals. If a woman chooses to work, it is entirely her choice but she does not have to. The husband should treat the wife with respect and not take her for granted. He should not think of her a servant and that she must make his dinner. She doesnt but she probably does because marriage in Islam is give and take. He should consult her when making decisions, because women are just as important and clever as men. So Muslim couples discuss things and work things out together and do not take each other for granted. Women have as much of a right to pray in a mosque as a man, since everyone is equal. All people are equalas the teeth of a comb. No Arab can claim merit over a non-Arab, nor a white over a black person, nor a male over a female [Hadith] What happens is that the men pray at the front, while the women pray at the back behind a sheet or curtain. The reason for the men being at the front is not that men are superior, but to prevent any flirtatious thoughts by the men and help them focus on Allah rather than the opposite sex. There are many rules concerning women, and these have been incorporated into modern life so that they still hold true to the rule.

College Admissions Essay: Art Therapy and Animal Therapy :: College Admissions Essays

Art Therapy and Animal Therapy    As another wave of excited, hopeful seniors pack their cars for college, the community that nurtured them watches them go with nostalgia and anticipation at what these bright new adults will make with the talents bestowed on them and with the mountains of opportunity available to them. The students are brimming with anticipation also - what possibilities await them! As I take my place with my fellow classmates, I watch my old community fade into the distance and wonder how I will contribute to my community in the future.    My career choices have varied throughout the years with a colorful strand threading my love for animals, art and people. I intend to major in psychology with a minor in art. My dream is to help people through my compassion and creativity. Art therapy and animal therapy are exciting fields of work hungry for new talent and well-educated, dedicated professionals. My love of these lines of work stems from having witnessed the wrinkled hand of an infirm, elderly woman stroke the soft fur of a dog, immediately brightening and starting to communicate her first words in years. I have also understood the intense relief of parents of a sick, depressed child whose interest in her artwork sparks renewed interest in the world around her. My artistic ability, strength in science, love of animals and passion for bettering the lives around me give me daily reasons why I know I am committed to this field.    However, the reasons do not stop there. I want to extend my vision into the community, perhaps starting a program in my church community that involves participants taking small pets on their visits to nursing home residents. I could even involve surrounding youth groups in work on art projects with the youth at our local children's home. Getting the community involved in such projects opens new outlets of creativity to flow into a cause I am so passionate about. Plus, the participation can be a healing, nurturing experience on both sides. With my sometimes-stubborn determination and enthusiasm for this endeavor, I will be able to involve my community in worthwhile efforts to improve the conditions of many of those who need most need assistance.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Ten

WHEN YOUR BOYFRIEND IS A dream-walker, you pick up a few lessons. One of the most important is that doing physical things in dreams feels exactly like doing them in the real world. Say, like kissing someone. Adrian and I had shared a number of dream- kisses intense enough to spark my body wanting to try a whole lot more. Although I'd never actually attacked someone in a dream, I was willing to bet a punch here would feel just as painful as a real one. Without hesitation, I lunged toward Victor, uncertain as to whether I should sock him or choke him. Both seemed like good ideas. Turned out, I did neither. Before I could reach him, I slammed into an invisible wall–hard. It both blocked me from him and bounced me back at the impact. I stumbled, tried to regain my footing, but instead landed painfully on the ground. Yup–dreams felt just like real life. I glared at Robert, feeling a mix of both anger and uneasiness. I tried to hide that last emotion. â€Å"You're a spirit user with telekinesis?' We'd known that was possible, but it was a skill neither Lissa nor Adrian had mastered yet. I really didn't like the idea that Robert might have the power to throw objects around and create invisible barriers. It was a disadvantage we didn't need. Robert remained enigmatic. â€Å"I control the dream.' Victor was looking down at me with that smug, calculating expression he excelled at. Realizing what an undignified position I was in, I leapt to my feet. I kept a hard stance, my body tense and ready as I wondered if Robert would keep the wall up continuously. â€Å"Are you done with your tantrum?' asked Victor. â€Å"Behaving like a civilized person will make our talk so much more pleasant.' â€Å"I have no interest in talking to you,' I snapped. â€Å"The only thing I'm going to do is hunt you down in the real world and drag you back to the authorities.' â€Å"Charming,' said Victor. â€Å"We can share a cell.' I winced. â€Å"Yes,' he continued. â€Å"I know all about what happened. Poor Tatiana. Such a tragedy. Such a loss.' His mocking, melodramatic tone sparked an alarming idea. â€Å"You †¦ you didn't have anything to do with it, did you?' Victor's escape from prison had triggered a lot of fear and paranoia amongst the Moroi. They'd been convinced he was coming for them all. Knowing the truth about the escape, I'd dismissed such talk and figured he'd simply lie low. Now, remembering how he'd once wanted to start a revolution among the Moroi, I wondered if the queen's murderer actually was the most evil villain we knew. Victor snorted. â€Å"Hardly.' He put his hands behind his back as he paced the room and pretended to study the art. I again wondered how far Robert's shield extended. â€Å"I have much more sophisticated methods to accomplish my goals. I wouldn't stoop to something like that–and neither would you.' I was about to point out that messing with Lissa's mind was hardly sophisticated, but his last words caught my attention. â€Å"You don't think I did it?' He glanced back from where he'd been studying a man with a top hat and cane. â€Å"Of course not. You'd never do anything that required that much foresight. And, if what I've heard about the crime scene is true, you'd never leave that much evidence behind.' There was both an insult and a compliment there. â€Å"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence. I've been worrying about what you'd think.' This earned me a smile, and I crossed my arms over my chest. â€Å"How do you guys even know what's happening at Court? Do you have spies?' â€Å"This sort of thing spreads throughout the Moroi world quickly,' said Victor. â€Å"I'm not that out of touch. I knew about her murder almost as soon as it happened. And about your most impressive escape.' My attention mostly stayed on Victor, but I did cast a quick glance at Robert. He remained silent, and from the blank, distracted look in his eyes, I wondered if he was even aware of what was being said around him. Seeing him always sent a chill down my spine. He was a prominent example of spirit at its worst. â€Å"Why do you care?' I demanded. â€Å"And why the hell are you bothering me in my dreams?' Victor continued his pacing, pausing to run his fingertips along the harp's smooth, wooden surface. â€Å"Because I have a great interest in Moroi politics. And I'd like to know who's responsible for the murder and what their game is.' I smirked. â€Å"Sounds like you're just jealous someone else is pulling the strings besides you for a change. No pun intended.' His hand dropped from the harp, back to his side, and he fixed his sharp eyes on me, eyes the same pale green as Lissa's. â€Å"Your witty commentary isn't going to get you anywhere. You can either let us help you or not.' â€Å"You are the last person I want help from. I don't need it.' â€Å"Yes. Things seem to be going quite well for you, now that you're a hunted fugitive and on the run with a man that many still believe is Strigoi.' Victor gave a calculated pause. â€Å"Of course, I'm sure you don't mind that last part so much. You know, if I found you two, I could probably shoot you and be welcomed back as a hero.' â€Å"Don't bet on it.' Rage burned through me, both at his insinuation and because he'd caused so much trouble for Dimitri and me in the past. With great force of will, I replied in a low, deadly voice: â€Å"I am going to find you. And you probably won't live to see the authorities.' â€Å"We already established murder isn't in your skill set.' Victor sat down in one of the cushioned chairs, making himself comfortable. Robert continued standing, that out-of-it expression still on his face. â€Å"Now, the first thing we need to do is determine why someone would want to kill our late queen. Her abrasive personality is hardly motivation, though I'm sure it didn't hurt. People do things like this for power and advantage, to push their agendas through. From what I hear, Tatiana's most controversial action recently was that age law–yes, that's the one. The one making you scowl at me like that. It stands to reason that her murderer opposed that.' I didn't want to comply with Victor at all. I didn't want a reasonable discussion with him. What I wanted was some indication of where he was in real life, and then, I wanted to take a chance on slamming into that invisible wall again. It'd be worth the risk if I could do some damage. So, I was a bit surprised when I found myself saying, â€Å"Or, whoever did it wanted to push something worse through–something harsher on dhampirs. They thought her decree was too soft.' I admit, catching Victor Dashkov off guard was one of the greatest joys of my life. I had that satisfaction now, seeing his eyebrows rise in astonishment. It wasn't easy proposing something a master schemer like him hadn't already considered. â€Å"Interesting,' he said at last. â€Å"I may have underestimated you, Rose. That's a brilliant deduction on your part.' â€Å"Well, um †¦ it wasn't exactly my deduction.' Victor waited expectantly. Even Robert snapped out of his daze and focused on me. It was creepy. â€Å"It was Tatiana's. I mean, not her deduction. She said it directly–well, that is, the note she left for me did.' Why was I rambling in front of these guys? At least I surprised Victor again. â€Å"Tatiana Ivashkov left you a note with clandestine information? Whatever for?' I bit my lip and turned my attention over to one of the paintings. It showed an elegant Moroi woman with those same jade green eyes most Dashkovs and Dragomirs shared. I suddenly wondered if perhaps Robert had formed this dream in some Dashkov mansion from their childhood. Movement in my periphery made me instantly turn back to the brothers. Victor rose and took a few steps toward me, curiosity and cunning all over him. â€Å"There's more. What else did she tell you? She knew she was in danger. She knew this law was part of it †¦ but it wasn't the only thing, was it?' I remained silent, but a crazy idea began forming in my mind. I was actually considering seeing if Victor could help me. Of course, in retrospect, that wasn't such a crazy notion, considering I'd already busted him out of prison to get his help. â€Å"Tatiana said †¦' Should I say it? Should I give up the secret even Lissa didn't know? If Victor knew there was another Dragomir, he might use that knowledge for one of his schemes. How? I wasn't sure but had long learned to expect the unexpected from him. Yet †¦ Victor knew a lot of Moroi secrets. I would have enjoyed watching him and Abe match wits. And I didn't doubt that a lot of Victor's inside knowledge involved the Dragomirs and Dashkovs. I swallowed. â€Å"Tatiana said that there was another Dragomir. That Lissa's dad had an affair and that if I could find whoever this is, it'll give Lissa her power back on the Council.' When Victor and Robert exchanged shocked looks, I knew my plan had backfired. Victor wasn't going to give me insight. Instead, I'd been the one to just yield valuable information. Damn, damn, damn. He turned his attention back to me, his expression speculative. â€Å"So. Eric Dragomir wasn't the saint he so often played.' I balled my fists. â€Å"Don't slam her dad.' â€Å"Wouldn't dream of it. I liked Eric immensely. But yes †¦ if this is true, then Tatiana is right. Vasilisa technically has family backing, and her liberal views would certainly cause friction on a Council that never seems to change their ways.' He chuckled. â€Å"Yes, I can definitely see that upsetting many people–including a murderer who wants to oppress dhampirs. I imagine he or she wouldn't want this knowledge to get out.' â€Å"Someone already tried to get rid of records linking Lissa's dad to a mistress.' I again spoke without thinking and hated myself for it. I didn't want to give the brothers any more info. I didn't want to play like we were all working together here. â€Å"And let me guess,' said Victor. â€Å"That's what you're trying to do, isn't it? Find this Dragomir bastard.' â€Å"Hey, don't–‘ â€Å"It's just an expression,' he interrupted. â€Å"If I know you two–and I feel confident I do– Vasilisa is desperately trying to clear your name back at Court while you and Belikov are off on a sexually charged adventure to find her brother or sister.' â€Å"You don't know anything about us,' I growled. Sexually charged indeed. He shrugged. â€Å"Your face says it all. And really, it's not a bad idea. Not a great one either, but not bad. Give the Dragomir family a quorum, and you'll have a voice speaking on your behalf on the Council. I don't suppose you have any leads?' â€Å"We're working on it,' I replied evasively. Victor looked at Robert. I knew the two didn't have any psychic communication, but as they exchanged glances, I had a feeling they were both thinking the same thing and confirming with each other. At last, Victor nodded and turned back to me. â€Å"Very well then. We'll help you.' He made it sound like he was reluctantly agreeing to do me a big favor. â€Å"We don't need your help!' â€Å"Of course you do. You're out of your league, Rose. You're wandering into a nest of ugly, complex politics–something you have no experience with. There's no shame in acknowledging that, just as I'm not ashamed to admit that in an irrational, ill-planned fist fight, you would certainly prove superior.' Another backhanded compliment. â€Å"We're doing just fine. We have an Alchemist helping us.' There. That would show him who was out of whose league. And, to my credit, he did look slightly impressed. Slightly. â€Å"Better than I expected. Has your Alchemist come up with a location or any lead yet?' â€Å"She's working on it,' I repeated. He sighed in frustration. â€Å"We're going to need time then, aren't we? Both for Vasilisa to investigate Court and you to start tracking this child.' â€Å"You're the one who acts like you know everything,' I pointed out. â€Å"I figured you'd know something about this.' â€Å"To my chagrin, no.' Victor didn't really sound all that put out. â€Å"But as soon as we get a thread, I assure you, I'll be essential in unraveling it.' He walked over to his brother and patted Robert's arm comfortingly. Robert stared back adoringly. â€Å"We'll visit you again. Let us know when you have something useful, and then we'll meet up with you.' My eyes widened. â€Å"You'll do no such–‘ I hesitated. I'd let Victor escape in Las Vegas. Now he was offering to come to me. Maybe I could repair that mistake and make good on my earlier threat to him. Quickly, I tried to cover my lapse of speech. â€Å"How do I know I can trust you?' â€Å"You can't,' he said bluntly. â€Å"You've got to take it on faith that the enemy of your enemy is your friend.' â€Å"I've always hated that saying. You'll always be my enemy.' I was a bit surprised when Robert suddenly came to life. He glared and stepped forward. â€Å"My brother is a good man, shadow-girl! If you hurt him †¦ if you hurt him, you'll pay. And next time you won't come back. The world of the dead won't give you up a second time.' I knew better than to take the threats of a crazy man seriously, but his last words sent a chill through me. â€Å"Your brother is a psycho–‘ â€Å"Enough, enough.' Victor again gave Robert a reassuring pat on the arm. Still scowling at me, the younger Dashkov brother backed off, but I was willing to bet that invisible wall was back in place. â€Å"This does us no good. We're wasting time–which is something we don't have enough of. We need more. The monarch elections will start any day now, and Tatiana's murderer could have a hand in those if there really was some agenda going on. We need to slow down the elections–not just to thwart the assassin, but also to give all of us time to accomplish our tasks.' I was getting tired of all this. â€Å"Yeah? And how do you propose we do that?' Victor smiled. â€Å"By running Vasilisa as a candidate for queen.' Seeing as this was Victor Dashkov we were dealing with, I really shouldn't have been surprised by anything he said. It was a testament to his level of craziness that he continually caught me unprepared. â€Å"That,' I declared, â€Å"is impossible.' â€Å"Not really,' he replied. I threw my hands up in exasperation. â€Å"Haven't you been paying attention to what we've been talking about? The whole point is to get Lissa full family rights with the Moroi. She can't even vote! How could she run for queen?' â€Å"Actually, the law says she can. According to the way the nomination policy is written, one person from each royal line may run for the monarch position. That's all it says. One person from each line may run. There is no mention of how many people need to be in her family, as there is for her to vote on the Council. She simply needs three nominations–and the law doesn't specify which family they come from.' Victor spoke in such a precise, crisp way that he might as well have been reciting from a legal book. I wondered if he had all the laws memorized. I supposed if you were going to make a career of breaking laws, you might as well know them. â€Å"Whoever wrote that law probably assumed the candidates would have family members. They just didn't bother spelling it out. That's what people will say if Lissa runs. They'll fight it.' â€Å"They can fight it all they want. Those who are denying her a Council spot base it on one line in the law books that mentions another family member. If that's their argument, that every detail must count, then they'll have to do the same for the election laws– which, as I have said, do not mention family backing. That's the beauty of this loophole. Her opponents can't have it both ways.' A smile twisted at Victor's lips, supremely confident. â€Å"I assure you, there is absolutely nothing in the wording that prevents her from doing this.' â€Å"How about her age?' I pointed out. â€Å"The princes and princesses who run are always old.' The title of prince or princess went to a family's oldest member, and traditionally, that was the person who ran for king or queen. The family could decide to nominate someone else more fitting, but even then–to my knowledge–it was always someone older and experienced. â€Å"The only age restriction is full adulthood,' said Victor. â€Å"She's eighteen. She qualifies. The other families have much larger pools to draw from, so naturally, they'd select someone who seemed more experienced. In the Dragomir case? Well, that's not an option, now is it? Besides, young monarchs aren't without precedence. There was a very famous queen–Alexandra–who wasn't much older than Vasilisa. Very well loved, very extraordinary. Her statue is by the Court's church.' I shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"Actually †¦ it's, um, not there anymore. It kind of blew up.' Victor just stared. He'd apparently heard about my escape but not all of the details. â€Å"It's not important,' I said hastily, feeling guilty that I'd been indirectly responsible for blowing up a renowned queen. â€Å"This whole idea about using Lissa is ridiculous.' â€Å"You won't be the only one who thinks so,' Victor said. â€Å"They'll argue. They'll fight. In the end, the law will prevail. They'll have to let her run. She'll go through the tests and probably pass. Then, when voting comes, the laws that govern those procedures reference a family member assisting with the vote.' My head was spinning by now. I felt mentally exhausted listening to all these legal loopholes and technicalities. â€Å"Just come right out and put it in simple language,' I ordered. â€Å"When voting comes, she won't be eligible. She has no family to fulfill the role required at the actual election. In other words, the law says she can run and take the tests. Yet, people can't actually vote for her because she has no family.' â€Å"That's †¦ idiotic.' â€Å"Agreed.' He paused. I don't think either of us ever expected to concur on something. â€Å"Lissa would hate this. She would never, ever want to be queen.' â€Å"Are you not following this?' exclaimed Victor. â€Å"She won't be queen. She can't. It's a badly written law for a situation no one foresaw. It's a mess. And it will bog down the elections so badly that we'll have extra time to find Vasilisa's sibling and find out who really killed Tatiana.' â€Å"Hey! I told you: There's no â€Å"we' here. I'm not going to–‘ Victor and Robert exchanged looks. â€Å"Get Vasilisa nominated,' said Victor abruptly. â€Å"We'll be in touch soon on where to meet you for the Dragomir search.' IT â€Å"Thats not–‘ I woke up. My immediate reaction was to swear, but then, remembering where I was, I kept my expletives inside my own head. I could make out Dimitri's silhouette in the corner, alert and watchful, and didn't want him to know I was awake. Closing my eyes, I shifted into a more comfortable position, hoping for true sleep that would block out the Dashkov brothers and their ridiculous schemes. Lissa running for queen? It was crazy. And yet †¦ it really wasn't much crazier than most of the things I did. Putting that aside, I let my body relax and felt the tug of true sleep start to take me down. Emphasis on start. Because suddenly, I felt another spirit dream materializing around me. Apparently, this was going to be a busy night.