A Creative Passage from The Movie Tomorrow, When the War Began Essay Example

A Creative Passage from The Movie Tomorrow, When the War Began: Paper Creative Writing We were sprinting for our lives, fear propelling us to our maximum limit. I kept glancing back, seeing if we had lost them or not. I couldn’t hear them. All I could hear was the rasping of my lungs and the loud, thunderous throbbing of my heart beat pounding and pulsing in my ears, like a raging thunderstorm was erupting within me. But the faster I sprinted, the harder it was to lift my legs, like it was a heavy weight pulling me down. I wanted to scream out something, to tell Ellie and Corrie which way to go. But the words kept getting stuck in my throat, struggling to escape like a frightened monkey in a cage. I attempted to swallow saliva stuck in my mouth and gulp down large amounts of air so I could shout out something, but my body couldn’t spare the breath. My mouth started to produce copious amounts of white, sticky saliva as the wind soared into my mouth, and I felt like I wasn’t able to swallow or talk properly. We swerved into a dark driveway and caught our breath. â€Å"Let’s stay off the road,† I gasped just as a person’s shout echoed into the night. Suddenly, the rapid rattle of rifle fire burst through tree branches with colossal force, a short shower of death whizzed around us. The bullets ricocheted off houses and splinters of wood and dust hovered in the air like a small sand storm. The hurricane of dust impaired our vision for a few seconds, choking us, slowing us down. We ran. We dodged. We weaved. We will write a custom essay sample on A Creative Passage from The Movie Tomorrow, When the War Began: specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on A Creative Passage from The Movie Tomorrow, When the War Began: specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on A Creative Passage from The Movie Tomorrow, When the War Began: specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I would have screamed if I could have afforded the breath, the thought. All I could do now was run. We followed Ellie, past a few houses and then got round to the back of a house. Some more cries were heard through the intense heat of the night, loud thudding footsteps were closing their distance on us. My deafening heart beat faster. I could barely stand from shaking. I tried to calm down but it was no use. Suddenly, I realized no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t get away. We were trapped.

Pharaoh Thutmose III and the Battle of Megiddo

Pharaoh Thutmose III and the Battle of Megiddo The Battle of Megiddo is the first battle that was recorded in detail and for posterity. Pharaoh Thutmose IIIs military scribe inscribed it in hieroglyphs at Thutmoses temple at Karnak, Thebes (now Luxor). Not only is this the first extant, detailed battle description, but it is the first written reference to the religiously important Megiddo: Megiddo is also known as Armageddon. The Ancient City of Megiddo Historically, Megiddo was an important city because it overlooked the route from Egypt through Syria to Mesopotamia. If an enemy of Egypt controlled Megiddo, it could block the pharaoh from reaching the rest of his empire. In approximately 1479 B.C., Thutmose III, pharaoh of Egypt, led an expedition against the prince of Kadesh who was in Megiddo. The prince of Kadesh (which is on the River Orontes), backed by the king of Mitanni, made a coalition with the heads of Egypts vassal cities of northern Palestine and Syria. Kadesh was in charge. After forming the coalition, the cities openly rebelled against Egypt. In retaliation, Thutmose III attacked. The Egyptians March on Megiddo In the 23rd year of his reign, Thutmose III went to the plains of Megiddo where the prince of Kadesh and his Syrian allies were stationed. The Egyptians marched to the bank of Lake Kaina (Kina), south of Megiddo. They made Megiddo their military base. For the military encounter, the Pharaoh led from the front, brave and impressive in his gilded chariot. He stood in the center between the two wings of his army. The southern wing was on the banks of the Kaina and the northern wing to the northwest of the town of Megiddo. The Asian coalition blocked Thutmoses path. Thutmose charged. The enemy quickly gave way, fled from their chariots, and ran to the Megiddo fortress where their fellows pulled them up the walls to safety. (Remember, this is all from the perspective of the Egyptian scribe writing it to glorify his pharaoh.) The prince of Kadesh escaped from the vicinity. The Egyptians Plunder Megiddo The Egyptians could have pushed on to Lebanon to deal with the other rebels, but instead stayed outside the walls at Megiddo for the sake of plunder. What they had taken from the battlefield may have whetted their appetite. Outside, on the plains, there was plenty to forage, but the people within the fortress were unprepared for a siege. After a few weeks, they surrendered. The neighboring chiefs, not including the prince of Kadesh, who had left after the battle, submitted themselves to Thutmose, offering valuables, including princely sons as hostages. The Egyptian troops entered the fortress at Megiddo to plunder. They took almost a thousand chariots, including the princes, more than 2000 horses, thousands of other animals, millions of bushels of grain, an impressive pile of armor, and thousands of captives. The Egyptians next went north where they captured 3 Lebanese fortresses, Inunamu, Anaugas, and Hurankal. Sources A History of the Ancient Egyptians, by James Henry Breasted. New York: 1908. Charles Scribners Sons.Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents Volume II The Eighteenth Dynasty, by James Henry Breasted. Chicago: 1906. The University of Chicago Press., by Joyce A. TyldesleyHistory of Egypt, Chaldea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, Vol. IV. by G. Maspero. London: Grolier Society: 1903-1904.A Gate Inscription from Karnak and Egyptian Involvement in Western Asia during the Early 18th Dynasty, by Donald B. Redford. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 99, No. 2. (Apr. - Jun. 1979), pp. 270-287.The Battle of Megiddo, by R. O. Faulkner. The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 28. (Dec. 1942), pp. 2-15.The Egyptian Empire in Palestine: A Reassessment, by James M. Weinstein. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 241. (Winter, 1981), pp. 1-28.

Business law assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business law assignment - Essay Example Because of the easy access to information, masses around the world are getting more aware and becoming more demanding in nature. The rising demands are creating the perfect opportunities for firms and organizations to launch new products and services, which will expectedly fulfill the demands of the masses. With the rising number of alternatives emerging in the markets, the market level competition is rising on a steady basis. Because of the increase in competition, the lifecycle of products and services offered by the firms are getting increasingly reduced. In order to design a competitive edge in a fast moving marketplace, firms and organizations are looking forward to reduce the lead time that is needed to launch the new products and services in the marketplace. It has to be highlighted that for the reduction of lead time, the time to manufacture the products and the services has to be reduced. Organizations in the developing as well as developed markets, in order to reduce the lead time as well as develop efficiency in their manufacturing process, are increasingly outsourcing the manufacturing process to the various manufacturing specialists, who can provide a faster delivery of the products and services at a competitive cost. These outsourcing of operations by organizations to oth er firms and domain specific specialists, are negotiated in the form of contracts. In the world of business, it is important to mention that apart from the outsourcing contracts, organizations around the world often enter into contracts in the form of service level agreements (SLAs), sales contracts, employment contracts as well as general business contracts so as to generate business efficiency and develop mutually beneficial competitive edge in the marketplace. In the process of designing of the contracts, a series of clauses are added so that the contract remains beneficial for both the parties. This particular assignment intends to focus on the

The Satisfaction of General Practitioners with the New NHS Arrangement Dissertation

The Satisfaction of General Practitioners with the New NHS Arrangement - Dissertation Example Initially, Health Authorities were charged with the responsibility of planning, managing funds, and providing healthcare services at the community and hospital levels (Wilkin 2002, p. 539). This arrangement was later changed to the extent that the service provider and the purchaser functions were separated leading to the establishment of an â€Å"internal† market. Under this arrangement, the Health Authorities became the service purchasers even as the NHS Trusts became the service providers (Wilkin 2002, p. 539). One of the major reforms that rocked the NHS related to the establishment of the general practitioner (GP) fundholding scheme. Under the fundholding scheme as established in the 90s, the general practitioners were responsible for the management of their own budgets as well as the procurement of some health services. The fund holders enjoyed more freedom in managing resources and making innovations than the Health Authorities even though the latter retained control of close to 80% of the hospital and community services for patients who subscribed to fundholding practices, and 100% of the budget for non-fundholding practices (Wilkin 2002, p. 539). They were also responsible for overseeing elective procedures in hospitals on behalf of patients.

Audit & Assurance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Audit & Assurance - Essay Example Therefore US introduced the Sarbanes Oxley Act in 2002 and UK, in 2003, set up two reviews- RRAP (Regulatory Regime of Accountancy Profession) and CGAA (Coordinating Group on Audit and Accounting) (Gray & Manson, 2007, p.140). The audit committee consists of board of directors who are entrusted with the oversight of financial reports preparation and disclosures. The more reliable the information is the more it is useful and through the auditing this purpose is achieved. The shareholders of a company are its owners who appoint the stewards in the form of directors and managers to manage the company on their behalf. The problem arises when the stewards place their personal interests before the owners’ interests. And as the managers are at an advantage over shareholders in terms of information the auditing (both internal and external) functions become all the more important. The recent financial crisis has led to the requirement of enhancing the transparency on the managerâ€℠¢s activities and their risk management. The identification, analysis and management of the operational as well as strategic risk are the key to avoid failures of firms if the crises were to occur in future. The audit committee alone is not responsible to prevent the economic downturn but plays an important role by challenging the assumptions and estimates the auditors undertake as part of the audit process as the economic environment changes with time (FRC, 2011). Objectives of the Paper This paper has mainly five objectives. Firstly, to understand the rights and responsibilities of the audit committee and their importance in today’s volatile financial environment. Secondly, why firms need audit committees and what they are doing to improve audit committees’ effectiveness. Thirdly, the meaning and importance of Audit Assurance has been explained. Fourthly, there is an explanation of the audit process both internal as well as external. Fifthly, the role of regulators a nd audit firms in bringing more effectiveness in audit process and transparency in financial disclosures so that the investors able able to take informed decisions. Rights and Responsibilities of the Audit Committee The Financial Reporting Council has provided the guidelines on Audit Committees. The rights of audit committee are as follows: 1. All the directors and management staff are obligated to keep the audit committee properly informed even if not asked. They must be cooperative with the audit committee. 2. The opinions of the audit committee should be listened and discussed by both the management and the board. 3. The audit committee has a right to intervene if it finds any discrepancy in the audit and financial controls process. And if not satisfied by the explanations given by the management then it may seek independent advice. 4. The work of the audit committee gets time consuming and intensive; therefore management must provide them with the necessary resources including t he payment. There should also be a provision of induction and training of the new audit committee members in the company. The training may be continued if required. The board of the company should establish an audit committee with at least two to three members in consultation with the nomination

Application to Mark Littered Areas and Locate Trashcans

Application to Mark Littered Areas and Locate Trashcans Abstract To encourage cleanliness drive by using technology to promote proper use and maintenance of trash cans by providing location specific details using a GPS and feedback about garbage disposal facilities and a step forward for Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. All around the globe, the world is taking a note of Indias economic growth. However, we must acknowledge, if there is any aspect in which India or Indians have not moved forward or moved very sluggishly, is in the field of environmental cleanliness and taking care of the surroundings. If we look around, trash and litter is everywhere. Nobody seems to care about the waste, and how we discard it. If anything, we add to the garbage that is already abundant in the open and is everywhere. Littering a plastic cup on the road-side, after we done using it, is the norm. No one realize anything wrong with it. Throwing our waste on the street, and right outside our own house is a part of the daily routines. Unhygienic conditions are one of the major root cause of diseases / illness. Any disease or illness has financial impact both in terms of expenditure and potential revenue earning. Swachh Bharat Mission, which is our ultimate aim, will have positive impact on Indias health care sector As per estimates, inadequate sanitation cost India almost $54 billion or 6.4% of the countrys GDP in 2006. Over 70% of this economic impact or about $38.5 billion was health-related, with diarrhea followed by acute lower respiratory infections accounting for 12% of the health-related impacts. Evidence suggests that all water and sanitation improvements are cost-beneficial in all developing world subregions. Moreover, India is a land of cultural heritage and rich history. Tourism generate approximately 6.6% of Indias GDP and 39.5 Million Indians are directly employed in this sector. Tourism can generate employment for up to 5% of Indias population i.e. 62.5 Million people. It has potential to generate 23 Million additional job opportunities or 2.3 Cr people will get job. I have taken 5% employment fig which is very conservative after studying tourism model of countries which focus on tourism. The biggest limitation for India to promote tourism is cleanliness. Foreign tourists are very particular about hygiene and cleanliness. Besides employment, Tourism will help bring foreign money to India which will boost Indias GDP. A clean India will help in generating employment through Tourism and boost Indias GDP. We can make all the progress, we can make all the economic strides alongside the rich nations, but we can only go so far if we are surrounded by the smelly dirt piles and garbage. Financial and economic breakthroughs are good. However, along the way, what we really need is a change in our mentality to care for our environment, to care for our own surroundings. And, we need to realize this at personal level, sooner than later. This project uses Global Positioning System (GPS) or the Provider-based location services of a device to determine the current position of the user so that the user can mark a place on the map as not clean. This will be forwarded to the authorities and so that the particular marker can be removed from the map after the area has been cleaned. Another part of this project is that a user can check the location of the closest dustbins on map from his position in case he/she has something to throw away. This feature promotes cleanliness and puts a break on littering. A. Literature Survey Following are the existing systems which are similar to the specifications of our project : Smart bins developed by polish engineers: The trash is put into the bin and Bin-e identifies, categorizes, sorts and stores the trash. Moreover, when its filled, it informs the companies, which are responsible for waste collection. Bin-e recognizes what we really disposed of and it does a pre-treatment, e.g. it crushes the plastic, so it is able to use the entire space of the container. In addition, Bin-e constantly learns new parameters of the waste, which we throw away. Because of the knowledge accumulated in the cloud, it can recognize the type of waste and properly categorize it. SINGAPORE Smart bins that act as Wi-Fi hot spots and which send alerts for them to be cleared when they are almost full. These intelligent bins have sensors that detect how full they are and can later send e-mail or text message alerts to the cell phones of cleaners. The bins also have a compactor that can crunch rubbish so that the capacity of the smart bins can be eight times more than that of a normal bin. Sensors for smart city waste management system are means of providing a system which informs the municipal about a dustbin which is full using sensors. Systems are available working on projects to use GPS location to provide shorter route for municipal to the dustbin for cleaning. Swachh Bharat App: An app provided by the government of India to facilitate the cleanliness by giving an opportunity to the citizens for filing of complain about the waste dumps. The person using the app can take the picture of an area which is not clean and upload it on the app. The picture will be tagged with its geo location and the time of upload. The authorities can decide and tag the picture based on the severity of the conditions in the area and take the required actions. CITIZEN GAGE: Citizengage is a Bangalore based start-up which is working on waste management. Their main clientele are restaurants and commercial space. There are two apps one for the customer and one for the workers. The user registers and sets the location on the app. The agent will come to the users location, attach a sticker on the door. The agent will come daily and collect the waste. The waste is separated on the location and the agent app has option to fill a form which takes data about the kind of waste and the weight of it. This process is repeated daily for houses and restaurants. iClean India: It is an app developed by a Delhi based start up for social cause. It has three pages concerned with marking and posting pictures of dirty localities, another page for checking which photo belongs to which area and another page which is concerned with inviting people or your friends to clean the area and we can put the clean pictures of the area on the app. B. Drawback of current System No such localized system exists. Littering is a huge problem all over India. Not only it damages Indias reputation in front of tourists but also houses breeding place for many disease-causing germs and bacteria. Sensors for smart city waste management system are means of providing a system which informs the municipal about a dustbin which is full using sensors. Systems are available working on projects to use GPS location to provide shorter route for municipal to the dustbin for cleaning. None of these provides a one stop solution aimed at a clean India. C. Proposed System Application takes the help of Global Positioning System or Provider based location service in correctly detecting the current location of the user so that he/she can mark the area unclean and submit his/her complaint. After the successful submission of the complaint, same is being forwarded to authorities. Authorities can remove the marker after clearing the area. Another feature of the application is to locate the nearest trashcans if user wants to dispose any waste. In this way littering can be controlled to some extend and this also encourages every citizen to contribute little towards better India. Fig (1) Swim-lane diagram of the proposed system The swim lane diagram shows the two lanes of the proposed system which are the user and the administrator. The user is responsible for marking of unclean areas on the map. The proposed system also helps the user to find nearby bins to dispose something which the user wants and thus restricting the problem of littering in the country. The user may also fill up a feedback form about the complaint registered and also may file grievance complaint if the complaint has not been serviced properly and within the particular boundary of time. The second lane in the swim-lane diagram is the administrator who is responsible for servicing of complaints as well as addition of new bin coordinates to the database of available bins. The advantages of the proposed system are: It provides the users with a system where people can point on map and submit complaint about garbage dumps in public places. The complaint will be forwarded to the concerned authorities so that the place can be cleaned up and the marker will be removed from map after the place becomes clean. Login ID and a verification method will be in place to suppress false complaints. The problem of littering will be addressed by providing bins and people can find the location of the closest garbage bin on the map with one touch on their smart phones. Maps will guide them to the nearest bin. 1: As it can be seen in Fig (2) that when the application is opened first the application directs the user to the location settings page of the device so to intimate the user to turn of the GPS of the device for better location detection as GPS provided location is more accurate compared to network provided location. The first activity of the application, shown in Fig (3) contains two image buttons and one button for feedback. The first image button captioned as Tap to Mark redirects the user to the complaint submission location information gatherer activity. The next image button captioned as Tap for garbage bins redirects the user to the location page which will automatically detect the location of the user and shows the nearby bins located nearer to him/her. The third button redirects the user from the application to the browser where the user needs to fill up his/her unique id and the contact number registered with the id in order to fill up the feedback form. Fig (2) Enable location services settings on device Fig (3) Launch activity of the application 2. When the user clicks the button captioned as Tap to mark, shown in Fig (3), the user will be redirected to this current activity which will load a Google Map to begin with. The user needs to click the location enabled button on the top right corner of the activity which will in turn get his/her current location coordinated from the GPS reading via the Location Listener interface. After the current location coordinates of the user is captured the user needs to enter the nearest available landmark which will be used to refine the location coordinates available even though the coordinates captured are almost accurate. After the location of the user gets captured followed by entering the landmark the user is expected to click the button named PIN, shown in Fig (4) which will redirect the user to the next activity in which the user needs to enter the necessary details required in order to submit the complaint. Fig (4) Getting the location coordinates of the user 3. Once the users location gets captured followed by the user entering the nearest landmark available, shown in Fig (4), the user will be redirected to the current activity[Fig (5)]. In this activity the user is required to fill up the necessary details required in order to submit the complaint. The details which the user needs to fill are the users name followed by the users contact information such as the contact number and the e-mail of the user. The contact number will be required to suppress false complaints as the user will receive a verification code which will be used to verify the user of the complaint. On entering the necessary details followed by the contact number and the verification code the complaint will get submitted and a unique complaint id will get generated. Fig (5) Activity for user to enter his/her contact info 4. Once the user clicks on the button captioned as Tap for garbage bins, shown in Fig(3) the user will be redirected to this to this activity[Fig (6)] which will load a Google Map in which the user needs to click the location enabled button on the right top corner of the activity. The code which implements the location listener interface will get the current location coordinates of the user by reading the GPS of the users device. When the user clicks the button named as FIND, the application will look into an online database and find the nearest bin coordinates from the database and show them on the map using a modified marker which will show a bin in place of a default Google map marker. The user can click on a dustbin marker according to his/her route and use the Googles inbuilt navigation features to find the nearest route to the dustbin. The user can also toggle between different views such as Map view, satellite view etc. Fig (6) Getting locations of the nearest bins 5. When the user clicks on the submit feedback button on the first activity [Fig (3)] of the application this activity will be shown. The activity will prompt the browser on the users device to load a hardcoded link which will contain the feedback form. The feedback form will contain fields such as contact number, complaint ID, a few relevant questions with options which the user is required to fill the correct responses for. The unique complaint id and contact number pair is used as a verification procedure so that not anyone can fill up random feedback forms and only the unique user who filed the complaint is allowed to fill the feedback. After answering all the questions using the options provided the user can also add comment or suggestions with a predefined character limit. The feedback submitted by the user will be used to increase the quality of the services offered. Fig (7) Snapshot of the feedback form 6. This is the administrator side application which is meant to be used by the system administrator. The application when opened first will prompt the location services settings similar to the one shown in Fig (2) on the phone so that the user turns on the GPS assistance on the device. This will help in getting a better location accuracy when compared to network provided services. The first activity of the application contains two image buttons as show in Fig(8). The first image button is captioned as Tap to find complaints which will take the administrator to the next activity which will load the complaints registered nearer to the location of the device of the administrator. The administrators device needs to be near the registered location of the complaint in a predefined range in order to remove the complaint marker from the map. The second image button is captioned as Tap to add new bins which will take the administrator to the activity which will add coordinates of new bins to a database. Fig (8) Launch activity for administrator application 7. On clicking the image button captioned as Tap to find complaints, shown in Fig (8), the administrator will be redirected to this activity[Fig (9)]. The activity will load a Google map activity which will contain a location enabled button on the top right corner and on tapping this button the code running in the background will get the location coordinates of the user. On clicking the find button the code running on the background thread will connect to the database which stores the registered complaints and retrieve the complaints near to the administrators device. The administrator needs to service the complaint and then tap on the complaint to see the complaint id which the administrator needs to use in order to clear the marker of the complaint from the map. The administrators device needs to be within a predefined range from the complaint in order to remove the complaint marker from the map. Fig (9) Showing the registered complaints 8. When the administrator clicks the second image button on the launch activity of the application, shown in Fig(8) captioned as Tap to add new bins the administrator will be redirected to this current activity. When the administrator adds a new garbage bin, he/she needs to use this current activity in order to add a new garbage bin on the map. This activity consists of two text fields where the administrator needs to enter the coordinates of the newly added bin and press submit button in order for the background thread running within the application to add the entered coordinates in the database [Fig (10)]. When the user accesses the user side application to check for nearest bin the newly added bin to the database will also be reflected in the results. Fig (10) Adding new bins to database [1] http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/solar-powered-smart-bins-that-act-as-wi-fi-hotspots-launched-at-orchard-road?utm_campaign=Echoboxutm_medium=Socialutm_source=Facebookxtor=CS1-10#link_time=1479202704 [2] http://www.iotleague.com/smart-bin-from-poland-will-revolutionize-waste-segregation-recycling/ [3]www.isprs.org/208_XXXVI-part6/

Word Meaning in Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying Essay -- Faulkner’s As I Lay

Word Meaning in Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying Throughout Faulkner’s novel, As I Lay Dying, a prominent difference between the characters Anse and Addie appears in his/her contrasting depiction of word meaning. According to the mother, Addie, words are bad and do not signify their designated meaning. In comparison, her husband, Anse, continually stresses and believes in his spoken promise or word to bury Addie in Jefferson. Incidentally, the juxtaposition between the two character’s theories of word meaning emphasizes an alternative comical view toward the burial of Addie. Her burial is sacred to the family due to the promise of the father’s word and yet based on Addie’s meaningless attempt at revenge toward her husband. Addie’s depiction of words is very negative. She continually affirms, â€Å"words are no good; that words dont ever fit even what they are trying to say at† (171). Apparently, she doesn’t hold any truth in words and sees them as spaces of void. She states, â€Å"I knew that that word was like the others: just a shape to fill a lack; that when the right time came, you wouldn’...

A Dirty Job Chapter 23

23 A FUCKED-UP DAY It was a fucked-up day in the City by the Bay. At first light, flocks of vultures perched on the superstructures of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, and glared down at commuters as if they had a lot of goddamn gall to still be alive and driving. Traffic copters that were diverted to photograph the ranks of carrion birds ended up covering a spiral cloud of bats that circled the Transamerica pyramid for ten minutes, then seemed to evaporate into a black mist that floated out over the Bay. Three swimmers who had been competing in the San Francisco Triathlon drowned in the Bay, and a helicopter camera photographed something under the water, a dark shape approaching one of the swimmers from below and dragging him under. Numerous replays of the tape revealed that rather than the sleek shape of a shark, the creature had a wide wingspan and a distinctly horned head, unlike any ray or skate that anyone had ever seen before. The ducks in Golden Gate Park suddenly took to the wing and left the area, the hundreds of sea lions that normally lounged in the sun down at Pier 39 were gone as well, and even the pigeons seemed to have disappeared from the City. A grunt reporter who had been covering the overnight police blotter noticed the coincidence of seven reports of violence or missing persons at local-area secondhand stores, and by early evening the television stations were mentioning it, along with spectacular footage of the Book 'em Danno building burning in the Mission. And there were hundreds of singular events experienced by individuals: creatures moving in the shadows, voices and screams from the sewer grates, milk souring, cats scratching owners, dogs howling, and a thousand people woke up to find that they no longer cared for the taste of chocolate. It was a fucked-up day. Charlie spent the rest of the night fretting and checking locks, then double-checking them, then looking on the Internet for clues about the Underworlders, just in case someone posted a brand-new ancient document since he'd last checked. He wrote a will, and several letters, which he walked outside and put in the mailbox out on the street rather than with the outgoing mail on the counter of the store. Then, around dawn, completely exhausted yet with his Beta Male imagination racing at a thousand miles an hour, he took two of the sleeping pills Jane had given him and slept through the fucked-up day, to be awakened in early evening by a call from his darling daughter. â€Å"Hello.† â€Å"Aunt Cassie is an anti-Semite,† said Sophie. â€Å"Honey, it's six in the morning. Can we discuss Aunt Cassie's politics a little later?† â€Å"It is not, it's six at night. It's bath time, and Aunt Cassie won't let me bring Alvin and Mohammed into the bathroom with me for my bath, because she's an anti-Semite.† Charlie looked at his watch. He was sort of glad that it was six in the evening and he was talking to his daughter. Whatever happened while he was sleeping at least hadn't affected that. â€Å"Cassie is not an anti-Semite.† It was Jane on the other line. â€Å"Is too,† said Sophie. â€Å"Be careful, Daddy, Aunt Jane is an anti-Semite sympathizer.† â€Å"I am not,† Jane said. â€Å"Listen to how smart my daughter is,† said Charlie. â€Å"I didn't know words like anti-Semite and sympathizer when I was her age, did you?† â€Å"You can't trust the goyim, Daddy,† said Sophie. She lowered her voice to a whisper. â€Å"They hate baths, the goyim.† â€Å"Daddy's a goyim, too, baby.† â€Å"Oh my God, they're everywhere, like pod people!† He heard his daughter drop the phone, scream, and then a door slammed. â€Å"Sophie, you unlock this door this instant,† Cassie said in the background. Jane said, â€Å"Charlie, where does she get this stuff? Are you teaching her this?† â€Å"It's Mrs. Korjev – she's descended from Cossacks and she has a little residual guilt for what her ancestors did to the Jews.† â€Å"Oh,† Jane said, not interested now that she couldn't blame Charlie. â€Å"Well, you shouldn't let the dogs in the bathroom with her. They eat the soap and sometimes they get in the tub, and then – â€Å" â€Å"Let them go with her, Jane,† Charlie interrupted. â€Å"They may be the only thing that can protect her.† â€Å"Okay, but I'm only letting them eat the cheap soaps. No French-milled soaps.† â€Å"They're fine with domestic soap, Jane. Look, I drew up a holographic will last night. If something happens to me, I want you to raise Sophie. It's in there.† Jane didn't answer. He could hear her breathing on the other end. â€Å"Jane?† â€Å"Sure, sure. Of course. What the hell is going on with you guys? What's the big danger Sophie's in? Why are you being spooky like this? And why didn't you call earlier, you fucker?† â€Å"I was up all night doing stuff. Then I took two of those sleeping pills you gave me. Suddenly twelve hours are gone.† â€Å"You took two? Never take two.† â€Å"Yeah, thanks,† Charlie said. â€Å"Anyway, I'm sure I'll be okay, but if for some reason I'm not, you need to take Sophie and get out of the City for a while. I mean like up in the Sierras. I also sent you a letter explaining everything, as much as I know, anyway. Only open it if something happens, okay?† â€Å"Nothing better happen, you fuck. I just lost Mom, and I – why the hell are you talking like this, Charlie? What kind of trouble are you in?† â€Å"I can't tell you, Jane. You have to trust me that I didn't have any choice in the matter.† â€Å"How can I help?† â€Å"By doing exactly what you're doing, taking care of Sophie, keeping her safe, and keeping the hellhounds with her at all times.† â€Å"Okay, but nothing better happen to you. Cassie and I are going to get married and I want you to give me away. And I want to borrow your tux, too. It's Armani, right?† â€Å"No, Jane.† â€Å"You won't give me away?† â€Å"No, no, it's not that, I'd pay her to take you, it's not that.† â€Å"Then you don't think that gay people should be allowed to get married, is that it? You're finally coming clean. I knew it, after all – â€Å" â€Å"I just don't think that gay people should be allowed to get married wearing my tux.† â€Å"Oh,† Jane said. â€Å"You'll wear my Armani tux and I'll have to rent some piece of crap or buy something new and cheap, and then I'll go through eternity looking like a total dork in the wedding pictures. I know how you guys like to show wedding pictures – it's like a disease.† â€Å"By ‘you guys,' you mean lesbians?† Jane said, sounding very much like a prosecuting attorney. â€Å"Yes, I mean lesbians, dumbfuck,† said Charlie, sounding very much like a hostile witness. â€Å"Oh, okay,† Jane said. â€Å"It is my wedding, I guess I can buy a tux.† â€Å"That would be nice,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'm sort of needing the pants cut a little looser in the seat these days anyway,† Jane said. â€Å"Thatta girl.† â€Å"So you'll be safe and give me away.† â€Å"I'll sure try. You think Cassandra will let me bring the little Jewish kid?† Jane laughed. â€Å"Call me every hour,† she said. â€Å"I won't do that.† â€Å"Okay, when you can.† â€Å"Yeah,† Charlie said. â€Å"Bye.† He smiled to himself and rolled out of bed, wondering if this might be the last time he would ever do that. Smile. Charlie showered, ate a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and put on a thousand-dollar suit for which he had paid forty bucks. He limped around the bedroom for a few minutes and decided that his leg felt pretty good and he could do without the foam walking cast, so he left it on the floor by the bed. He put on a pot of coffee and called Inspector Rivera. â€Å"It was a fucked-up day,† Rivera said. â€Å"Charlie, you need to take your daughter and get out of town.† â€Å"I can't do that. This is about me. You'll keep me informed, right?† â€Å"Promise you won't try to do anything stupid or heroic?† â€Å"Not in my DNA, Inspector. I'll call you if I see anything.† Charlie disconnected, having no idea what he was going to do, but feeling like he had to do something. He called Jane's house to say good night to Sophie. â€Å"I just want you to know that I love you very much, honey.† â€Å"Me, too, Daddy. Why did you call?† â€Å"What, you have a meeting or something?† â€Å"We're having ice cream.† â€Å"That's nice. Look, Sophie, Daddy has to go do some things, so I want you to stay with Aunt Jane for a few days, okay?† â€Å"Okay. Do you need some help? I'm free.† â€Å"No, honey, but thank you.† â€Å"Okay, Daddy. Alvin is looking at my ice cream. He looks hungry, like bear. I have to go.† â€Å"Love you, honey.† â€Å"Love you, Daddy.† â€Å"Apologize to Aunt Cassie for calling her an anti-Semite.† â€Å"‘Kay.† Click. She hung up on him. The apple of his eye, the light of his life, his pride and joy, hung up on him. He sighed, but felt better. Heartbreak is the natural habitat of the Beta Male. Charlie took a few minutes in the kitchen to sharpen the edge of the sword-cane on the back of the electric can opener he and Rachel had received as a wedding present, then he headed out to check on the store. As soon as he opened the door to the back staircase Charlie heard strange animal noises coming from the store. It sounded as if they were coming from the back room, and there were no lights on, although he could see plenty of light filtering in from the store. Was this it? Sort of solved the problem of what he was going to do. He drew the sword from his cane and crept down the stairs in a crouch, moving along the edge of each step to minimize squeakage. Halfway down he saw the source of the animal noises and he recoiled, leaping nearly halfway back up the staircase. â€Å"For the love of God!† â€Å"It needed to be done,† Lily said. She was astraddle Ray Macy, her plaid pleated skirt (mercifully) draped out over him, covering the parts that would have caused Charlie to have to tear his eyes out, which he was thinking about doing anyway. â€Å"It did,† Ray agreed breathlessly. Charlie peeked down into the back room – they were still at it, Lily riding Ray like he was a mechanical bull, one bare breast bouncing out of the lapel of her chef ‘s coat. â€Å"He was despondent,† she said. â€Å"I found him giving himself hickies with the shop vac. It's for the greater good, Asher.† â€Å"Well, stop it,† Charlie said. â€Å"No, no, no, no, no,† said Ray. â€Å"It's a charity thing,† Lily said. â€Å"You know, Lily,† Charlie said, covering his eyes, â€Å"you could exercise your charity in other ways, like Salvation Army Santa or something.† â€Å"I don't want to fuck those guys. Most of them are raging alcoholics, and they stink. At least Ray is clean.† â€Å"I don't mean do one, I mean be one. Ring the bell with the little red kettle. Jeez.† â€Å"I am clean,† said Ray. â€Å"You shut up,† Charlie said. â€Å"She's young enough to be your daughter.† â€Å"He was suicidal,† Lily said. â€Å"I may be saving his life.† â€Å"She is,† Ray said. â€Å"Shut up, Ray,† Charlie said. â€Å"This is pathetic, desperate pity sex, that's all it is.† â€Å"He knows that,† Lily said. â€Å"I don't mind,† said Ray. â€Å"I'm doing this for the cause, too,† Lily said. â€Å"Ray was holding out on you.† â€Å"I was?† said Ray. â€Å"How?† Charlie said. â€Å"He found a woman who was buying all the soul vessels. She was with the clients you missed. Somewhere in the Mission. He wasn't going to tell you about her.† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about,† Ray said. Then added, â€Å"Faster, please.† â€Å"Tell him the address,† Lily said. â€Å"Lily,† Charlie said, â€Å"this isn't really necessary.† â€Å"No,† Ray said. There was a loud smack. Charlie opened his eyes. They were still there, doing it, but Ray's right cheek was bright red and Lily was winding up to slap him again. â€Å"Tell him!† â€Å"It's on Guerrero Street, between Eighteenth and Nineteenth, I don't know the number, but it's a big green Victorian, you can't miss it. Three Jewels Buddhist Center.† SMACK! â€Å"Ouch, I told him,† Ray whined. â€Å"That's for not getting the address, BITCH!† Lily said. Then to Charlie: â€Å"There you go, Asher. I want a prime position when you take over the Underworld!† Charlie thought that one of the first things he was going to change when he took over was expanding The Great Big Book of Death to include how to handle situations like this. But instead he said, â€Å"You got it, Lily. You'll be in charge of dress code and torture.† â€Å"Sweet,† Lily said. â€Å"‘Scuse me, Asher, I have to finish this.† Then to Ray: â€Å"Hear that? No more flannel shirts for you, grommet!† SMACK! The grunts coming from Ray increased in frequency and intensity. â€Å"Sure,† Charlie said. â€Å"I'll just go out the other door.† â€Å"See ya,† Ray said. â€Å"I'm never going to look either one of you in the eye again, okay?† â€Å"Sounds good, Asher,† Lily said. â€Å"Be careful.† Charlie crept back up the steps, went out the front door of his apartment and down the elevator to the street entrance, suppressing his gag reflex the whole way. On the street he flagged down a cab and rode into the Mission, trying to wipe the image of his shagging employees out of his mind. The Morrigan had followed the gift souls that had escaped through the drains to a deserted street in the Mission. Now they waited, watching the green Victorian building from storm-drain grates at either end of the street. They were more cautious now, their rapacious nature having been dampened somewhat by having been severely blown up the night before. They called them the gift souls because the little patchwork creatures brought the souls right to them in the sewers – the gifts showing up in the Morrigan's weakest moment. After the accursed Boston terrier had chased them through miles of pipelines, leaving them battered and exhausted on a high ledge at a pipe junction, along marched twenty or so of the darling little nightmares, all dressed up in finery and carrying just what they needed to heal their wounds and replenish their strength: human souls. And thus renewed, they were able to scare away that obnoxious little dog. The Morrigan were back – not to the strength they'd achieved before the explosion, maybe not even enough to fly, but certainly enough to venture Above once again, especially with so many souls at hand. No one was out on the streets tonight except the junkies, the hookers, and the homeless. After the fucked-up day in the City, most everyone had decided that it was just a better idea to stay in, safer. To the Morrigan (for all they cared), they were safer in their homes the same way a tuna fish is safer in a can, but no one knew that yet. No one knew what they were hiding from except Charlie Asher, and he was getting out of a cab right in front of them as they watched. â€Å"It's New Meat,† said Macha. â€Å"We should give him a new name,† said Babd. â€Å"I mean, he's really not that new anymore.† â€Å"Hush,† hushed Macha. â€Å"Hey, lover,† Babd called out of her drain. â€Å"Did you miss me?† Charlie paid the cabbie and stood in the middle of the street looking at the big jade-green Queen Anne. There were lights on in the turret upstairs and in one window downstairs. He could just make out the sign that read THREE JEWELS BUDDHIST CENTER. He started to step toward the house and saw movement in the lattice under the porch – eyes shining. A cat maybe. His cell phone rang and he flipped it open. â€Å"Charlie, it's Rivera. I have some good news; we found Carrie Long, the woman from the pawnshop, and she's still alive. She was tied up and thrown in a Dumpster a block from her store.† â€Å"That's great,† Charlie said. But he wasn't feeling great. The things that had been moving under the porch were coming out. Moving up the stairs, standing on the porch, lining up and facing him. Twenty or thirty of them, a little more than a foot tall, dressed in ornate period costumes. Each had the skeletal face of a dead animal, cats, foxes, badgers – animals Charlie couldn't identify, but just the skulls – the eye sockets empty, black. Yet they stared. â€Å"You won't believe what she said put her there, Charlie. Little creatures, little monsters, she said.† â€Å"About fourteen inches tall,† Charlie said. â€Å"Yeah, how'd you know?† â€Å"Lots of teeth and claws, like animal parts stuck together, all dressed up like they were going to a grand costume ball?† â€Å"What are you telling me, Charlie? What do you know?† â€Å"Just guessing,† Charlie said. He unclipped the latch on his sword-cane. â€Å"Hey, lover,† came a female voice from behind him. â€Å"Did you miss me?† Charlie turned. She was crawling out of the drain almost directly behind him. â€Å"The bad news,† Rivera said, â€Å"is we found the junk dealer and the bookstore guy from Book 'em Danno – pieces of them.† â€Å"That is bad news,† Charlie said. He started moving up the street, away from the sewer harpy and the porch full of Satan's sock puppets. â€Å"New Meat,† came a voice from up the street. Charlie looked to see another sewer harpy coming out of the drain, her eyes gleaming black in the streetlight. Behind him he heard the clacking of little animal teeth. â€Å"Charlie, I still think you should leave town for a while, but if you don't, and don't tell anyone I told you this, you should get a gun, maybe a couple of guns.† â€Å"I think that would be a great idea,† Charlie said. The two sewer harpies were moving very slowly toward him, awkwardly, as if their nerves were short-circuiting. The one closest to him, the one from the alley in North Beach, was licking her lips. She looked a little ragged compared to the night she'd seduced him. He moved up the street away from them. â€Å"A shotgun, so you won't need to learn to shoot. I can't give you one, but – â€Å" â€Å"Inspector, I'm going to have to get back to you.† â€Å"I'm serious, Charlie, whatever these things are, they are going after your kind.† â€Å"You have no idea how clear that is to me, Inspector.† â€Å"Is that the one who shot me?† said the closest harpy. â€Å"Tell him I'm going to suck his eyeballs out of the sockets and chew them in his ear.† â€Å"You get that, Inspector?† Charlie said. â€Å"She's there?† â€Å"They,† Charlie said. â€Å"This way, Meat,† said the third sewer harpy, coming out of the drain at the far end of the block. She stood, extended her claws, and flicked a line of venom down the side of a parked car. The paint sizzled and ran where it hit. â€Å"Where are you, Charlie? Where are you?† â€Å"I'm in the Mission. Near the Mission.† The little creatures were coming down the steps now, down the walk toward the street. â€Å"Look,† said a harpy, â€Å"he brought presents.† â€Å"Charlie, where exactly are you?† said Rivera. â€Å"Gotta go, Inspector.† Charlie flipped the phone closed and dropped it in his coat pocket. Then he drew the sword from the cane and turned to the harpy from the alley. â€Å"For you,† he said to her, whipping the sword in a flourish through the air. â€Å"That's sweet,† she said. â€Å"You always think about my needs.† The 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was the perfect show-off of death machines. It consisted of nearly three tons of steel stamped into a massively mawed, high-tailed beast, lined with enough chrome to build a Terminator and still have parts left over – most of it in long, sharp strips that peeled off on impact and became lethal scythes to flay away pedestrian flesh. Under the four headlights it sported two chrome bumper bullets that looked like unexploded torpedoes or triple-G-cup Madonna death boobs. It had a noncollapsible steering column that would impale the driver upon any serious impact, electric windows that could pinch off a kid's head, no seat belts, and a 325 horsepower V8 with such appallingly bad fuel efficiency that you could hear it trying to slurp liquefied dinosaurs out of the ground when it passed. It had a top speed of a hundred and ten miles an hour, mushy, bargelike suspension that could in no way stabilize the car at that speed, and undersized power brake s that wouldn't stop it either. The fins jutting from the back were so high and sharp that the car was a lethal threat to pedestrians even when parked, and the whole package sat on tall, whitewall tires that looked, and generally handled, like oversized powdered doughnuts. Detroit couldn't have achieved more deadly finned ostentatia if they'd covered a killer whale in rhinestones. It was a masterpiece. And the reason you need to know all that, is that along with the battle-worn Morrigan and the well-dressed chimeras, a '57 Eldorado was rapidly approaching Charlie. The bloodred lacquered Eldo slid around the corner, tires screaming like flaming peacocks, hubcaps spinning off toward the curb, engine roaring, spewing blue smoke out of the rear wheel wells like a flatulent dragon. The first of the Morrigan turned in time to take a bumper bullet in the thigh before she was dragged and folded under the car and spit out the back into a black heap. The headlights came on and the Caddy veered toward the Morrigan nearest Charlie. The animal creatures scurried back up the sidewalk and Charlie ran up onto the hood of a parked Honda as the Eldo smacked the second Morrigan. She rag-doll-whipped over the hood as the car's brakes screamed, then flew twenty yards down the street. The Caddy peeled out and hit her again, this time rolling over her with a series of thumps and leaving her tossing down the tarmac, shedding pieces as she rolled. The Caddy blazed on toward the final Morrigan. This one had a few seconds on her sisters and started running up the street, her shape changing, arms to wings, tail feathers trying to manifest, but she didn't seem able to make the transformation in time to fly. The Eldo plowed over her, then hit the brakes, reversed, and burned rubber on her back. Charlie ran up on the roof of the Honda, ready to leap away from the street, but the Caddy stopped and the blacked-out electric window wound down. â€Å"Get the fuck in the car,† said Minty Fresh. Minty Fresh hit the final Morrigan again as he speeded off down the block, took two screeching lefts, then pulled the car to the curb, jumped out, and ran around to the front. â€Å"Oh, goddamn,† said Minty Fresh (damn on the downbeat, with pain and sustain). â€Å"Goddamn, my hood and grille are all fucked up. Goddamn. I will tolerate the rising of darkness to cover the world, but you do not fuck with my ride.† He jumped back in the car, threw it into gear, and screeched around the next corner. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"I'm going to run over the bitches again. You do not fuck with my ride.† â€Å"Well, what did you think would happen when you ran them over?† â€Å"Not this. I never ran over anyone before. Don't act like that's a surprise.† Charlie looked at the gleaming interior of the car, the bloodred leather seats, the dash fitted with walnut burl and gold-plated knobs. â€Å"This is a great car. My mailman would love this car.† â€Å"Your mailman?† â€Å"He collects vintage pimp wear.† â€Å"So what are you trying to say?† â€Å"Nothing.† They were already on Guerrero Street and Minty floored it as they approached the target block. The first Morrigan he had hit was just getting to her knees when he hit her again, knocking her over two parked cars and into the side of a vacant building. The second one turned to face them and bared her claws, which raked the hood as he rolled over her with a drumroll of thumps, then he ran over the third one's legs as she was crawling back into the storm sewer. â€Å"Jeez,† Charlie said, turning and looking out the back window. Minty Fresh seemed to turn his full attention to driving safely now. â€Å"What the hell are those things?† â€Å"I call them sewer harpies. They're the things that call to us from the storm sewers. They're a lot stronger now than they used to be.† â€Å"They're scary is what they are,† said Minty. â€Å"I don't know,† Charlie said. â€Å"Have you gotten a good look at them? I mean, they got the badonkadonk out back and some fine bajoopbadangs up front, know what I'm sayin', dog? Buss a rock wid a playa?† He offered his fist for Minty to buss him a rock, but alas, the mint one left him hangin'. â€Å"Stop that,† Fresh said. â€Å"Sorry,† Charlie said. â€Å"Talk Like a Playa in Ten Days or Less – Stone Thug Edition?† Minty asked. Charlie nodded. â€Å"We got the CD into the store a couple of months ago. I practice in the van. How am I doing?† â€Å"Your Negro-osity is uncanny. I had to keep checking to make sure you're still white.† â€Å"Thanks,† Charlie said, then, as if a light went on: â€Å"Hey, I've been looking for you – where the hell have you been?† â€Å"Hiding out. One of those things came after me on the BART a few nights ago when I was coming back from Oakland.† â€Å"How'd you get away?† â€Å"Those little animal things, a bunch of them attacked her in the dark. I could hear her screaming at them, tearing them to ribbons, but they held her off until the train pulled into the station, which was full of people. She bolted back into the tunnel. There were pieces of the animal creatures everywhere in the train car.† Minty turned onto Van Ness and started heading toward Charlie's side of town. â€Å"So they helped you? They're not part of the Underworlders trying to take over?† â€Å"They don't appear to be. They saved my ass.† â€Å"So you know some of the Death Merchants have been killed?† â€Å"I didn't know. It wasn't in the paper. I saw where Anton's shop burned up last night. He didn't make it out?† â€Å"They found pieces of him,† Charlie said. â€Å"Charlie, I think I caused this.† Minty Fresh turned and really looked at Charlie for the first time, his golden eyes looking forlorn. â€Å"I failed to collect my last two soul vessels, and all of this started.† â€Å"I thought it was me,† Charlie said. â€Å"I missed two as well. But I don't think it's us. My two clients are alive, I think they're in that house where I was going when you saved me: the Three Jewels Buddhist Center. There's a woman there who's been buying up soul vessels, too.† â€Å"Cute brunette?† Minty asked. â€Å"I don't know. Why?† â€Å"She bought some from me, too. Tried to disguise herself, but it was her.† â€Å"Well, she's in that house back there. I've got to go back there.† â€Å"I don't want anything to do with those bitches with the claws,† Minty said. â€Å"True dat,† Charlie said. â€Å"I had a thing with one of them.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Yeah, she got all up in my grille and shit – had to cut da ho loose.† â€Å"Stop that.† â€Å"Sorry. Anyway, I've got to go back.† â€Å"You sure? I don't think they're dead. Doesn't look like they can be dead.† â€Å"You could run over them again. By the way, how did you know where to find me?† â€Å"After I heard about Anton's place burning, I tried to call him and got a disconnected message, so I went to your store. I talked to that little Goth girl you have working for you. She told me where you went. Talked to her for about ten minutes. She knows about me – I mean us? The Death Merchants?† â€Å"Yes, I told her a long time ago. Wasn't she, uh, busy when you got there? With a guy, I mean.† â€Å"No. She seeing anyone?† â€Å"I thought you were gay?† â€Å"I never said that.† â€Å"Yeah, but you didn't go out of your way to deny it either.† â€Å"Charlie, I run a music store in the Castro, I'd do more business as a gay Death Merchant than a straight shopkeeper.† â€Å"Good point. I never thought of that.† â€Å"Color me surprised. So, she seeing anyone?† â€Å"She's half your age and I think she's a little twisted – sexually, I mean.† â€Å"So is she seeing anyone?† â€Å"She's like a little sister to me, Fresh. Don't you have employees like that?† â€Å"Have you never met anyone who works in a record store? There's no greater repository of unjustified arrogance in the world. I'd poison my employees if I thought I could find replacements.† â€Å"I don't think she's seeing anybody, but since the world is about to be taken over by the Forces of Darkness, you may not have time for dating.† â€Å"I don't know. She seems like she might have an in with the Forces of Darkness. I like her, she's funny in a sort of macabre way, and she likes Miles.† â€Å"Lily likes Miles Davis?† â€Å"You don't know that about your little sister?† Charlie threw his hands up. â€Å"Take her, use her, throw her away, I don't care, she's only part-time. You can date my daughter, too. She's going to be six and probably loves Coltrane for all I know.† â€Å"Calm down, you're overreacting.† â€Å"Just turn around and take me back to that Buddhist center. I've got to stop this thing. It's all on me, Fresh. I'm the Luminatus.† â€Å"You are not.† â€Å"I am,† Charlie said. â€Å"You're the Great Death – with a capital D? You? You know this to be true?† â€Å"I do,† Charlie said. â€Å"I knew there was something different about you, but I thought that the Luminatus would be – I don't know – taller.† â€Å"Don't start with that, okay.† Minty swung the car off Van Ness into a hotel turnaround. â€Å"Where are you going?† Charlie said. â€Å"To run over some sewer harpies again.† â€Å"Back to the Buddhist center?† â€Å"Uh-huh. You have any weapons besides that stupid sword?† â€Å"My cop friend told me I should get a gun.† Minty Fresh reached into his moss-green jacket and came out with the biggest pistol Charlie had ever seen. He placed it on the seat. â€Å"Take it. Desert Eagle fifty-caliber. It'll stop a bear.† Charlie picked up the chrome-plated pistol. It weighed like five pounds and the barrel looked big enough to stick your thumb in. â€Å"This thing is huge.† â€Å"I'm a big guy. Listen, it holds eight shots. There's a round in the chamber. You have to cock it and release the safety before you fire. There and there.† He pointed to the safety and the hammer. â€Å"Hold on to it if you have to shoot. It will knock you on your ass if you're not ready.† â€Å"What about you?† Minty patted the other side of his coat. â€Å"I have another one.† Charlie turned the gun in his hand and watched the streetlights playing off its chromed surface. (Beta Males, who inherently feel they are always at a competitive disadvantage, are suckers for showy equalizers.) â€Å"You have a lot going on under the surface, Mr. Fresh. You are not just the run-of-the-mill seven-foot-tall Death Merchant in a pastel-green suit.† â€Å"Thank you, Mr. Asher. Very kind of you to say.† â€Å"My pleasure.† Charlie's cell phone rang and he flipped it open. Rivera said, â€Å"Asher, where the hell are you? I've been circling the Mission and there's nothing here but a lot of black feathers flying in the air.† â€Å"Yeah, it's okay. I'm okay, Inspector. I found Minty Fresh, the guy who owns the music store. I'm in the car with him.† â€Å"So you're safe?† â€Å"Relatively.† â€Å"Good. Lay low and I'll call you, okay? I want to talk to your friend tomorrow.† â€Å"You got it, Inspector. Thanks for coming to help.† â€Å"Careful, Asher.† â€Å"Gotcha. I'm laying low. Bye.† Charlie snapped the phone shut and turned to Minty Fresh. â€Å"You ready?† â€Å"Absolutely,† said the fresh one. The street was deserted when they pulled up in front of the Three Jewels Buddhist Center. â€Å"I'll go around to the back,† Minty said. Well, cars suck, I can tell you that,† said Babd, trying to keep herself together as the Morrigan limped back to the great ship. â€Å"Five thousand years, horses are fine, all of a sudden we have to have paved streets and cars. I don't see the attraction.† â€Å"I'm not even sure that we need to rise and let Darkness rule,† said Nemain. â€Å"Apparently darkness isn't qualified yet. Speaking as an agent of Darkness, I think it needs more time.† She had been crushed into a half-woman, half-raven form and was shedding feathers as they limped through the pipe. â€Å"It's like that New Meat has someone watching over him,† said Macha. â€Å"Next time Orcus can deal with him.† â€Å"Yeah, let's get Orcus to go after him,† Babd said. â€Å"See what he thinks of cars.†

The Mysterious Stranger essays

The Mysterious Stranger essays In the Mark Twain story The Mysterious Stranger, Satan teaches Theodor that the Moral Sense that humans possess is more of an impairment than a gift. The first time Satan degrades Mans Moral Sense is when he use the term to explain the difference between himself and Man (66). Theodor, who only had a dim idea of what the Moral Sense was is upset at the way Satan speaks of it. Satan shows Theodor several examples of the cruel things Man does that no other animal on earth would do. Satan says that that although man was given the Moral Sense to differentiate right from wrong he usually makes the wrong decision(78). Satan also says that man is proud to have the Moral Sense when it is actually a shameful possession(78). The examples of the poverty in the French Village(78-9), the man being tortured in the jail(78),and persecution of the witches are all used by Satan to teach Theodor the flaws of mankind and the Moral Sense. Theodor begins to understand why Satan looks down upon our race as silly and trivial when he sees all of the cruel things that man does to other men and animals. Satan defends even the animals of the earth by saying that even they are not tainted with the disease called the Moral Sense(80) and therefore cannot do wrong because they dont have a choice like man does. He questions the boys as to why Hans Opperts loyal dog should not be allowed into heaven and asks if their race can add anything to this dogs stock of morals and magnanimities.(80) Satan thinks that the Moral Sense make humans a foolish race. Mans cruelty cannot be blamed on anyone but him because he knows right from wrong. Along with the Moral Sense, Satan also compares humans to sheep, and says that they are mostly followers and afraid to assert themselves because they want to sta ...

Internet essays

Mobile Phones/Internet essays Mobile phones have changed the way the world communicates. With the invention of the cellular phone service in 1983, personal telephones no longer depended on wires. In the 90's it was now possible to connect to the Internet from virtually anywhere in the world from your cellular phone using satellite services. Some countries depend on cellular phones as their main source of communication, such as China. For the people in China, it is too expensive to own a house phone; therefore nearly everyone carries a cellular phone. In the U.S., only about 28 percent of the U.S. population uses mobile phones. In the U.S. cellular phones are becoming not only a way of communication, but also a fashion statement for teenagers. A little more than 60 percent of Iceland, Norway, and Sweden's populations own cellular phones. 40 to 50 percent of Europe and Japan's population also own cellular phones. These countries are among the many that depend on cellular phones for a cheap way to communicate. The Internet began as just a small computer network that linked other networks at several universities and research laboratories in the United States. It has now come to be much more. The Internet is used world wide to find anything you want, from simple cooking instructions to how to build complex bombs. Post offices have lost a lot of money since the Internet became available worldwide. People now communicate through e-mail (electronic mail) and no longer need the post office except for packages and occasionally snail mail just for fun. E-mail is much faster than ordinary mail and is more efficient than phones. Almost everyone uses e-mail, from big businesses to small companies, and also home use. Napster, the famous file-swapping service, stirred up a lot of controversy in the 90s. Napster was used to swap mp3s (digital music files that can be played on y ...

This is a n Accounting principle subject. The assessment and case Study

This is a n Accounting principle subject. The assessment and will be send by file .pdf - Case Study Example Professional Competence and Due Care A professional accountant is expected to demonstrate diligence when executing his duties and should abide by professional standards when executing his professional duties. Considering whether it is within the mandate of the accountant to counter-sign checks and ensuring that the hotel receives professional services in line with the underlying regulations of the accounting profession would translate to the observation of professional competence and due care. Confidentiality A professional accountant must observe confidentiality of information under his care and should not in any way disclose such information to unauthorized third party. Not disclosing the findings about the whole scenario to any third party and not taking advantage of the findings for personal gain would amount to maintaining the principle of confidentiality. Professional Behavior A professional accountant should act within applicable laws and regulations and shun any act that like ly to discredit professionalism. Ensuring that services remain within the law and avoiding any action that would put the profession into questions amount to professional behavior. Q2. a. The parties involved in the case include the company’s directors (husband and wife), the staff of the boutique hotel, the financial institution that mortgaged the hotel, and the community as a whole. For the company’s directors, especially that wife, the transactions are happening in her absence. Therefore, there is a possibility that taking no action would result into huge financial losses on her side through continuous check withdrawals of the recently acquired mortgage for the hotel. For the mortgaging firm, there is a likelihood that the hotel will not be able to pay back its mortgage leading to a huge financial loss. However, if the loan is secured, the mortgaging firm would recover the amount through seizure of the company’s principal asset, a boutique hotel. All the staff of the company would lose their job in the near future because the company would not be in a position to pay them. Moreover, there is likelihood that the company may be declared bankrupt. The closure of the company would have negative impact on the community where it is located because it would cut down job opportunities and disengage those who are currently employed courtesy of the company. b. If I decided to take action, I would consult the audit committee of the company, if there is any and summon the board of directors to shed light on the harmful effects of such fraudulent dealings. I would give my stand to the company’s directors by stating pointblank that I am not ready to be party to the fraudulent deal. First, I would ensure that I act within the fundamental principles of the accounting profession. I would then identify specific factors relevant to the conflict resolution process, which in this case is the unauthorized check withdrawals made by one of the directors of the company. I would then decide the best course of action by weighing the likely consequence of each alternative course action. I would then document the discussions held and decisions arrived at during my discussion with the directors and the audit committee. If the practice persists, I would then contact relevant professional body and legal advisors. A professional

Relationship between the international law and Sultanate of Oman's Essay

Relationship between the international law and Sultanate of Oman's municipal law - Essay Example Oman has a history of using the Sharia law that is given the priority as the basis of legislation and customary obligations in this society. Although the Oman’s Sultanate law has attempted to harmonize their laws to conform to the international laws, the country is depicted as a violator of the general law to which all nations are subject to. This has had an impact on Oman in that it has had a challenge in coping with other nations and the international law as a whole. This law system has garnered a wide range of interest from scholars intending to identify that this system of law has with the international law. The international law provides a framework for stable and well-grounded international relations between states and nations. These laws are consent based and states are not obliged to adhere to these laws unless they have opted to be bound by specific international legal clauses. Member countries that are abound by this law are also subjects of the International tribuna ls such as the international criminal court. International laws can be sourced either from treaties or customs in a nation that are generally accepted as basic in the world. Treaties constitute agreements between nations that decide to conduct their operations across their boundaries. On the other hand, customary laws, that form part of the international customary law, are developed from some internationally acceptable standards within countries (Beckman and Butte, 2012). They are sourced from the customs of the people in various nations. Unlike the other international laws, the international customary laws bind every state and they generally used in solution of crisis that seems to negate the standards laws that apply in all states. Sultanate Oman is an Arabian state located in the southern part of western Asia bordered by the United Arab Emirates. The legal system of this kingship is governed by the Sharia or Muslim laws that are often applied in the Sharia Law courts, the justice 's chambers. The customary law of Sultanate Oman was developed to regulate the human behavior in matters of inheritance, land ownership, marriages, social conflicts and cultural matters. Although the legal system is evident, the country allows some cultural issues to be handled in the traditional methods where a jury if formed by elders to mediate on specific matters of the community. Most customary laws and regulations are not documented and their application is personalized and their application is often personalized (OmaniLaw, 2013). The undocumented laws have raised questions about whether the Sultan Oman is a free state with a well-developed government system. The international law conflicts with the Sultane Oman customary Law on various grounds. One the of point where the two legal systems drift is the application of human rights that is subject to the Oman’s customary laws. The provisions of the international are that all members be from the Free states and such as a s tate must have a fully developed system and be regarded as a state by other states. Consequently, there is a general notion that Oman is a state that is not tied to the international law. However, the international customary law has all states as subjects and human rights is part of the core concern of the international customary law. One issue that has raised alarm in Oman as a country that pays less