The Evil War Star Wars Essay - 777 Words

Droid heads and clone heads flew through the air as a starfighter powered up and headed back to Naboo. For the next few hours of the day, Jedi fought for their lives. But their battle was in vain, because the sheer number of the droids overpowered them, and soon droids surrounded them. Preparing to flee, the Jedi radiated with pleasure to hear a buzz. Right on time, an extremely loud buzzing noise filled the air, and a starfighter came into view. It was pearly white, sparkly, and shiny. Yoda beamed when the pilot, Shaak Ti, and the co-pilot, R2-D2, stepped out. He stopped smiling because the droids had ganged up on them and they were standing completely around them, and when everybody was out he looked at them and they had bloody marks†¦show more content†¦We have called this meeting for the Jedi council to tell you that we are going to attack the enemy base, at 3:00 P.M. tomorrow. May the force be with you. There will be ships at the edge of our territory’’. Then he repeated it for Ki-adi Mundi. A person he knew well came up to him after the meeting and told him Ki- Adi Mundi needed a hearing aid. They laughed at his joke. The next day, on Tatooine, where Princess Leia, Anakin Skywalker, and some clones accompanying them were sneaking up to the enemy base up in the treetops. Suddenly, droids were surrounding the perimeter. They were under attack!!! Luckily Yoda, who was in the starfighter, sensed danger, he took control of the ship guided it, steadied it, and landed the starfighter in the treetops. Whenever they all jumped out they didn’t know the battle had become so severe and consequential. Yoda landed on a dinohorse that galloped right into the droids, which Yoda had killed before you could say battlefield. Count Dooku, Darth Maul, Darth Vader, The Emperor, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, and darth sidious invaded the perimeter, with loads more droids. He heaved Count Dooku off of him. He caught the droids by surprise and destroyed them. A second later he was walking into the White Pearl covered in dust and blood from head to toe. â€Å"Fortunate you were the communication system came back on, Master Yoda.Show MoreRelated The Role of the Individual: A look inside the Galactic World of Star Wars (1977)1290 Words   |  6 PagesStar Wars takes place a long time ago in a galaxy that is unlike anything modern society could conceive as being authentic. It exists in a time before Earth was even thought of. At the start of the movie, a civil war is occurring between the Rebel Alliance and The Galactic Empire. A leader of the Rebel Alliance, Princess Leia, stole plans from the Galactic Empire (also known as the Imperial forces) for the Death Star. The Death Star was a very heavily armed space station with weapons capable of destroyingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Star Wars Script 1429 Words   |  6 PagesPaper #4 What concept has fueled numerous wars and conflicts throughout history, and even in present day? It is the oversimplification of the perception of good and bad which has sparked these battles, as well as worked to handicap young people’s ability to come to a true understanding of world events. Gardner writes about this concept when he says, â€Å"most five-year-olds have developed a Star Wars script. Life consists of a struggle between Good and Bad forces, with the Good generally triumphant†Read MoreAdvantages Of Star Wars Movies1158 Words   |  5 Pagescasual watchers alike will argue about which frontier is superior: the Star Wars films, or the Star Trek television franchise. While the Star Wars movies are not bad, there are several reasons as to why the Star Trek series are better. From instances of technology, to plot, to character, even to cultural influence, I wholeheartedly believe that Star Trek is light years better than Star Wars. First released in 1977, the Star Wars movies are good, and that is all. At the time, the films were regardedRead MoreThe Book The Seven Basic Plots : Why We Tell Stories1246 Words   |  5 PagesStar Wars has entertained millions of people since its inception in 1977. Creator George Lucas’s brilliant use of the plot type Tragedy has created Star Wars into the global phenomenon that it is today. Through the understanding of what a Tragedy is composed of, how Lucas utilizes tragedy within the Star Wars movies, and the psychological appeal of tragedies, it will be clear why the Star Wars films have become so popular. Literary critic Christopher Booker, in his book The Seven Basic Plots: WhyRead MoreStar Wars: a New Hope816 Words   |  4 PagesCritique Star Wars: A new hope A long.long time ago, in a galaxy far, far awayÂ…. 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In an interview, Lucas states that the original idea for Star Wars was modelled on the movies of his childhood, The â€Å"Flash Gordon movie serials and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars Series of books.† The mise-en-scà ¨ne in Star Wars plays a vitally important role, so the question explored in this essay is how the use of mise-en-scà ¨ne adds depth to theRead More Why myths are studied Essay614 Words   |  3 Pagesthe human condition, not about time or place. It is this versatility of myths, that allows Far East’s Ramayana to be mirrored in many ways by a far away galaxy’s Star Wars. The Ramayana’s lead hero is Vishnu, in the human form of Rama. The birth of Rama is divined by priests. The goal of Rama will be to defeat the evil Ravana. Star Wars starts in a similar fashion with the jedi legend of a chosen one, who can bring balance to the force. Unfortunatley, when Luke Skywalker is born, he his driven intoRead MoreThe Creator Of Star Wars1586 Words   |  7 PagesIn the George Lucas film, the creator of Star Wars, has very strong Hindu beliefs. Similar to Hinduism affecting our lives, so has it affected his to an extent, which can also be seen by the fact that he has incorporated Hindu themes throughout the Star Wars film. This essay will explain, through different examples, the way Lucas has pushed Hinduism into this movie. In the movie, The Empire Strikes Back, it seems to portray some type of Hinduis m in the first parts. Moreover, In the scene when Luke

The Cause of the Great Depression Essay - 552 Words

The Cause of the Great Depression The economic expansion of the 1920’s, with its increased production of goods and high profits, culminated in immense consumer speculation that collapsed with disastrous results in 1929 causing America’s Great Depression. There were a number or contributing factors to the depression, with the largest and most important one being a general loss of confidence in the American economy. The reason it escalated was a general misunderstanding of recessions by American policymakers of the time. The U.S. economy was booming in the 1920’s. Stocks prices soared, as they were bought on margin for as little as 10% down. Market speculation is cyclical-that is, if one stock appears profitable, you buy it,†¦show more content†¦Many people lost as much as ten times their initial investment, which shook consumer confidence. In an effort to cover their margins, people rushed the banks in masses, demanding their money. Soon, banks began to run out of cash and went bust. With the economy falling in shambles and companies defaulting on loans, nearly all private and corporate investment ceased. Companies couldn’t afford to expand, and in fact, many had to consolidate in order to cover the margins on their loans. This meant postponing hiring and laying workers off, which caused unemployment to skyrocket. With people now willing to work for less money, wages lessened too. At the same time prices rose in an attempt by companies to make some amount of profit off the goods. Because the governments’ prevailing economic theory was based on laissez-faire economics, the government believed that recessions were self-correcting. Eventually unemployment and inflation stopped declining, but not before the U.S. lost 1/3 of it’s output and 25% of the workforce was unemployed. In the end, it was World War II that brought us out of the Great Depression. With war at hand, the government began pumping massive amounts of money into the economy. Production and inflation increased. More jobs were available and wages rose. At theShow MoreRelatedCauses Of The Great Depression1319 Words   |  6 Pageshaving classic satisfying life concluded when the Great Depression ushered in the negative trend that would impact the U.S. economy in 1929. Therefore, what happened? In this essay, we will discuss what the Great Depression was for the Americans, the causes of the Great Depression, and the U.S.’s recovery from the Great Depression. The Great Depression One of the terrifying times in the U.S. history is the Great Depression. The Great Depression is an economic phenomenon, which according to theRead MoreGreat Depression and Its Causes1256 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s has been argued about for generations. Most people agree on several key topics and that it was the severity and length of time the Depression lasted that was actually the most remarkable. Hoover made many noteworthy attempts to try and solve this crisis, yet in the end it was President Roosevelt and his New Deal, that brought many Americans hope for the future. The first factor in the start of the Depression was the lack of diversityRead MoreCauses of the Great Depression2012 Words   |  9 Pages The causes of the Great Depression in the early 20th century is a matter of active debate between economists. Although the popular belief is that the main cause was the crashing Stock Market in 1929 caused the Great Depression, There were other major economic events that contributed just as much as the crash, such as American’s overextension of credit, an unequal distribution of wealth, over production of goods, and a severe drop in business revenue. As these events transpired the state of economicRead More Causes of the Great Depression Essay1143 Words   |  5 PagesCauses of the Great Depression Throughout the 1920’s, new industries and new methods of production led to prosperity in America. America was able to use its great supply of raw materials to produce steel, chemicals, glass, and machinery that became the foundation of an enormous boom in consumer goods (Samuelson, 2). Many US citizens invested on the stock market, speculating to make a quick profit. This great prosperity ended in October 1929. People began to fear that the boom was going toRead MoreCauses of the Great Depression Essay1108 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States has experienced recessions about every twenty years (give or take) since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Nothing that had happened before was quite this serious, chaotic, or as long lasting as the Great Depression. The crash was felt far beyond those on the trading floors. Speculators who borrowed money from the banks to buy their stocks could not repay the loans because they could not sell stocks, because no one else would buy them. This caused many banks to fail,Read MoreCauses of The Great Depression Essay701 Words   |  3 Pages Imagine a society where over 25% of the population was unemployed. That is what it reached during The Great Depression (â€Å"The Great Depression†). During the depression unemployment rates were the highest they have ever been. It is highly speculated to this day on what exactly caused The Great Depression. Most historians agree it was a chain of events, one after another, that brought our country into chaos. Some events were more impactful than others. These events caused pandemonium amongRead MoreEssay on The Causes of the Great Depression697 Words   |  3 PagesThe Causes of The Great Depression History Imagine waking up one morning, only to find out that all your investments and savings are gone. 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There was lots of debate whether the economy was slipping back to double dip recession but there is considerable evidence that the economic crisis in 2008 is worse than the crisisRead MoreCauses of the Great Depression Essay651 Words   |  3 PagesIn the 1920s, American economy had a great time. The vast majority of Americans in 1929 foresaw a continuation of the dizzying economic growth that had taken place in most of the decade. However, the prices of stock crested in early September of 1929. The price of stock fell gradually during most of September and early October. On â€Å"Black Tuesday† 29 October 1929, the stock market fell by forty points. After that, a historically great and long economic depression started and lasted until the start ofRead More Causes of the Great Depression Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesCauses of the Great Depression The Great Depression also called Depression of 1929, or Slump of 1929, began in 1929 and lasted until 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized world. Though the United States economy had gone into depression six months earlier, the Great Depression may said to have begun with a catastrophic collapse of the stock market prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929 call the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 13 Free Essays

Carter picked up a book and leafed through it lazily. His stringy blond hair had been stuffed under a backward baseball cap, and his flannel shirt appeared to have seen better days. â€Å"Looking for altar supplies?† he asked me without glancing up. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Blues CHAPTER 13 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Or maybe here to brush up on your astrology?† â€Å"It’s none of your business why I’m here,† I snapped back, too flustered at the sight of him to think of anything funny or even plausible. The gray eyes looked up. â€Å"Does Jerome know you’re here?† â€Å"It’s not his business either. Why? Are you going to tattle on me?† My words came out boldly, though part of me kept thinking if Carter really was the one behind the attacks, I’d have a lot more to worry about than Jerome’s wrath. â€Å"Maybe.† He closed the book, holding it between his palms. â€Å"Of course, I suspect the long-term entertainment value will be greater for me if I just keep quiet and let your schemes proceed uninterrupted.† â€Å"I don’t know what ‘schemes’ you’re talking about. Can’t a girl go shopping without getting the third degree? You don’t hear me grilling you about why you’re here.† The truth was, I burned to know what he was doing. It didn’t surprise me that he knew Erik – we all did – but finding him here in light of everything that had happened lately only furthered my suspicions. â€Å"Me?† He held up the book he’d been glancing through. Teach Yourself Witchcraft in 30 Days or Less. â€Å"I need to make up for lost time.† â€Å"Cute,† I acknowledged. â€Å"Commendation from a master. I’m honored. Have I given you sufficient time to come up with an equally cute alibi?† He set the book down. â€Å"Miss Kincaid.† Erik shuffled into the room before I could answer. â€Å"I’m so pleased to see you. My friend just dropped off the earrings you asked for.† I stared, momentarily puzzled, and then I remembered the pearl necklace, as well as the earrings I’d offhandedly requested. â€Å"I’m glad he was able to do it so quickly.† â€Å"Nice recovery,† conceded Carter in an undertone. I ignored him. Erik opened a small box for me, and I peered inside. Three tiny strands of freshwater pearls, just like the ones from the necklace, dangled from the delicate copper wires of each earring. â€Å"They’re beautiful,† I told him. I meant it. â€Å"Thank your friend. I have a dress these will look great with.† â€Å"That must be a relief,† noted Carter, watching Erik ring the earrings up at the counter. â€Å"Proper accessories, I mean. Cody tells me you’re doing a lot of dating these days. I don’t suppose you read the book I sent you.† I slid my credit card over to Erik. Cody had seen my male entourage at the dance lesson, but I’d only told him about my subsequent date with Roman yesterday. â€Å"When did you talk to Cody?† â€Å"Last night.† â€Å"Funny, so did I. And here you are today. Are you following me around?† Carter’s eyes danced merrily. â€Å"I was here first. Maybe you’re following me around. Maybe you’re starting to get into this dating thing and want to find a cunning way to come on to me.† I signed the credit card slip and handed it back to a quiet, listening Erik. â€Å"Sorry. I like my men to have a bit more life in them.† Carter chuckled quietly at my joke. Sex with other immortals gave me no energy payoff. â€Å"Georgina, sometimes I think you might be worth following around, just to hear what you’ll say next.† Erik looked up. If he felt discomfort at being in the crossfire of two immortals, he did not show it. â€Å"Then perhaps you’d like to join us for tea, Mr. Carter? You were going to stay, weren’t you, Miss Kincaid?† I gave Erik one of my better smiles. â€Å"Yes, of course.† â€Å"Mr. Carter?† â€Å"Thank you, but no. I’ve got things to do, and from the way I understand it, Georgina operates best one man at a time. It was nice seeing you as always, Erik. Thanks for chatting. As for you, Georgina†¦ well, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you very soon.† Something in those words chilled me. It took every ounce of my resolve to sound calm as I called out to him. â€Å"Carter?† His hands touched the door. Pausing, he glanced back at me and arched an eyebrow in acknowledgment. â€Å"Does Jerome know you’re here?† A slow, sly smile spread across the angel’s face. â€Å"Are you going to tattle on me now, Georgina? And here I thought we were making such progress. Perhaps we should have drawn out the small talk a bit more. You could have asked me if the weather would change soon, I might have commented how pretty you looked today, etc., etc. You know how it goes.† I blinked. His words this time invoked the note on my door. You are a beautiful woman, Georgina. Beautiful enough, I think, to even tempt angels into falling†¦ Was he leaving me more clues? Toying with me in the way Cody had suggested? Or was I reading too much into this? Was he still just annoying Carter, bane of my existence, tormenting me like always? I honestly didn’t know, but I still believed of all angels to be taking down evil immortals in the city, Carter had the most opportunity. â€Å"How pretty am I then?† My voice caught slightly. â€Å"Pretty enough to fall for?† The angel’s lips twitched. â€Å"I knew you were coming on to me. See you later, Georgina, Erik.† He opened the door and left. I stood there, watching his retreating figure. â€Å"What was he doing here?† Erik set a tray with two cups down on the small table. â€Å"Come now, Miss Kincaid. I keep your secrets. You can’t expect me to do any less for him.† â€Å"No, I suppose not.† Nor, I thought as the old man went to get the teapot, did I want to risk endangering him by getting him caught up in immortal affairs. Well, at least caught up more than he already was. He returned shortly and poured for us. â€Å"I had just put this on before you came in. I’m glad you’re here to share it.† I tasted it. Another herbal blend. â€Å"What’s this one called?† â€Å"Desire.† â€Å"Fitting,† I observed. Angels and conspiracies aside, I still hungered for Roman. â€Å"Did you find out anything?† â€Å"I’m afraid not. I asked around but learned nothing more about vampire hunters, nor did I get any indication of one in the area.† â€Å"That doesn’t surprise me.† I sipped the tea. â€Å"I think something else is going on.† He said nothing, prudent as ever. â€Å"I know you won’t tell me why he was here, and I understand that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, determining how best to phrase my words. â€Å"But what do you†¦ what do you think of him? Carter, that is. Has he done anything weird or seemed, I don’t know, suspicious? Secretive?† Erik gave me a droll look. â€Å"Begging your pardon, but I have a number of customers – yourself inclusive – who fit that description.† No doubt that was an understatement. â€Å"Well, then, I don’t know. Do you trust him?† â€Å"Mr. Carter?† Surprise registered across his features. â€Å"I’ve known him longer than I have you. If any of those ‘suspicious and secretive’ customers can be trusted, he is certainly first among them. I’d place my life in his hands.† No surprise there. If Carter could fool Jerome, he could surely fool a mortal as well. Shifting gears, I asked: â€Å"Do you know anything about fallen angels?† â€Å"I would think you are already familiar with that topic, Miss Kincaid.† I wondered if he referred to the company I kept or the old myth that succubi were demons. For the record, we aren’t. â€Å"Never ask a practitioner if you want to learn about a religion’s history. Save those questions for outside scholars.† â€Å"Very true.† He smiled, thinking as he brought the cup to his lips. â€Å"Well. Surely you know that demons are angels who turned away from the divine will. They rebelled, or as it is commonly referred to, ‘fell.’ Lucifer is generally accredited as being the first, and others left with him.† â€Å"That was in the beginning, though, right? One mass migration to the other side.† I frowned, still wondering about the technicalities of when angels fell. â€Å"What about later? Was that the only time it happened? Just that once?† Erik shook his head. â€Å"My impression is that it can happen still and has happened in the past. There are even documents suggesting – â€Å" The door opened, and a young couple walked in. Erik rose and smiled at them. â€Å"Do you have any books on tarot?† the girl asked. â€Å"For beginners?† Did he ever. Erik had a whole wall of them. The interruption frustrated me, but I didn’t want to disrupt a chance for him to do some business. I gestured him toward the couple, drinking the rest of my tea. He led them to the appropriate section, energetically explaining certain titles and questioning their needs in further detail. I picked up my coat and purse, along with a box of the Desire tea. Erik watched me set a ten-dollar bill on the counter. â€Å"Keep the change,† I told him. Pausing from his discussion with the couple, he remarked to me, â€Å"Check†¦ let’s see, I believe it’s the beginning of Genesis 6†¦ verse 2 or 4 perhaps? There might be something to help you in there.† â€Å"Genesis? Like in the Bible?† He nodded, and I glanced around the book-lined shelves. â€Å"Where is it?† â€Å"I don’t stock it, Miss Kincaid. I suspect your own resources will be more than adequate.† He returned to his customers, and I left, marveling at a man who could pull up biblical verses by number but not have a copy on hand. Still, he was right about me having ample resources, and my shift started soon anyway. I drove back to Queen Anne and found the street parking full. Digging my permit out from the glove box, I hung it on my rearview mirror and pulled into the tiny, private parking lot bordering an alley behind the bookstore. So many employees wanted to use the lot, I generally tried to avoid it when I could. As I walked toward the store, I caught sight of two cars pulled hood to hood and a redheaded figure leaning over them. Tammi. I liked the teenager a lot, but she also had a tendency to chat. Not wanting to delay my biblical search, I stepped into some shadows and shape-shifted into a nondescript man she wouldn’t know. I then walked on past her, barely getting a second glance as she jumped the car. I changed back to my normal body once I was out of sight again. A momentary sense of windedness hit me, gone just as quickly as it had arrived. Cross-gender shape-shifting always took a bite out of me, which was why I had resisted Peter’s silly haircut-modeling suggestion. I had probably just lost a few days’ worth of my Martin-induced energy surplus. That left me with a couple weeks at least, but I felt the succubus feeding need stir slightly within me anyway, no doubt agitated by my perpetual longing for Roman. The bookstore hummed with normal weekday business when I arrived. Immediately, I sought out our religion section. I had directed people to it on a number of occasions; I had even pulled select titles from it. What I had not done was pay close attention to just how many Bibles existed. â€Å"Jesus,† I muttered, staring at the various translations. There were Bibles for women and men respectively, Bibles for teens, illustrated Bibles, large-print Bibles, gold-embossed Bibles. At last I caught sight of the King James Version. I knew little about it, but at least I recognized the title. Pulling it off the shelf, I flipped to Genesis 6 and read Erik’s passage: And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, ‘My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.’ There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. Well. That cleared everything up. I reread the passage a few more times, hoping to get something more out of it. I finally determined Erik must have given me the wrong chapter number. He’d been distracted, after all. This passage, by my estimation, had nothing to do with angels, falling, or even the cosmic battle of good and evil. What it did seem to be about, however, was human procreation. It didn’t take a biblical scholar to figure out what â€Å"the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men† meant, especially when children followed in the next phrase. Sex had sold books back in the old days, just as it did now. I wondered if Erik had given me the passage number as a joke. â€Å"Are you finding religion?† I looked up first into a Pac-Man T-shirt, then into Seth’s inquisitive face. â€Å"Found and lost it a long time ago, I’m afraid.† I shut the book as he knelt down beside me. â€Å"Just looking up something. How are Cady and O’Neill today?† â€Å"Making good progress on their latest case.† He smiled fondly, and I found myself studying the amber-brown of his eyes. I’d had a few more e-mail exchanges with him in the last few days and enjoyed my mininovels, though our spoken conversation had seen little improvement. â€Å"I just finished a chapter and needed to take a break. Walk around, get something to drink.† â€Å"No caffeine, I presume.† I had learned Seth didn’t drink caffeinated beverages, which I found both frightening and unnatural. â€Å"No. No caffeine.† â€Å"You shouldn’t knock it. It might increase your writing output.† â€Å"Ah yes, that’s right. You don’t think my books come out fast enough.† I groaned, remembering the day I’d met him. â€Å"I think my own words came out a little too fast that first day.† â€Å"No way. You were brilliant. I’ll never forget it.† His quizzical mask slipped briefly, just as it had at the dance lesson, and I once again saw male interest and appreciation cross his features. Crouching beside him, I again had a momentary sense of naturalness, like I normally had with Doug or one of the immortals. Something friendly and soothing. Like Seth and I had known each other forever. Maybe I had, in a manner of speaking, through his books. And yet, at the same time, being this close to him proved disconcerting as well. Distracting. I began noticing things like the lean muscles in his arms and the way his messy brown hair framed his face. Even the gold sheen of light hitting his facial hair and the shape of his lips held my attention. Turning away, I felt the base thirst for life energy twitch in me, and I repressed the urge to reach out and touch his face. The outside shape-shifting had caused more damage than I realized. I still didn’t really require a true refill of energy, but the succubus instinct was getting irritable. I needed to squelch it soon, but certainly not with Seth. I stood up hastily, still holding the Bible, wanting to get away from him. He rose with me. â€Å"Well,† I began awkwardly when neither of us said anything for a few moments, â€Å"I need to get to work here.† He nodded, the interest in his face turning to apprehension. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hmm?† Swallowing, he looked away briefly then back to me, his eyes now focused with determination. â€Å"So, I’m going to this party on Sunday, and I wondered if maybe†¦ maybe if you weren’t busy or weren’t working, you could maybe, that is, maybe you’d want to come with me.† I stared, speechless. Had Seth Mortensen just asked me out? And hadn’t†¦ hadn’t we just had a coherent conversation for once? Combined with me suddenly noticing how attractive he was, the very world seemed to be turning on its side. Worse still, I wanted to accept. Something about Seth suddenly felt natural and right, even if it wasn’t like the rollercoaster of excitement I felt with Roman. Somewhere in this bizarre, awkward relationship, I’d grown to genuinely like the writer independent of his novels. But I couldn’t accept. I knew I couldn’t. I cursed myself for my initial flirtation; it had apparently stuck with him, despite my efforts to undo it and stay platonic. Part of me felt dismayed, part of me pleased. All of me knew what I had to do. â€Å"No,† I answered bluntly, still stunned. â€Å"Oh.† I had no choice. No way could I have Seth attracted to me. No way could I risk anything but an arm’s-length friendship with my favorite books’ creator. Realizing how rude I had sounded, I attempted a hasty recovery. I should have simply said I had to work, but instead, I found myself babbling on with a variant of what I had used on Doug over the years. â€Å"You see†¦ I’m not really interested in dating right now or getting involved with anyone. So, it’s nothing personal, I mean, the party sounds great and all, but I just can’t accept. I don’t ever accept things like that, actually. Like I said, it isn’t personal. It’s just easier not to get involved. To not date. Um, ever.† Seth studied me for a long time, considering, and I was suddenly reminded of that first night when he looked much the same way while I explained my five-page rule with his books. Finally, he said, â€Å"Oh. Okay. But†¦ aren’t you dating that guy? The really tall one with black hair?† â€Å"No. We’re not dating. Not really. We’re just, uh, friends. Sort of.† â€Å"Oh,† Seth repeated. â€Å"Friends don’t go to parties together, then?† â€Å"No.† I hesitated, suddenly wishing I had a different answer. â€Å"They can maybe have coffee sometimes. Here in the bookstore.† â€Å"I don’t drink coffee.† There was a sharpness to his voice. I felt like I’d been slapped. We stood there then in what was quite possibly among the top five most uncomfortable moments of my life. The silence stretched out between us. At last, I repeated my lame exit excuse: â€Å"I have to get back to work.† â€Å"Okay. See you around.† Just friends, just friends. How many times had I used that line? How many times had the lie been easier than facing up to the truth? I’d even used it on my husband so long ago, again hiding from the reality of a matter I didn’t want to admit to when things had turned sour between us. â€Å"Just friends?† Kyriakos had repeated, dark eyes staring at me. â€Å"Of course. He’s your friend too, you know. He just keeps me company when you’re gone, that’s all. It’s lonely without you.† But I never told my husband how often his friend Ariston came to visit or how we always seemed to be finding excuses to touch each other. A casual brush here and there. His hand to help me up. Or the one day that still burned in my memory, when he had reached over me to grab a bottle, and his hand had grazed my breast. I’d given an involuntary gasp, and he’d lingered for a heartbeat before carrying on with his task. And I didn’t tell Kyriakos that Ariston made me feel like I had in the early days of my marriage, like I was clever, beautiful, and desirable. Ariston lavished me with the attention Kyriakos once had; Ariston loved the sharp wit that had once gotten me into trouble as an unmarried maiden. As for Kyriakos†¦ well, I assumed he loved those things too, but he didn’t show it so much anymore. His father was making him work longer and longer hours, and when he finally got home, he would collapse into bed or seek the solitude of his flute. I hated that flute†¦ hated it and loved it. I loathed that it seemed to hold his attention more than I did. Yet, on some nights, when I sat outside and listened to him play, I felt awed at his skill and that ability to create such sweetness. But that didn’t change the fact that I slept untouched more often than not. When I told him I’d never get pregnant that way, he’d laugh and tell me we had all the time in the world for children. This troubled me because I honestly – and irrationally – believed that having a baby would somehow fix everything between us. I ached for one, missing the way my little sisters had once felt in my arms. I loved the honesty and the innocence of children and liked to think I might help guide one into becoming a good person. Nothing seemed so sweet to me in those days as cleaning cuts, holding small hands, and telling stories. Furthermore, I had reached a point where I needed to know that I could have a baby. Three years of marriage was a long time to go without a child in those days, and I’d seen the way others were starting to whisper that poor Letha might be barren. I hated their simpering and sickeningly sugared pity. I should have told Kyriakos everything that was on my mind, every last detail. But he was so sweet and worked so hard to provide for us, I couldn’t bear it. I didn’t want to shake the contentment that ostensibly filled our household just for my own self-gratification and need for attention. Besides, it wasn’t like he always neglected my body. A bit of coaxing, and I could sometimes get him to answer my desire. We’d come together in the middle of the night then, his body moving in mine with the same passion he used in his music. Yet, looking at Ariston some days, I had the feeling he wouldn’t need any coaxing at all. And as empty days without Kyriakos passed, that started to mean something. Just friends, just friends. Standing there in the bookstore, watching Seth walk away, I half wondered how anyone could still use that line. But I knew why, of course. It was used because people still believed it. Or at least they wanted to. When I returned downstairs – feeling sad, angry, and idiotic all at the same time – I stumbled upon a scenario guaranteed to make my day even weirder: Helena from Krystal Starz stood there in front of the registers, gesticulating wildly to the cashiers. Helena here. On my turf. Swallowing my confusion over Seth, I strode over in my best managerial way, still carrying the Bible. â€Å"Is there something I can help you with?† Helena spun around, making the crystals around her neck tinkle as they hit each other. â€Å"It’s her – she’s the one. The one who stole my staff.† I glanced behind the counter. Casey and Beth stood there, looking relieved to see me. Tammi and her friend Janice must have been somewhere else in the store, for which I was grateful. Best to keep them out of this. I kept my voice cool, ever-conscious of the customers observing. â€Å"I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.† â€Å"Don’t start that with me! You know exactly what I mean. You walked into my store, made a scene, and then lured away my staff. They left without notice!† â€Å"People have recently applied for jobs here,† I responded blandly. â€Å"I can’t really keep track of where they used to work. As assistant manager, however, I can empathize with the inconvenience of employees who leave without giving notice.† â€Å"Stop that!† Helena exclaimed, hardly resembling the cool, collected diva from last week. â€Å"Do you think I can’t see through your lies? You walk in darkness, your aura wreathed in fire!† â€Å"What’s on fire?† Doug and Warren walked up, obviously attracted by the mounting spectacle. â€Å"Her,† Helena proclaimed, pointing at me, using the New Age raspy voice. Warren eyed me curiously, as though actually assessing for flames. â€Å"Georgina?† â€Å"She stole my employees. Just came in and took them like that. I could sue, you know. When I tell my lawyers – â€Å" â€Å"Which employees?† † Tammiand Janice.† I cringed, waiting to see what this new development would unleash. Despite his many shortcomings, Warren did have a smooth sense of customer service and professionalism. I worried what might ensue if my poaching received further investigation. He frowned, trying to match faces with names apparently. â€Å"Wait†¦ didn’t one of them jump my car today?† † Tammidid.† He snorted dismissively. â€Å"We’re not giving them back.† Helena turned beet red. â€Å"You can’t – â€Å" â€Å"Ma’am, I am sorry for your inconvenience, but I can hardly pass back workers who have signed employment papers with us and are unwilling to work for you anymore. There’s always turnover in retail. I’m sure you’ll find someone soon.† She turned on me, still pointing. â€Å"I won’t forget this. Even if I can’t get you back for this, the universe will repay your cruel and twisted nature. You will die miserable and alone. Unloved. Friendless. Childless. Your life will have amounted to nothing.† So much for New Age love and kindness. I hardly feared her comments about dying, but the other adjectives dug in a little. Miserable and alone. Unloved. Friendless. Childless. Warren, however, felt no such concerns for me. â€Å"Ma’am, Georgina’s the last one I’d accuse of having a ‘cruel’ nature or leading a meaningless life. She holds this place together, and I trust her judgment implicitly – including the hiring of your former employees. Now unless you would like to make a purchase, I must ask you to leave before I’m forced to call the authorities.† Helena spouted off more curses and woes to us, no doubt entertaining the customers waiting in line. To my surprise, Warren continued holding his ground. He usually went out of his way to smooth customer relations and put our best foot forward, even at his employees’ expense. Today he didn’t apparently feel like humoring anyone. It was refreshing. When Helena left, he retreated to his office without another word, and Doug and I stood there, astonishment quickly giving way to amusement. â€Å"The things you cause, Kincaid.† â€Å"What? Don’t peg that one on me.† â€Å"Are you kidding? Freaky witch women never showed up before you started working here.† â€Å"How would you know? I started before you.† Checking my watch, I turned thoughtful. â€Å"You’re still here for a while today, aren’t you?† â€Å"Yup. Lucky for you. Why?† â€Å"No reason.† I left him there and walked to the back offices. Instead of turning left for my office, however, I turned right into Warren’s. He sat at his desk, packing his briefcase, preparing to leave now that his car was ready. â€Å"Don’t tell me she’s back.† â€Å"No.† I closed the door behind me. This made him look up. â€Å"I just wanted to thank you.† Warren eyed me shrewdly. â€Å"Kicking irrational customers out is part of my job.† â€Å"Yeah, but last time I didn’t get praised. I had to apologize.† He shrugged, thinking of an incident from a year ago. â€Å"Well, that was different. You called an old woman a hypocritical, pathological Nazi neophyte.† â€Å"She was.† â€Å"If you say so.† His eyes still watched my every move. I walked over to him, setting the Bible down on his desk. Climbing onto his chair, I straddled his lap, making my tight red skirt ride up considerably, revealing the lace-covered tops of black thigh-highs underneath. I leaned in to kiss him, at first just running my teeth tauntingly over his lips, and then suddenly pressing my mouth in hard. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, hands automatically sliding up the backs of my thighs to cup my ass. †Christ,† he breathed when we broke apart slightly. One of his hands moved to my face, the other toyed with the thong I wore under my skirt. His fingers ran along its lacy edge and then pushed upward inside me, at first just delicately probing and then sliding up the full length. I was already wet from a sudden desire and breathed deeply as I savored those long, smooth strokes. Warren watched me with approval. â€Å"What’s this all about?† â€Å"What’s what? We do this all the time.† â€Å"You never initiate it.† â€Å"I told you, I’m grateful.† That was true, actually. I had found his defense rather endearing. Also, still burning with Roman-lust and now maybe Seth-lust, I suddenly found Warren convenient in the wake of my grouchy succubus hunger. The hand by my face wound up a lock of hair, and he turned pensive, although he didn’t stop what he was doing between my legs. â€Å"Georgina†¦ I hope†¦ I hope you know what we do here in no way affects your job. You have no obligations – no danger of losing your position here if – â€Å" I laughed out loud, surprised by this oddly considerate side. â€Å"I know that.† â€Å"I mean it – â€Å" â€Å"I know that,† I repeated, biting his lower lip with my teeth. â€Å"Don’t go soft on me all of a sudden,† I growled. â€Å"That’s not what I’m here for.† He didn’t interrupt again, and I let myself sink into the pleasure of contact. The feel of his tongue in my mouth, his hands brazenly exploring my body. After a long morning of sexual frustration, I just needed it from someone – anyone. He unbuttoned my blouse and tossed it to the floor, where it rested in a black, silken pile. My skirt and thong followed, leaving me only in thigh-highs, bra, and heels. All black. He shifted his body, still in the chair, so that I could pull his pants off. Seeing him there – long, straight, and hard – made me move his hand out of me. Fingers no longer satisfied me. I wrapped my legs more tightly around his hips, as much as the chair would allow. Then, without further warning, I thrust my body down, plunging him inside me. I arched my body so that I could take him deeper, then moved in steady, repeated thrusts. Looking back down, I watched him glide in and out. There was no sound in the room save that of flesh on flesh and our heavy breathing. With penetration came a flood of feeling and sensations from him – different from the physical ones. As a less noble soul, his energy and presence did not knock me across the room like Martin’s had. Succubi absorption depended on the victim’s character. Strong, moral souls yielded more to the succubus and took a huge bite out of the guy. Corrupt men lost less and consequently gave less. Regardless of his energy or moral fiber, I did catch snippets of Warren’s thoughts and emotions as I rode him. This was normal. They came through with his life force. Desire certainly was foremost in his mind. Smug pride at being with a younger, attractive woman. Excitement. Surprise. He had little remorse about cheating on his wife – contributing to the lower energy yield – and even the brief fondness for me he’d displayed earlier gave way to raw lust. So fucking hot. So wet. Love the way she rides me. Hope she comes and comes on top of me†¦ I did, as it turned out. My movements becoming harder and fiercer as our bodies slapped together. My leg muscles clenching. Neck arched back again. Breasts hot and sweaty from where he’d clutched them. The orgasm reverberating through me. Spasms of pleasure growing fainter and fainter as my breathing slowly returned to normal. And the energy fix wasn’t bad either. It had leaked into me slowly throughout our building passion, starting off as fine glittering threads. Near the end, however, it had become strong and bright, pouring into me, reinvigorating my own life, fueling my immortality in a glorious climax that rivaled the physical one. When we both had our clothes back on, I made moves for an exit. Small energy loss or no, Warren always felt exhausted and worn after we’d been together. He thought it was the result of his age going up against a younger, more active woman. I did nothing to change his attitude but usually tried to discretely leave, so he wouldn’t feel self-conscious around me in his fatigue. I knew it bothered him to think he couldn’t keep up with me. â€Å"Georgina?† he called as I moved to the door. â€Å"Why are you carrying a Bible? You aren’t trying to convert customers, are you?† â€Å"Oh. That. Just researching something for a friend. It’s applicable, actually. All about sex.† He wiped sweat off his brow. â€Å"After years and years of church, I think I’d remember any good sex scenes.† â€Å"Well, it’s not so much a scene as a clinical description of procreation.† â€Å"Ah. Lots of those.† On impulse, I walked over to him and opened up Genesis 6. â€Å"See?† I pointed to the appropriate verses. â€Å"All these mentions of men taking women. They say it, like, three times.† Warren studied the book with a frown, and I remembered that he had not opened this place without a substantial background in literary study. â€Å"Well†¦ it’s repeated because here when it says ‘men began to multiply on the face of the earth,’ it’s referring to human men.† I looked up sharply. â€Å"What do you mean ‘human’?† â€Å"Here. The ‘sons of God’ aren’t human men. They’re angels.† â€Å"What?† If I’d been holding the book, I would have dropped it. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Positive. Like I said, years of church services. They use this term throughout the Bible.† He flipped to Job. â€Å"See? Here it is again. ‘Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.’ It’s referring to angels – fallen angels in this case.† I swallowed. â€Å"What†¦ what were they doing in Genesis then? With the ‘daughters of men’? Were†¦ were the angels having sex with human women?† â€Å"Well, it says the women were ‘fair.’ Hard to blame them, huh?† He gave me an admiring sweep as he spoke. â€Å"I don’t know. This isn’t a point discussed a lot in church, as I’m sure you can imagine. Mostly we emphasized human sin and guilt, but I ignored that.† I continued to stare at the book, dumbfounded, yet suddenly ablaze with ideas and theories. Warren eyed me curiously when I didn’t respond to his joke. â€Å"Does that help you any?† â€Å"Yes,† I said, recovering myself. â€Å"It helps a lot.† I surprised him with a soft kiss on the lips, took the Bible, and left. How to cite Succubus Blues CHAPTER 13, Essay examples

Bronze And The Shang Dynasty Essay Research free essay sample

Bronze And The Shang Dynasty Essay, Research Paper A societies usage of the stuffs environing them is imperative to their success as a outstanding civilisation. The reign of the Shang dynasty approximately began around c1600- c1050bc, during this clip the in-between category craftsmans devoted much of their clip to honing bronzy work for ritualistic intents every bit good as military footing ; while the Shang male monarchs and Lords held places of high power and prestigiousness over the common twenty-four hours laborer. The male monarchs were thought as holding a particular connexion with the ascendants of the past and were extremely respected. The common Shang dynasty laborer lived a really difficult and boring life, like the common Egyptian, everything was done to delight the male monarch. Unfortunately, the Shang male monarchs were really rough on the people and some even referred to the Shang dynasty as? the Slave dynasty? because the aristocracy had so much control over the common twenty-four hours workers, they had no shame in giving other worlds for ritualistic patterns. As good, the Shang people were besides occupied with every twenty-four hours undertakings such as runing for nutrient and an early signifier of farming. Evidence of the Shang peoples mundane life were found at An yang, the Shang capital metropolis, inscribed prophet castanetss presented a image of changeless spat with other groups around and even war. Modern twenty-four hours archeologists have come to the decision that the bronzy work of the Shang was really good crafted and elite at its clip, 1000s of Shang bronzes survives today. The influence of bronze on the Shang people? s mundane life, arms and art established a repute of leading among this group of people. The Shang people? s mundane life was really spiritual and seeking. The swayers had a great sum of power over the people and controlled much of what they did in their daily jobs. The Shang elites and craftsmans devoted much of their clip to honing bronzy work. The elites? organisation was evident because Shang swayers had to mobilise work forces and stuff to mine, conveyance, and polish the ores, to fabricate and tool the clay theoretical accounts, nucleuss and molds used in the casting procedure and to run the foundries. ? ( Buckley 129 ) The excavation of ore used to do bronze was done by the poorer categories and looked after by the baronial category. The Shang people were able to form themselves and acquire to the resources that they needed. Through survey, it is apparent that the lower category of the Shang people worked really hard? excavation needed laborers on custodies and articulatio genuss to drag their heavy ore sleighs out through cramped and unventilated tunnels. ? ( Mor ton 98 ) Without much ailment, the Shang people worked difficult at acquiring the needed stuffs for bronze devising, the Shang people made beautiful ritual vass and spiritual masks for the male monarch to utilize in ceremonials that communicated with dead ascendants. Communication with the ascendants was really of import to the Shang because if the proper respects were non paid, the liquors of the ascendants would stalk the life. Rituals were highly of import to the Shang, they were a portion of their every twenty-four hours life, ? when a priest or swayer communicated with the liquors of the ascendants to procure their aid and counsel he frequently wore a taotie mask of bronze? ( Morton 155 ) Many Taotie masks have been uncovered and are still in brilliant status. The Shang people would make anything for spiritual intents ; artefacts of bronze were most likely crafted for their spiritual rites. Bronze aided the Shang in crafting taking bronzy military instruments. One of these was a really effectual chariot which the? late Shang, approximately 1200bc used a 2 Equus caballus bronze war chariot, bronze adjustments made the chariot motile. ? ( Watson 235 ) The Shang use of Bronze helped them to take a basic war chariot and better it to profit their demands. With this promotion in doing the chariot more utile to them, they over came enemies in conflict who had inferior conveyance, because they could reassign their warriors faster and with easiness to the conflict. The Shang besides crafted? lances with bronze bl fruit drinks and the great axes used besides for ceremonial beheading of victims, but characters on bronze vass hint that Shang bows were of the physiological reaction or compound type, which deliver great power for a shorter bow length than the simple longbow. ? ( Morton 56 ) The Shang, with the usage of bronze, the Shang people shaped advanced arms of great devastation which were used in combat against their enemies, since the Shang people could utilize bronze to their advantage, they maintained themselves as a outstanding society at the clip. One arm that was found in great copiousness was the Ge, or halberd. ? This pole arm has a blade of bronze blended with another stuff mounted at the right angles to the shaft, with a nip at the rear go throughing through the shaft, with a nip at the rear go throughing through the shaft. ? ( Watson 298 ) The Ge was a really popular arm and was found throughout the Shang part, it was chiefly used for ceremonial intents instead than being a arm o f desolation, it was a arm of beauty. The Shang superior usage of bronze aided The Shang in supporting themselves. The rule glorifications of the Shang dynasty were their art made of bronze. The most celebrated Shang bronze artefacts are? the brilliant vass of bronze. These vass, in a figure of carefully prescribed forms, were designed chiefly for usage in forfeit to ascendants and gods. ? ( Schafer 78 ) The Shang crafted beautiful, elect bronze vass for usage in their mundane rites. The Shang respected their Gods and felt that their Gods deserved the best, which is most likely why Shang artisans took so much clip and attempt to make these fantastic vass. Additionally, the Shang Lords lived in great luxury over the mean twenty-four hours laborers, so? they ( bronze ) were besides used to tag occasions of royal favors, such as the granting of a feoff or an award to another baronial. Possession of anything bronze was a conspicuous mark of wealth and a agency of continuing it in the family. ? ( Schafer 22 ) Bronze, at the clip was likely the most cherished metal available to the Shang people, all th e Lords had many bronzy artefacts and the laborers frequently longed for them. As more bronzy objects were crafted a cultural alteration became apparent, people were now more interested in art. The Shang dynasty clearly had the upper manus on the remainder of the universe at this clip in their bronze crafting, ? non even the superb craftsmans of the Italian Renaissance could fit the Shang dynasty? s technique of Projecting bronze with its forms and lines formed by square- non rounded channels, perfect trenches with perpendicular sides and level bottoms. ? ( Watson 79 ) During the Shang age, bronze working attained an highly high criterion, while in other parts of the universe the advancement of bronze projecting barely excelled. The Shang people refined bronzy doing to an art doing them taking craftsmen of the clip. The Shang dynasty? s use of bronze through their day-to-day life, arms and art made them an elect group of people in their clip. In their day-to-day ritualistic lives, they employed bronze in ways that no 1 else in the universe would hold thought to utilize it, in conflicts, the Shang crafted arms that worked really efficaciously and decidedly aided them in their predicament, every bit good, Shang art was and is today among the most elect in the universe because of their ability to happen new methods doing betterments upon betterments. Success in this civilisation was obtained through difficult work and tonss of forbearance. Works CitedBuckley, Ebrey, Patricia. The Cambridge Illustrated History Of China. London: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Fairbank, John King. China: A New History. London: Belknap Harvard, 1992. Morton, W. Scott. China: Its History And Culture. New York: Lippincott A ; Crowell, 1980. Schafer, Edward H. Ancient China. New York: Time-Life Books, 1967. Shang [ hypertext transfer protocol: //www.china-contact.com/www/history/shang.html ] December 2000. Watson, William. Early Civilization In China. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1966.