Seeking the Living Story: A Comparison of SongCatcher and molly has her say :: Essays Papers

Seeking the Living Story: A Comparison of SongCatcher and molly has her say Drama is a medium of truth-telling about the unseen substance of our lives. Challenging accepted Western stories of power, of truth, of morality and of self, Native American playwrights Marcie R. Renton and Margaret Brubauc develop dialogue that spans physical and spiritual realms, both on and off the stage. Within Renton’s SongCatcher and Brubauc’s molly has her say, spiritual character and multidimensional space are blended in modern day settings, calling Native American peoples to defy Western history books and seek Native roots. Using real historical data, these playwrights craft the power of drama into an inspirational conversation of true Native American identity. In the intimate relationship between performer and audience, there is power to challenge the stories we believe, both what we know about ourselves, and our world. Onstage interactions and struggles with the supernatural defy audiences to deny of the possibility of its existence and more generally the possibility for existence of things we cannot know fully. As characters struggle with preconceived notions of reality and interfering spirit characters, so audiences must suspend assumptions of history and engage in the cultural conflict of Native Americans dealing with spirit forces on stage. Supernatural character Molly Ockett is a symbol of the â€Å"past† story grad student Molly Marie longs to deny in her â€Å"personal history† (Bruchac 320), just as the spirit of Francess Denmore is a symbol of Western pomposity Jack desperately wants to trust in as he learns â€Å"[his] history, learn some things about who [he] really [is]† (Renton 22). These symbolic charact ers and modern day casts are a means of engaging in greater themes of cultural rights and the meaning of heritage. Shared space and physical proximity of characters proves the connection between history, heritage and modern day life. Renton builds a dream dimension in her play, allowing the reality of spirits to coexist in both real and imagined time. Bruchac’s play is more of a relationship between two spirits and one woman, and needs no dream element. Molly Marie and Molly Ockett co-exists in real time, as does Old Mali, ever present and completely invisible, though only Molly Marie is living today. Each space is multi-dimensional and transcendent of time, as supernatural characters interact freely with modern characters through shared objects like doors, cigarette lighters, coffee cups. As spiritual characters go into modern character’s space, touching physical props, the ethical questions of identity each drama poses transcend time to modern minds and hearts.

King Lear :: essays research papers

King Lear is widely regarded as Shakespeare's crowning artistic achievement. The scenes in which a mad Lear rages naked on a stormy heath against his deceitful daughters and nature itself are considered by many scholars to be the finest example of tragic lyricism in the English language. Shakespeare took his main plot line of an aged monarch abused by his children from a folk tale that appeared first in written form in the 12th century and was based on spoken stories that originated much further into the Middle Ages. In several written versions of "Lear," the king does not go mad, his "good" daughter does not die, and the tale has a happy ending. This is not the case with Shakespeare's Lear, a tragedy of such consuming force that audiences and readers are left to wonder whether there is any meaning to the physical and moral carnage with which King Lear concludes. Like the noble Kent, seeing a mad, pathetic Lear with the murdered Cordelia in his arms, the profound brutality of the tale compels us to wonder, "Is this the promised end?" (V.iii.264). That very question stands at the divide between traditional critics of King Lear who find a heroic pattern in the story and modern readers who see no redeeming or purgative dimension to the play at all, the message being the bare futility of the human condition with Lear as Everyman. As in Macbeth terror reaches its utmost height, in King Lear the sense of compassion is exhausted. The principal characters here are not those who act, but those who suffer. We have not in this, as in most tragedies, the picture of a calamity in which the sudden blows of fate seem still to honor the head which they strike, and where the loss is always accompanied by some flattering consolation in the memory of the former possession; but a fall from the highest elevation into the deepest abyss of misery, where humanity is stripped of all external and internal advantages, and given up a prey to naked helplessness. The threefold dignity of a king, an old man, and a father, is dishonored by the cruel ingratitude of his unnatural daughters; the old king, who out of a foolish tenderness has given away everything, is driven out into the world a homeless beggar; the childish imbecility to which he was fast advancing changes into the wildest insanity, and when he is rescued from the destitution to which he was abandoned, it is too late.

Discursive Essay on Racism -- Papers

Discursive Essay on Racism Racism has existed for centuries, but during the last two hundred years hatred toward ethnic minorities or even majorities has fluctuated. Racism occurs all over the world, can happen to anyone and will always exist. There are three different forms of racism, open racism, violent racism and secret racism all express forms of hatred towards ethnic groups. These forms of racism, although different, all have the same main purpose, to promote hate towards ethnic groups. Open racism expresses freedom of racial thought and speech. In America it is allowed due to the First Amendment that protects political views on racism. The American National Party and various other parties come under this protection, and so does the British National Party and the National Front. We do not have a First Amendment, but these obviously racist parties still exist. Open racists promote their views through propaganda, but soon may die out as it becomes socially unacceptable. Violent racism promotes racism through violence and fear. This form of racism is not allowed because it promotes violence to express its ideas. Unfortunately, many violent racial groups claim they do not promote violence, and therefore they are allowed because not enough sufficient evidence exists to prove their violent intent. Secret racism expresses ideas of racism in hidden ways and sometimes, secret racists are not aware that they are racist. People nowadays do not express their dislike of minorities and are not prepared to show a feeling that could be called racist. Avoiding minorities on the street and low pay to an employee of a minority are examples ... ...avour of "purity of the race" idea, but they understand how it worked. Blond hair and blue eyes are recessive genes. Two brown-eyed people can give birth to a blue-eyed child, but two blue-eyed people cannot give birth to a brown-eyed child. Dark skin and dark hair are also dominant genes, so because of evolution, it must mean that the ancestors of humanity had dominant genes. If they had only recessive genes, there would be no dark eyed, haired or skinned people. This leads to the conclusion that all people have a black ancestor. This is backed up by the well-accepted idea that Africa was the starting place of humanity. As African species travelled north to Europe they made the previous inhabitants extinct. Racism is a worldwide problem that will never be eradicated and there are no simple solutions to it.

Enlightened and Romntic Views of God

Essay I During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in Europe, change was always constant, and two different movements that were brought about by this change were the Enlightenment and the Romantic movements. These two different schools of thought had both things in common as well as differing opinions. An example of how this is applied is when the matter of God and religion is discussed.These two different views encompass a lot of similarities with regards to theological matters, but the main difference between the Enlightened and Romantic views of God is that Enlightenment does not put as much focus and emphasis on such matters as Romantic thinking does. The Enlightenment era was brought about during the time of scientific inquisition and governmental criticism. During this time, philosophers were writing sociological doctrines about how man is best governed, and scientists were pushing the boundaries and frontiers of their respective fields even farther.During this time, which also included such events as the French Revolution, religious affairs took a back seat to issues that were of a secular nature. As opposed to times before, where religious persecution was encouraged, thinkers of the Enlightenment period highly promoted religious toleration, and it was a more common policy during the Enlightenment than any time before that. There was a higher abundance of different religions and denominations because religion was not seen as imperative as it was before because there were many new things to learn that did not involve the church.One similarity between romanticism and the enlightenment is that each movement held an unconventional way of seeing God. Each movement valued an individual relationship with God, rather than the conventional way of congregationalism. Each movement was disdainful towards formal church groupings and the imposition of religious doctrines upon the individual. The Romantic Movement was similar to the Enlightenment in several ways. T hey were both influential events that were quite impactful, and they stressed unconventional methodology.These movements differed as well, and a main difference was that the enlightenment emphasized things that were within rationality, reason, and could be proved. Romanticism tended not to focus on such things, because it investigated the realms of human emotion, while the enlightenment was based on intellectual and logical principles. Hence, Romanticism held more of an interest of the relationship between God and the individual, because it had a lot to do with human emotion and things that were considered to be beyond human comprehension and reason.The enlightenment shied away from religious topics in order to focus on such fields as science and government. The Enlightenment and Romanticism both held things in common as well as significantly differed. The enlightened mind was more inclined to think about science, and the romantic mind was more prone to theological thoughts. Each we re similar in the fact that they believed in the individual discovering the truth about God rather than blindly listening to a group’s opinion. In general, each movement saw God in a similar way with different details.

Money in Marriage Essay

Money is a vital component for a sustainable and harmony life. Knowing the main function of money in marriage is important for a successful marriage. According to (Loh,2012) a research by Smart Money magazine, cited by shows that 70% of spouses surveyed discuss about money no less than one weekly while 36% of men and 40% of women confess that they lied to their couple about their spending. Many couples do not aware about the importance of money. The ability to pay household and utility bills, the tendency to ensure the children get their rights as well as the chance to have a comfortable and sustainable living are therefore, the importance of money in marriage. One of the reasons why money is important in marriage is to pay household and utility bills. Just like how organizations have their organization’s financial details each year to trace how they spend their money to pay for things married couples also need to record their expenditure and examined them monthly. (Eugene, 2009). A couples need to distribute their money to pay the energy, electrical and telecommunication bills. Electricity is necessary to run all home utilities such as refrigerator, television, radio, including hot water heaters and water pump that allow toilet to work. Besides electrical bills a telecommunication bills also need to be managed well so that we can ensure smooth communication between a family members. The example of communication utilities is such as encompass telephone, satellite television service and Internet service. For instance communication utilities such as internet can be used by the family members especially children who are still study to find information, communicate with their friend, and sharing their opinion. A married couple also need to allocate their money for the household food budget. The monthly budget for the food and groceries of the house should be managed accurately. â€Å"It is significant to give them with a healthy-balanced diet and encourage them to work out frequently† (Vijaindren, 2012). Parents should aware that your child needs a variety of food to fuel his growth, strengthen his immune system and support his brain and nervous system. So it can be conclude that money is important in marriage to have a healthy lifestyle because an apple a day can keep a doctor away. Another importance of money in marriage is to ensure children get their rights. A beneficial education is a necessary for children (Rosmah, 2010). Every child should have an adequate education to secure their future. Money can be used to pay necessary fees regarding the education or study. For example, money can be used to pay an education fees for children who studying at primary, secondary or even children at the college. As an example, money is useful for buying a basic need for children education such as school uniform, stationeries, and of course a books. Every child deserved an additional education such as home tutor or tuition. With money, tuition fees and additional books can be paid consistently. According to Rosmah (2010, as cited in Lim (2010) a marriage that has consistency in money should give their children a well-nourished life. Every parent can make their children more valuable and comfortable with money. For example provide a comfortable shelter such as personal room for their uses. Furthermore with money parents will have the tendency to ensure that children get their rights. As an example, children nowadays will request for an up-to-date gadgets, such as smart phone, tablet, or even an android phone. This can be fulfilled with money. Thus, money is important not only for an adult, but can be very useful for a sustainable in children’s life. One of the other reasons why money is important in marriage is to have comfortable and sustainable life. Najib(2012, as cited in Shuman, 2012) â€Å"My feverent wish is to ensure that each and every one of our young productive adults and, indeed the future generation of Malaysian will have enough savings and financial assets to enjoy their retirement to the fullest†. This pension scheme is one of the ways to have a sustainable life. Many of young married couple do not aware about the importance of this pension scheme it is to persuade and influence people to set aside money for the upcoming and urgent situation. For instance one of the family members having any major health problem such as cancer or heart problem that need to spend a lot of money to heal at least this scheme can support it. Another importance of money is to keep away the future cohort to cope with difficulty and struggle to have a sustainable and comfortable life. Life insurance gives a person chance to propose a consistent financial for his or her family in the event of disaster or poor health problem happen to the family members (Morris, 2010). With the power of money a couple can buy a life insurance for their house, vehicle and family member. For example when a giant Tsunami hits Japan on 2012 many facilities and infrastructure has been demolished, at the same time many victim had lost their family members. So the reason why you need to take out an insurance policy is to look after who’s left behind you especially the ones that you loved. In a nutshell, the importance of money in marriage include chance to have a comfortable and sustainable life, the tendency to ensure the children get their rights as well as the ability to pay household and utility bills. Money is vital asset that are useful for a long time, and can secure the future. Thus, money must be managed well to ensure that the flow of money will run smoothly and can lead to a sustainable life and harmony marriage. Everyone must have their own budget so we can prepare for the unpredictable thing that may occur. Tracking your money expenses, create a monthly budget, prepare for unexpected emergencies, and plan for big expenses are few steps that can be made to managed money well. This can educate a person to become a discipline and independent in his life.

The Relationship Between Man and Woman in Araby

Araby James Joyce, an icon of the modernist era had many works that were moving away from the classical styles of literature put before him. Joyce is known for leading his characters towards some kind of personal insight and on the surface, Araby seems to be only about a boy learning about the truth of capitalism. As you dive deep in to his words and meaning however, it is apparent that Joyce’s message is not as black and white as it appears on the surface. This story is also about the relationship between men and women.It is about how women are capable of influencing a man’s actions/behaviors and why men feel as if they need to exert their â€Å"dominance† over women. Joyce purposely makes the protagonist a young boy who chases after an older girl. He does this to elevate the status of the girl and portray her as larger than the boy. He is basically saying early in the story that woman has some kind of superiority over man. The beginning of the story is innocent enough, the boy explains how he plays in the street with his best friend (Mangan) and hides from his uncle so he doesn’t have to go in.This is where the girl is introduced. Neither she nor the boy has a name hinting that they are representative of all men and women. The boy is absolutely infatuated with the girl and it is apparent in the paragraphs right after she is introduced. He watches her from afar, has a certain routine so that he passes her every morning, and even imagines victory due to his love as he walks through his marketplace. She is the focal point of all his thoughts and it is shown that he is helpless to her influence when he utters â€Å"O love!O love! † over and over in private. He is but a helpless romantic during this point of the story driven by his undeserving love for this girl. Their only conversation is a brief, but huge one and what she says and how she acts says all. She plays with her bracelet, signifying the importance of materialistic ite ms in her life and communicating that she would love something from Araby by saying how she would love to go but can’t. The boy bites the bait hard and is hooked immediately to be drug around by the idea of pleasing the girl.Her influence over him increases exponentially after this as he says that he cannot think of anything except her. He can’t sleep, can’t think, can’t read, can’t focus in class and is consumed with the hope that this magical bazaar would grant him the key to the girl’s heart. All these things are clear signs that the girl holds control over him because he has lost all motivation for anything besides pleasing her. The story stays like this, with him obsessing over her until he actually gets to the bazaar as it is closing and his hopes start to fade.Araby is supposed to be this enchanted place with wonderful people and remarkable, exotic items but the boy finds that there is nothing but commonplace junk that he could get fr om his own marketplace. On top of that, he is met by a very distasteful sales clerk who seems very uninterested in him. In most analyses, this is the point of the boy’s insight to the nature of capitalism and realizes that not everything is as pretty as it appears on the surface. This is a very important lesson but it is not the only change that occurs in the boy.The last line of the story is â€Å"Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger. † Joyce definitely did not use passive words to describe the boy’s hurt but chooses a powerful, emotionally charged set of words that paints a very precise, borderline frightening image. He describes the boy as a creature, as if he has lost his humanity and been stripped down to a raw, instinctual beast. A desperate, pissed off animal driven by his feeling of worthlessness with eyes burning from anger and a feeling of deep heartache.These are not words usually used to describe an epiphany about the nature of the world. These are words used to describe the feelings of losing something great, of getting your heart smashed, chewed up and spit out. These are words describing a feeling that this boy will never again want to feel. He realizes that he has opened himself up to be hurt and he was undeniably crushed by his inability to get something that would please the girl his heart yearns for. Joyce was a master of idioms and word choice. He was easily one of the great writers of his time and will always be recognized as such.He is known for writing about how stages in life affect a person as a whole and Araby is no different. Being a great writer of his time he is also a creation of the era he lived in. During his life men believed that they were superior to women, that woman were weak and that they needed a man to support them. It was believed that women were home to weak emotions and men only had time for strong ones makin g them better than women. To say that Joyce wrote a story in which he acknowledges that women have some kind upper hand on men may seem inept but he does a good job of answering why men behaved and felt this way.His reason is that men cannot cope with these â€Å"weak† emotions so they shut them out. The boy in the story â€Å"Araby† is met with his first heartbreak due to the fact that he can’t please the girl that he so desperately desires and immediately becomes this inhuman creature full of anguish. In a time where men are supposed to be the bread-winners; strong confident figures that controls their household, these feelings are unacceptable. It is why men must exhibit nothing but â€Å"strong† emotions and exude their dominance over women, for the fear of being emotionally shattered in the face of them.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 12

Jez kept one hand on the kid as they walked up the stairs under the dirty fluorescent bulbs. She could only imagine what Iona must be thinking as they shepherded her to the top. They came out on the roof into slanting afternoon sunlight. Jez gave Iona's shoulder a little squeeze. â€Å"See-there's the garden.† She nodded toward a potted palm and three wooden barrels with miscellaneous wilted leaves in them. Iona glanced that way, then gave Jez a sober look. â€Å"They're not getting enough water,† she said as quietly as she said everything. â€Å"Yeah, well, it didn't rain enough this summer,† Morgead said. â€Å"You want to fix that?† Iona just looked seriously at him. â€Å"Look, what I mean is, you've got the Power, right? So if you just want to show us right now, anything you want, be my guest. It'll make things a lot simpler. Make it rain, why don't you?† Iona looked right at him. â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"I'm just saying that there's no reason for you to get hurt here. We just want to see you do something like what you did the night of the fire. Anything. Just show us.† Jez watched him. There was something incongruous about the scene: Morgead in his high boots and leather jacket, iron-muscled, sleek, sinewy, on one knee in front of this harmless-looking kid in pink pants. And the kid just looking back at him with her sad and distant eyes. â€Å"I guess you're crazy,† Iona said softly. Her pigtails moved as she shook her head. A pink ribbon fluttered loosely. â€Å"Do you remember the fire?† Jez said from behind her. â€Å"Course.† The kid turned slowly around. â€Å"I was scared.† â€Å"But you didn't get hurt. The fire got close to you and then you did something. And then the fire went away.† â€Å"I was scared, and then the fire went away. But I didn't do anything.† â€Å"Okay,† Morgead said. He stood. â€Å"Maybe if you can't tell us, you can show us.† Before Jez could say anything, he was picking up the little girl up and carrying her. He had to step over a line of debris that stretched like a diagonal wall from one side of the roof to the other. It was composed of telephone books, splintery logs, old clothes, and other odds and ends, and it formed a barrier, blocking off a corner of the roof from the rest. He put Iona in the triangle beyond the debris. Then he stepped back over the wall, leaving her there. Iona didn't say anything, didn't try to follow him back out of the triangle. Jez stood tensely. The kid's a Wild Power, she told herself. She's already survived worse than this. And no matter what happens, she's not going to get hurt. I promised her that. But she would have liked to be telepathic again just for a few minutes, just to tell the kid one more time not to be scared. She especially wanted to as Val and Raven poured gasoline on the wall of debris. Iona watched them do it with huge sober eyes, still not moving. Then Pierce lit a match. . The flames leaped up yellow and blue. Not the bright orange they would have been at night. But hot. They spread fast and Jez could feel the heat from where she was standing, ten feet away. The kid was closer. She still didn't say anything, didn't try to jump over the flames while they were low. In a few moments they were high enough that she couldn't jump through them without setting herself on fire. Okay, Jez thought, knowing the kid couldn't hear her. Now, do it! Come on, Iona. Put the fire out. Iona just looked at it. She was standing absolutely still, with her little hands curled into fists at her sides. A small and lonely figure, with the late afternoon sun making a soft red halo around her head and the hot wind from the fire rippling her pink-trimmed shirt. She faced the flames dead-on, but not aggressively, not as if she were planning to fight them. Damn; this is wrong, Jez thought. Her own hands were clenched into fists so tightly that her nails were biting into her palms. â€Å"You know, I'm concerned,† Pierce said softly from just behind her. â€Å"I have a concern here.† Jez glanced at him quickly. Pierce didn't talk a lot, and he always seemed the coldest of the group-aside from Morgead, of course, who could be colder than anyone. Now Jez wondered. Could he, who never seemed to be moved by pity, actually be the most sensitive? â€Å"I'm worried about this fire. I know nobody can look down on us, but it's making a lot of smoke. What if one of the other tenants comes up to investigate?† Jez almost hit him. This is not my home, she thought, and felt the part of her that had sighed and felt loved and understood wither away. These are not my people. I don't belong with them. And Pierce wasn't worth hitting. She turned her back on him to look at Iona again. She was dimly aware of Morgead telling him to shut up, that other tenants were the least of their worries, but most of her attention was focused on the kid. Come on, kid! she thought. Then she said it out loud. â€Å"Come on, Iona! Put out the fire. You can do it! Just do what you did before!† She tried to catch the child's eye, but Iona was looking at the flames. She seemed to be trembling now. â€Å"Yeah, come on!† Morgead said brusquely. â€Å"Let's get this over with, kid.† Raven leaned forward, her long front hair ruffling in the wind. â€Å"Do you remember what you did that night?† she shouted seriously. â€Å"Think!† Iona looked at her and spoke for the first time. â€Å"I didn't do anything!† Her voice, so composed before, was edging on tears. The fire was full-blown now, loud as a roaring wind, sending little bits of burning debris into the air. One floated down to rest at Iona's foot and she stepped backward. She's got to be scared, Jez told herself. That's the whole point of this test. If she's not scared, she'll never be able to find her Power. And we're talking about saving the world, here. We're not just torturing this kid for fun†¦. It's still wrong. The thought burst out from some deep part of her. Jez had seen a lot of horrible things as a vampire and a vampire hunter, but suddenly she knew she couldn't watch any more of this. I'm going to call it off. She looked at Morgead. He was standing tensely, arms folded over his chest, green eyes fixed on Iona as if he could will her into doing what he wanted. Raven and Val were beside him, Raven expressionless under her fall of dark hair; Val frowning with his big hands on his hips. Thistle was a step or so behind them. â€Å"It's time to stop,† Jez said. Morgead's head whipped around to look at her. â€Å"No. We've gotten this far; it would be stupid to have to start all over again. Would that be any nicer to her?† â€Å"I said, it's time to stop. What do you have to put out the fire-or did you even think of that?† As they were talking, Thistle stepped forward. She moved right up to the flames, staring at Iona. â€Å"You'd better do something fast,† she shouted. â€Å"Or you're going to burn right up.† The childish, taunting tone caught Jez's attention, but Morgead was talking to her. â€Å"She's going to put it out any minute now. She just has to be frightened enough-â€Å" â€Å"Morgead, she's absolutely terrified already! Look at her!† Morgead turned. Iona's clenched fists were now raised to chest-level; her mouth was slightly open as she breathed far too fast. And although she wasn't screaming or crying like a normal kid, Jez could see the tremors running through her little body. She looked like a small trapped animal. â€Å"If she's not doing it now, she's never going to,† Jez told Morgead flatly. â€Å"It was a stupid idea in the first place, and it's over!† She saw the change in his green eyes; the flare of anger and then the sudden darkness of defeat. She realized that he was going to cave. But before he could say anything, Thistle moved forward. â€Å"You're gonna die!† she shrilled. â€Å"You're gonna burn up right now!† And she began kicking flaming debris at Iona. Everything happened very fast after that. The debris came apart in a shower of sparks as it flew toward Iona. Iona's mouth came open in horror as she found fiery garbage swirling around her knees. And then Raven was yelling at Thistle, but Thistle was already kicking more. A second deluge of sparks hit Iona. Jez saw her put up her hands to protect her face, then fling her arms out as a piece of burning cloth settled on her sleeve. She saw the sleeve spurt with a tiny flame. She saw Iona cast a frantic look around, searching for a way to escape. Morgead was dragging Thistle back by her collar. Thistle was still kicking. Sparks were everywhere and Jez felt a hot pain on her cheek. And then Iona's eyes went enormous and blank and fixed and Jez could see that she'd made some decision, she'd found some way to get out of this. Only not the right one. She was going to jump. Jez saw Iona turn toward the edge of the roof, and she knew in that same instant that she couldn't get to the child in time to stop her. So there was only one thing to do. Jez only hoped she would be fast enough. She very nearly wasn't. But there was a two-foot wall at the roof's perimeter, and it delayed Iona for a second as she scrambled onto it. That gave Jez a second to leap through the fire and catch up. And then Iona was on the wall, and then she was launching her small body into empty space. She jumped like a flying squirrel, arms and legs outspread, looking down at the three-story drop. Jez jumped with her. Jez! The telepathic shout followed her, but Jez scarcely heard it. She had no idea who had even said it. Her entire consciousness was focused on Iona. Maybe some part of her was still hoping that the kid had magic and could make the wind hold her up. But it didn't happen and Jez didn't waste time thinking about it. She hit Iona in midair, grabbing the small body and hanging on. It was something no human could have done. Jez's vampire muscles instinctively knew how to handle this, though. They twisted her as she fell, putting her underneath the child in her arms, putting her legs below her like a cat's. But of course Jez didn't have a vampire's resistance to injury. She knew perfectly well that when she hit, the fall would break both her legs. In her weakened state it might well kill her. It should save the kid, though, she thought unemotionally as the ground rushed up to meet her. The extra resiliency of Jez's flesh would act as a cushion. But there was one thing Jez hadn't thought of. The trees. There were discouraged-looking redbud trees planted at regular intervals along the cracked and mossy sidewalk. None of them had too much in the way of foliage even in late summer, but they certainly had a lot of little branches. Jez and the kid crashed right into one of them. Jez felt pain, but scratching, stabbing pain instead of the slamming agony of hitting the sidewalk. Her legs were smashing through things that cracked and snapped and poked her. Twigs and branches. She was being flipped around as some of the twigs caught on her jeans and others snagged her leather jacket. Every branch she hit decreased her velocity. So when she finally crashed out of the tree and hit concrete, it merely knocked the wind out of her. Black dots danced in front of her eyes. Then her vision cleared and she realized that she was lying on her back with Iona clutched to her stomach. Shiny redbud leaves were floating down all around her. Goddess, she thought. We made it. I don't believe it. There was a dark blur and something thudded against the sidewalk beside her. Morgead. He landed like a cat, bending his knees, but nice a big cat. A three-story jump was pretty steep even for a vampire. Jez could see the shock reverberate through him as his legs hit concrete, and then he fell forward. That must hurt, she thought with distant sympathy. But the next instant he was up again, he was by her side and bending over her. â€Å"Are you all right?† He was yelling it both aloud and telepathically. His dark hair was mussed and flying; his green eyes were wild. â€Å"Jez!† Oh. It was you who yelled when I jumped, Jez thought. I should have known. She blinked up at him. â€Å"Of course I'm all right,† she said hazily. She tugged at the kid lying on her. â€Å"Iona! Are you all right?† Iona stirred. Both her hands were clutching Jez's jacket in front, but she sat up a little without letting go. There was a burned patch on her sleeve, but no fire. Her velvety brown eyes were huge-and misty. She looked sad and confused. â€Å"That was really scary,† she said. â€Å"I know.† Jez gulped. She wasn't any good at talking about emotional things, but right now the words spilled out without conscious effort. Tm sorry, Iona; I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. We shouldn't have done that. It was a very bad thing to do, and I'm really sorry, and we're going to take you home now. Nobody's going to hurt you. We're going to take you back to your mom.† The velvety eyes were still unhappy. Tired and unhappy and reproachful. Jez had never felt like more of a monster, not even that night in Muir Woods when she had realized she was hunting her own kind. Iona's gaze remained steady, but her chin quivered. Jez looked at Morgead. â€Å"Can you erase her memory? I can't see any reason why she should have to remember all this.† He was still breathing quickly, his face pale and his pupils dilated. But he looked at Iona and nodded. â€Å"Yeah, I can wipe her.† â€Å"Because she's not the Wild Power, you know,† Jez said levelly, as if making a comment about the weather. Morgead flinched. Then he shoved his hair back with his knuckles, his eyes shutting briefly. â€Å"She's an extraordinary kid, and I don't know exactly what she's going to be-maybe President or some great doctor or botanist or something. Something special, because she's got that inner light- something that keeps her from getting mad or mean or hysterical. But that's got nothing to do with being a Wild Power.† â€Å"All right! I know, already!† Morgead yelled, and Jez realized she was babbling. She shut up. Morgead took a breath and put his hand down. â€Å"She's not it. I was wrong. I made a bad mistake. Okay?† â€Å"Okay.† Jez felt calmer now. â€Å"So can you please wipe her?† â€Å"Yes! I'm doing it!† Morgead put his hands on Iona's slender shoulders. â€Å"Look, kid, I'm-sorry. I never thought you'd-you know, jump like that.† Iona didn't say anything. If he wanted forgiveness, he wasn't getting it. He took a deep breath and went on. â€Å"This has been a pretty rotten day, hasn't it? So why don't you just forget all about it, and before you know it, you'll be home.† Jez could feel him reach out with his mind, touching the child's consciousness with his Power. Iona's eyes shifted, she looked at Jez uncertainly. â€Å"It's okay,† Jez whispered. â€Å"It won't hurt.† She hung on to Iona's gaze, trying to comfort her as Morgead's suggestions took hold. â€Å"You don't ever have to remember this,† Morgead said, his voice soothing now. Gentle. â€Å"So why don't you just go to sleep? You can have a little nap†¦ and when you wake up, you'll be home.† Iona's eyelids were closing. At the last possible second she gave Jez a tiny sleepy smile-just the barest change of expression, but it seemed to ease the tightness in Jez's chest. And then Iona's lashes were lying heavy on her cheeks and her breathing was deep and regular. Jez sat up and gently put the sleeping child on the sidewalk. She smoothed back one stray pigtail and watched the little chest rise and fall a couple of times. Then she looked up at Morgead. â€Å"Thanks.† He shrugged, exhaling sharply. â€Å"It was the least I could do.† Then he gave her an odd glance. Jez thought of it at the same instant. She was the one so concerned about the child-why had she asked Morgead to wipe her memory? Because I can't do it, she thought dryly. Out loud she said, â€Å"I'm really kind of tired, after everything that's happened today. I don't have much Power left.† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But his green eyes were slightly narrowed, searching. â€Å"Plus, I hurt.† Jez stretched, gingerly testing her muscles, feeling every part of her protest. The searching look vanished instantly. Morgead leaned forward and began to go over her with light, expert fingers, his eyes worried. â€Å"Can you move everything? What about your legs? Do you feel numb anywhere?† â€Å"I can move everything, and I only wish I felt numb somewhere.† â€Å"Jez-I'm sorry.† He blurted it out as awkwardly as he had to the child. ‘I didn't mean †¦ I mean, this just hasn't turned out the way I planned. The kid getting hurt-you getting hurt. It just wasn't what I had in mind.† The kid getting hurt? Jez thought. Don't tell me you care about that. But there was no reason for Morgead to lie. And he did look unhappy-probably more unhappy than Jez had ever seen him. His eyes were still all pupil, as if he were scared. I'm not hurt,† Jez said. It was all she could think of. She felt dizzy suddenly-uncertain and a little giddy, as if she were still tumbling off the roof. â€Å"Yes, you are.† He said it with automatic stubbornness, as if it were one of their arguments. But his hand reached out to touch her cheek. The one that had been hit by burning debris. It hurt, but Morgead was touching so lightly†¦. Coolness seemed to flow from his fingers, seeping into the burn and making it feel better. Jez gasped. â€Å"Morgead-what are you doing?† â€Å"Giving you some Power. You're low and you need it.† Giving her Power? She'd never heard of such a thing. But he was doing it. She could feel her skin healing itself faster, could feel his strength pour into her. It was a strange sensation. It made her shiver inwardly. â€Å"Morgead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His eyes were fixed on her face. And suddenly they were all Jez could see; the rest of the world was a blur. All she could hear was the soft catch in his breath; all she could feel was the gentleness of his touch. â€Å"Jez†¦Ã¢â‚¬  They were leaning toward each other, or falling. It was that silver thread between them, shortening, pulling. They had nothing to grab on to but each other. And then Morgead's arms were around her and she felt his warm mouth touch hers.