Commentary on Scene Eleven focusing on the speech in A Streetcar Named

Commentary on Scene Eleven focusing on the speech in A Streetcar Named Desire Scene Eleven in A Streetcar Named Desire is significant. It depicts a concrete and clear view of Blanche's character and highlights the theme of death. It, most importantly, generates the audience's sympathy which is not depicted in the first part of the play. The scene takes place a few weeks after the rape. This is indicated in the stage directions: "it is some weeks later." The setting which is presented in the scene is typical in that poker is being played by Stanley and his friends while Stella and Eunice are conversing; however, the mood is tense and discreet. It is also highlighted that Blanche is taken into a mental asylum. This would be evident through her mental disorder from the rape. It is also depicted that all the characters have knowledge of her mental asylum although Blanche is not aware of it and that she presumes she is going on holiday. The speech depicts the theme of death which is also present in Blanche's speech in Scene One "I, I, I took the blows in my face and ..

Invisible Man :: essays research papers

Invisible Man Books related to Invisible Man Although most ethnic groups do not like to be thought of as different, they do come to enjoy the benefits that come with being labeled as a minority. Affirmative action is a program initiated to try and bridge the gap between white Americans and the minorities that reside in America. In addition, bilingual education is constantly an issue in Southern California, especially when choosing political candidates. In the two books I will be examining, Hunger of Memory by Richard Rodriguez and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, both characters in the stories are criticized by their own ethnic groups for not following the path that their parents have laid out for them. Protag, the main character in Invisible Man, chooses to join an organization called the Brotherhood, instead of a similar organization which is made up of all black men. Rodriguez decides to take a stand against affirmative action and bilingual education, two issues which Hispanics have almost always been in favor of. However, th e decisions by these two characters to go against the values widely held by members of their ethnic groups causes a great deal of tension. People want to question how devoted the characters are to the cause. Both characters went against the norm and made choices which brought criticism from members of their ethnic groups, but their choices ultimately led to the strengthening of their groups culture in society. First we will look at what may have influenced the character’s choices, followed by the designation of being labeled a scholarship boy may have played in their decisions. Finally we will look at what exactly they did for their ethnic group and some of the differences that exist between the two characters. Upon his arrival in Harlem after his dismissal from college, Protag became aware of the two groups that were concerned with changing the social conditions in New York City. The first group was led by Ras the Exhorter and was a much more radical group. One woman was quotes as saying, "His hoodlums would attack and denounce the white meat of a roasted chicken" (Ellison 35). The other group in New York City was known as the Brotherhood and was a much less radical organization which was predominately by white men. These two groups often found themselves in the midst of controversy, both in the public eye and between each other.

Germany’s Inclusion as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council: Breaking Free from its Historic Subservience :: Essays Papers

Germany’s Inclusion as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council: Breaking Free from its Historic Subservience The Federal Republic of Germany, once a menacing dictatorship on a path of world domination, is currently the leading nation in the European Union and the third-leading contributor to the United Nations. Germany has come a long way since its reunification in 1990. It is now fully committed to a foreign policy based around peace, stability, and development, Germany is entirely committed to protecting the future of the global community. Germany maintains that the accomplishment of these goals resides in the strengthening of international organizations, specifically the United Nations, and for a more active participation by the German Republic. Germany’s active role in the United Nations can be reflected in its participation amongst the UN’s various arms, specifically the Security Council. Currently on its fourth term as a non-permanent member of the Council, Germany, with a majority of support from the General Assembly of the UN, has declared its willingness for a seat as a permanent member of the Security Council. In an effort to change its bloodied past, Germany hopes its inclusion as a permanent member would allow them to facilitate further peacekeeping missions with greater ease. Additionally, Germany hopes to increase the scope of international developmental projects undertaken by the UN. The idea of a unified federation of the world’s nations was first spawned by German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the late 18th century. Kant believed that this federation of nations would be founded on a platform of â€Å"Universal Hospitality,† in which no person â€Å"had more right than another to a particular part of the earth† (Kant). He also expressed that no country should interfere with the government of another. In addition, larger, more powerful countries shall not use smaller countries for their own gain. Such a federation would perform as a collective security against aggressors. With the conception of the League of Nations, Kant’s doctrine became a reality in the early 20th century after World War I. The League of Nations lasted from 1920 to 1946 with 63 different countries represented (Encarta). Though it lacked the backing of superpowers, such as the United States, and did not sustain its goal of preventing another world war, the League of Nations provided a model for the United Nations in 1941. Germany’s Inclusion as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council: Breaking Free from its Historic Subservience :: Essays Papers Germany’s Inclusion as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council: Breaking Free from its Historic Subservience The Federal Republic of Germany, once a menacing dictatorship on a path of world domination, is currently the leading nation in the European Union and the third-leading contributor to the United Nations. Germany has come a long way since its reunification in 1990. It is now fully committed to a foreign policy based around peace, stability, and development, Germany is entirely committed to protecting the future of the global community. Germany maintains that the accomplishment of these goals resides in the strengthening of international organizations, specifically the United Nations, and for a more active participation by the German Republic. Germany’s active role in the United Nations can be reflected in its participation amongst the UN’s various arms, specifically the Security Council. Currently on its fourth term as a non-permanent member of the Council, Germany, with a majority of support from the General Assembly of the UN, has declared its willingness for a seat as a permanent member of the Security Council. In an effort to change its bloodied past, Germany hopes its inclusion as a permanent member would allow them to facilitate further peacekeeping missions with greater ease. Additionally, Germany hopes to increase the scope of international developmental projects undertaken by the UN. The idea of a unified federation of the world’s nations was first spawned by German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the late 18th century. Kant believed that this federation of nations would be founded on a platform of â€Å"Universal Hospitality,† in which no person â€Å"had more right than another to a particular part of the earth† (Kant). He also expressed that no country should interfere with the government of another. In addition, larger, more powerful countries shall not use smaller countries for their own gain. Such a federation would perform as a collective security against aggressors. With the conception of the League of Nations, Kant’s doctrine became a reality in the early 20th century after World War I. The League of Nations lasted from 1920 to 1946 with 63 different countries represented (Encarta). Though it lacked the backing of superpowers, such as the United States, and did not sustain its goal of preventing another world war, the League of Nations provided a model for the United Nations in 1941.

My First College Class Experience Essay

The transition from high school to college in itself is a frightening experience in some way for everyone whether it be moving away from home or the vastness of a college campus others learn from these new experiences. Many very important lessons are learned outside the classroom in college but there is also so much to be learned about who you are in the classroom as well. When someone first sees Composition I on their schedule the first day of college they might think that this class is going to be tedious, boring, and nothing but writing essays, after a few class periods though they will begin to realize that this class is much more than that. Composition one from my perspective was like dipping your toes into water to test and see if you are ready to go in or not, the water may be too warm or cold at first but that is no reason to shy away from it, if they jump right in they will find that the positives far outweigh the negatives. My first semester of college was spent at The University of the Incarnate Word it was my first real taste of what college was going to be like and I very much enjoyed it but the class that was most surpirsing in how much that was learned to me was composition I. In the course catalog this class’s description was, â€Å" Part of the UIW Core Curriculum, this is a writing-intensive course focusing on numerous rhetorical modes to develop main ideas. This course introduces students to creative, academic and business writing and communication, emphasizing grammar and syntax, with a view to increasing expository skills and critical thinking ability†. Now to be terribly honest this description made this class seem extremely dull just based on the description but even so I was there on the first day ready to learn. The class was small and more relaxed than I thought it would be it turned out that this class was going to be the exact opposite of the description I had read. The assignments that were given in writing always forced the class to think not just about their own world but the bigger picture of how what they did affected the people around them and the world, for example they wrote about the short story by Ray Bradbury There Will Come Soft Rains and how they thought the world was becoming more and more like the story it gave a much greater sense of awareness of how change was needed in the community and to become more involved with each other and appreciate one another and not be so consumed  by technology. They were also given a project on conservation or countries that didn’t have clean sources of water and how they were affected by them It was an eye opening experience seeing how much others suffered and couldn’t have access to clean water in different places around the world. Such as in an article I read in The New York Times where it was said,† Three -fifths of all water supplies are â€Å"relatively bad† or wo rse. Roughly half of rural residents lack access to drinking water that meets international standards.† It gave a much greater sense of compassion for those who don’t have access to something so basic as clean drinking water. In the words of the Dalai Lama, â€Å"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.† This quote is the perfect representation of what I learned in that class. Compassion is probably the greatest quality you can bring to college with you and in outside of college as well because without compassion we’re not even human anymore. The greatest lessons you will learn in your life will be in your college years, you find who you are and who you want to become after you graduate. When you first get to college you’re just getting your feet wet and testing the water but once you start immersing yourself in your classes that’s when you really take the plunge into the pool. There are certain classes you will take that will help you to have that drive to be better and change the fear or hesitation yo u first had when you started college and those classes will better who you are as a person and make the whole college experience worth it.

Alicia My Story, Book Summary Essay

The main character in this story is a Jewish girl named Alicia. When the book starts she is ten years old, she lives in the Polish town of Buczacz with her four brothers, Moshe, Zachary, Bunio, and Herzl, and her mother and father . The holocaust experience began subtly at first when the Russians began to occupy Buczacz. When her brother Moshe was killed at a † Boys School† in Russia and her father was gathered up by German authorities, the reality of the whole situation quickly became very real. Her father was taken away shortly after the Russians had moved out and the Germans began to occupy Buczacz. Once the Germans occupied, they moved the Jewish population of Buczacz into mass ghettos. Alicia and the rest of her family had to share a house with several other families which had also been driven out of there homes. The only source of income in this situation was to sell things at the marketplace, and even there, Jews were forbidden. Alicia went anyway and sold what she could for food and money. One day her brother Bunio disappeared from the ghetto. Alicia and her family found out later that he had been taken to a work camp, but that they could send food packages to him. Shortly after this, Alicia was taken into custody by German officials and put on a train to another work camp. Alicia managed to escape from this train by jumping through a small window. She found her way to a river which led her back to the ghetto. By this time several people in the ghetto had been feeling the effects of the impoverished conditions. Starvation, Typhoid, and other diseases, were beginning to take its toll on the people who lived in the ghetto. Then one day, Alicia found out that her brother Bunio had been killed in the work camp. A boy had escaped so they lined up all the boys and shot every fourth one. As time progressed, Alicia began assuming more responsibility for the daily tasks of the family such as going out and trading for more food in places other than the marketplace. While this was going on, Zachary and a few other boys from the ghetto had been forming a sort of resistance. One day Alicia was informed that her brother had been hanged. After Zachary’s death, Alicia was befriended by a woman named Bella. She met many good friends in the ghetto including a future friend as well as savior, Milek . Months later, Alicia and several other people were rounded up and sent to a prison in Chortkov. Here the conditions were very poor. Every day more and more people were taken out and shot. On the inside of the cells it was a cesspool of germs and diseases. Every morning the jailkeepers would go around the cell and kick people to see if they were still alive. One of these times Alicia was taken for dead and put onto a wagon with other bodies. The driver of the wagon found her, nursed her back to better health and then brought her back to the ghetto. During this time, before, and after she returned to the ghetto attempts to rid the ghettos of Jews were called â€Å"actions†. To escape being caught by the German police who took part in the actions, they built large bunkers to hide from their captors. After several of these actions, the Buczacz ghetto had been emptied by more than half. At this point the time came to move to a new ghetto. Alicia had been in this new ghetto only a short time when another action occurred. This time Alicia was captured and brought to a mass grave with a multitude of other Jews. Just when Alicia was about to be shot Milek took a gun from one of the shooters and began shooting other officers. Alicia took advantage of this opportunity, as she had many others, and ran for her life. She ran fast and far until she found herself coming into a town which was surrounded with tilled fields. She discovered she could work in exchange for a small amount of food. She worked hard in these fields and was able to let her mother in Buczacz know that she was safe. Alicia was reunited with her mother and they returned to this community where they lived for about a year. She also found out that her youngest brother Herzl had been taken away and killed Alicia would work at these fields and get food, she would bring some back to her mother who, because of poor health, was resting in seclusion most of the day.. One day they met a nice old man that was sort of an outcast from the rest of the community. He let them stay with him and another Jewish family that he was taking care of in his shack. They stayed here during the winter while Alicia still searched for food, in the process, making many friends. News came one day that the Germans were beginning to fall back from the Russian fronts and Germany’s grip on the Jews in Poland was weakening. This news made Alicia and her mother move away from the old man who helped them. Alicia and her mother had formed a very close friendship with the kindly man. When Alicia and her mother arrived in Buczacz they moved into a regular apartment and began to live a semi-normal life. It was not long after Alicia had moved back into Buczacz that the Germans took over the town again. In this raid on the Jews, Alicia’s mother was killed by the Germans. Alicia was taken to another prison where she would later be transported to another mass grave. While she was waiting, she devised a plan to escape the mass grave by running down a hillside and into a river. When they were lined up to be shot she ran to the river. She hid there all night and once again she had escaped the Germans. As she made her way back, she became friends with a group Russian Jews who were fighting with the Russians. She even earned a medal from them because she had helped a number of them escape from a prison cell. Her bravery was not overlooked. Returning to Buczacz she found that there wasn’t much left for her there, so she moved away with a person to a nearby town. She was in this town less than a few hours when her and her friend were taken into custody by the Russian police. What had happened was that her friend was suspected of selling things in the black market ( which she was ) and the police wanted to find out who was buying things from her. Over a span of 8 months they were kept but finally they were released. They received a lot of money from people that had been saved by their withholding of evidence. Alicia and her friend took this money and bought a train ticket to Lodz. They were stopped in Lvov because they went to get some tea while stopped at a station, but the train took off without them and they left all of their belongings on the train. Next they boarded a train to Krakow, and parted ways there. In Krakow, Alicia was staying at a rather large house with another family. She built a sort of orphanage by gathering up homeless children from the neighborhood. She lived with this family for a long time, and during this time she learned about a way that she could go to Eretz Island, Israel where she could be safe. She left her orphanage and went on a long journey where she met many people that were like her, in that she didn’t like to see people suffer. Alicia made it to Israel but was taken by British border patrol officers to a jail on Cypress for coming into the country illegally. She was then released from Cyprus.

A Critical Assessment of the Eclectic Theory

INTRODUCTION It is true of everything that the first steps ate both the most important and the most difficult. To begin with, theorization consists of a set of definitions of concepts. The basic concepts underlying the eclectic theory of the multinational enterprise (MNE)(1) are currently being criticized by the internalization theorists(2) in that the ‘ownership advantage' is ‘double counting,' that is, the internalization and location factors are necessary and sufficient to explain the existence and growth of the MNE.The controversy seems to require a thorough examination of the concept of the ‘ownership advantage'. However, the examination should extend further afield. Our objective in this paper is to assess critically the three basic concepts in the eclectic theory, i. e. , the ‘ownership advantage,' the ‘internalization advantage,' and the ‘location advantage' and to suggest the beginnings of an alternative framework to deal with the MNE and FDI (i. e. , foreign direct investment). REDUNDANCY OF THE ‘OWNERSHIP ADVANTAGE'Some Features of the Electic Theory First of all, we must set up the target of our examination. The eclectic theory, Mark I, as advocated by Dunning is as follows [Dunning 1981:79]: 1. It (i. e. , the firm) possesses net ownership advantages vis-a-vis firms of other nationalities in serving particular markets. These ownership advantages largely take the form of the possession of intangible assets, that are, at least for a period of time, exclusive or specific to the firm possessing them. . Assuming condition 1 is satisfied, it must be more beneficial to the enterprise possessing these advantages to use them itself rather than to sell or lease them to foreign firms, that is, for it to internalize its advantages through an extension of its own activities rather than externalize them through licensing and similar contracts with independent firms. 3.Assuming conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied, it must be profitable for the enterprise to utilize these advantages in conjunction with at least some factor inputs (including natural resources) outside its home country; otherwise foreign markets would be served entirely by exports and domestic markets by domestic production. Four features of the eclectic theory should be noted here, as far as they are concerned with our argument. Firstly, needless to say, the concept of the advantage is a relative concept; i. e. advantage of a firm vis-a-vis the others tautologically means their disadvantage vis-a-vis the firm. The advantage is understood from the viewpoint of economic competitiveness and profitability, and thus it takes the form of an economic asset whether tangible or intangible. Thus, the asset value is measured by capitalizing the stream of expected future earnings by means of the rate of return. Secondly, the concept of internalization is interpreted as internalization of an ‘ownership advantage' rather than that of an imperfec t market. 3) Thirdly, the existence per se of the ‘ownership advantage' has nothing to do with the internalization; thus, the ‘ownership advantage' is logically independent of the ‘internalization advantage. ‘ Finally, the ‘ownership advantage' is logically independent of the ‘location advantage;' thus, the ‘ownership advantage' can be measured without referring to location factors. (4) The Logic of the Internalization Theory Let us focus on the second and third features and compare them with the basic logic of the internalization theory. The distinctive feature of the internalization theory is its recognition that the firm is an economic institution, the objective of which is to maximize profit (i. e. , super-normal profit in the Marshallian sense) in the world of market imperfections. The firm attempts to maximize its revenue and minimize its costs: the firm maximizes its organizational benefits after remunerating all the factors of produc tion, R&D, marketing, and management.Firstly, if arm's-length markets are inefficient and incur huge transaction costs, the firm would replace them with its unified ownership and control (i. e. , the internal quasi-market)(6) and minimize its internalization costs;(7) i. e. , the internalization of markets. Secondly, if no market exists for external economies defined to be private costs minus social costs), the firm would bring them under common ownership and control and prevent them from leaking outside; i. e. , the internalization of externalities. 8) Thirdly, if internal economies defined to be private benefits and, at the same time, social benefits) are expected after totally eliminating markets, whether internal or external, the firm would not only internalize the markets but also reorganize and rationalize the activities under the common ownership and control; i. e. , integration under internalization. (9,10) Market imperfections may exist in final-product markets as well as i n intermediate-product markets of physical products (i. e. components and semi-finished products) and intellectual products (i. e. , knowledge or information). final-product markets, however imperfect they are, the firms cannot internalize markets since, needless to say, consumers are independent of producers and merchants. They can only acquire super-normal profit by manipulating their market power. Note that although some academics misunderstood,(11) there is no guarantee that the internalization increases efficiency and social welfare in both intermediate- and final-product markets.On the contrary, it is quite possible that the internalization by the MNE creates imperfect competition or monopolistic (monopsonistic) situations and thus increases social costs by means of restricting the output of high-tech goods, building up an entry barrier by vertical and/or horizontal integration, effective collusion, etc. It is also quite possible that the integration takes part in restricting competition and more than offsets its positive benefits in social welfare. (12,13) In relation to social costs, we should pay some attention to a new concept, perceived transaction costs. Transaction costs can be classified into three categories; i. e. , those inherent in commodity transactions per se,(14) those inherent in oligopolistic or imperfect competition, and those originating from government regulations. (15) Oligopolistic or imperfect competition places competitors in a situation of uncertainty in respect of potential transaction costs as a result of arrn's-length transactions. Concerns about the dissipation of valuable information may well inflate the value of subjectively perceived transaction costs to the extent of virtually prohibiting arm's-length transactions.Uncertainty in oligopolistic or imperfect competition creates self-inflating feature to the ‘perceived transaction costs'. Certain 'embedded social relations' modify pure economic rationality(16) and affec t the choice of internalization. Furthermore, bounded and creeping rationality of the management makes the strategy (i. e. , choosing between internalization, integration, and arm's-length transactions) fairly rigid once it has been decided upon. 17) Internalization, in these circumstances, may be perceived as private-cost minimization, but not as social-cost minimization. 18 Another important feature of the internalization theory is that it expounds interrelations between production, R&D, marketing, and management. (19) The internalization of the markets and externalities of these activities and their integration generate the advantages of the firm over the others. The firm may exercise its market power when it internalizes and integrates them, so as †¦

Iron Crowned Chapter 12

There was a moment of stunned silence. â€Å"That's impossible,† said Kiyo at last. â€Å"Unless you're saying she should kill all those monarchs?† â€Å"No need,† the old man replied. â€Å"Even I know how it works,† I argued. â€Å"The only way to claim a land is if its previous monarch dies or grows too weak to hold it. Otherwise, they're bound together. The monarch and the land are one.† â€Å"Aren't you listening?† he asked. â€Å"The crown changes that. The crown breaks that bond. Doesn't matter how strong they are. No killing – unless you want to. The land is freed up, allowing you to seize it if you're strong and ambitious enough, which, of course, you have to be even to possess the crown.† Ambitious enough. His words reminded me of our fight, when I'd nearly killed Kiyo in my rage. I stared down at the crown in disgust. â€Å"I don't want it. I don't want that kind of power. That was never my intention.† The crown's keeper now looked as baffled as Kiyo and I had been moments ago. â€Å"Then why did you come for it?† â€Å"Eugenie,† said Kiyo uneasily. â€Å"I don't think you should leave it. Regardless of what it truly does †¦ well, the original plan still holds. You don't actually have to use it. Just having it may still be enough to scare Katrice into peace – especially if she knows its true power.† I lifted my eyes from the crown, staring off absentmindedly at the cave's scorched walls. â€Å"Of course she knows. And so does Dorian. He's known all along.† It was a sign of Kiyo's tact and self-control that he made no scathing remarks about Dorian. â€Å"You have to take it,† exclaimed the old man, glancing back and forth between our faces. He seemed shocked and even offended that I was seriously considering leaving it. â€Å"You passed the test. No one who has done that has ever refused the crown.† The sick feeling in my stomach grew. He knew. Dorian knew. â€Å"You don't have to use it,† reiterated Kiyo. â€Å"But Katrice won't know that.† â€Å"I was an idiot,† I murmured. â€Å"An idiot to think it was just a war prize. If I accept it †¦ what happens if someone else takes it? If it's stolen?† After experiencing so many attempts at rape, I was well aware of the extent of Otherworldly ambition. â€Å"The crown will only work for its current owner,† said the caretaker. â€Å"It will only stay with the worthy. If it's taken – or if you die – it will return here, and we will wait for the next challenger.† â€Å"Hold on,† said Kiyo. â€Å"You just wait here all the time? How old are you?† I didn't wait for a response. I felt dizzy on my feet and so, so tired, both mentally and physically. I wanted to get out of this place. â€Å"Let's go,† I said. â€Å"We'll take the crown.† The old man beamed. â€Å"Excellent. I look forward to hearing of your victories.† I scowled and moved for the exit. This was hardly the situation for warm and fuzzy good-byes, so Kiyo and I simply left without any more conversation, though I could feel the caretaker's gaze burning into my back. The trek out of the mountain was quiet as well and seemed to go much more quickly. The fire barriers were gone. When we finally emerged, the light and air of that barren landscape seemed like the sweetest, most refreshing thing ever. Volusian and Deanna were exactly where we left them. Deanna's expression lit up. Volusian's didn't ostensibly change, but I sensed definite dismay. â€Å"You did it!† exclaimed Deanna. â€Å"Now you can help me and find out – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I interrupted, heading straight to my horse. â€Å"Not now. We're not dealing with that yet.† Her pale eyes widened. â€Å"But you promised to – â€Å" â€Å"Not yet,† I growled. Something about my tone and look must have been pretty intimidating because she vanished without comment. I knew she'd be back, though. I glanced at Kiyo, who was already on his horse, face troubled. â€Å"Think those snakes are regular residents or just part of the test?† I asked. He glanced around, taking in the scattered holes in the ground. â€Å"I don't think we can assume they're gone.† I made sure my pack was secure, the crown inside it. â€Å"Then let's get out of here. We're not stopping until we're out of the unclaimed lands.† Kiyo's face was lined with worry. â€Å"Eugenie – â€Å" But I was already urging my horse down the road, back in the direction we'd come. Our initial ride had been brisk but still energy-conserving. Now, I held nothing back. I let the horse run as fast as she could, half-suspecting she wanted out of this cursed place as much as I did. The speed and rush of air was almost enough to distract me from what had just happened and what was to come. Almost. Kiyo easily kept up with my hard pace, and the speed made any conversation difficult. I lost track of time but had the sense of riding for hours as the sun moved across the sky. I fell into such a lull surrounded by the dreary landscape that crossing back into the Otherworld's claimed regions was like a splash of water in the face. We'd emerged into the Honeysuckle Land and were suddenly surrounded by heat and color. Kiyo slowed his horse down. â€Å"Eugenie, we have to stop.† When I didn't react, he yelled more harshly, â€Å"Eugenie!† It snapped me from my haze, and I slowed too, eventually bringing my horse to a halt. His trotted up to us. â€Å"Eugenie, it's almost night. We have to make camp here. We'll be safe now that we're out of that place.† â€Å"Safe? I'm a war leader. This place isn't on our side yet. They could have a lot of leverage if they found and captured me.† â€Å"That's just an excuse,† he said. â€Å"It won't happen, and you can't keep up this pace without rest. The horses certainly can't either.† I didn't know much about animals, but Kiyo did. These two didn't seem ostensibly exhausted, but they were breathing a bit more heavily than when we'd left. I petted the head of mine in apology. I didn't want to stop, but Kiyo was right. The lush and beautiful land provided any number of camping spots. The trick was finding a concealed one that kept us near the road. If we strayed too far, the Otherworld's nature could very well shift us away to another location. And, despite his confident words, I think Kiyo did worry a little bit about the Thorn Queen being discovered in this kingdom. At least we had Volusian to keep watch. We finally settled for a small glade that was almost impossible to see through the trees until you were right inside it. Not far away was a small lagoon edged in stones. I was filthy from the fight but didn't have the energy to bathe fully and settled for washing my hands and face. Nonetheless, back in our camp – which really was just a place to sleep since we needed no fire here – Kiyo insisted on changing my bandages again. â€Å"You tore more stitches in the lich fight,† he said with dismay. â€Å"We can keep the blood loss down, but you have to get this treated soon.† I nodded without hearing him, my mind still wrapped around what I'd learned. Once he'd pulled my shirt back down, I turned and faced him. â€Å"Dorian knew, Kiyo. Dorian knew what this crown could do. That's why he wanted it. I wouldn't be surprised †¦Ã¢â‚¬  It killed me to say the next words. â€Å"I wouldn't be surprised if he set it up from the beginning with Masthera.† I again expected mockery from Kiyo, but his dark eyes were serious and full of sympathy. â€Å"I wouldn't be surprised either. I'm sorry.† It was true what I'd said in the cave: I was such an idiot. I should have listened to my initial instincts, the ones that said a battle prize wasn't enough to end a war. A prize that could strip Katrice's kingdom from her? Yeah. That would end a war, true, but Dorian should have told me. He should have told me what the crown's real threat was. And then you wouldn't have done it, a voice in my head pointed out. I knew it was the truth. I wouldn't have risked my life – or Kiyo's – to come after some artifact that put me one step closer to being the conqueror everyone expected me to be. â€Å"Dorian knew,† I repeated. â€Å"Dorian let me risk my life for this.† Kiyo stayed silent for a few moments, staring off into the rapidly darkening trees around us. â€Å"You said he resisted at first, though. Until he realized I could go.† â€Å"Was that an act, though?† I rested my forehead in my hands, doubting everything I'd come to believe about Dorian. I'd so, so wanted to trust him. â€Å"Did he pretend to be hesitant, knowing I'd be suspicious if he was aggressive?† â€Å"For all his faults †¦ I don't know. He does care about you, Eugenie. I don't think he'd carelessly throw you into danger. He might have seriously waited until he knew you could go in with backup.† I sighed and lifted my head back up. â€Å"You're giving an awful lot of credit to someone you hate.† A small smile crossed Kiyo's lips. â€Å"I don't hate him, not exactly. I don't trust him. I don't like him. And †¦ well, I certainly carry a grudge for his taking you from me.† I narrowed my eyes, a spark of anger flaring up in me. â€Å"No one ‘took' me. I'm not something you guys can just pass around!† â€Å"Sorry, sorry,† he said hastily. â€Å"I didn't mean it like that. I just mean that after we split up, it's been hard seeing you with him. That's petty jealousy, I admit it. But I also hate that his grand, brash action won you over and drove the final stake in our relationship.† â€Å"His ‘grand, brash action?' Do you mean killing Leith? I'll never regret him doing that,† I said fiercely. Despite how dark it was growing out here, I could see Kiyo's eyes boring into me. â€Å"Do you mean that, Eugenie? Was your personal vengeance worth all the people who've died since then?† I looked away. â€Å"He deserved it. You don't understand.† â€Å"I understand perfectly well what he did. And if I could have? I would have done a lot more than run a sword through him. Really, that was almost merciful compared to what he deserved. But the fallout †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know.† I sighed again. â€Å"I know what I've caused, all the upheaval in this world.† A sudden odd thought occurred to me. â€Å"Maiwenn †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kiyo tensed, not following my jump in thoughts. â€Å"What about her?† â€Å"Dorian knew that too! She knows what the crown does; I'm certain of it. That's why he kept telling me not to let you talk to her!† I shot up, full of fury now. â€Å"Goddamnit! He played me. He's always played me! It doesn't matter if he loves me. It's his nature. He can't love without using it to his advantage. Goddamnit!† My cry rang out into the empty night as I paced irritably. In seconds, Kiyo was up too, gripping me by my arms. â€Å"Hey, hey. Calm down. He may have tricked you, but he can't make you do anything you don't want to with the crown. You're in control. No harm's done.† â€Å"No harm?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Kiyo, I almost killed you! Do you understand? Do you understand what I almost did? I lost control! How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?† He drew me into his arms. â€Å"I forgive you for that, and that's all you need to worry about. Don't beat yourself up with the guilt.† I clenched my fists. â€Å"The craziest part is that the fake-lich whatever guy thought what I did was a good thing. Me shoving my friends aside for power. That's what the crown represents. That's what I'll become.† â€Å"I won't let you,† said Kiyo fiercely. â€Å"It's in my blood,† I said weakly. â€Å"I realize that now.† â€Å"Maybe. I don't know. I used to think †¦ well, I used to think it was all just some easy decision you could make. ‘Do this, don't do this.' That was stupid of me. It's more than that, this conflict in you. And I didn't help – not in the way you needed. I will now – if you'll let me.† I peered up at him in confusion. â€Å"Why? After everything I've done?† â€Å"Because I – † Kiyo cut himself off. I could hardly see him now, but the feel of his hands was warm on my skin. â€Å"Because it doesn't matter. Because I screwed up. Because we never should have split up. I've been wanting to tell you something for a while. We should have – â€Å" I broke away and stalked off across the glade. I couldn't hear this. I couldn't hear some proclamation of love, not when my heart was still broken over Dorian's betrayal. I'd trusted him. I'd trusted him, despite all the evidence that he would go to great extremes for power. I'd thought love for me would be stronger than that ambition. I'd been wrong. Even if he loved me, his heart would always be split between me and his craving for power. It was his nature, just as my own nature was divided between human and gentry ways. â€Å"I need to sleep, Kiyo,† I said roughly. â€Å"I can't hear this right now.† â€Å"But Eugenie – â€Å" â€Å"Good night.† I turned my back to him – I knew he could see in the darkness – and curled up on the grass. It was hardly a comfortable bed, but compared to last night's discomfort, this felt like heaven. Kiyo said no more, and I eventually heard him settle down. Volusian had been put on watch, meaning neither Kiyo nor I had to stay awake. In my case, it didn't matter. Sleep wouldn't come no matter how much I willed it to. I stayed up most of the night, staring up at the clear sky and its glitter of stars. The Otherworld had the same constellations as the human world, which surely presented some sort of physics quandary, one I didn't have time to think much about right now. Dorian knew. That crown. That fucking crown. Part of me wanted to go over to my bag, grab the crown, and throw it off into night, never to be seen again. What had the old man said? It'd return to its home? No harm done. No harm except the loss of my potential to steal Katrice's land from her – hers and anyone else's who opposed me. Was that what Dorian had wanted? Would he have tried to convince me that it was the only way to win the war? And would I have believed it? Maybe. I'd been willing to risk a lot for peace by coming after the crown at all. Maybe that had just been the â€Å"gateway drug† in Dorian's eventual plan for conquest. In the end, it didn't matter what his plan was. What mattered was that he'd betrayed me. I'd opened myself to him, loved him. That was over now. It was that thought, that thought and the anger burning within me, that got me up and around early when dawn broke. Kiyo – who apparently had slept – instantly woke when he heard me stirring. â€Å"Let me guess,† he said. â€Å"You didn't sleep.† â€Å"Nope.† I took out some of the travel food from my bag, cringing when my fingers brushed against the crown. Kiyo stood up and stretched, then wandered off into the foliage. He returned several minutes later with some mangos in his arms. â€Å"Supplement your breakfast,† he said, tossing me one. He leaned against a tree and bit into one of his own. I nodded my thanks, but the fruit's sweetness was lost on me. Nothing had any taste. I was distantly aware of Kiyo's eyes on me but ignored them. â€Å"What are you thinking?† he asked at last. â€Å"How much I hate Dorian.† â€Å"What are you going to do?† This was something I'd thought about for a while, so I had a solid answer. â€Å"Go to him. Call him out. Pass him a note in class. Tell him it's over – everything. Us. Our alliance.† Kiyo's eyebrows rose. â€Å"You might not want to be so hasty on that last one.† â€Å"How can I be in a partnership with someone like that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"You can be in business with people you don't like. I wouldn't throw away his military support in the middle of this mess.† â€Å"I don't need his help,† I said obstinately. â€Å"Especially if Katrice does call a truce over the crown.† â€Å"And if she doesn't?† â€Å"I don't know.† I stood up and rubbed my sticky hands on my jeans. Kiyo was the last person I expected to be having this discussion with. â€Å"What are you getting at? Should I forgive him? Let it all go and jump back into bed?† â€Å"No. Absolutely not.† Kiyo walked over to me, almost mirroring our positions from last night when he'd been on the verge of telling me something romantic. Only, I'd since had more time to come to terms with my anger and could actually focus now on Kiyo, the concern in his eyes and the way his body always made mine feel. â€Å"But I don't think Dorian will leave the war, no matter what else happens between you. And you should take that help.† â€Å"I'm afraid †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Until those words came out of my mouth, I didn't realize I meant them. â€Å"I'm afraid when I see him, when I talk to him †¦ he'll do it again. He'll convince me of, I don't know. Whatever his plan is. He'll justify it and lure me back in.† Kiyo cupped my face between his hands. â€Å"You don't have to do anything you don't want to. You're strong. And I'll go with you, if you want.† I looked up into Kiyo's eyes, feeling lost in their depths and confused by what I saw in them. â€Å"I do want you to.† Leaning down, he pulled me close and kissed me almost before I realized what had happened. There was heat in his lips, heat and hunger and that raw, animal passion that so defined him. My body pressed against his, and I was startled at the arousal that kiss ignited within me, me who twenty-four hours ago had been sworn and sealed to Dorian. Now, the desire within me was all for Kiyo, a desire that was probably equal parts revenge against Dorian, a resurgence of my feelings for Kiyo, and the simple lust triggered by being with anyone I found so attractive. I pulled away from him, and it wasn't easy. That kiss had consumed me, taken over my reasoning. I had a feeling I was seconds away from ripping his clothes off and throwing myself at him. Some annoyingly rational part of me kept saying I shouldn't do that until I knew for sure if it'd be because I still cared about Kiyo or because I wanted to get back at Dorian. â€Å"No, don't. I can't,† I said, taking a few steps away. â€Å"I'm not †¦ I'm not ready†¦.† I knew he could tell that wasn't exactly true. He'd be able to smell the desire on me, the pheromones and other physical signs that said I wanted him. But my head and heart? No, I wasn't sure about that. â€Å"Eugenie †¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was husky, every ounce of him radiating that dark, primal sexuality that had always drawn me in. â€Å"I can't,† I repeated. â€Å"Please †¦ don't do that again†¦.† I hurried off blindly, into the forest, ignoring the branches and leaves whipping against me. I didn't have to go very far because something told me Kiyo wouldn't follow. He'd leave me alone for now. I sank to the ground, leaning my head back against the smooth bark of a tree I didn't recognize. My heart pounded in my chest, in turmoil from Kiyo's advances. I'd suspected he still cared, especially seeing as the breakup had been more my idea than his. He'd conceded its wisdom, true, but I'd always known he'd wished things could have been different. Hell, that made two of us. I exhaled and closed my eyes. What did I do with this? What did I do with Kiyo's feelings? What did I do with my own feelings? Because at the core of it all, my heart was still raging over Dorian. I'd meant what I said to Kiyo: I was indeed going to go back and tell Dorian we were over. I'd been disappointed in Kiyo – still was, a little – over his not taking direct action against Leith. Yet, as much as that had hurt me, Kiyo had been blunt and open about his reasons for it. That was better than someone telling you pretty lies. Pretty lies. Dorian was full of them – and not just about the crown. Suddenly, I found myself questioning why he'd even suggested Kiyo come along on this quest, rather than Jasmine. Maybe Dorian had thought this would be a convenient way to get rid of someone he'd always seen as a potential rival. I didn't know. The only thing I was certain of was that I was getting more and more worked up as I sat there. A faint splash startled me out of my emotional maelstrom, and I opened my eyes. No cry of alarm had come from Volusian back at camp, and a moment later, I realized what was going on. Rising, I headed over toward the pool in the glade's heart. Sure enough, I found Kiyo swimming laps back and forth. The lagoon was crystal clear, sparkling in the morning sunlight, and it sang to my magical senses. I wondered if he was there to clean off yesterday's battle or to work out his frustration over me. Judging from the lines on his face – maybe both. I watched him for a minute, knowing opportunities to catch him unaware were rare. The water and his mood had distracted him; he normally would have smelled and heard an observer. After a little while longer, I made my decision. I began taking off my clothes. Kiyo turned and noticed me just as I slipped into the water, easing myself down the stone edge. â€Å"Eugenie †¦ what are you doing? You're soaking your bandages.† I swam over to him, on the pool's far side. â€Å"I'm here naked with you, and that's your biggest concern?† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Well, that was our last batch of them.† I put my hands on his chest. â€Å"We'll be home soon.† When I brought my lips to his, joining us in a deep kiss, I felt the same response as earlier. He answered me hungrily, arms wrapping around my waist as we pressed together. Now, however, it was Kiyo who broke us apart – despite the arousal in his eyes. I had a feeling there was a human versus animal war going on within him. â€Å"Wait,† he said. â€Å"Earlier †¦ you told me you couldn't †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I changed my mind. I can do this,† I said. â€Å"Does it need to be more than that right now?† I was still going to tell Dorian I was done with him, but I didn't need to for this. I had mentally broken up with him. I was free to do whatever I wanted. I moved toward Kiyo again, slowly walking us toward the water's edge. Our top halves emerged, the morning air slightly chill against my wet skin. â€Å"I don't trust why you're doing this,† said Kiyo. But when I drew him closer, he didn't pull back. â€Å"I think you're getting back at Dorian.† I kissed him hard, cutting off whatever logical arguments he might attempt. â€Å"Maybe I am,† I said at last. He was gasping, a little surprised at the intensity. I felt empowered, filled with lust for Kiyo and – yes – anger at Dorian. â€Å"But you're the one I'm doing it with. Doesn't that mean something?† There was a pause as Kiyo's dark, smoky eyes studied me intensely. â€Å"Yes.† With one swift motion, he turned me around, pushing his body against mine. â€Å"It does. This is how it should have been anyway.† I caught my breath as he kissed my neck, teeth grazing my skin. â€Å"And I'll take back what's mine.† My body burned, both at his touch and the dangerous tone in his voice. Then, the full meaning of his words hit me. I started to turn around but his hands were on me, pinning me against the ledge surrounding the water. â€Å"Hey, I'm not yours,† I growled. â€Å"I thought I made that clear.† â€Å"You're right,† he said. â€Å"But you're not his either. Not anymore. You never should have been. We never should have been apart. And if you want this – if you want to do this – you have to tell me you feel something for me. I can't believe this is just simple revenge sex.† â€Å"Kiyo – â€Å" The hands that held me slid forward to my breasts, the roughness of his touch sending shockwaves through my body. â€Å"Tell me,† he breathed against my ear, his hands sliding along my stomach and down between my thighs. â€Å"Tell me you still feel something for me.† His body closed the miniscule space left between us, pushing me right to stone. I felt him hard and ready. â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I closed my eyes, lost in the way his hands touched me and stoked the sexual tension that had been building between us for days. What did I feel? For a moment, I was conflicted. Maybe this wasn't right. Maybe I did need to end things formally with Dorian before letting my emotions run away with me. â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† He bent me over, hands gripping my waist, and suddenly, he was sliding into me, a low groan escaping his lips as he filled me up. I gave a small cry at the unexpected act, one that turned into a moan of pleasure as he began to move in and out of me. â€Å"Tell me there's still something, anything †¦Ã¢â‚¬  he grunted. â€Å"If not, I'll stop and let this go. Just say it.† â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, I couldn't summon the words. This time, it was simply because I was too lost in how he felt. I'd forgotten what it was like with him, the way he'd always loved to take me from behind, driven by the animal instinct within him. There was more than that to him, though. Images flashed through me, the way he'd fought by my side, the compassion when he'd seen how hurt I was over Dorian's deception. â€Å"Tell me,† he said again, a savage and hungry note in his voice. â€Å"Tell me you want me; tell me there's still something between us. That you don't want me to stop.† He felt so good, so strong and hard. â€Å"No †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No what?† â€Å"No †¦ don't stop †¦ there is †¦ of course there's still something†¦.† I meant it. And with that, the animal within him was unleashed. I screamed as he gave me the full force of his body, my arms pushing hard to keep me from being shoved against the ledge. The sound of our bodies slapping together echoed around us as he thrust tirelessly, taking me over and over as he reclaimed my body. â€Å"I've missed you, Eug,† he managed to say. â€Å"Missed having sex with you. Missed making love to you. But especially †¦ especially missed fucking you.† His words were punctuated with a particularly sharp thrust, one that took me hard and deep as he bent me over more. I screamed again, but it was out of ecstasy, not pain. Kiyo had always been able to make me come this way, and now was no exception. I felt the nerves of my body explode, every part of me shaking. Still he kept moving in me with that primal need, pushing me into sensory overload. He'd given up on words, simply making small grunts as our bodies connected. At last his body reached its breaking point, giving me the hardest thrusts he was capable of as his climax hit. He held me tight, my body there to fulfill his need as he came in me, groaning and spasming until he'd finally given me all he had. He pulled out, and I turned around, my own breath shallow and rapid. â€Å"That †¦ maybe we shouldn't have done that †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kiyo put an arm around my waist and pulled me to him. His lips grazed mine. â€Å"You sound like a guy the morning after. You're the one who attacked me, remember?† â€Å"True,† I admitted. With my lust sated, I was feeling slightly more coherent. But only barely. His naked body was still right against mine, and that was distracting. â€Å"Give me a few more minutes,† he murmured. â€Å"A few more minutes and we can do it again †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"We're probably just creating more problems.† He kissed my neck. â€Å"What's one more problem among all the others we have? One more time, Eugenie. I've missed you so much. Let's do this just one more time.† I could feel that he was indeed almost ready again. I lifted one of my legs up, half-wrapping it around him as my body decided it was ready again too. â€Å"And then what?† â€Å"Then?† Kiyo's mouth moved toward mine. â€Å"Then we go see Dorian.†