Project Report on Supply Chain Management of Walmart...

PROJECT REPORT ON SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT OF WALMART UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF: SUBMITTED BY: MOHD FAIZAN YUSUF PGDM 2009-11 Galgotias Business School APPROVED BY AICTE, MÄ °NÄ °STRY OF HRD, GOVT. OF INDÄ °A) 1, KNOWLEDGE PARK, PHASE II, GREATER NOÄ °DA. (U.P.) INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPANY Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is an American public corporation that runs a chain of large discount department stores†¦show more content†¦This inter-organizational supply network can be acknowledged as a new form of organization. However, with the complicated interactions among the players, the network structure fits neither market nor hierarchy categories (Powell, 1990). Supply chain management is typically viewed to lie between fully vertically integrated firms, where the entire material flow is owned by a single firm, and those where each channel member operates independently. Therefore coordination between the various players in the chain is key in its effective management. SUPPLY CHAIN OF WALLMART Hub and spoke system In the early 1970s, Wal-Mart became one of the first retailing companies in the world to centralize its distribution system, pioneering the retail hub-and-spoke system. Under the system, goods were centrally ordered, assembled at a massive warehouse, known as ‘distribution center’ (hub), from where they were dispatched to the individual stores (spoke). Wall Mart’s Procurement The company directly procured from manufacturers, by passing all intermediaries. Wal-Mart finalizes a purchase deal only when it is fully confident that the products being bought is not available elsewhere at aShow MoreRelatedA Report On Wal Mart2059 Words   |  9 Pages12/15/2014 BY :GROUP-4 Submitted to : Prof : Vijya Bandhopadyaâ€Æ' Acknowledgement We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to all those people who have significantly contributed towards the completion of this assignment. 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JC Penney 4 Strategy initiative 4 Mission†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 5 2.KOHL’S†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Read MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesSystems Development Project at Consumer and Industrial Products, Inc. CASE STUDY III-2 A Make-or-Buy Decision at Baxter Manufacturing Company CASE STUDY III-3 ERP Purchase Decision at Benton Manufacturing Company, Inc. 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Coursework on multicultural management Free Essays

Cross cultural training as one of the greatest managerial challenges of globalization is the heart of human resources management in the public sector. The author’s main advocacy is that of encouraging the public leaders to â€Å"assume the responsibility for creating new models of management systems† (Hill, Charles 2004). As an effective answer to the challenges of globalization, the author believes that the world is in need of training and educating globally competitive Human Resources professionals and that the government must do its part by financially supporting such immediate needs. We will write a custom essay sample on Coursework on multicultural management or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is the global competition that gave way to the increasing cultural diversity in companies and in the public sector. The focus of modern and globally competitive management strategy should then focus on its culturally diversified human resources. In this article, the author raised several vital questions in relation to human resources management in the global and multicultural environment. First the author asked how executives can develop a multicultural management group. Secondly the author wanted to explore the role of human resources in the management of negotiations and international collaboration. Lastly, the author dug on the ways of developing cross-cultural competencies. According to the author, a globally competitive agency must seriously consider the concept of trans-nationalism by creating and maintaining â€Å"multifaceted organizational cultures† (Bartlet and Ghoshal 1992 cited in Hill 2004). Global leaders are required to cope with cultural relativity and part of that step is to carry out cultural awareness training (Bochner, 1992 cited in Hill 2004). That awareness training must include an understanding of the country’s national culture and how its people think. A management specialist asserts that â€Å"Cultural differences significantly influence management approaches and the performance of employees within organizations† (Hofstede, 1989). A globally competitive leader must first learn the techniques of global negotiations which requires an awareness and understanding of the multicultural facets of the negotiation process. This skill however according to the author needs to be learned and practiced overtime. In the case of a globally competitive public manager, one has to develop the essential characteristics of a global leader. These characteristics according to Hill involve a global mindset, global leadership skills, and ability to lead cross-cultural teams, energy and talent to participate in global networking, and skills as a global change agent. In the context of public administration in education, the author recommends that a global leader must incorporate faculty development and exchange and team building for its members. A globally competitive public administration should also develop and maintain cultural exposure and a public-centered, multi-lingual work environment in addition to textbook and case study development. The concept of the globalization of human resources management is a vital aspect of any organization that must be placed immediate attention. Since globalization require the interaction of organizations in the international arena, it is important that its leaders and members should be able to develop cultural sensitivity. Global competition opens opportunity for people of different cultures to come together to negotiate, build business relationships and maintain a culturally diversified working environment. Human resources management therefore plays vital role in securing that each organization is recruiting and training globally competitive and culturally sensitive leaders. ARTICLE II. Multinational enterprises, employment relations and ethics Apart from cultural sensitivity, globalization also poses challenges to employment relations and ethical perspectives of globally competitive organizations. This article specifically addresses the issues concerning business ethics like child labor, work environment safety and work pay rates. Ethics, although seen in different perspectives and in some relations with values, is a concept that is still considered a relative term in the business arena. In this article ethics has been discussed in comparison and in contrast with the concept of law. The author questions how can business leader gauge if business rules, practices and values can considered ethical? The author also explored the concept of universal approval as a benchmark in drafting an organization’s statement of values and ethical standards. Because values are relative, the acceptability of practices depends on the existing cultural norms in a certain society. â€Å"Values are always matters of taste or whim, and cannot be proved to be true, or valid for all time in all places, their nature and consequences can be identified† (Donaldson, John 2001). On this ground, ethical standards are always debatable. Still human resources are the main concern of this article since all organizations are composed and run by people. Globally competitive enterprises must therefore focus on critical analysis of the values and ethical standards they attempt to implement especially with the presence of cultural diversity. The author in this regard assessed that judgment of business ethics cannot be based upon legal structures rather on the culturally acceptable standards of the country on which an enterprise operates. In the author’s view, ethical standards of each enterprise must look into some principles of employment conditions that would generally be considered acceptable for at the European community. First, an ethical work environment must give its members the freedom to move around the working community, provide equal opportunities for men and women, training and a high standard of health and safety protection at work. The author’s main point is that ethical standards of different work environments, especially that relates to cultural diversity, differ on situations and not on principles upon which such ethical standards are based upon. The bottom line of the author’s argument is that business codes of ethics do not suffice for an organization to become successful in its operation but still they are held important as they serve to inform its members of the values that the company is expected of them. At the least business ethics are vital elements of the organization’s operations in matters of decision-making and of forecasting and shaping its future. â€Å"The key to managerial ethics is the development of individuals so that, ideally, they will possess the moral attributes required for the apprehension, appreciation and handling of ethical issues and dilemmas† (Donaldson, 2001). Business ethics should not therefore serve as borderline for each member rather it must be drafted in a way that independent moral judgment of each member can still be practiced. The author’s question is that apart from the existing organizational ethical standards, what more should each globally-operating enterprise should need? Apart from addressing the issues of working environment safety, child labor and gender sensitivity, global organizations must balanced such principles with the value of strong self-belief. What the author therefore recommends is adapt economic and business pluralism. A personal opinion on this matter would lead to a conclusion that respect for each person’s identity and preferences should always be an important consideration. Although it has been established as some form of business rule that a company must operate according to the existing laws in the country where it operates, cultural diversity poses a great challenge for each organization to balance cultural norms, ethical standards and laws with human respect especially those who are operating with people of different colors. ARTICLE III. Diversity Management and Cultural Competence Dreachslin is concerned about the importance of cultural diversity awareness and recognition of managers in a globally competitive organization. An awareness of one’s group identities according to the author â€Å"helps shape our world view and influence our cultural style, including what we value, how we behave, and what we believe† (Dreachslin, Janice 2007,p.79). It is one’s awareness of a cultural identity and preferences that help him define his way of interacting with such culture in reference to human respect. The author also finds the issue important because of the presence of human biases and preferences that create possible disagreements and thus conflicts in an organization which caters to the needs of people from different cultures and beliefs. Because globally operating organizations necessitates the employment of culturally diversified people, it is not surprising that disparities in the workforce arise evidently. This trend had been viewed by two opposing advocates. On one side, some believe that cultural competence is as important as celebrating our differences. On the other hand, some believe that placing importance of such issue would only contribute to cultural conflicts. The question raised in the middle of the author’s discussion is on what is the better approach to diversity management- homogenization or customization? On the basis of healthcare industry, the two approaches were compared. In the author’s perspective, â€Å"homogenization is necessary to build common ground and unity of purpose in the context of diversity, without which strong performance is not possible† (ibid.). It is stressed in the article that identities, being an inevitable part of cultural diversity, maybe chosen individually and socially. In that sense, one’s actions towards his relationship or interaction with people of the same culture or that of the other culture are seriously affected because expectations or at least impressions are created from the start. Such impressions or expectations therefore define our ways of communicating with others. Homogenization tells us that a common ground can possibly be created on which both parties can meet or agree with. The other side of the coin, the concept of customization, necessitates the satisfaction of one’s need to express his uniqueness by expressing the values and characteristics we share with those of the same affiliations. Customization therefore advocates and encourages the display of individual cultural differences not for cultural identification but for the sake of human need and satisfaction. Both concepts have their own benefits and costs like all other concepts and ideas but management specialists like Donaldson recommend the employment of both but stressed that this be done in balance. Communication has been highly regarded as a vital tool in managing one’s own leadership style. In reducing cultural conflicts, leaders are required to utilize the communication tool efficiently and effectively. Donaldson suggests that leaders must ask themselves if their communication styles are required by their jobs or their styles were purely their personal preference. The answer would definitely go for the former proposition. Experts suggest that serious attention must be put on managing diversity in order to have a positive impact on employee performance. It is to be stressed that diversity in this context encompasses gender disparities or gender gaps. Kochan stressed that â€Å"diversity is both a labor-market imperative and social expectation/ value† (Kochan, et al. 2003, p.18). In the practice of managing diversity, it is important that leaders must not focus on pointing out cultural and gender differences. Globally competitive leaders are rather required to employ balanced management styles through efficient communication strategies. These can be his powerful tool in building an organizational culture and human resources practices that would generally be practical and applicable to its culturally diversified people. Despite the presence of obvious cultural and gender differences, global leaders must be able to develop the skills of training its employees to professionally practice respect by simply treating its people based on what is just and rightful and without prejudice to any party involved. REFERENCES C. A. Barlett, and S. Ghoshal (1992). What is a Global Manager? Harvard Business Review 70 (1992): 124-132. John Donaldson (2001). Multinational enterprises, employment relations and ethics. Employee Relations. Bradford: 2001. Vol. 23, Iss. 6; pg. 627, 16 pgs Janice L Dreachslin (2007). Diversity Management and Cultural Competence: Research, Practice, and the Business Case.Journal of Healthcare Management. Chicago: Mar/Apr 2007. Vol. 52, Iss. 2; pg. 79 Geert Hofstede (1980). Cultures Consequences: International Differences in Work-related Values (Beverley Hills, CA: Sage, 1980, 1984). Pan Suk Kim (1999). Globalization of human resource management: A cross-cultural perspective for the public sector. Public Personnel Management. Washington: Summer 1999. Vol. 28, Iss. 2; pg. 227 Michael Porter (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations (London: Macmillan, 1990). 2 Oded Shenkar How to cite Coursework on multicultural management, Essay examples

Billy Budd 2 Essay Research Paper To free essay sample

Billy Budd 2 Essay, Research Paper To organize merely one sentiment or demo simply one facet of this narrative is naif, ill-mannered, and closed minded. How may one stick to one food shop mea, moral inquiring, or out-look on a book that jumps from such instances like toads on lily pads? Merely as Melville has done, I shall try to set up my perceptual experience of Billy Budd, in a similar manner. That is, through an irregular pattern ( that is ; leaping from platinum. to point ) , of composing an essay I shall invariably alter and waies and ends of what it is I wish to province. One may comprehend the book s construction to be loose and rather flexible ; one finds that the tantrums and starts, and the shifting of lengths between chapters are the best manner to convey the feelings/ significances of Billy s narrative. Possibly the storyteller believes that Billy is true on a deeper sense ; in other words, it corresponds to existent experience. Don T you, yourself find that when you are seeking to do a major determination, or populating through some important event your head supports switching from one thing to another, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, sometimes contriving conjectural state of affairss to utilize as comparings or differences? This is similar to the instance as seen in Billy Budd. The Book doesn T work in a rigorous and orderly manner but starts out to depict at length different characters, so moves to fast actions, slows down once more to a really argued trail, so draws quickly to a stopping point with Billy s hanging. Even after that event, ( the hanging ) , the book lingers on with a remark of it and ties up all loose terminals ( Captain Vere deceasing etc ) . Though this narrative lacks Orthodox format, it coheres in a profound and traveling manner. The manner and point of position of Billy Budd can be dealt with together b/c of the strong narrative voice determines both. The storyteller of the narrative is clearly a extremely educated individual with a great cognition of mythology. Though the voice of the narrative is consistent in this novel, the point of position is invariably altering. Sometimes we are put inside the caputs of the characters ( he tells us Claggart s secret ideas about Billy, and makes us experience the anguish Captain Vere is sing in doing his difficult determination. Then once more there are other times were he removes both of us ( storyteller, and reader ) , from a scene, ( Best illustration being, when Vere goes to state Billy that he must hang- and avoids doing judgements ) . The switching position and non including judgements forces one to do their ain feelings and values to the events in the book. It s these displacements that make the book of all time more true, existent, and complex in the different state of affairss. The storyteller invariably makes allusions to the Bible and to Greek mythology, and this has the consequence of promoting Billy s narrative into a symbolic play. The storyteller besides has the wont of straying, and he confesses that this failing is a literary wickedness. One might happen these Acts of the Apostless to be deflecting, but in fact when you stop to believe why the storyteller included them it sheds a certain visible radiation. Not merely does the storyteller maintain altering his point of position, but he keeps altering his gait every bit good. Background on history ( the war ) , a long analysis of characters, which are followed by intense dramatic action ( i.e. ; Billy being approached in fall ining a mutiny, and subsequently killing Claggart ) . Through such an attack the storyteller evokes the ambiance of the narrative. Many different subjects arise in this narrative. First, one most note that Billy was given 3 chief monikers ; Baby Budd, he was seen as a signifier of Christ, and as Adam from the Garden of Paradise. When seeing all three in the same sentence it brings one to compare and contrast. What do all three basically hold? Innocence. Furthermore, such a quality International Relations and Security Network T lost through yourself but through the actions of others. A Baby doesn T turn up until his eyes are opened and he is stripped of his pureness. Jesus was all good until he was hanged a rood by those who opposed his beliefs- once more another stripped of his goodness. Last but non least, the comparing of Billy to Adam. Adam was a adult male, G-d first creative activity, and hence is seen as one of the highest degrees of hollies. He did non cognize evil, for he was the first, but what brought about his autumn was the enticement of the serpent. To stretch farther into the thoughts of Billy and his relation to each description, one must see them in context. Baby ; who bestowed Billy with such a rubric? Though Billy has many friends among the crew of the Indomitable, the Dansker is the lone one whose character Melville fills out wholly. Wrinkled, misanthropic, tight-lipped, and wise in the crooked ways of the universe, the Dansker offers rather a contrast to the fine-looking immature crewman whom he dubs Baby Budd. Furthermore, Melville compares the old Dansker to the prophet at Delphi, a sort of spiritual fortune-teller whom the antediluvian Greeks would confer with for advise about the hereafter. Like this prophet, the Dansker likes doing short, deep dictums, and one time he speaks, he refuses to explicate what he s said. Billy, for one, can t understand half of his vocalizations, and what he understands he refuses to believe. You might acquire frustrated with him because, while he cares for Billy, he refuses to take a base and talk up for him. In add-on, after this short history of who the Dansker is, one can see vividly why he was named Baby Budd. On a physical degree Billy contrasted the Dansker rather vividly. On a deeper degree, thought still easy to hold on, one sees that the Dansker is wise in the crooked ways, nevertheless ; Billy is yet a babe. Sing Billy as a signifier of Christ ; In order to visualize Billy as a Christ, one must first attack Jesus for what he was. Christ was a simple adult male ( shepherd ) , and sacrificed himself so as others wouldn t be hurt. He excessively was betrayed by person he felt he could swear. ( Judas ) . Similarly, Billy was merely ( the book neer gave us ground to believe that Billy was greatly educated or such ) . Second, after Billy s unwilled wickedness, his surrender to his destiny nowadayss Billy as Christ like in his willingness to accept the forfeit of his ain life in order to keep societal order. Furthermore, I believe that because Billy was approached to fall in a mutiny, decided non to, and still didn t describe the work forces he was approached by, the people saw him as an above type of individual. Billy like Christ was besides betrayed by person he thought he could swear. Don T be misunderstood ; I am non mentioning to Captain Vere, but Claggart. For illustration ; in the incide nt of the spilling of the soup, Claggart did non respond in a roseola mode, hence, Billy put down all guards from him. This cogent evidence is most noticeable, in the scene in which Billy is hanged and the gallows in which Billy is hung upon is seen as a kind of Crucifix and Billy himself as a Christ-like figure. Billy is closely associated with Adam before the Fall. Claggart is like the serpent Satan who wormed his manner into Eden and tricked mankind out of a province of pureness, artlessness, and felicity. Billy Budd reenacts this antique struggle between good and evil symbolically and in the workings of the secret plan. However, I think this parable merely goes every bit far as the instance with Billy killing Claggart. Even beyond that simple apprehension, the autumn of adult male can be looked at in different ways. Sociologically, when pureness and artlessness is stripped off by the act of killing Claggart. Simplicity, to jurisprudence and justice. Another manner to construe Billy s autumn, is that of adult male to industry. ( Although this thought is more stressed in Bartleby ) . Yes, Billy reenacts the Fall of Man, but it goes a measure farther to demo the forgiveness and credence that follows. The important scene in this book is the meeting between Captain Vere and Billy after the trail ( the scene from which we re significantly excluded ) , when the justice embraces the condemned slayer like a male parent to a boy. The father-son motive is a sub-theme within this general reading. The key in the book is Billy s echoing approval: â€Å"God Bless Captain Vere! † ( Chapter 21 ) In Billy Budd, the function of the justice and leader is played by the Honorable Edward Fairfax Vere, the commanding officer of the Indomitable. Vere is a member of the English nobility. A unmarried man about 40 old ages old, Vere is a brave but non foolhardy captain, who has distinguished himself in several conflicts and lift to his rank through dedicate service and because he treats his crew good. He is an rational, which is something rare in the armed forces. He loves to read, particularly history and doctrine Books that reinforce his strong conservative sentiments of the universe. Though he is a decisive leader, he besides has a touch of languor in his character and on juncture has been seen gazing into the sea. Because it is understood that Vere and Billy were close it brings to oppugn why Vere wouldn T have pardoned Billy? Very Far was he from encompassing chances for monopolising to himself the hazards of moral duty. ( chapter 21 ) Captain Vere can be looked upon in at least three different visible radiations. Vere as a austere but merely justice, Vere as inhuman coward, and as a all-around adult male in a tough topographic point. Each give ground to why Billy stated, G-d bless Captain Vere. And through each it is easy to plus why in each it would do sense. Vere as austere but merely justice ; No one likes the fact that Billy bents for killing Claggart, but many feel that Vere made the lone determination possible. As the Captain of the Indomitable, he must look out for the public assistance of the whole ship, non merely the destiny of one adult male, and his determination to put to death Billy takes this precedence into history. It is evident to us, as readers that Vere suffers because the more he sees of Billy the more he loves him. By the terminal, he feels about like Billy s male parent. He knows Billy is guiltless before God ( chapter 21 ) in the ultimate sense, but his responsibility concerns the here and now. The jurisprudence demands that Billy must hang, and Vere knows he must continue the jurisprudence. Furthermore, to implement this degree of concluding with the phrase God Bless Captain Vere, one may construe it to intend ; hapless Captain Vere, may you bless him for it is the mistake of society non this adult male. In add-on, cognizing that Vere is brave, individual at 40 and all together devoted to his work, his true hurting for Billy Becomes known when he dies in the preceding conflict. His last words uttered were Billy ; Billy s last words were Captain Vere. As Vere takes leave of Bill, the senior lieutenant notices a expression of torment on his face ( chapter 22 ) Through another window one can see Vere to be a inhuman coward. Vere argued himself into the decease punishment for Billy out of cowardliness and bare fright. He might easy hold pardoned Billy, but he convinces himself that to make so would do the crew to mutiny, and he uses this feeble statement to convert the other Judgess to travel along with him. It s the typical second-guessing of a nervous coward. Vere might read a batch of books, but all they do is indurate his already settled sentiments. Like so many intellectuals, he wholly separates his feelings from his ideas, and assumes that his intestine reaction is incorrect, because it comes from his intestine! In this regard ; the phrase God Bless Captain Vere, takes on a new significance. Now it can stand to intend, God bless this adult male for he is lost. Yet another manner to look at Captain Vere is excessively merely soggiest that Vere is a all-around adult male in a tough topographic point. He s a leader and a mind, a adult male of deep feelings but besides a stickler for inside informations, a adult male with strong personal sentiments but an even stronger sense of responsibility. There is no simple reply to this instance. Furthermore, if you look at Billy ; Billy didn t study the mutiny, and followed his bosom making what he felt was moral. If you observe Captain Vere ; The Captain decides to hang Billy, he did what the jurisprudence directed him to make. If you look at the result of each individual so you will detect something in congruity, they both died. Possibly this is to state us that in a universe of such complexness, peoples will endure the same destiny regardless of the way of society ( jurisprudence ) , or personal decision ( that is moral ) . In this one can construe the phrase, God bless Captain Vere to intend, God bl ess this adult male for he was left with a fork in the route in which both results were similar. This is the cardinal nature of Vere s nature and everyone agrees one these basic facts. When Vere has to cover with the highly hard state of affairs on board the ship caused by Claggart s accusal, and Billy s striking out at him, his character is thrown into a whole new visible radiation. His ultimate determination, nevertheless, is up to endless argument. The manner one feels about his determination will turn out to be the anchor of one s reading of the book. I personally agree with the pick that Captain Vere made. What is Claggart s job? This is a inquiry you can believe about infinitely and still non reply to your satisfaction. Claggart is fundamentally the force of immorality in Billy Budd. He is Billy s face-to-face in merely about every manner. This will give you a good grip on how to speak about Claggart but it doesn t get to the underside of him. As Melville makes so clear in this book, immorality is a enigma that can neer be adequately explained. Bing Claggart is the incarnation of immorality, contains this enigma at the really centre of his character. Claggart is at the other terminal of the rope ( good v. immorality ) ; it is astonishing to see how they both steam from a similar steam. To look at him you might non believe he is so bad. Thirty-five old ages old, tall, dark haired, and reasonably fine-looking, there are merely two truly unusual things in his appearance- a dead-white skin color and an excessively big mentum. It is interesting to see a dead white skin color as a description for person with dead characteristic. To state he is dead you can link him to the really symbol of Satan or snake that he is thought out to be. He is dead in the sense of missing heart/ feelings. As for an overly big mentum, this is normally a similar physical characteristic seen with many evil characters, i.e. , Cruealla Deville, and other dark animals leering in the shadows. Both Claggart are instead fine-looking ( except for the difference stated about Claggart to see Billy s visual aspect see chapter 1 ) . Both had no existent background, all w e know of Billy is that he utilize to work on the Great adult male and now moved to the never-say-die as a consequence of war. As for Claggart he seems to be rather intelligent, and no 1 can calculate out how h got to the naval forces. Rumor has it that Claggart as a little clip condemnable in England, and he was drafted straight from prison. But no 1 knows for certain. About his intelligence, merely like the serpent used his intelligence to flim-flam Mankind, Claggart excessively uses his intelligence to flim-flam Billy. Thus the autumn of either s Garden. Upon this reappraisal, one can inquire such a inquiry of, does every Eden have to hold its serpent? The presence of John Claggart in Billy Budd suggest that immorality is portion of our universe, and it will ever attach itself to innocence and seek to pervert it. Billy Budd focuses on the interior life of a individual ship. Life aboard the Indomitable is a scaly down theoretical account of life itself, yet it is evident of the strength and about claustrophic this scene can be as the narrative returns and everything is heightened. Thought the wide-open sea is all about, it merely isolates the work forces from the remainder of the universe. If you ve of all time been momently separated on a encampment trip, per-say, so you know how rapidly one can acquire on another s nervousnesss. This narrative captures that strength. One must besides retrieve that Billy is set in a clip of war and mutiny, and theses factors have a major impact on the narrative and everyone s determinations.

Literal Versus Figurative Language free essay sample

I will then describe an appropriate circumstance for using the example and when It might lead to misunderstanding. Idiom: The language peculiar to a people or too district, community, or class. Dont give up your day Job. This Idiom Is commonly used to describe someone who believes they are very good at something and could make a living doing Just that when in fact in the eyes of others they are really actually no good. Analogy: The inference that If two or more things agree with one another In some respects. They will probably agree In others. During election mimes we can hear candidates saying things like, Bill Clinton, Rhode Scholar is to genius as Mitt Rooney is to ignorance. Metaphor: A fugue of speech in which an Implied comparison Is made between two unlike things that actually have something Important In common The weather was so heavy on Saturday, it was raining cats and dogs, is an example oaf metaphor. We will write a custom essay sample on Literal Versus Figurative Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We use this metaphor to explain that it was raining heavily. We do not mean that cats and dogs were falling out of the sky. Simile: A simile is a figure of speech where two unlike things are compared, nearly by using the word Like or as. Good coffee Is Like friendship: rich and warm and strong. (slogan of Pan-American Coffee Bureau). Good coffee is like the friend who is always there to comfort you and make you feel good in spite of all thats happening around you. You may not want to use this simile sarcastically. Click: A click or click is an expression, Idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful.Absence makes the heart grow fonder is an example oaf click. This means that if two people who love each other are separated, the separation is likely to Intensify their love for each other. You would probably not want to use this If your relationship Is going sour. It may appear to be an indication of sarcasm at this stage. Amphibole: An amphibole occurs when the construction of a sentence allows it to have two different meanings. Teenagers shouldnt be allowed to drive. Its getting too dangerous on the streets.This could be taken to mean the teenagers will be In danger, or that they will cause the danger. Flame word: The Urban Dictionary defines flame as a word that means to insult someone electronically, or otherwise, and also to insult a person you are arguing with just about 2 months I realized that he was nothing more than a silver back shown through his mannerism, his appearance, and the way her presents himself. He was like a gorilla in the midst. We would probably not want to use this to describe your boss in his presence. Hyperbole: Hyperbole are exaggerations to create emphasis or effect. To wait an eternity is an example of hyperbole. This means to wait a very long time. So if Joan is to wait an eternity for John to propose to her she may be waiting forever. Euphemism: A euphemism is a generally harmless word, name, or phrase that replaces an offensive or suggestive one. Http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ Euphemism. Kick the bucket is an example of euphemism. It is often used when someone dies. It does not mean that we literally kick a bucket.Colloquialism: An informal expression that is more often used in casual conversation than in formal speech or writing. I dumped my boyfriend, is an example of colloquialism. This means that she is no longer dating her boyfriend but could be construed to mean she dumped him in a pool of water. Figurative language can be colorful. This is great because if we only speak or write literally our lives, our literature, and our conversations would be boring. The important thing is to recognize when to use appropriately use figurative language versus when to use literal language..

The Know-Nothing Party Opposed Immigration to America

The Know-Nothing Party Opposed Immigration to America Of all the American political parties in existence in the 19th century, perhaps none generated more controversy than the Know-Nothing Party, or the Know-Nothings. Officially known as the American Party, it originally emerged from secret societies organized to violently oppose immigration to America. Its shadowy beginnings, and popular nickname, meant it would eventually go down  in history as something of a joke. Yet in their time, the Know-Nothings made their dangerous presence known- and no one was laughing. The party unsuccessfully ran candidates for president, including, in one disastrous effort, former president Millard Fillmore. While the party failed at the national level, in local races the anti-immigrant message was often very popular. Adherents to the Know-Nothings strident message also served in Congress and at various local levels of government. Nativism in America As immigration from Europe increased in the early 1800s, citizens who had been born in the United States began to feel resentment at the new arrivals. Those opposed to immigrants became known as nativists. Violent encounters between immigrants and native-born Americans would occasionally occur in American cities in the 1830s and early 1840s. In July 1844, riots broke out in the city of Philadelphia. Nativists battled Irish immigrants, and two Catholic churches and a Catholic school were burned by mobs. At least 20 people were killed in the mayhem. In New York City, Archbishop John Hughes called upon the Irish to defend the original St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Mott Street. Irish parishioners, rumored to be heavily armed, occupied the churchyard, and the anti-immigrant mobs that had paraded in the city were scared off from attacking the cathedral. No Catholic churches were burned in New York. The catalyst for this upsurge in the nativist movement was an increase in immigration in the 1840s, especially the great numbers of Irish immigrants who flooded East Coast cities during the years of the Great Famine in the late 1840s. The  fear at the time sounded much like fears expressed about immigrants today: outsiders will come in and take jobs or perhaps even seize political power. Emergence of the Know-Nothing Party Several small political parties espousing nativist doctrine existed in the early 1800s, among them the American Republican Party and the Nativist Party. At the same time, secret societies, such as the Order of United Americans and the Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, sprang up in American cities. Their members were sworn to keep immigrants out of America, or at least to keep them segregated from mainstream society once they arrived. Members of established political parties were at times baffled by these organizations, as their leaders would not publicly reveal themselves. And members, when asked about the organizations, were instructed to answer, â€Å"I know nothing.† Hence, the nickname for the political party that grew out of these organizations, the American Party, formed in 1849. Know-Nothing Followers The Know-Nothings and their anti-immigrant and anti-Irish fervor became a popular movement for a time. Lithographs sold in the 1850s depict a young man described in a caption as Uncle Sams Youngest Son, Citizen Know Nothing. The Library of Congress, which holds a copy of such a print, describes it by noting the portrait is representing the nativist ideal of the Know Nothing Party. Many Americans, of course, were appalled by the Know-Nothings. Abraham Lincoln expressed his own disgust with the political party in a letter written in 1855. Lincoln noted that if the Know-Nothings ever took power, the Declaration of Independence would have to be amended to say that all men are created equal except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics. Lincoln went on to say he would rather emigrate to Russia, where despotism is out in the open, than live in such an America. The Partys Platform The basic premise of the party was a strong, if not virulent, stand against immigration and immigrants. Know-Nothing candidates had to be born in the United States. And there was also a concerted effort to agitate to change the laws so that only immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for 25 years could become citizens. Such a lengthy residency requirement for citizenship had a deliberate purpose: it would mean that recent arrivals, especially the Irish Catholics coming to the U.S. in great numbers, would not be able to vote for many years. Performance in Elections The Know-Nothings organized nationally throughout the early 1850s, under the leadership of James W. Barker, a New York City merchant and political leader. They ran candidates for office in 1854, and had some success in local elections in the northeast. In New York City, a notorious bare-knuckles boxer named Bill Poole, also known as Bill the Butcher, led gangs of enforcers who would fan out on election days, intimidating voters.   In 1856 former president Millard Fillmore ran as the Know-Nothing candidate for president. The campaign was a disaster. Fillmore, who had originally been a Whig, refused to subscribe to the Know-Nothing’s obvious prejudice against Catholics and immigrants. His stumbling campaign ended, not surprisingly, in a crushing defeat (James Buchanan won on the Democratic ticket, beating Fillmore as well as Republican candidate John C. Fremont). End of the Party In the mid-1850s, the American Party, which had been neutral on the slavery issue, came to align itself with the pro-slavery position. As the power base of Know-Nothings was in the northeast, that proved to be the wrong position to take. The stance on slavery probably hastened the decline of the Know-Nothings. In 1855, Poole, the partys main enforcer, was shot in a barroom confrontation by a rival from another political faction. He lingered for nearly two weeks before dying, and  tens of thousands of spectators gathered as his body was carried through the streets of lower Manhattan during his funeral. Despite such shows of public support, the party was fracturing. According to an  1869 obituary of Know-Nothing leader James W. Barker in the New York Times, Barker had essentially left the party in the late 1850s and threw his support behind Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln in the election of 1860.  By 1860, the Know-Nothings Party was essentially a relic, and it  joined the list of  extinct political parties  in America. Legacy   The nativist movement in America did not begin with the Know-Nothings, and it certainly didn’t end with them. Prejudice against new immigrants continued throughout the 19th century. And, of course, it has never ended completely.

5 Action Verbs That Will Energize Your Resume

5 Action Verbs That Will Energize Your Resume For a long time, conventional wisdom held that resumes should be super-templated, super-formal affairs, complete with stiff language that no one would use in actual conversation:  I was responsible weekly for the procurement of sales figures and expenditure reports. These days, things have gotten less formal in general, and with so many distractions, people look for attention-grabbing words and concepts. Resumes are no different in that respect. The easiest way to make your resume more exciting and engaging is to redo the verbs. Specifically, using strong action verbs is the way to go.Your resume probably already has plenty of verbs like â€Å"managed,† â€Å"was responsible for,† â€Å"innovated,† or â€Å"communicated.† All of these are totally legitimate verbs- they’re also totally overused in the job sphere. Anyone who reviews resumes sees these same words over and over, every day. If you want to stand out from the pile of other communicating innovative managers, you can start by choosing other verbs that convey the same concepts, but in a more interesting way. These verbs are known as â€Å"action verbs,† and when placed strategically, they can re-energize your whole resume.1. Managing verbsIf you’re looking to show your leadership skills, consider using words like, â€Å"orchestrated,† â€Å"spear-headed,† â€Å"headed,† or â€Å"developed.†2. Problem-solving verbsSkip verbs like â€Å"saved† or â€Å"improved.† Show, don’t tell, with words like, â€Å"resolved,† â€Å"negotiated,† â€Å"strengthened,† â€Å"revamped,† or â€Å"enhanced.†3. Serving verbsIf you’re trying to convey your client skills, avoid â€Å"supported† or â€Å"dealt with.† Instead, use â€Å"facilitated,† â€Å"enabled,† â€Å"mediated,† â€Å"bridged,† or, if you’re feeling fancy, â€Å"liaised with.†4. Communicating verbsHere, the basics like â€Å"wrote,† â€Å"spoke,† or â€Å"communicated† are old hat. Try varieties like â€Å"corresponded,† â€Å"lobbied,† â€Å"publicized,† or â€Å"synthesized.†5. Innovating verbsEveryone’s an innovator these days, so try to find a different way to approach â€Å"organized† or â€Å"streamlined.† Instead, you could say â€Å"integrated,† â€Å"modified,† â€Å"updated,† â€Å"revamped,† â€Å"transformed,† or â€Å"remodeled.†You don’t need to go through and replace all the verbs in your resume, just for the sake of doing it. Rather, review what you already have, and at each verb you come to, ask if there’s a clearer or more exciting way to frame that bullet point. You want to show movement in your history (accomplishment! Action! Romance! Maybe not the last one). Find the words to show how you’r e a do-er extraordinaire, and that may vault your doc to the top of the list.

Market Entry Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Market Entry Project - Research Paper Example Considering this strategy in mind Target has planned to expand in the market of their neighboring country Mexico. We choose to enter Mexico, with the idea to expand our business base obviously, to cater to their competitor Wal-Mart who is doing great business in Mexico by providing the experience of ‘Like shopping in the US’ (Luhnow, David), with similar purchasing trends observed in US, Low Land and Central Mexico it was easy to understand consumer’s psychology (Portilla, Fabiola de la), people in Pacific, North and Southeast tend to spend more (Portilla, Fabiola de la). If we look at the Nielsen’s survey results closes we’ll come across the fact that Big Supermarkets still capture a very small proportion of the retail universe in Mexico-Pacific, 26%, Valley of Mexico 30%, (Portilla, Fabiola de la), which is extremely low and reflects the fact that markets displays huge blue spaces for expansion by large retailers like Target. Consumers tend to visi t markets in weekdays in Pacific and on weekends, Sunday etc in Low Land, Central Region and Valley of Mexico (Portilla, Fabiola de la). Negligible tariffs on trade between US and Mexico is acting as a major incentive for businesses to expand across borders and become transnational in nature. Target also has the advantage of learning and getting insights from Wal-Mart’s experience (Luhnow, David) so far in the Mexican market. Hence all the factors mentioned above drove us to the conclusion of tapping into Mexican market as our host country. The environmental opportunities which the host country offers are as follows; Economic factors, the country’s economy is back on track with a GDP of 3.8% in 2011 (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico), and shows good signs of growth with huge margins of blue spaces left to be exploited by the retailers with retail sales of 5.4% by may 2011 (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico), this increased economic stability has also impacted the purchasing power of Mexicans resulting in growing confidence in retail; Legal factors, like there are very low trade tariffs in Mexico as compared to the US, the act named NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) made in 1994 and renewed in 2008 created the world’s largest free market with almost negligible trade tariffs between US, Mexico and Canada (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico), hence very low legal restrictions act as an opportunity; Social Factor of emerging middle class in Mexico (6 Reasons why US retailers should enter Mexico) has given foreign retailers a hope that more people now have the power to experience a purchase in huge retail stores and with the emerging and still weak middle class discount stores can actually help the people and strengthen their own presence in the market as well. Cultural factors changes and flexibilities (Hernandez, Mariana) also act as an opportunity an opening for foreign retailers to jump into the market, thought it took time but now Mexicans have accepted and encourage foreign brands specially those manufactured or originated from US because of their own growing aspirations. Upon further analysis I would not exactly put this as a threat but a disadvantage faced by the retailers in Mexico’s trade environment could be of the huge power distance (Hernandez, Mariana) amongst the people living in the same region, existing large amount of

TO WHAT EXTENT MBA DEGREE MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR Essay

TO WHAT EXTENT MBA DEGREE MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR - Essay Example Professional courses in management and administration provide the requisite knowledge based curricula that are intended to meet the challenges of the changing times. MBA or masters in business administration is the professional course that imparts and helps to develop and understand the pros and cons of the business so that people pursuing this course are able to manage it with more proficiency and creativity. With the whole range of modules, covering the various core areas of business, the highly demanding professional degree is designed to motivate the professionals to be creative and improvise and improve the business processes to compete effectively with the changing business trends. Therefore, it is important to know whether the MBA degree, provided by the different universities are indeed able to meet with their pre-meditated goals of equipping the students with the requisite skill and knowledge that would meet the wider implications of the business acumen needed to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing times? The purpose of the study is to gauge the impact of the professional course on the creative inputs of the students in the real life situations and evaluate the extent of motivating factors which would influence his business decisions. In the era of globalization, the emerging trends in business are crucial to understand and therefore, it becomes imperative to know whether MBA produces the professionals who are not only good administrators but also develop the traits of entrepreneur and intrapreneurs who are equipped to improve and improvise the business processes to optimise the intended output, within the parameters of organizational goals and objectives. It is also important to know whether the graduates of the MBA are able to meet the criteria within the defined parameters or are sufficiently motivated to exploit their entrepreneurial skills to further improve their aims and objectives. The universities facilitate higher studies in the

Alcohol - Underage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Underage Drinking Essay Did you know that approximately one teenager between the ages of 14 and 17 die each week as a result of underage drinking? If that’s not alarming, research is saying that teenagers who frequently binge drink, are more likely to use drugs like cocaine and have sex with six or more partners and receive very poor grades at school. Good morning / afternoon and fellow students, I’m here today to convince you that alcohol consumption amongst teenagers should be reduced in order to eliminate serious injuries and deaths, reduce unsafe sexual activity and violent behaviour particularly in male teens. Despite being educated about alcohol consumption, binge drinking amongst teenagers is increasing at an alarming rate. Statistics show that teenagers who drink alcohol will take risks and put themselves in dangerous situations. As a result, more than sixty teenagers are hospitalised each weekend in Australia from alcohol related injuries. In the short term binge drinking can cause harm such as vomiting, hangovers and alcohol poisoning; however over a long period of time it may lead to more serious health issues such as alcohol dependence, brain and liver damage. Did you know the human brain is not fully developed until we reach the age of 25? What many of you don’t understand is that at this age, your brain is still forming critical parts needed for learning, memory, planning, emotional stability and thinking. Teenage binge drinking prevents the brain from developing properly and can cause permanent damage. In addition to the health risks, drinking alcohol impairs your judgement and the ability to make correct or safe decisions. Recent studies show there is a link between teenage drinking and high risk sexual activity. For example, teenagers who drink alcohol are more likely to have multiple sexual partners and unprotected sex, resulting in unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. A recent survey also showed that approximately 10 percent of female high school students had reported being raped. Plain and simple, alcohol alters your ability to think clearly. A study conducted in Great Britain revealed that: After drinking alcohol, one in seven 16-to-24-year-olds have had unprotected sex, while one in five have had sex that they regretted and one in 10 said they had been unable to remember if they had sex the night before. Do you want to be one of these statistics? When young males tend to drink some start to become violent and aggressive and try to create fights. The worst case scenario is someone getting killed. Aggressive, delinquent behaviours, especially amongst male teenagers often result in hospitalisation. Assaults such as king hits, glassings, stabbings and physical abuse are on the increase. Recently on a Saturday night, St Vincents hospital in Sydney recorded no less than 65 people being admitted with bloodied faces, teenagers passed out on stretchers and many innocent victims of alcohol fuelled violence. Seriously, could you live with yourself knowing you had injured a good friend? I know I couldn’t. Underage drinking, even so-called light drinking is dangerous, illegal, and must not be tolerated. Everyone including parents, schools, sporting clubs and anywhere young people gather should work together to deliver the message that underage drinking is not OK. Teens that drink alcohol run the risk of being seriously injured, they engage in unsafe sexual practices and boys can become extremely violent. I urge you not to binge drink.

Frankenstein: Who is the victim? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Frankenstein, the monster and Victor are both put through many depressing and hurtful situations. I think that the monster was the true victim. He was rejected by everyone he came across from the day he entered life. His creator was never there to teach him right from wrong or responsibility. And also, the monster's soon-to-be wife was killed before his eyes. These agonies are what make the monster more of a victim than Victor Frankenstein does.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the beginning, the monster was abandoned by his creator Victor, the only man he's ever had a relationship with. He was made eight feet tall and very grotesque. At first sight, his creator rejects him. The monster tries to integrate himself into society, only to be shunned universally. When the creature goes to the village, he is attacked because of his horrifying appearance. He assists a group of poor peasants and saves a girl from drowning, but because of his outward looks, he is rewarded only with beatings and disgust.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The monster is left to live his life with no help from his creator after being abandoned. While having the mind of a newborn, this is not easy for him. By not knowing right from wrong, he murdered Victor's loved ones in order to get attention. He never had anyone to teach him how to live life with dignity and respect. This is a major loss for a living being. The creator is at fault here because the monster does not know better. Victor should have taken responsibility by accepting, raising, and controlling the monster.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Victor destroys his work on the female monster meant to ease the monster's solitude, the monster is overcome with suffering and sadness. These feelings affected his state of mind and caused him to do wrong things. He did not deserve to see his one and only mate be destroyed.

China in the Twentieth Century Essay

The Long March took place from October 1934 – October 1935. It meant that communism was not completely wiped out by the Kuomintang, that the people of China learnt about communism and supported the communists, that the Kuomintang got control of the south of china and most of the communists died from illness, exposure and Kuomintang attacks. At the time it was significant because otherwise all the communists would have been annihilated. Its effects were not seen immediately but in the short term still it allowed the communist army to gather their strength and troops and meant that when they tried to take back the country the ordinary people of China knew about communism and its benefits and would support them over the Kuomintang. This also meant that when the Japanese invaded in 1936 they were strong enough and had enough support to fight and defeat them. In the Long term however, after 1949 when China was declared communist the Long March did not really have many effects. It was used in propaganda, as an example of the strength and determination of the communists but other than that it had no direct effects. The Revolution of the Double Tenth in 1911 was another event in the history of China. As a short-term cause it meant that China was free of imperial rule and became a democracy. It also led to the setting up of the Kuomintang and freedom from the tyranny of the Emperors. However, like the Long March for ordinary people it did not make much difference. Instead of being oppressed by the Emperors they were still living in poverty, oppressed by the Warlords. In the long term the Revolution of the Double Tenth meant that different political parties could be formed, including the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. It opened the way for change so that different ruling parties could have the chance to make a difference to China and gave more importance to the ordinary people of China, not just the Aristocracy. In 1949 Communist China was formed. In the short term this was very significant. Whereas the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth  did not really improve the lives of the ordinary people in the short term, this event lead quickly to land being divided between the peasants and the old cruel landlords being persecuted and punished. The communists helped the country recover from the damage the civil war had caused enough that extra food grown could be sold and government controlled factories could produce goods to sell in the first of Mao Zedong’s ‘5 Year Plan’s. However the communists wanted everyone to be equal so everyone was paid the same, whether they worked or not. This meant everyone did as little work as possible and were all equally poor instead of equally rich. Also, unlike the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth where different political parties were set up or protected as part of the effects the creation of Communist China meant all other political parties were banned. The remaining Kuomintang members fled to the island of Taiwan. In the long term the creation of Communist China lead to the Cultural Revolution where schools and universities were shut down and teachers and intellectuals were persecuted. This was because Chairman Mao, the leader of Communist China decided that China was not communist enough, and that people were turning back to the old capitalist ways. It also meant that after Chairman Mao’s death in 1976 there was a struggle between different political leaders in the Chinese Communist Party to decide who would be the next leader of China. Deng Xiaoping won and became the next leader of China. Deng’s reforms from 1979-1980 had a lot of short-term effects like the formation of Communist China and were very significant in the short term. Deng restored the capitalist economy system, opened up China to foreign trade and allowed farmers to sell their food for private profit. He set up Special Economic Zones and developed them to improve industry, which lead to the growth of Chinese exports by 500% and introduced wage incentives to encourage workers to work hard. He also brought back universities so that young people could study again and overall modernised the whole of China. Nevertheless Deng kept many of the communist ideas, including the anti-democracy stand that lead to the Tiananmen Square demonstrations and  the massacre of the protesters by the army at Deng’s orders. In the long term China continues to modernise and expand economically in the capitalist way that Deng introduced. However it is still not that long since Deng’s reforms took place so we cannot be sure what other long-term effects they may have. I do believe that the Long March was significant in the history of China in the Twentieth Century because it meant the communists survived to defend the country against the Japanese and win back the country from the Kuomintang as well as gaining the support of the people to be able to do this. However I think that the most significant event in the history of China in the Twentieth Century was the formation of Communist China. This is because it affected everyone in the country, unlike the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth which did not really effect the ordinary people in China or change their lives that much. Also it brought an end to the Civil war that led to a period of peace that meant modernisation and social and economic changes could occur, unlike the Long March and the Revolution of the Double Tenth, which lead to more Civil war and rebellions. It also had many short-term and long-term effects, more so than any of the other events I have covered here and lead to political, social and economic change, whereas Deng’s reforms only really lead to economic change and modernisation.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 11

Cody asked the obvious question. â€Å"So†¦if he's gone †¦how did that happen?† Hugh rubbed his eyes. â€Å"He was summoned.† â€Å"Oh, shit,† said Peter. His fun-in-the-sun joy disappeared. He looked as grim as Hugh and me. â€Å"That changes everything.† I glanced between him and Hugh, feeling as naà ¯ve as Cody. â€Å"What's that mean exactly? I've heard of summoning, but that's about it. I don't know any specifics. I don't know anyone it's happened to.† Peter nodded. â€Å"Me either, but I know what it is. Basically, a powerful human calls and binds a demon to his or her will. That human can then imprison and control the demon.† â€Å"Like Marlowe's Dr. Faustus .† We all turned to stare at Cody. Citing highbrow literary references was usually my thing, not his. â€Å"What?† he asked, looking uncomfortable under our scrutiny. â€Å"I had to read it in high school.† I looked back at Peter. â€Å"Okay, we're immortal, and we could never even scratch a demon. How could a human control one?† â€Å"Humans who use magic wield a different kind of power than immortals. Besides, from what I've heard, those who summon demons often have help,† explained Peter. He glanced at Hugh for confirmation. â€Å"From another demon,† the imp said. â€Å"Whoa. Let's go back to the part about controlling demons. What exactly is this human making Jerome do?† asked Cody. â€Å"Probably nothing,† said Hugh. â€Å"Or else someone would have found him by now. My guess is he's just being hidden.† Cody frowned. â€Å"Why? If you've got a pet demon, why not use him? Otherwise, what's the point?† It all came together now. â€Å"To get him out of the picture,† I said slowly. â€Å"That's it. The final piece in all this weird demon intrigue. That's what all the misdirection was building toward.† â€Å"Right. Cedric gets rid of Jerome, and suddenly there's an opening in Seattle for a new archdemon. And if Jerome doesn't return soon, they will get a new archdemon and reestablish the hierarchy here.† Hugh gestured to all of us. â€Å"The status quo will resume.† â€Å"Let's stick to ‘when' he returns and not ‘if,'† I said. â€Å"And I don't think Cedric's behind it.† â€Å"Of course Cedric's behind it,† said Hugh. â€Å"They've been fighting over territory, right? You of all people should know that.† I shook my head, recalling Cedric's exasperation and Nanette's smug look. â€Å"No†¦I think Cedric's being set up here. If you ask me, it's Nanette who's behind it.† I gave them a quick recap of my observations of her with both Cedric and Jerome. Hugh arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Portland Nanette? She's hot, I'll give you that, but she's not that strong.† â€Å"All the more reason for her to mess with Jerome and Cedric. She's been worried about them dragging her into their turf war. Besides, if she combined her power with a human capable of a summoning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† he admitted. â€Å"She could maybe do it†¦but that doesn't mean she did. My money's still on Cedric.† â€Å"Wouldn't she get in trouble for that?† asked Cody. â€Å"Only if she's caught,† said Peter. I sighed. â€Å"And in the meantime, this is bad for Jerome.† â€Å"Glad to see your powers of stating the obvious didn't disappear with your shape-shifting,† remarked Hugh. I shot him a glare. â€Å"I mean reputation-wise. Nanette told me lots of people have been keeping an eye on Jerome because of all the stuff that's gone down here-particularly with letting nephilim escape. They think he can't keep control. Even if he surfaces tomorrow, I've got to imagine that getting summoned in the first place won't look good.† â€Å"It won't,† agreed Hugh. â€Å"In fact, that's the other reason I stopped by. A bunch of demons are having a meeting tonight to talk about replacing him. Back room of the Cellar at seven.† â€Å"Wow, they move fast,† said Cody. â€Å"It's nothing official. Once word got out that Jerome was gone, every demon maneuvering for power moved in like that.† Hugh snapped his fingers. I refrained from pointing out that all demons were maneuvering for power as a general rule. â€Å"They're mostly just here to assert themselves-show how tough they are, cozy up to Grace and Mei. They might try to schmooze us a little, actually.† â€Å"Why? We don't have any say in this,† said Peter. He glanced between us all. â€Å"Do we?† â€Å"No, but eventually someone from Management will come here to size up the situation and will talk to us in their assessment. Everything plays a part. Those wanting the position will strut around, show how they could keep this place in line, and put their bids in.† â€Å"Is Nanette going to be at this meeting?† I asked suspiciously. â€Å"Yes,† said Hugh, eyeing me. â€Å"And so will Cedric.† I eyed him right back. â€Å"I'm telling you, it's not Cedric. I'm certain of it.† â€Å"What, you have donuts with him for a week, and now you guys are BFF?† â€Å"No, but I know him better than you do. And I think I understand Nanette better than you too,† I shot back. â€Å"So, you guys†¦Ã¢â‚¬  began Cody, a questioning note in his voice. â€Å"Are you sleeping with Cedric?† Hugh demanded. â€Å"Are you playing both sides now?† â€Å"No!† â€Å"It kind of sounds like it.† â€Å"You guys,† repeated Cody. â€Å"Look,† I said, â€Å"you just want to believe Nanette's innocent because you think she's hot.† â€Å"She is hot. For a demon.† â€Å"You guys!† yelled Cody. We turned to him. â€Å"What about us?† â€Å"What about us?† I asked. â€Å"What are we?† Cody's face was pinched and worried. Like Peter, he no longer seemed that excited about his newfound freedom. â€Å"Are we human?† I opened my mouth to answer and then fell silent. I honestly didn't know. Hugh glanced at me and shrugged. â€Å"Not exactly,† said Peter. â€Å"I think we're kind of†¦in stasis. We're neither mortal nor immortal.† â€Å"We have to be one or the other,† argued Hugh. â€Å"There's no purgatory equivalent to mortality.† Peter shrugged. â€Å"Hell's still got the lease on our souls. That's not going to change, no matter who our archdemon is. Removing him from the equation cuts us off from the abilities we get with immortality, but that's temporary.† â€Å"But does it cut us off from immortality itself?† asked Cody. â€Å"Can we die?† Silence fell. â€Å"Shit,† said Hugh. â€Å"I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Peter bit his lip. I had a feeling he was at the end of his knowledge on this subject. â€Å"I think they'd bring us back if we did.† â€Å"You think ?† asked Cody incredulously. Peter threw up his hands. â€Å"I don't know! This has never happened to me before, okay? Maybe we are human. Maybe we can get sick. Maybe we can lose in a fight. Maybe Georgina'll get her period. I don't know, okay?† â€Å"Whoa,† I said, straightening up. â€Å"What do you mean-â€Å" â€Å"Just stop it, all of you,† exclaimed Hugh. â€Å"We're not going to figure any of this out right now. Just go to the meeting and find out there. Grace and Mei are trying to manage things for now, and they'll know what's up. No point in panicking now.† We sat there, and I knew that despite his words, we were all indeed panicking. My stomach was rolling, but this time, it wasn't a reaction to the severing of my bond with Hell. This was born of pure terror. When things were bad in my life-particularly after Seth and I had broken up-there had been times when I'd hated immortality. Death had sounded appealing. I honestly hadn't been able to fathom how I could endure the centuries to come and had envied the finite life spans of humans. But now? Faced with the idea that I could actually die? Suddenly, desperately, I wanted to cling to my immortality with every scrap of my strength. Death was bleak, dark, and frightening. All the world's dangers descended on me at once, all the things I'd hitherto been able to ignore. Car accidents. Electrocution. Bird flu. The world was no longer safe. If the vampires felt any such fears, they apparently decided it wasn't going to get in the way of their last few days as free men. They rose as one and made motions to leave. â€Å"Well, if Jerome's going to get replaced with or without us, then there's no point sitting and moping,† said Peter. â€Å"We got cut off without warning,† I told him. â€Å"We could get reconnected to Hell's circuit board just as suddenly, you know. Aren't you a little nervous about getting caught out in the sun?† â€Å"They're not going to make any decisions in the next five hours,† said Peter brashly-too brashly, I thought. He paused a moment, his gaze drifting to my window and the blue sky beyond it. There, in his dark eyes, I saw the tiniest, tiniest bit of longing. It occurred to me then just how much he must have missed the sun these last thousand years or so. Like the rest of us, he'd willingly sold his soul for immortality. Along with that, he'd gotten superhuman strength and speed in exchange for a dependency on blood, a denial of sunlight, and a job as a dispenser of fear and nightmares. I certainly had regrets about my hellish deal some days; no doubt he did too. And maybe, despite his lax, overconfident attitude about the sun, he truly was aware of the risk of getting fried-and thought it was worth it after all this time. He and Cody left, leaving me and a still bleak-looking Hugh. I gently touched the imp's shoulder. â€Å"I'm sure this'll work out.† He cut me a wry look. â€Å"Really?† I laughed softly. â€Å"No, not really. I'm just trying to make you feel better. I never realized before how much you liked your†¦what would you call it? Imp vision?† This finally got him to smile. â€Å"You always thought of me as a paper pusher?† â€Å"Nah, no one uses paper anymore. It's all electronic.† â€Å"Not in Hell,† he said, standing up. â€Å"They kind of like cutting down forests.† I followed him to the door. â€Å"Well, hang in there, and I'll see you tonight.† â€Å"What are you going to do with your newfound freedom?† he asked, hand on the doorknob. I frowned. â€Å"What do you mean? This whole thing isn't quite the same for you and me as it is for the vampires.† The look Hugh gave me then was genuinely amused and almost pitying. â€Å"Georgina. Your shape-shifting and other abilities are fueled by human life. If you can't do those things, then you don't need the energy-just like Cody and Hugh don't need blood. Can't you feel it? The whole system's probably shut off.† I froze and almost stopped breathing for a moment-which might not have been so wise in my current state. † What ?† He laughed again. â€Å"How could you have not considered that?† â€Å"Well†¦because I was more focused on the entire fabric of Seattle's demonic hierarchy being unraveled. That and the possibility that we could all die.† Inside, my mind was replaying his words over and over, like a record that kept skipping: You don't need the energy, you don't need the energy†¦ I shook my head. â€Å"I can't believe that. It isn't possible.† I'd wanted it for too long, the ability to be with someone without the dire side effects. It was one of those things you always longed for but knew, deep down inside, could never happen. Like winning the lottery. Or, um, living forever. â€Å"Neither is a vampire going into the sun,† said Hugh. â€Å"Yet here we are.† He leaned down and kissed my cheek. â€Å"Think about it. This is a once in a lifetime-er, eternity-chance.† He started to leave, and then something I'd nearly forgotten about popped back into the forefront of my mind. â€Å"Hugh? Did you get my message earlier? About the Canadian Satanists?† After everything else, a few signs on the Space Needle suddenly seemed absurdly unimportant. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, with a grimace. â€Å"They had a huge spectacle there, freaked people out. They made the news and got arrested. Not sure what'll happen now. The international thing makes it all interesting.† â€Å"Were you able to tell Jerome?† â€Å"No, couldn't get a hold of him-not surprising if that was near the time of the summoning. I ended up getting a hold of Mei, and I think she did something to minimize how much the media found out. She was hoping that nobody in Management would notice.† â€Å"Yeah, well, they're all noticing us now.† Hugh's face was hard as he nodded his agreement. â€Å"That's an understatement. Have fun, sweetie.† He departed, leaving me standing there and staring at the door. I was still breathing heavily, my heart thudding in my chest. I needed to calm down and think this through. After all, who knew what could happen if I had a panic attack? Would I go into cardiac arrest or something? All bets were off now. Anything was possible. I sank down to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself, and focused on slowing my breathing. This was all too surreal. I couldn't process it. It wasn't possible that I could be mortal. It wasn't possible that I could die. It wasn't possible that I could actually touch a man without harming him. Over and over I told myself those things. Meanwhile, Aubrey strolled over to me and rubbed her head against my leg. Reaching out, I stroked her back, barely aware of my actions. What was I going to do? We had five hours until the meeting, which couldn't come soon enough as far as I was concerned. I needed answers now . I couldn't live with this uncertainty. My heart started racing again. Fuck. I really was going to have a heart attack. Hugh was a doctor in his day job; maybe I should call him about my blood pressure. Call†¦ An idea hit me then, and I stood up to go find my purse. Producing my cell phone, I dialed Dante. If anyone might know about this, it would be him. He probably wouldn't know the intricacies of how this affected my infernal standing, but he had to know something about demon summoning. Dark magic was his specialty. Besides, I wanted more than just his expertise. I suddenly just wanted†¦well, comfort. I wanted to see him. I wanted him to hold me and reassure me. I needed him to tell me everything was going to be okay. But the phone rang and rang without answer, sending me to his voice mail's friendly message: â€Å"Talk.† So much for that plan. I disconnected and leaned against my counter. Slowly, steadily, I felt my brain waking up, trying to find a scrap of reason through my fear. It wasn't in my nature to be passive. I had to do something about this. I couldn't wait until tonight for answers. â€Å"Let's research this ourselves, Aubrey,† I said. The average human knew nothing about the true nature of Heaven and Hell and how we operated. Yet, every once in a while, if you looked hard enough into arcane writings, you could stumble across a piece of truth that some adept mortal had uncovered. Ninety-nine percent of what I'd find would be inaccurate, but an Internet search could uncover some grain of truth about demon summoning. It was a total long shot, but it was the best I could do for now. Only, when I went to get my laptop, I discovered an unfortunate fact: I'd left it at the bookstore. I groaned. Now what? Another plan shot down. You idiot , a voice inside me chastised. You're a few blocks away. Get off your ass and get it . That logic made perfect sense, of course. Until I looked out the window. The same fear I'd had earlier returned. The cars moving along Queen Anne Avenue seemed too fast, the wind stirring the trees too strong, the people on the sidewalk too dangerous. How could I go out there? How could I put myself at risk? Better to stay in here where it was safe. And yet†¦how could I wait around? I was going to go crazy if I sat here. Glancing down at Aubrey, I saw her watching me with her green eyes. She had that infinitely wise look cats had sometimes. It wasn't exactly encouraging, but it soothed me a little. Okay. I could do this. I found my coat and started to shape-shift my messy hair into a neat arrangement-except, of course, I immediately realized I couldn't shape-shift it. Not a problem, I assured myself. I did my hair all the time when I wasn't in a rush. This was no different. With a quick dash to the restroom, I brushed my hair into a sleek ponytail and prepared to face the world. Stepping outdoors, I was blasted with stimuli. I stood on the steps to my building, shell-shocked and unable to move. This had never happened to me. Never, never had I been afraid of the world. I'd always rejoiced in it and been eager to see what it had to offer. Slipping my hand into my purse, I reached for my cigarettes, seeking them like a safety blanket. When I took them out, I realized something else. I wasn't necessarily immune to them anymore. This stasis probably wouldn't last long†¦but how could I risk it? How could I expose myself to carcinogens when I had no idea how vulnerable I truly was? Putting the cigarettes back, I took a deep breath and plunged forward. The distance to the store was barely three blocks, but it felt like miles. I walked as far away as I could from traffic and flinched each time someone passed me. When I finally reached the intersection to cross over to Emerald City, I was sweating. Queen Anne Avenue is not an overly crazy road. This particular spot had three lanes and steady traffic, with a moderate speed of 30 (which meant people could usually be found going 35?C40). Nonetheless, standing there, I might as well have been trying to cross I-5 itself, with five lanes racing in each direction. The crosswalk was red, giving me time to build up courage and remind myself that I'd crossed here hundreds of times-jaywalking more often than not. I was being irrational, freaking out at things I had no business worrying about. The light dinged and gave me the go-ahead. I set out, each step agony. I'd almost reached the far curb when a Honda turning on red from the cross street suddenly pulled into the intersection, having only checked for cars and not pedestrians. Seeing me, the driver slammed on her brakes a bit more harshly than she probably needed. They squealed, and the car came to a stop about two feet from me. While moderately alarming, this wasn't anything that probably would have scared me too much under ordinary circumstances. The car had stopped, after all, and I was almost across anyway. Yet, I was so on edge already that when I heard the brakes and saw how close she was, I simply froze. I stood there, caught-literally-in the headlights. I couldn't think or move. It was so stupid. Seven more steps, and I would have been safe. The woman's panic over avoiding me turned to annoyance when she realized I was blocking her way. She pressed down on her horn, which was a particularly loud and obnoxious one. Unfortunately for her, it was ineffectual. If anything, the noise simply froze me up more. Suddenly, someone grabbed a hold of my arm and started tugging me to the curb. The bitch in the Honda kept honking, and I think I was nearly as startled by it as I was when Seth yelled to her, â€Å"Oh, shut up already!† His steady hands guided me to the sidewalk where I promptly froze up again, oblivious to the curious cars and pedestrians. Cupping my face, he forced me to look up at him. His eyes were like warm molasses, and something about them spread comfort through me and brought me back to myself. â€Å"Georgina, are you okay?† My whole body trembled, and it took me a moment to gather myself and speak. â€Å"I†¦I think so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His voice was so, so gentle when he spoke. â€Å"What happened there?† I blinked back tears. â€Å"Nothing†¦that is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish. I was going to break down, then and there, right on Queen Anne Avenue. I hated myself for being so weak and scared. â€Å"Never mind,† said Seth, taking hold of my arm again. â€Å"It doesn't matter. You're safe. Let's go inside.† If any of my co-workers saw Seth leading me through like an invalid, I didn't notice. In fact, I was barely aware of the trek at all until we were inside my office. Seth sat me down and then shut the door. He leaned down toward me. â€Å"Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?† Slowly, almost robot-like, I shook my head. â€Å"N-no. I†¦I just came for my laptop.† The normal look of timidity he'd worn around me lately had vanished, replaced by something stern and concerned-something that wouldn't rest until he knew I was okay. He was no longer the shy author who feared looking at me and always gave me a wide berth. He was once again the man I'd dated, the man who'd always been able to read my moods and step up to help. â€Å"Georgina, please. Please tell me what happened.† It looked as though my tears were going to stay away, and now that I was indoors, in familiar territory, I allowed myself to feel a little braver. â€Å"Why are you being so nice to me again?† He frowned. â€Å"Why wouldn't I be nice to you?† â€Å"Because†¦because†¦I wasn't very nice to you the last time we talked. Even after you gave me the book.† He made a noise in his throat, almost like a laugh, but not quite. â€Å"You weren't yourself, not after all those drinks. It's fine.† â€Å"I don't know,† I said contrarily, â€Å"maybe I was myself.† He shook his head. â€Å"It wouldn't matter. Now tell me, what happened out there?† The warmth in his voice, the concern†¦it was tearing me apart. There was something so familiar and safe about him that I longed for right now, and I couldn't evade him. â€Å"It's†¦complicated,† I said at last. â€Å"Immortal intrigue?† I nodded, feeling tears well in my eyes again. Fuck. I think half of my emotion now was from the way he was looking at me and had nothing to do with the rest of my life's madness. I stood up and looked away, hoping he wouldn't see my face, but it was no use. â€Å"Georgina, what's happened? You're scaring me.† I dared a glance back. â€Å"You†¦you wouldn't believe me if I told you.† His face was still filled with worry, but the hint of a smile turned up the edges of his lips. â€Å"Can you seriously believe that after half the stuff I've seen you go through? Try me.† â€Å"Fair enough,† I admitted. â€Å"But I don't want to get you involved.† â€Å"I want to help,† he said, moving closer. His voice was like velvet, wrapping me up in softness and security. â€Å"Please. Tell me what's going on.† I wanted to tell him there was nothing he could do, but suddenly, words spilled from my lips. â€Å"Jerome got summoned-which means he's trapped somewhere and-â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, wait. Summoned? Like in Dr. Faustus ?† â€Å"Um, yeah. And so long as he's gone, we're all in this weird state. Peter calls it ‘stasis.' None of us have our pow-abilities anymore. I can't shape-shift. Hugh can't see souls. The only ones who are happy about this are the vampires because they can go in the sun again, which'll probably end up killing them. And if we don't find Jerome soon, someone else is going to take over here, and I really don't want that. And yet†¦I really don't want to go another second like this either, being in this limbo. I want everything to go back to how it was.† Seth's face was unreadable as he regarded me for several heavy seconds. Finally, he said, â€Å"Is it†¦is it so bad going without shape-shifting?† I shook my head and began to ramble further. â€Å"It's not that. It's the fact that I may not be immortal anymore. I can't†¦I can't handle that. Coming here was horrible. The walk from my apartment. I'm afraid of everything. It's stupid. I mean, you guys-humans-get by all the time and don't think about it. But I'm scared to leave the house. Scared of what could happen to me. And when that car didn't see me right away-fuck. I just froze. I was paralyzed. God, I feel like an idiot. I must sound crazy.† At long last, a tear leaked out of the corner of one eye, the final stamp on my weakness. Seth reached out and gently wiped it away. He didn't withdraw his hand when finished, though. He slid it to my shoulder and pulled me to him. I rested my head on his chest, swallowing back more tears as I sank into the protection he offered. â€Å"Georgina, Georgina,† he murmured, running his hand over my back. â€Å"It's going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay.† Those words†¦there was something so wonderful about them, simple as they were. When people are distressed, others have an instinct to want to actually do something tangible to help-men in particular. And there's nothing wrong with that-often, it's very much desired. But what a lot of people don't get is that sometimes, all that's needed is to hear those words: Everything's going to be okay . It's enough to know that someone's there, that someone cares about you. It isn't always about the next logical course of action. My next words, spoken into his Hong Kong Phooey shirt, came out muffled. â€Å"I don't know what's going to happen. With any of this. I'm so scared. I don't think I've been this afraid since I thought Roman was going to kill me.† â€Å"Nothing will happen to you. You said yourself this won't last more than a few days. Just wait it out.† â€Å"I don't wait very well.† He laughed and leaned his cheek against my forehead. â€Å"I know you don't. Don't worry. Most of us do far more dangerous things than walk two blocks, and we survive just fine. Yeah, that car kind of sucked, but even still, nothing happened.† â€Å"It's two and a half blocks,† I corrected. â€Å"Not two.† â€Å"Right. I forgot that extra half one where the sharks and land mines are.† I pulled away slightly so that I could look into his face. His arms stayed around me. â€Å"I have to find Jerome, Seth.† His smile faded. The worry returned. â€Å"Georgina†¦if you want to stay safe, going after him probably isn't the way to do it. You don't always have to take this stuff on yourself, you know. Let someone else look for him. Stay home.† â€Å"That's the thing†¦I'm not sure anyone will be looking for him. Why would the other demons want him back? They want his territory. They aren't going to be happy if he's found.† Seth sighed. â€Å"Great. Now I'm the one worried about you leaving the house.† â€Å"Hey, I thought you said everything was going to be okay?† â€Å"Gotta be careful what I say.† Eyes thoughtful, he reached up and smoothed some hair on the side of my head. â€Å"Why are you so brave?† I scoffed. â€Å"Are you insane? Didn't you just witness my near breakdown?† â€Å"No,† he said gently. â€Å"That's the thing. You are scared. You don't know what's going on or what could happen to you. Yet, in spite of that fear and uncertainty, you're going to throw yourself out there to hunt him down. No one else would do that, and you do that kind of thing all the time.† Inexplicably, I flushed under his praise. â€Å"I was only going to do a Web search.† â€Å"You know what I mean. I think you've got more courage than anyone I know-and what's truly amazing is that it's so subtle, hardly anyone ever notices. You do so much, and it goes unseen. I wish I was that brave sometimes.† â€Å"You are,† I said, growing increasingly unsettled by our proximity. I also noticed then that he was still smoothing my hair back. â€Å"What are you doing to my hair? Does it look bad or something?† â€Å"Your hair never looks bad.† He dropped his hand sheepishly. â€Å"It's just†¦a little messier than usual.† â€Å"I brushed it fifteen minutes ago!† Seth shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. It's just kind of frizzy, but that's probably normal. There's a little humidity out.† â€Å"Frizzy? My hair's never frizzy.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said wearily. â€Å"Considering everything else going on, I don't think you need to worry about your hair being frizzy.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah. You're right.† I made a face. â€Å"I just feel like I got a raw deal here. The vampires are having a non-stop party. Me? I somehow get bad hair. Not sure the energy break is really worth it.† Seth tilted his head, face puzzled once more. â€Å"Energy break?† â€Å"Yeah. Along with everything else, I lost the need for life energy, so I'm not-â€Å" I stopped. The world stopped. I met Seth's eyes, those beautiful golden-brown eyes that were filled with utter and complete shock as we both realized the full weight of what I had been about to say. His hold on me stiffened. The casual embrace suddenly became so much more. I was acutely aware of every place we were touching and exactly how much distance was between the places we weren't touching. He felt warm, so wonderfully warm, and every place he touched me tingled-not necessarily in a sexual way but in a Oh my God, it's Seth way. My entire body was on full alert, waiting and watching-and hoping-for him to touch me more. He swallowed, eyes still wide. â€Å"So you aren't†¦I mean you can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah,† I said, my own voice husky. â€Å"That's the theory, at least. I haven't really tested it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My words faded off because they didn't matter. My relationship with Seth had been plagued with a hundred small problems, everything from communication to trust and the myriad details in between. And always, always underneath that had been the knowledge that we could never be physically close. Oh, we'd been able to hug and do some kissing-there was even a fair amount of tongue we could get away with before my succubus hunger started stealing his life. But ultimate intimacy? Sex? Making love? It was totally off-limits, and that denial had tortured both of us, no matter how much we talked about love being the most important part in a relationship. And now†¦here we were. Those barriers were removed. I hadn't tested if my succubus stealing really was gone, but I didn't need to. I could feel it, as Hugh had said. The perpetual craving that always lurked within me was completely dormant. I could touch and kiss anyone without restraint. I could touch and kiss Seth. There was nothing standing between us now. Well, except for one thing. A knock sounded on my door. â€Å"Georgina? Are you in there?† Maddie called. It was like cold water in the face. Seth and I sprang apart. He backed toward the door, and I promptly sat down at my desk. My heart was pounding again. Damn it. I was going to have to talk to Hugh and get an anti-anxiety drug. â€Å"Yeah, come in,† I called. Maddie stuck her head in, surprised to see both of us. â€Å"There you are,† she said to Seth. â€Å"I just got here and couldn't find you.† Seth was still in shock. â€Å"I†¦yeah†¦I saw Georgina was here and stopped by†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maddie peered at me. â€Å"You okay? You look a little worn out.† Her eyes flicked to my hair and then back to my face. â€Å"Did you just wake up?† Apparently, I no longer looked like I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, which was something. I hadn't liked the way she eyed my hair. â€Å"Well, not exactly. It's, uh, been a long day.† I stumbled over my words. I was so flustered, I could barely string a coherent response together. Seth's presence was like the sun, blinding me and warming me all over, and Maddie was making me feel guilty and dirty for enjoying that sun. â€Å"Is everything okay with your family?† she asked. â€Å"My-oh, yeah, they're okay. Still just a little crazy, but it'll, um, pass.† I stood and picked up the laptop, hoping I sounded casual and calm. I needed to get out before I said something stupid. As it was, I couldn't even make eye contact with Seth now. â€Å"I really just came by for this.† Maddie studied me a few seconds longer and must have decided I was more or less telling the truth. She relaxed and seemed oblivious to me trying frantically to get to the door. â€Å"Hey,† she said, â€Å"I was thinking you might not need to go to California for beaches.† â€Å"For†¦what?† â€Å"Remember our conversation at Mark's?† â€Å"Er, yeah.† Miraculously, I did. The condo thing, when I told her I had a beach itch. â€Å"I have the perfect solution: Alki.† â€Å"Alki?† asked Seth, confused. â€Å"It's a secret.† She winked at me. â€Å"I thought that might be a good place to start looking. What do you think?† â€Å"Sure. Sounds great.† Alki Beach was a region of West Seattle that stuck out into Puget Sound. While it was a far cry from a Cyprian beach, it was, well, a beach. And if agreeing that it was a good idea would get me to the door†¦ â€Å"Cool! And what about dancing?† â€Å"Huh? What about it?† I probably looked like a deer in the headlights again. This agitated state of mine didn't make for good topic-jumping. â€Å"Teaching salsa. I mentioned it to Beth and Casey, and they were pretty excited.† â€Å"Oh. Yeah. Sure. I can do that.† I was seriously about to agree to anything to escape. Her face lit up. â€Å"Oh, thank you! Is this week too soon? I bet we could get everyone together on, oh, Thursday.† â€Å"Sure, sure, that's fine.† I was almost at the door. â€Å"Oh, thank you! This'll be fun. I'll double-check the day with everyone and e-mail you. If something comes up†¦I mean, I know you're under a lot of stress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I waved it off. â€Å"It's fine, really. Have a good night, okay?† I put on a winning smile and quickly walked past both of them. As I stepped out the door, though, I glanced back and met Seth's eyes. My smile faltered. A thousand messages passed between us, just as they used to when we were dating. Only this time, I wasn't sure what any of them were saying. I kept walking, suddenly realizing I had a lot more than mortality to worry about.