HYBRID MODEL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HYBRID MODEL - Essay Example Weibe was referring to institutions and groups like political parties, the press, business organizations and the like that stood between the government and the people and which makes that intimacy between the two not viable. If power is concentrated at the top, the tendency is towards anarchism but if power is allowed to filter down too much to the bottom, anarchy will result (2006). The implication therefore is that democracy is largely a balancing act, one in which the fulcrum of power is located in the middle rather than on any of the opposing sides. As Weibe states, democratic life is institutional life. A correct definition of democracy is vital and sine qua non to the crafting of a blueprint for any model of accountability in public administration upon which forms the skeletal basis of a new administration’s line of governance. In drafting the blueprint of a new hybrid model of public administration, it is important to acknowledge the inescapable existence of institution s that fill the distance between government and the people and the need to strengthen government bureacracies to bridge that distance. As the newly appointed interim president, the basis of my governance will be a model which will incorporate all the points culled from the strongest and effective aspects of the various public administration models which are the Jacksonian Democracy model, the Progressive Reform model, the Reinventing Government model, the New Public Management model, and the New Public service model, which will all bring the desired effects of strengthening the fulcrum of power that lies between and separate the government from the people so as to effectively bring the two together. It is important therefore to discuss the said models to be able to point out and explain the facets which had made these models attractive and successful and adopt them in the new model. The Jacksonian/Machine Politics Model.

Internet - We Must Put an End to Virtual Rape :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

We Must Put an End to Virtual Rape "Any unwanted sexual act is a crime of violence" (Victims Information, 1998). Do you believe that? When referring that quote to rape, it almost sounds like a broad definition of it. But what about virtual rape? Does an unwanted sexual encounter on computers also count for a crime of violence? This is an important question for our society today to address for the simple fact that technology is the wave of our future and as our world becomes increasingly intertwined with the virtual world, we need to be prepared for the problems that our new virtual world might present. For me, as for many others, rape is definitely a much more serious and dangerous encounter than virtual rape. But all the same, virtual rape should not be dismissed for the effects it has on the people involved. I am going to present to you three main points. First, I'm going to define virtual rape by taking you through one of the most well known cases that actually occurred in the virtual world. Second, I w ill define rape in our world. Third and finally, I will take you through some of the different issues that are brought up while discussing virtual rape versus real rape. We'll start off with my first point of what is virtual rape? "They say he raped them that night" (Vitanza, 448) is the beginning of an intriguing story, A Rape in Cyberspace, in which the author, Julian Dibbell, answers that very question. With the horrifying tale of Mr. Bungle and his victims, legba and Starsinger, Dibbell reiterates the events that took place on the LambdaMOO on that Monday night in March. The LambdaMOO is a MUD, which is short for "multi-user dungeons." According to a journal article in Maclean's, "MUDs are virtual communities, little universes that exist only on the Internet. Users from around the world can access the host program, which allows them to assume an identity and develop an alternative self" (Chidley, 51). With the LambdaMOO defined, let's look more closely at the virtual rape Mr. Bungle committed on legba and Starsinger that took place there. Mr. Bungle, Starsinger and legba are persona's of the people who created them for the use of virt ual portrayal while logged on at the LambdaMOO.

Role of Leadership in Advanced Practice in Nursing

Contained herein is an analysis of role of leadership in advanced practice in learning. This is in understanding that lack of leadership in highly specialised nursing situation is mots likely to lead to ineffective provision of services to patients.According to Sofarelli (2005) advanced practice in nursing has the trend of incorporating individuals with deep understanding of all or specific areas of nursing practice. These individuals end up being relied upon in their respective stations to help deliver high quality healthcare services to patients.   These practitioners are further tasked with the responsibility of developing strategies to be applied in the future.However, their capacity to deliver is in most cases affected by lack of proper leadership skills. This analysis will therefore highlight three of the most common nursing leadership theories that could aid in helping professionals in advanced practice to effectively lead respective departments of institutions to better pos itions of meeting patient needs.Having professionals incorporate these theories in their day-to-day activities places them in positions of passing similar knowledge to followers, especially the new ones in nursing profession. In other words, the process of using leadership skills effectively ends up improving professionalism.The three nursing leadership to be discussed in this analysis includes: leader-follower, quantum, and transformational—each would be discussed independently. The theories are being included herein because of their proven effectiveness in achieving results. According to Porter (2007) the use of nursing theories reminds professionals about the best practices when carrying diverse activities. Individuals choose the theory to choose or even combine several approaches into hybrid leadership skills.In addition, professionals could embark on developing ways and means of having own leadership styles that do not fit with the theories discussed in this paper. The h ybrid system could be achieved intentionally by individuals or institutions; it could also be as a result of lack of proper knowledge of the theories. Results could, however, differ depending on the ability of using best practices in theory applications.Quantum leadership theory is mostly used in decision making processes and states that professionals need to look for own problem solving processes before seeking help from colleagues or seniors in respective work environment (Perra, 2001).In other words, the theory tends to initiate leadership in individual professionals, especially those in advanced practice. Fact that these individuals are usually tasked with the responsibility of leading others in various work situations means that they would have to solve problems in collaboration with the followers instead of running to respective superiors for help.Senior professionals in respective departments of institutions can therefore concentrate on other issues as nurses solve problems i ndependently. The senior management in healthcare institutions could, for instance, concentrate on more important issues such as strategy development and implementation (Kitson, 2001).ReferencesBrown, K. (2005). The Leader in Nursing.   Nursing Administration, 11(4), 91-115.Brown, M. (2003). Needs in nursing leadership to improve effectiveness. Nursing Management, 16(6), 101-108.Clifford, J. and Hastings, C (2000). Top trends predicted in nursing leadership. Nurse Management, 20(3), 16-24.Decker, M. (2004). Key to Quality Leadership. Nursing Administration, 22(3), 50-62.Smith, J.   (2003). Effective Leadership &   Management of Nursing. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.Kerfoot, C. (2001). Nursing Leadership and theory. Journal of Nursing, 5(2), 64-70.Kitson, A., (2003). Leadership in nursing & how it influence health policy & nursing practice. Advanced Nursing 29, 700-723.Mohr, W. (2000). Fading in Nursing Leadership. Journal of Nursing Management, 40, 100-127.Perra, G. (2001 ). Future of Healthcare Leadership & Quantum Mechanics. Nursing Administration, 22(3), 16-22.Porter, G. (2007). New Roles in Quantum Leadership. Nursing Administration, 32(11), 30-43.Sofarelli, S. (2005). Consequences of Nurse Shortage in Medical Centers. Daily Bruin, 27(4), 14-26.

The Working Students of Sti College - 7595 Words

Working Students and Academic Performance Working Students and Academic Performance of Panabo National High School An Undergraduate Thesis Presented to the Faculty of College of Education Of Christian Colleges of Southeast Asia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements In Values Education 119: Behavioral Statistics Jennefer D. Mulit Rowena C. Genobiagon Marvie Glenn B. Salading October 2012 Chapter I THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING Background of the Study Student jobs have become a sort of trend among students around the world, who want to work while they are studying. In short, the term that suits this trend is Earn and Learn policy. Other reason why student jobs are popular among students is they help to cope up with the†¦show more content†¦On the other hand, what will be the impact of their work to their academic performance? Are performances of working and non-working students the same? Ardent motivation, spirit, and faith will be emphasizing with this very challenging life being a student. The impact of being a working student to the academic performance are dual, 1st, it depends always on the motivation and behavior of the student towards to their studies. Many of them, when it comes to their school performance they are excellent, for the reason that, they use strategies and methodologies on how to study their lessons in the middle of the hectic and rush schedule. Diligent and being wise in this provocative challenges is so essential. 2nd, some of them becomes lousy when it comes to their studies because they are tired form work and the effect they will get low performance and grades. What makes student busy? Is it about their academic performance? Probably you say yes, but the most rampant issue and the great competitors in student interest nowadays are their works, who makes them busy, bother, restless, tired, and sometimes lousy in school performance. Being a worker is not a problem, for the reason that this is a source and means of income to everybody. But we have to accept the fact that it is not advisable for a certain student to engage in such work whileShow MoreRelatedEFFECT OF THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ON THE STUDY HABBITS OF THE STUDENTS1840 Words   |  8 Pagessocial networking sites on the study habit of the students. CHAPTER 1 Statement of the Problem This research aims to find out the following question. 1. How the students of the STi Academic Center are using the Social networking sites? 2. How the social networking sites can be used as a platform for educational learning for STi Student. Significance of the study To the students This study gives information to the students on how they can able to use social networking site in proper manner and to beRead MoreComputerized Record System4514 Words   |  19 Pagesorganizations still adopt the traEditional way of working on the files of every student. This attribute is commonly related to the DIT department of Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, Naga Campus. The department finds user difficult to generate accurate information about the student. Computerization in handling student records suggests more advantage than the traEditional method. The Proposed Computerized Record Management System of DIT Department, STI, Naga Campus can lessen the problems encounteredRead MoreComputerized Enrollment System3409 Words   |  14 Pages Introduction The technology today plays a vital role in our society. It makes man work easier and fast. It lessens error of work by using machines. It reduces costs to an organization from paper works up to computerized working system. Many manual transactions can be computerized by using software applications or computer systems to make work easier and efficient. Information technology can give a company ready access to improve product and service quality, reduceRead MoreBarriers in Speaking Skills5879 Words   |  24 PagesSTI College of Dasmarià ±as Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts Dasmarià ±as Barriers in Speaking Skills of First year HRS and HRM Students In partial fulfilment for requirement in Communication Arts 2 March 4, 2013 Final Period TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Problem and its background A. Definition of Terms B. Objective C. Scope and Limitation D. Significance of the study Chapter 2 Review of Related literature A. Communication Skills a. Reading Skills b. Listening Skills Read MoreA Research Study On Black Males1914 Words   |  8 Pagescharacterized by high levels of psychosocial stressors and inadequate supportive resources; Poverty and racial minority status correlate with an increased risk of high-school dropout, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)(Ssewamala, et. al, 2011). Affected with such a threatening collection of social and economic adversities, it is amazing that the experience of Black males in education, in relation to attainment and gauges of academic performance have not been analyzedRead MoreCultural Comparison - Russia and US Education6674 Words   |  27 Pagesconsidered as a confirmation of higher education. Mainly those students who plan to pursue research or teaching activities in Universities continue to study for a Master’s Degree in these countries. The higher education institutions are divided into colleges, universities, academies and institutes depending upon the number of streams of education. At the moment, in addition to the participation in the Bologna Process, the following trends exist in the changes in higher education in Russia: Increase inRead MoreEssay on Roles and Responsibilities3515 Words   |  15 Pagesthe board, asking students but not pressuring them in to writing on the board themselves, providing hand outs, giving the students something to play with or draw on during the explanation, or even just giving them the project you are about to be working on and letting them run with it. Students all learn in different ways and at different paces, and I think it is very important to try and incorporate as many learning styles as possible. Personal problems In my place of work our students are betweenRead MoreHiv/Aids Summary of Research Study8804 Words   |  36 Pagesalso show that education reinforces knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS. The percentage who believed that AIDS infection is possible through single intercourse and from a healthy looking person increases with level of educational attainment. Those with college education in particular appear to be knowledgeable on HIV/AIDS. The Church’s traditional opposition to sexuality and reproductive health education in schools has affected what can be taught and how, thus affecting the quality of the informationRead MoreThesis About Call Center Agents14127 Words   |  57 Pagesalmost exclusively resort working for these companies. Armed with your English language literacy, this work will not need so much of your math skills nor theoretically inclined whatsoever which are related to your degree. If you have been very comfortable using the language then you should be fine with it. Nurses who have been very dedicated to their fields is left with no choice but to work for companies that give them a good offer. Nurses too are very capable of working in these BPO companies asRead MoreAttitude of Nurses Towards Hiv/Aids Patient7371 Words   |  30 Pageseducation program regarding HIV/AIDS on their change in knowledge, and attitude. METHODS Study participants and setting Two different nursing groups were included in this study. The first group consisted of post-graduate nursing staff (67 nurses) working in different departments of Kasr El Aini Teaching Hospital, of Cairo University and registered for post-graduate diploma, in their nursing specialties, at the nursing school of Cairo University. The second group was composed of the undergraduate nursing

The Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse - 941 Words

Labroides phthirophagus Randall 1958, otherwise commonly known as the Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, Royal cleaner wrasse or Louse-eating wrasse. The Hawaiian cleaner wrasse is a small fish with an elongated, slender, compressiform body type. It has a tapered head and pointed snout with large lips, used for aiding in feeding. It is a labriform median paired fin swimmer and has a homocercal caudal fin. The Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse swims with quick and flowing dance like movements. According to Spencer Wilkie Tinker, author of â€Å"Fishes of Hawaii† the average length of an adult Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse is 3.5 inches, with the maximum length being from 4-5 inches. (S.W. Tinker 1978). The Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse are similar to other cleaner wrasse species. One characteristic that sets the Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse apart from other species is its vibrant coloration. Adults have a bright neon yellow color along the anterior portion of their body, and neon purple/indigo on the posterior end. A black stripe runs horizontally through their eye from head to tail. The coloration of juveniles are slightly different. Juveniles are black with a neon purple stripe along the dorsal portion of the body. Its bright neon coloration is a poster color to advertise its cleaning services to other fish species. L. phthirophagus is endemic to Hawaii which means it can only be found exclusively in the waters near Hawaii. Although the population distribution of L. phthirophagus is only found near Hawaii, it is

Getting to Know Christopher Columbus - 911 Words

Christopher Columbus, as we now know he accomplished a lot during his life. Although many are disputed and questions have been raised as to why we celebrate Columbus Day. One could find the when, how and where of Christopher Columbus an interesting subject for discourse. After all, we are talking about the man who discovered the land we now call America. We will not even consider the people, the Native Americans who lived here first as discovering America. Maybe it should be taught just a tad differently and instead say that Columbus discovered American for Europe. In the year 1451, Genoa, Italy, Christopher was born to Domenico and Susanna (Fontanarossa). Christopher was the oldest of five brothers. Genoa was a seaport city located on the northwest coast of Italy. Completing his education at an early age Christopher began sailing on trading trips. As the years passed, Christopher moved to Spain, where he eventually changed his given name Cristoforo Colombo to Cristà ³bal Colà ³ n since He began a map making company with his brother Bartholomew in 1476. By 1479 Christopher had met and wedded Felipa Perestrello Moniz a daughter of a Portuguese Island Governor. Felipa gave him a son Diego in 1480 shortly before she passed away. In 1488 his second son Fernando was born to Beatriz Enriquez de Arana. Now that we are ready to begin our own voyage of discovery about the man himself Christopher Columbus. Northern Africa was controlled by the Turkish Empire in the late 1400’s, whichShow MoreRelatedEssay on Christopher Columbus? Or Not Christopher Columbus?1329 Words   |  6 Pages On Columbus Day students across the nation will learn how Columbus discovered the New World and about his fantastic travels to the New World. Children will learn poems, stories, songs and rhymes about his travels and about himself as well on this day. 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They both kept journals of their experiences so now we areRead MorePlagiarism : Playing With Fire Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesAlbert Dominguez Dr. Grubic Comp and Rhet. 23 October 2016 Plagiarism: Playing with Fire Accuracy is one of the main aspects that makes people take information seriously. Without accuracy one will never know the truth. Some teachers can go from saying Christopher Columbus did not find America to saying he found America and raped and killed numerous of Indian women. Or some people may state that the President does not have executive powers to instead declaring the President s ability to bypassRead More3 European Explorers839 Words   |  4 PagesThe life amp; times of three European explorers Introduction: In this essay you will be reading about the legacy of three explorers during renaissance. Firstly you will be reading about Marco Polo secondly about Christopher Columbus and lastly Ferdinand Magellan. 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For example , I did not know that the people that make school books doesn’t need a degree , which mean almost anyone can be a member of the school board in Texas. The head of the Texas school board is a dentist, the man does not know how public school function and yet we the people are the one that votes for them. According to the class notes, historian first writes our booksRead MoreEssay on The Voyage Of Christopher Columbus1497 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican History I Christopher Columbus Voyage to North America Spanish exploration first began with a series of revolutions. First, the Commercial Revolution generated economic stability. Second, the Intellectual Revolution generated interest in the Earths composition and the pursuit of exploration. Europe then called for a political revolution to end the disorganized and disorderly rule of its government. 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The Return Shadow Souls Chapter 33 Free Essays

string(34) " little distance from the others\." To her surprise, Elena felt no anger, only a determination to protect Stefan if she could. And then she saw that in the cell she’d assumed was empty, there was a kitsune. The kitsune looked nothing like Shinichi or Misao. We will write a custom essay sample on The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 33 or any similar topic only for you Order Now He had long, long hair as white as snow – but his face was young. He was wearing all white, too, tunic and breeches out of some flowing, silky material and his tail practically filled the small cell, it was so fluffy. He also had fox ears which twitched this way and that. His eyes were the gold of fireworks. He was gorgeous. The kitsune coughed again. Then he produced – from his long hair, Elena thought, a very, very small and thin-skinned leather bag. Like, Elena thought, the perfect bag for one perfect jewel. Now the kitsune took a pretend bottle of Black Magic (it was heavy and a pretend drink was delicious), and filled the little bag with it. Then he took a pretend syringe (he held it as Dr. Meggar had and tapped it to get the bubbles out) and filled it from the little bag. Finally, he stuck the pretend syringe through his own bars and depressed his thumb, emptying it. â€Å"I can feed you Black Magic wine,† Elena translated. â€Å"With his little pouch I can hold it and fill the syringe. Dr. Meggar could fill the syringe, too. But there’s no time, so I’m going to do it.† â€Å"I – † began Stefan. â€Å"You are going to drink as fast as you can.† Elena loved Stefan, wanted to hear his voice, wanted to fill her eyes with him, but there was a life to be saved, and the life was his. She took the little pouch with a bow of thanks to the kitsune and left her cloak on the floor. She was too intent on Stefan to even remember how she was dressed. Her hands wanted to shake but she wouldn’t let them. She had three bottles of Black Magic here: her own, in her cloak, Dr. Meggar’s, and somewhere, in his cloak, Damon’s. So with the delicate efficiency of a machine, she repeated what the kitsune had shown her over and over. Dip, pull up lever, push through bars, squirt. Over and over and over. After about a dozen of these Elena developed a new technique, the catapult. Filling the tiny bag with wine and holding it by the top until Stefan got his mouth positioned, and then, all in one motion, smashing the bag with her palm and squirting a fair amount straight into Stefan’s mouth. It got the bars sticky, it got Stefan sticky; it would never have worked if the steel had been razor-sharp for him, but it actually forced a surprising amount down his throat. The other bottle of Black Magic wine she put in the kitsune’s cell, which had regular bars. She didn’t quite know how to thank him, but when she could spare a second, she turned to him and smiled. He was chugging the Black Magic straight from the bottle, and his face was set in an expression of cool, appreciative pleasure. The end came too quickly. Elena heard Sage’s voice booming, â€Å"It is no fair! Elena will not be ready! Elena has not had enough time with him!† Elena didn’t need an anvil dropped on her head. She shoved the last bottle of Black Magic wine into the kitsune’s cell, she bowed for the last time and gave him back his tiny pouch – but with the canary diamond from her navel in it. It was the largest piece of jewelry she had left and she saw him turn it over precisely in long-nailed fingers and then rise to his feet and make a tiny bow to her. There was a moment for a mutual smile and then Elena was cleaning up Dr. Meggar’s bag, and pulling on her red cloak. Then she was turning to Stefan, jelly inside once more, gasping: â€Å"I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make it a medical visit.† â€Å"But you saw the chance to save my life and just couldn’t pass it up.† Sometimes the brothers were very much alike. â€Å"Stefan, don’t! Oh, I love you!† â€Å"Elena.† He kissed her fingers, pressed to the bars. Then, to the guards: â€Å"No, please, please, don’t take her away! For pity’s sake, give us one more minute! Just one!† But Elena had to let go of his fingers to hold her cloak together. The last she saw of Stefan, he was pounding on the bars with his fists and calling, â€Å"Elena, I love you! Elena!† Then Elena was dragged out of the hallway and a door shut between them. She sagged. Arms went around her, helped her to walk. Elena got angry! If Stefan was being put back in his old lice-ridden cell – as she supposed he was, right about now – he was being made to walk. And these demons did nothing gently, she knew that. He was probably being driven like an animal with sharp instruments of wood. Elena could walk, too. As they reached the front of the Shi no Shi lobby Elena looked around. â€Å"Where’s Damon?† â€Å"In the coach,† Sage answered in his gentlest voice. â€Å"He needed some time.† Part of Elena said, â€Å"I’ll give him time! Time to scream once before I rip his throat out!† But the rest of her was just sad. â€Å"I didn’t get to say anything I wanted to say. I wanted to tell him how sorry Damon is; and how Damon’s changed. He didn’t even remember that Damon had been there – â€Å" â€Å"He talked to you?† Sage seemed astonished. The two of them, Sage and Elena, walked out of the final marble doors of the building of the Gods of Death. That was the name Elena had chosen for it in her own mind. The carriage was at the curb in front of them, but no one got in. Instead, Sage gently steered Elena a little distance from the others. You read "The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 33" in category "Essay examples" There he put his large hands on her shoulders and spoke, still in that very soft voice, â€Å"Mon Dieu, my child, but I do not want to say this to you. It is that I must. I fear that even if we get your Stefan out of jail by the day of Lady Bloddeuwedd’s party that – that it will be too late. In three days he will already be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Is that your medical opinion?† Elena said sharply, looking up at him. She knew her face was pinched and white and that he pitied her greatly, but what she wanted was an answer. â€Å"I am not a medical man,† he said slowly. â€Å"I am just another vampire.† â€Å"Just another Old One?† Sage’s eyebrows went up. â€Å"Now, what gave you that little idea?† â€Å"Nothing. I’m sorry if I’m wrong. But will you please get Dr. Meggar?† Sage looked at her for a long minute more, then departed to get the doctor. Both men came back. Elena was ready for them. â€Å"Dr. Meggar, Sage only saw Stefan at the beginning, before you gave him that injection. It was Sage’s opinion that Stefan would be dead in three days. Given the effects of the injection, do you agree?† Dr. Meggar peered at her and she could see the shine of tears in his short-sighted eyes. â€Å"It is – possible – just possible that if he has enough willpower, he could still be alive by then. But most likely†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Would it make any difference to your opinion if I said that he drank maybe a third of a bottle of Black Magic wine tonight?† Both men stared at her. â€Å"Are you saying – â€Å" â€Å"Is this just a plan you have now?† â€Å"Please!† Forgetting about her cape, forgetting everything, Elena grasped Dr. Meggar’s hands. â€Å"I found a way to get him to drink about that much. Does it make a difference?† She squeezed the elderly hands until she could feel bone. â€Å"It certainly should.† Dr. Meggar looked bewildered and afraid to hope. â€Å"If you really got that much into his system, he would be almost certain to live until the night of Bloddeuwedd’s party. That’s what you want, isn’t it?† Elena sank back, unable to resist giving his hands a little kiss as she let go. â€Å"And now let’s go tell Damon the good news,† she said. In the carriage, Damon was sitting bolt upright, his profile outlined against a blood-red sky. Elena got in and shut the door behind her. With no expression at all, he said, â€Å"Is it over?† â€Å"Over?† Elena wasn’t really this dense, but she figured it was important that Damon be clear in his own mind as to what he was asking. â€Å"Is he – dead?† Damon said wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. Elena allowed the silence to go on for a few beats longer. Damon must know Stefan was not likely to actually die in the next half hour. Now that he wasn’t getting instant confirmation of this his head snapped up. â€Å"Elena, tell me! What happened?† he demanded, urgency in his voice. â€Å"Is my brother dead?† â€Å"No,† Elena said quietly. â€Å"But he’s likely to die in a few days. He was coherent this time, Damon. Why didn’t you speak to him?† There was an almost palpable drawing-in on Damon’s part. â€Å"What do I have to say to him that matters?† he asked harshly. â€Å"‘Oh, I’m sorry I almost killed you’? ‘Oh, I hope you make it another few days’?† â€Å"Things like that, maybe, if you lose the sarcasm.† â€Å"When I die,† Damon said cuttingly, â€Å"I’m going to be standing on my own two feet and fighting.† Elena slapped him across the mouth. There wasn’t room to get much leverage here, but she put as much Power behind the motion as she dared without risking breaking the carriage. Afterward, there was a long silence. Damon was touching his bleeding lip, accelerating the healing, swallowing his own blood. Finally he said, â€Å"It never even occurred to you that you are my slave, did it? That I’m your master?† â€Å"If you’re going to retreat into fantasy, that’s your affair,† Elena said. â€Å"Myself, I have to deal with the real world. And, by the way, soon after you ran away, Stefan was not only standing but laughing.† â€Å"Elena† – on a quick rising note. â€Å"You found a way to give him blood?† He grasped her arm so hard it hurt. â€Å"Not blood. A little Black Magic. With two of us there, it would have gone twice as fast.† â€Å"There were three of you there.† â€Å"Sage and Dr. Meggar had to distract the guards.† Damon took his hand away. â€Å"I see,† he said, expressionlessly. â€Å"So I failed him yet again.† Elena looked at him with sympathy. â€Å"You’re completely inside the stone ball now, aren’t you?† â€Å"I don’t know what you’re talking about.† â€Å"The stone ball you stick anything that might hurt you inside. You even draw yourself inside it, although it must be very cramped in there. Katherine must be in there, I suppose, walled off in her own little chamber.† She remembered the night at the hotel. â€Å"And your mother, of course. I should say, Stefan’s mother. She was the mother you knew.† â€Å"Don’t†¦my mother†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. Elena knew what he wanted. He wanted to be held and soothed and told it was all right – just the two of them, under her cloak with her warm arms holding him. But he wasn’t going to get it. This time she was saying no. She had promised Stefan that this was for him, alone. And, she thought, she would keep to the spirit of that promise, if she hadn’t kept to the letter, forever. As the week progressed, Elena was able to recover from the pain of seeing Stefan. Although none of them could speak about it except in choked, brief exclamations, they listened when Elena said that there was still a job to be done, and that if they managed to complete it well they would be able to go home soon – while if they did not complete it, Elena didn’t care whether she went home or stayed here in the Dark Dimension. Home! It had the sound of a haven, even though Bonnie and Meredith knew firsthand what kind of hell was lurking in Fell’s Church for them. But somehow anything would be preferable to this land of bloody light. With hope kindling interest in their surroundings, they were once again able to feel pleasure at the dresses Lady Ulma was having made for them. Designing was the one pursuit that the lady could still enjoy during her official bed rest, and Lady Ulma had been hard at work with her sketchbook. Since Bloddeuwedd’s party would be an indoor/outdoor affair, all three dresses had to be carefully designed to be attractive both under candlelight and under the giant red sun’s crimson rays. Meredith’s gown was deep metallic blue, violet in the sunlight, and it showed an entirely different side of the girl from the siren in the skin-tight mermaid dress who had attended Fazina’s gala. It reminded Elena somehow of something an Egyptian princess would wear. Once again, it left Meredith’s arms and shoulders bare, but the modest narrow skirt that fell in straight lines to her sandals, and the delicacy of the sapphire beads that adorned the shoulder straps served to give Meredith an unassuming look. That look was emphasized by Meredith’s hair, which Lady Ulma dictated be worn down, and her face, which was bare of makeup except kohl around the eyes. At her throat, a necklace made of the very largest oval-cut sapphires formed an elaborate collar. She also had matching blue gems on her wrists and slender fingers. Bonnie’s dress was a little clever invention: it was made of a silvery material which took on a pastel tinge of the color of the ambient lighting. Moonlight-colored indoors, it shone a soft shimmering pink, almost exactly the color of Bonnie’s strawberry hair, when she was outside. It sported a belt, necklace, bracelets, earrings, and rings all of matching cabochon-cut white opals. Bonnie’s curls were to be carefully pinned up and away from her face, in a daringly mussed-up mass, leaving her translucent skin to shine softly rose in the sunlight, and ethereally pale inside. Once again, Elena’s dress was the simplest and the most striking. Her gown was scarlet, the same color under blood-red sun or indoor gas lamp. It was rather low cut, giving her creamy skin a chance to shine golden in the sunlight. Clinging close to her figure, it was slashed up one side to give her room to walk or dance. On the afternoon of the party Lady Ulma had Elena’s hair carefully brushed into a tangled cloud that shimmered Titian outdoors, golden indoors. Her jewelry ranged from an inset of diamonds at the bottom of the neckline, to diamonds on her fingers, wrists and one upper arm, plus a diamond choker that fit over Stefan’s necklace. All these would blaze as red as rubies in the sunlight, but would occasionally glint another startling color, like a burst of mini-fireworks. Onlookers, Lady Ulma promised, would be dazzled. â€Å"But I can’t wear these,† Elena had protested to Lady Ulma. â€Å"I might not get to see you again before we get Stefan – and from that moment we’re on the run!† â€Å"It’s the same for all of us,† Meredith had added quietly, looking at each of the girls in their â€Å"indoor† colors of silvery-blue, scarlet, and opal. â€Å"We’re all wearing the most jewelry we’ve ever worn indoors or out – but you might lose it all!† â€Å"And you might need it all,† Lucen had said quietly. â€Å"All the more reason for you each to have jewelry that you can trade for carriages, safety, food, whatever. It’s simply designed, too – you can wrench out a stone and use it as payment, and the jewels are not in an elaborate setting that might not be to some collector’s taste.† â€Å"In addition to which, they are all of the highest quality,† Lady Ulma had added. â€Å"They are the most flawless examples of their kind we could get on such short notice.† At that point, all three girls had reached their limit, and rushed the couple – Lady Ulma on her enormous bed, sketchbook always beside her, and Lucen standing nearby – and cried and kissed and generally undid the beautiful jobs that had been done on their faces. â€Å"You’re like angels to us, do you know that?† Elena sobbed. â€Å"Just like fairy godparents or angels! I don’t know how I can say good-bye!† â€Å"Like angels,† Lady Ulma had said then, wiping a tear from Elena’s cheek. Then she grasped Elena, saying â€Å"Look!† and gestured to herself comfortably in bed, with a couple of blooming, dewy-eyed young women ready to attend to her wishes. Lady Ulma had then nodded at the window, out of which a small mill stream could be seen, and some plum trees, with ripe fruit blazing like jewels on the branches, and then with a sweep of her hand indicated the gardens, orchards, fields, and forests on the estate. Then she had taken Elena’s hand and smoothed it over her own softly curving abdomen. â€Å"You see?† she had spoken almost in a whisper. â€Å"Do you see all of this – and can you remember how you found me? Which of us is an angel now?† At the words â€Å"how you found me† Elena’s hands had flown up to cover her face – as if she’d been unable to bear what memory showed her at that moment. Then she was hugging and kissing Lady Ulma again, and a whole new round of cosmetic-destroying embraces had begun. â€Å"Master Damon was even kind enough to buy Lucen,† Lady Ulma had said, â€Å"and you may not be able to picture it, but† – here she had looked at the quiet, bearded jeweler with eyes full of tears – â€Å"I feel for him as you feel for your Stefan.† And then she had blushed and hidden her face in her hands. â€Å"He’s freeing Lucen today,† Elena had said, dropping to her knees to rest her head against Lady Ulma’s pillow. â€Å"And giving the estate to you irrevocably. He’s had a lawyer – an advocate, you’d say – working on the papers all week with a Guardian. They’re done now, and even if that hideous general should come back, he couldn’t touch you. You have your home forever.† More crying. More kissing. Sage, who had been innocently walking down the hallway, whistling, after a romp with his dog, Saber, had passed Lady Ulma’s room and had been drawn in. â€Å"We’ll all miss you, too!† Elena had wept. â€Å"Oh, thank you!† Later that day, Damon had made good on all of Elena’s promises, besides giving a large bonus to each member of the staff. The air had been full of metallic confetti, rose petals, music, and cries of farewell as Damon, Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith had been carried to Bloddeuwedd’s party – and away forever. â€Å"Come to think of it, why didn’t Damon free us?† Bonnie asked Meredith as they rode in litters toward Bloddeuwedd’s mansion. â€Å"I can understand that we needed to be slaves to get into this world, but we’re in now. Why not make honest girls of us?† â€Å"Bonnie, we’re honest girls already,† Meredith reminded her. â€Å"And I think the point is that we were never real slaves at all.† â€Å"Well, I meant: Why doesn’t he free us so that everyone knows we’re honest girls, Meredith, and you know it.† â€Å"Because you can’t free somebody who’s free already, that’s why.† â€Å"But he could have gone through the ceremony,† Bonnie persisted. â€Å"Or is it really hard to free a slave here?† â€Å"I don’t know,† Meredith said, breaking at last under this tireless inquisition. â€Å"But I’ll tell you why I think he doesn’t do it. I think that it’s because this way he’s responsible for us. I mean, it’s not that slaves can’t be punished – we saw that with Elena.† Meredith paused while they both shuddered at the memory. â€Å"But, ultimately, it’s the slave owner that can lose their life over it. Remember, they wanted to stake Damon for what Elena did.† â€Å"So he’s doing it for us? To protect us?† â€Å"I don’t know. I†¦suppose so,† Meredith said slowly. â€Å"Then – I guess we’ve been wrong about him in the past?† Bonnie generously said â€Å"we’ve† instead of â€Å"you’ve.† Meredith had always been the one of Elena’s group most resistant to Damon’s charm. â€Å"I†¦suppose so,† Meredith said again. â€Å"Although it seems that everyone is forgetting that until recently Damon helped the kitsune twins to put Stefan here! And Stefan definitely hadn’t done anything to deserve it.† â€Å"Well, of course that’s true,† Bonnie said, sounding relieved not to have been too wrong, and at the same time strangely wistful. â€Å"All Stefan ever wanted from Damon was peace and quiet,† Meredith continued, as if on more steady ground there. â€Å"And Elena,† Bonnie added automatically. â€Å"Yes, yes – and Elena. But all Elena wanted was Stefan! I mean – all Elena wants†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meredith’s voice trailed off. The sentence didn’t seem to work properly in the present tense anymore. She tried again. â€Å"All Elena wants now is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie just watched her speechlessly. â€Å"Well, whatever she wants,† Meredith concluded, rather shaken, â€Å"she wants Stefan to be a part of it. And she doesn’t want any of us to have to stay here – in this†¦this hellhole.† In another litter just beside them things were very quiet. Bonnie and Meredith were so used by now to traveling in closed litters that they hadn’t even realized that another palanquin had drawn abreast of them and that their voices carried clearly in the hot, still afternoon air. In the second litter, Damon and Elena both looked very hard at the silken curtains fluttering open. Now, Elena, with an almost mad air of needing something to do, hurriedly unwound a cord and the curtains dropped into place. It was a mistake. It closed Elena and Damon into a surreal glowing red oblong, in which only the words that they had just heard seemed to have validity. Elena felt her breath coming too quickly. Her aura was slipping. Everything was slipping sideways. They don’t believe that I only want to be with Stefan! â€Å"Steady on,† Damon said. â€Å"This is the last night. By tomorrow – â€Å" Elena held up a hand to keep him from saying it. â€Å"By tomorrow we’ll have found the key and gotten Stefan and we’ll be out of here,† Damon said anyway. Jinx, thought Elena. And sent up a prayer after it. They rode in silence up toward Bloddeuwedd’s grand mansion. For a surprisingly long time Elena didn’t realize that Damon was trembling. It was a quick, involuntary shaken breath that alerted her. â€Å"Damon! Dear – dear heaven!† Elena was stricken, at a loss, not for words, but for the right words. â€Å"Damon, look at me! Why?† Why? Damon replied in the only voice he could trust not to tremble or crack or break. Because – do you ever think of what’s happening to Stefan while you’re going to a party wearing splendid clothes, being carried along, to drink the finest wine and to dance – while he – while he – The thought remained unfinished. This is just what I needed right before being seen in public, Elena thought, as they reached the long driveway to Bloddeuwedd’s home. She tried to call on all of her resources before the curtains were drawn and they were free to step out at the location of the second half of the key. How to cite The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 33, Essay examples