Jon Krakauers Into the Wild Essay - 1048 Words

In Jon Krakauers novel Into the Wild, the main character, Chris McCandless, seeks nature so that he can find a sense of belonging and the true meaning of who he is. However, it is the essence of nature that eventually takes his life away from him. At the end of his life, he is discovers his purpose and need of other people. After Chris McCandless death in Alaska, Krakauer wrote Into the Wild to reflect on the journey that McCandless makes. Krakauer protrays McCandless as a young man who is reckless, selfish, and arrogant, but at the same time, intelligent, determined, independent, and charismatic. Along with the irony that occurs in nature, these characteristics are the several factors that contribute to McCandless death.†¦show more content†¦In nature, Chris focused only on himself and survival, rather than his troubles at home, the needs of others, or the standards of society. In a way, he was forced to go into the outdoors because of these poor relationships and inner con flicts within himself. Although Chris sought nature to help him, it destroyed him. He never returned from Alaska to put into practice what he had finally learned about himself and his need for others. Nature and his plan had worked against him, since, he eventually died of starvation. One of the chief reasons why Chris McCandles had died of starvation in Alaska was because he was reckless. He was reckless because he was so ill prepared for his journey, and arrogant because he refused to listen to the advice of natives, such as Alex. Chris was intelligent and he knew the conditions of Alaska, but he did not prepare for it. Even after Chris was warned he was determined in carrying out his plans. He was also reckless in thinking that he would be able to come out of Alaska alive. Krakuer writes that Gallien said, ‘I said hunting wasn’t easy that where he was going he could go days without killing any game’ (Krakuer 6). He adds that ‘Alex didn’t seem too worried and he wouldn’t give an inch. He had an answer for everything I threw at him’ (Krakuer 6). If Chris was properly prepared he may have made it out of Alaska alive, rather than dying of starvation. However, he traveled with cheap leather hiking boots, a .22 caliber that wasShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Jon Krakauers Into The Wild778 Words   |  4 Pagesshe wonders about a certain purpose in life. In extreme cases, when a person attempts to find ones self, he or she may find his or herself in a dangerous or even deadly position. In Jon Krakauers Into the Wild, Chris McCandless goes out into the wilderness of Alaska to find himself, but he never returns. Jon Krakauer organizes his novel in a circular way, which ties the story together well, and he uses long, periodic sentences to detail and emphasize his points about life and death situationsRead MoreAnalysis Of Jon Krakauers Into The Wild980 Words   |  4 Pagesfor their issues to vanish. Some people can deal with their dilemmas easily, but others go to the extreme to cope with their obstacles. One person that goes to the extreme to cope with his problems is Christopher McCandless. Throughout Jon Krakauers Into the Wild, Christopher McCandless was eager to isolate himself from his problems in society, but never meant to die because of it. Chris McCandless did not live the average life. He ran away from his family on several occasions, and his actionsRead MoreJon Krakauer’s Use of Rhetorical Devices in Into the Wild1122 Words   |  5 PagesJon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, describes the adventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man that ventured into the wilderness of Alaska hoping to find himself and the meaning of life. He undergoes his dangerous journey because he was persuade by of writers like Henry D. Thoreau, who believe it is was best to get farther away from the mainstreams of life. McCandless’ wild adventure was supposed to lead him towards personal growth but instead resulted in his death caused by his unpreparedness towardsRead MoreLabeling of McCandless in Jon Krakauers Into the Wild Essay1219 Words   |  5 Pagessight of cruel remarks on what they believe is sacred. Jon Krakauer wrote the book, Into the wild, to express his thoughts about his disapproval on what several people assu me about Christopher McCandless, the main character. This people label McCandless stupid for leaving to Alaska without the vital equipment. To prove that he is not â€Å"stupid† for doing this he used appeal to pathos, appeal to logos and appeal to ethos. By comparing Krakauer’s own life experiences and other peoples too to McCandlessRead MoreThe Character of Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s, Into the Wild1059 Words   |  5 PagesThe appeal of being a coward is the opposite of being an adventurous, free-spirited young man; both behaviors contradict each other. Nevertheless, an individual with both characteristics can be identified in Jon Krakauer’s, Into the Wild. Christopher McCandless has a sublime life, until he decides to abandon his standard of living and isolate himself in order to endure a risky life-taking adventure. One may consider McCandless as an adventurer for challenging himself and living off the land, butRead MoreAnalysis of Jon Krakauer’s Into The Wild Essay example1594 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the novel, Christopher McCandless’s character changed over time. Up to McCandless’s death, he wanted to live with the wild and to be away from civilization as far as possibl e. He changes his mind when he writes â€Å"HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED† (189). His purpose of living in the wild is to live with freedom and do whatever he wishes to do. However, he realizes he was a â€Å"refuge in nature† (189) and intended to abandon his solitary life and rejoin the human community. It is assumed thatRead MoreThe Search For Freedom in Jon Krakauers Into the Wild1082 Words   |  5 Pagessoon realize what real freedom and happiness are. A few short months into his pursuit of freedom and happiness, in the interior of Alaska, McCandless experienced a revelation that unfortunately dawned on him only after he was unable to escape the wild. His realization was â€Å"HAPPINESS IS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED† (188). From the beginning of time, humans have had an inherent need to interact with others, to love, to laugh, to depend on one another for emotional and physical support. Without theseRead MoreEssay about The Search For Happiness in Jon Krakauers Into the Wild464 Words   |  2 Pagesindividual. In Jon Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, he tries his best to make sense of McCandless’ journey to the Alaskan wilderness. However, he never really figured out what McCandless’ purpose of the trip was. Looking at McCandless’ life throughout the book, I believe that Chris McCandless went on his journey to find happiness within his own life and did achieve it in the end. Throughout his adolescent to young adult years it was very clear that Chris had an attachment to the wild. In chapterRead MoreChris McCandless Search For Truth in Jon Krakauers Into the Wild1308 Words   |  6 Pages Human nature tells us to want what we cant or dont have. Everything from people to a toy to a kind of hairstyle – we just always want what isnt ours. Chris McCandless from Jon Krakauers Into The Wild is no exception. He lives his life as part of an upper-middle class family, is smart, and goes to and does well in college, but he still feels like something is missing from his life. He want something completely opposite of the life hes used to. Chris McCandless spent a lot of time lookingRead MoreAdventures of Chris McCandless in Jon Krakauer’s Book, Into the Wild629 Words   |  2 PagesSince the release of Jon Krakauer’s book Into The Wild there has been controversy on whether or not what Chris McCandless, better known as Alex Supertramp , did was idiotic or heroic based on his journey. People’s opinions vary, like many things, based on their personal experiences. Seeing him either as some jerk kid who ditched a life that many people would kill for, to embark on this own endeavors in his life. Or, someone who truly knew what he wanted out of his life and went after it; which is

Video Games A Form Of Entertainment - 939 Words

Video games were initially created as a form of entertainment, with the intention of providing the player with a delightful experience. As times have changed, people adapted these new video games as their source of knowledge and a gateway to paradise for the mind and body. Even today, the general purpose of these games are to have fun. However, the content in modern video games has evolved into a way of improving the skills of the player by forcing people to use real world skills. There are hundreds of different types of video games from educational games to shooting games. By having a diverse array of games, the audience for video games expands. Playing video games can contribute to a player’s well-being by enhancing the individual’s knowledge and developmental skills, creating stronger relationship bonds and releasing them from everyday stress. Video games are a source of knowledge that can create developmental and attention skills in young adults. People think playing video games is inactive and useless, but games actually strengthen the range of cognitive skills, such as spatial navigation, memorization, and perception. There are different types of video games that can build knowledge and different mental skills. For instance, parents believe that playing exploration and strategy games can strengthen their children s academic achievement in school, and build strong mental health. According to Nicola Woolcock, â€Å"children playing exploration games, such as Zelda: TwilightShow MoreRelatedVideo Games : A Form Of Entertainment1319 Words   |  6 PagesVideo games have been known as a form of entertainment since its introduction in the 1980’s. With an ever growing market driven by millions of people, video games have become one of the largest industries in the world. However as the video game industry has evolved, so has the content of the video games. What started out with family games like Super Mario and Donkey Kong that involved maneuvering over obstacles, evolved into violent games such as Call of Duty, and Grand Theft Auto which requiredRead MoreVideo Games Are The Most Common Form Of Entertainment1813 Words   |  8 PagesVideo games are a series of images manipulated onto a screen. The screen can be a television, computer screen, or it can also be a cell phone. The images are represented by bits or pixels. There are video games for almost every platform ever made. In the past, video games were a thing that only lucky, rich people had. Now they are something almost everyone has. You can find video games in stores, book shops, garage sales, and many other places. They are the most common form of entertainmentRead MoreReaching the Next Level: The Rise of Video Game Popularity688 Words   |  3 Pages The video game industry has grown into a colossus of today’s business w orld over the past forty-three years. Constantly adapting to the changing market, in order to make a profit off of a popular form of entertainment, the video game industry is continually expanding. But, two very important questions, about the industry, exist: Why has the industry become so popular, and where will that popularity lead? By the trend that the industry has shown video game popularity is due in part to the industry’sRead MoreAn Overview On Modern Day Entertainment1409 Words   |  6 PagesAn Overview On Modern Day Entertainment Introduction: Computer are not only revered for their practical utility, but also for their versatility, as they are often used for a source of entertainment. Computers lead way to the Internet, which in turn spawned social media sites, video streaming and video games. Websites such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter have gained so much traction in current day entertainment. A fun night out now consists of purely technological components: you begin movie nightRead MoreVideo Games Do More Than Entertain990 Words   |  4 Pages 2016 Video Games do more than entertain â€Å"Fully 72% of all teens play video games on a computer, game console or portable device like a cellphone, and 81% of teens have or have access to a game console.â€Å" (Lenhart 1) When most people read this, they might assume it is a bad statistic and something that needs to be lowered, however it actually has many positive attributes that usually go unreported. The positive effects of video games outweigh the negatives in the bigger picture. Video games help toRead MorePlay Station And Video Games1710 Words   |  7 PagesPlay Station and video games are technologies used for entertainment across all age groups all around the world. The young children aged from 5 to 10 years old occupy the largest percentage of users. Today there is wide variety of games attributed to the advancement in technology. The report is a detailed documentation of the impact of gaming on children with references to recent scholarly articles. It also touches on other involved parties in the managemen t of the media entertainment. IntroductionRead MoreVideo Games and Violence942 Words   |  4 Pages Video Games and Violence Awe entering in more advanced society of technology, video games has become a popular source of entertainment among us. Almost all of us has rented or owned a video game and we have spent hours playing it. As we all know, video games have become the second most popular form of entertainment after television; the source of entertainment is proven to be violent. Excessive playing of video games has a huge impact on our life as well asRead MoreEssay on Violent Video Games: Dangerous Entertainment1153 Words   |  5 PagesViolent Video Games: Dangerous Entertainment Since the beginning of organized society, entertainment has always been an aspect closely tied with human nature. From the times of ancient empires, such as the Romans and Greeks, humans have used entertainment as an outlet to escape the harsh reality of everyday life. Although in those times, entertainment was considered duels to the death with animals and other humans opposed to the censored reality shows and formulaic movies we have today. HoweverRead MoreVideo Gaming Addiction On Children1466 Words   |  6 PagesVideo Gaming Addiction in Children Like many things in our modern day the advancement of technology has evolved over several decades; items such as cell phones have nearly multiplied in use of the masses but have become what now some may consider diminutive in size. The possibilities are endless with components and added use. In the beginning of technological times, videos games were traditionally designed to work with televisions and computers. The advancements in video games are now full fledgeRead MoreVideo Games : An Ideal Conduit For Feminist Discourse870 Words   |  4 PagesVideo games have long been a medium that belonged to the sectors of the population that felt as if they did not belong in their society. They are enticing games, from the arcade games of the 80’s and 90’s, to the PC and console games of the 2000’s, to hand held games and mobile apps that have become so popular in the past decade. Everyone from children to grandparents, and stay-at-home mothers to business men play video games or have played video games in their life times. They have been used as

ADHD. free essay sample

Imagine being stuck in traffic waiting to cross an intersection. You have an important meeting to attend and an absence may revoke your chance of promotion. This particular traffic light takes longer than average to change green. As it finally turns to green, the cars ahead of you ease from their brakes and slowly accelerate past the intersection. Not being aware of the light change, you are distracted by a nearby billboard sign. Finally you regain focus. Just as you are about to cross the intersection the traffic light switches to red and you slam on your brakes. For you, this experience happens quite a lot and engrosses you with animosity throughout the day. I am that car stuck at the red light. I was born with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In the story, I note that attending the meeting on time will have lead to a promotion, but because of the distraction in traffic it became unlikely. We will write a custom essay sample on ADHD. or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I always wanted to credit myself for something worthwhile, an achievement that would be unique. The only thing stopping me was the distraction of the billboard. There have been a lot of â€Å"billboards† throughout my life. Being born with ADHD created a challenge for me growing up. It made every task appear to be harder than it actually was. As a child, I had trouble focusing my attention on things in such a fast-paced environment. I could not grasp information as fast as others seemed to do. In elementary school I was taken out of my regular class to be taught at a slower pace, which was supposed to help me succeed. I had organization difficulties and getting started on my homework, let alone finishing it, was a grim task. People thought I had an advantage over them because I had a support teacher in the class and was given extra time on tests. In reality, it was the other way around; they had the advantage. Having lived with ADHD my entire life I often focused on its negative effects on my personal and academic life. I was often overwhelmed from being misunderstood and desperately wanted to take control of this disorder. I began by doing an internal soul search of what I wanted to achieve in life and how to accomplish it. Over the last year in high school, I have worked hard to better myself academically. Instead of focusing on my shortcomings, I have pushed myself to accept more responsibility in the classroom and at home as well. I force myself to study two hours a night and I am taking higher-level classes in school. My grades have improved and I have a better understanding of how to study and keep myself organized. I have learned how to channel my concentration into studying and am able to accomplish much more than I have ever been able to do in the past. In college I know there will be distractions, but I have learned to work to stay focused on my goals. As everyday I remain pro active to avoid stalling at the light.

There Is No God, the Wicked Saith free essay sample

‘There Is No God, The Wicked Saith’ with ‘There’s probably no God†¦ now stop worrying and enjoy your life. ’ The Victorian era was a period of rapid industrial growth, social unrest and scientific discovery. Victorian poetry was marked by religious doubt, personal despair and general uncertainty about life. ‘There Is No God, the Wicked Saith’ is an example of a poem that deals with religious doubt and it challenges the idea of religion and the existence of God. Arthur Hugh Clough was influenced by the High Church movement for a time but he eventually rejected it. Later in life he became unwilling to teach the doctrines of the Church Of England as a tutor and resigned himself in Paris. ‘There Is No God’ shows his dismissive attitude towards religion and Clough is very cynical in mocking the Church and its followers. The poem is simplistic with a deep meaning. The article,‘There’s probably no God†¦ now stop worrying and enjoy your life’ is an account of an atheist campaign against negative religious messages. We will write a custom essay sample on There Is No God, the Wicked Saith or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In contrast to Clough’s poem, it encourages people to believe what they want to, instead of being demeaning. The metrical pattern of iambic tetrameter/trimetre is childlike but elegant and is juxtaposed with the grim, cynical message. The ABCB rhyming pattern adds a derisive sing-song quality to the poem, ‘it’s a blessing, for what He might have done with us it’s only better guessing. ’ Clough suggests that if there were a God, people would be punished for the wrong that they do and he presents this evidence in an unattractive gloating manner. It is in 3rd person, but the speakers are in 1st person. The different voices add texture to the poem and allow Clough to mimic and mock various religious stereotypes. He uses these voices to question whether there is a God and explore people’s beliefs and reasons for being religious. The article is in 3rd person meaning the writer does not express a personal opinion towards the subject matter. This compliments the message that ‘people can believe whatever they want’ as the reader is not swayed towards a biased opinion. The poem is in a declarative mood and opens with the bold statement, ‘There is no God’. This declarative is repeated to reinforce the message of doubt. It is in present tense, which makes the subject relevant and the message more powerful. The article is also declarative. It is simple and gives a practical account of the atheist campaign. The use of the archaic language, ‘saith’ may be meant in an ironic way by Clough as it has an Old Testament feel to it. It reinforces the idea that Clough is mocking religion and dealing with a difficult issue in a sarcastic manner. Clough’s sarcastic tone is present throughout, ‘If He should take it ill in me to make a little money. ’ Here the poet questions the Victorian idea of expansion and it may be a comment on capitalism. The vague pronoun, ‘somebody’ that Clough uses in reference to God, depicts him as a vague projection in society. It also emphasises the rich man’s attitude towards God, in that he doesn’t need him because he has everything, so he therefore doesn’t need to have faith in God. When Clough mentions men ‘in first confusion,’ he may be referring to homosexuality. He uses this as an example of people questioning the ideas of the church and doubting what they have been taught to believe is right. In the opening of the article, the adjective, ‘controversial’ sets the tone for the rest of the text and suggests the campaign has caused disputes. The imperatives in the title itself, ‘now stop worrying and enjoy your life’ seem blunt and harsh until the message behind them is explained. The article uses facts and figures such as, ‘200 bendy buses in London and 600 others across England, Scotland and Wales,’ to emphasise the scale of the campaign. The sibilance in, ‘shadow of the steeple’ sounds hushed and could symbolise the church silencing those who may choose to question their faith, acknowledging the control that the church has over people. Further sibilance in ‘disease or sorrows strike him’, creates a hissing effect and a negative feel, suggesting that people only turn to God when there is hardship in their lives.

Italian Nationalism essays

Italian Nationalism essays Nationalism is the love of ones country rather than the love of ones native region and the belief that ones country is superior to that of anyone elses. Italian nationalism became a strong force in the early 1800s when writers and thinkers became intent on reviving interest in Italys traditions. From nationalism spawned a desire for unification therefore, specific movements were founded allowing people to express these goals of liberation. Three very influential men were present in Italy during the 19th century who played crucial parts in unifying Italy as they helped to spread nationalistic ideas throughout the country. These men were Giuseppe Mazzini, Count Camillo Benso di Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi. A number of rebellions, revolts and wars broke out during this time, which united the people of Italy under similar feelings of patriotism as they were all set on fighting for their country. All of these elements helped to bring about the unification of Italy. In this essay I will explain how Italy was finally unified in the late 1800s and how nationalism influenced the people of Italy and played an important part on the road to Italian unification Three very important men of the 19th century greatly impacted Italian history. One of them, Giuseppe Mazzini was born in 1805 and devoted his entire life to his goals of Italian unification. During the early 1800s, a nationalistic movement known as the Risorgimento, the Italian word for revival was founded. Because nationalists were not permitted to express their ideas openly, they formed several secret societies. One of these groups was the Carbonari, which Mazzini was a member of. In 1831, he rallied Italian nationalists through an organization dedicated to uniting Italy. He called this movement Young Italy and described it as a brotherhood of Italians who believed in Progress and Duty. In 1848, he led groups ...

Overview of Spanish Verb Tenses

Overview of Spanish Verb Tenses It almost goes without saying that the tense of a verb depends upon when the verbs action takes place. So it shouldnt be surprising that the Spanish word for tense in the grammatical sense is tiempo, the same as the word for time. In the simplest sense, there are three tenses: the past, present, and future. Unfortunately for anyone learning most languages, including English and Spanish, it is seldom that simple. Spanish also has a tense not connected to time, as well as two types of simple past tenses. Overview of Spanish Tenses Although both Spanish and English have complex tenses that use auxiliary verbs, students often begin by learning four types of simple tenses: The present tense is the most common tense and the one invariably learned first in Spanish classes.The future tense is most often used to refer to events that havent happened yet, but it can also be used for emphatic commands and, in Spanish, to indicate uncertainty about current happenings.The past tenses of Spanish are known as the preterite and the imperfect. To simplify, the first is usually used to refer to something that happened at a specific point in time, while the latter is used to describe events where the time period isnt specific.The conditional tense, also known in Spanish as el futuro hipotà ©tico, the future hypothetical, is different than the others in that it isnt clearly connected with a particular time period. As the name implies, this tense is used to refer to events that are conditional or hypothetical in nature. This tense should not be confused with the subjunctive mood, a verb form that also can refer to actions that arent necessarily real. Verb Conjugation In Spanish, verb tenses are formed by changing the endings of verbs, a process known as conjugation. We sometimes  conjugate verbs  in English, for example adding -ed to indicate the past tense. In Spanish, the process is much more extensive. For example, the future tense is expressed using conjugation rather than by using an additional word such as will or shall in English. There are five types of conjugation for simple tenses: Present tenseImperfectPreteriteFutureConditional In addition to the simple tenses already listed, it is possible in both Spanish and English to form what is known as the perfect tense by using a form of the verb haber in Spanish, to have in English, with the past participle. These compound tenses are known as present perfect, the pluperfect or past perfect, the preterite perfect (limited mostly to literary use), the future perfect and the conditional perfect. A Closer Look at Spanish Tenses Although the tenses of Spanish and English are very much alike- after all, the two languages share a common ancestor, Indo-European, with origins dating to prehistoric times- Spanish has some peculiarities in its tense usage: The differences in the past tenses of ser and estar can be especially subtle.Sometimes, the word used to translate a Spanish verb can vary depending on the tense used.It is possible to describe events that will happen in the future without using the future tense.While the English auxiliary verb would is often an indication that the conditional tense is being used, such isnt always the case.Although the conditional tense is a common one, there are also  conditional sentences that use other forms of verbs.By using estar as an auxiliary verb in the various tenses, it is possible to form progressive verbs that can be used in various tenses.

Bus330 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bus330 - Essay Example 3,413,649,001 $3,533,126,716 $3,656,786,151 $3,784,773,666 $3,917,240,744 $4,054,344,170 $4,196,246,216 $4,343,114,834 $4,495,123,853 $4,652,453,188 $550,000,000 $569,250,000 $589,173,750 $609,794,831 $631,137,650 $653,227,468 $676,090,429 $699,753,595 $724,244,970 $749,593,544 $775,829,318 $802,983,344 $831,087,762 $860,175,833 $890,281,987 $921,441,857 $953,692,322 $987,071,553 $1,021,619,058 $1,057,375,725 $1,045,000,000 $1,081,575,000 $1,119,430,125 $1,158,610,179 $1,199,161,536 $1,241,132,189 $1,284,571,816 $1,329,531,830 $1,376,065,444 $1,424,227,734 $1,474,075,705 $1,525,668,355 $1,579,066,747 $1,634,334,083 $1,691,535,776 $1,750,739,528 $1,812,015,412 $1,875,435,951 $1,941,076,209 $2,009,013,877 $250,000,000 $258,750,000 $267,806,250 $277,179,469 $286,880,750 $296,921,576 $307,313,832 $318,069,816 $329,202,259 $340,724,338 $352,649,690 $364,992,429 $377,767,164 $390,989,015 $404,673,631 $418,837,208 $433,496,510 $448,668,888 $464,372,299 $480,625,329 $264,199,034 $273,446,000 $283,016,610 $292,922,191 $303,174,468 $313,785,574 $324,768,069 $336,134,952 $347,899,675 $360,076,164 $372,678,829 $385,722,588 $399,222,879 $413,195,680 $427,657,528 $442,625,542 $458,117,436 $474,151,546 $490,746,850 $507,922,990 $44,199,034 $45,746,000 $47,347,110 $49,004,259 $50,719,408 $52,494,587 $54,331,897 $56,233,514 $58,201,687 $60,238,746 $62,347,102 $64,529,251 $66,787,774 $69,125,346 $71,544,734 $74,048,799 $76,640,507 $79,322,925 $82,099,227 $84,972,700 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $49,250,000 $117,351,933 $126,683,001 $236,340,656 $246,336,328 $256,681,850 $267,389,465 $278,471,846 $289,942,111 $301,813,834 $314,101,069 $326,818,356 $339,980,749 $353,603,825

Philippine American history Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philippine American history - Research Paper Example Existing studies are branded as â€Å"sketchy, superficial, and flawed in their methodology as well as their assumptions. Lamenting this neglect in the literature, the Filipinos ought to be considered as â€Å"forgotten Asian Americans† that â€Å"very little significant has been considered on them† and that in this group there is â€Å"no history, no nothing†. The institutional invisibility of the Filipinos and Philippines is considered to be connected to the historical amnesia as well as the self-erasure of the United States colonization of the Philippines and associated imperialism. From a cultural perspective, the academic neglect of the Filipinos results from the erroneous assumptions on the lack of authentic indigenous culture from the Philippines. This echoes the contention considered by researchers and anthropologists ignoring the group because they are considered to be â€Å"too westernized with no culture of their own.† Thus, this suggests that the history of Filipinos ought to be well understood within the context of the colonial and postcolonial associations exis ting between the united states and the Philippines (Lee, 366). Filipino Americans started settling after the Philippines were accepted as a territory of the United Kingdom in 1898. The Filipinos arrived as labors for the domestic and agricultural plantations as well as students. By 1930, the number of the Filipinos numbered to 45,026. Since then the population has grown tremendously. In 1970, the number of Filipinos was estimated to be 336,731, and it has numbered at least seven times to 2.4 million today making up almost 1 percent of the national population in the United States (Liu et al., 233). The Filipinos population is composed of the native Japanese and Hawaii population and the Hapas, who constitute at least 22 percent of the Filipino population in America. Due to the integration of the

Prejudice and Stereotyping in Society Essay Example for Free

Prejudice and Stereotyping in Society Essay Stereotyping is a form of prejudice and is also the root of racism and discrimination. A stereotype usually applies to a whole group of people who do something in a certain way. To them, it seems natural, but to some people its weird. Often, a name is given to the group, and to every individual. For example, nerd is the stereotype name for someone who is usually a computer whizz and cant play sport very well. This however isnt always true, because many people are computer whizzes and also good at sports. But, if you saw someone who you didnt know come to school with disks and computer stuff, you would probably say, hes a nerd, or shes a nerd. The problem with that is that you are making a judgement of their personality without actually knowing what they are like. Another real-life example is towards blonde haired people, women in particular. One journalist went for a weekend with blonde hair, rather than her usual brunette look, and noticed that no-one took her ideas seriously. Thats what stereotypes are all about. When society has an exaggerated idea about a group of people, when you see someone who seems to fit the description you judge them as that stereotype. Some stereotypes are called labels, because its literally like a label stuck to you. Theres no harm in making that point, but labels can also be a name for an individual. For example, if someone was known as Lazy- Bones, it means that they dont always do their part of the job, let the team down, and anything else that can be connected with being lazy. That person now has two choices: one is to actually live out their label and turn into a big lazy person, or they can fight back and prove that they arent lazy. Most stereotypes focus on the bad things about someones personality, or not necessarily bad, but more like an area that theyre not strong in. If someone gets labelled for something they cant do, it could have bad psychological effects on them. This is a way of bullying. Another way that stereotyping can have a bullying effect is when there is a social stereotype of how men or women, boys or girls are supposed to behave, and one individual doesnt fit the stereotype, people treat them like a weirdo. No-one really has to behave in a certain way and we are much too complex to be neatly shelved under a few stupid labels, as if there are only a few types of people instead of many different ones. Another problem with stereotypes is when it affects a whole group of people, such as the 19th. Century Irish. Back then the Irish had a reputation of being heavy drinkers, lazy, unreliable, troublesome, violent, and dishonest people. This meant that most of them fitted those stereotypes. For those who didnt, the fact that the stereotype existed didnt make it any easier for them to get employment as opposed to say, an Italian, whos stereotype was(still is) hardworking, honest and reliable. The good Irelander might have fit the Italian stereotype, but as soon as the employee hears Irish they discard them. In light of the recent terrorism attacks in America, many people have become prejudiced towards Muslims, since the terrorist agency is believed to be Muslim. Fortunately, this situation hasnt become too out of hand because political leaders such as President Bush of the USA have made us realize that it wasnt caused by every single Muslim, but only a handful in comparison, and if anyone is to pay for it, it is the terrorists themselves. But what is it that makes us want to label, stereotype, and pre-judge? It is all part of an important process called Generalisation. Just about everyone has this ability to generalise. Generalising is an involuntary process that takes place in our minds. It is related to learning from experience and predicting the future. We can make a generalisation about fire, that it burns and could kill you if you let it. We know this from seeing things like logs or paper burning up, or say, if you put your finger into a flame and it burns your finger. Heat and pain. Now, from your experience with fire, you can say, fires are hot, and they hurt you. So when you see a fire, you know that you shouldnt touch it. Saying that fires are hot is a prejudice, but it isnt racist towards fires or bigotry. If we didnt have the ability to generalise, wed put our finger in the fire every time we see one because wed never learn that fires can kill or hurt you. As you can see here, generalisation is an invaluable survival tool. This same principle can apply to people. If you told someone a secret, and they told everyone else, next time you have a secret, you know who not to tell. Racism is when you look at the way a certain culture/race/ethnic group do things differently to how your group might do them. This escalates to superiority, believing that your group is more important and better and more valuable than the other groups, and not accepting that they say, the your opinion doesnt count syndrome, commonly known as bigotry. The most visible example of bigotry in practice is probably in the days of slavery in the United States, and the apartheid in South Africa. In America, the black people were discriminated against, forced into slavery, even sold in auctions as slaves. In South Africa, the Afrikaners (white South Africans) passed laws that restricted what black people could do. The apartheid plan was to send the natives back into their part of Africa, even though they had been in South African territory ages before the Afrikaners were even dreamed of. Bigotry is an often cruel practice but the people it affects more often than not find the strength to persevere with the oppressors, and eventually win in the end. In conclusion to all this we realize that making generalisations is important, but it is also abused to become racism, labelling, and bigotry.

Common Theme :: essays research papers

Literary works have life changing messages hidden within their pages that have the power to teach a lesson. During the second half of the school year, we studied a myriad of novels and plays, however, despite their differences in plot and characters- the works had an overall theme in common. Each work discovers and characterizes the global theme of hope differently.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In The Lottery, the characters disagree with a deadly ritual but follow it because they are afraid and will be chastised. At first there is some resistance from the family who gets the black ticket but in the end there is no confrontation. The characters never collaborate and join a team to do anything against the tradition but they hope that one day the town elders will understand how ludicrous this act they hold so dearly to their hearts is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A Catcher in the Rye, a novel explaining the nadir of an esoteric young man, depicts hope because Holden Caufield is stuck in a world of his own that he wishes to get out of. In the beginning of the novel, Holden tells Mr. Spencer that he feels stuck in his own world and that he wants to break away but can’t bring himself to do it. Holden hides his craving to be a part of the normal world by saying that everyone is phony. He hopes that one day he’ll be accepted and understood by the world for who he is. But Holden takes this theme to one more step; he gets help at the end. Holden sees a psychoanalyst and in turn he courageously looks in the eyes of his problem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Death of a Salesman the theme of hope is ascertained through Willy’s strive to achieve the American Dream and to treat his family with valor. Biff demonstrates this theme by hoping that one day his family will cherish each other and be proud of him like they once were. Arthur Miller wants his readers to understand that if they work hard at something it can sincerely come true. If Biff and Willy put aside their differences for just a moment and talked things out- devoid of getting irrational they would have been back to normal. What the father and son pair doesn’t realize is that they both hope to get along with each other but they never speak about it so it doesn’t occur.

Morality in the Bible?

Many speculations and debates had been flourished about the base morality in the bible. The Holy Bible has been there for centuries but still many condemns it by not believing to what is writer. Many take the teachings into their personal interpretation and practice without proper understanding of what they are undertaking. Bible is said to be the base or foundation in solving human morality. It has all the solutions to the chaos and conflicts. Let’s take into account of one controversy: Stated in Leviticus 17: 10-14, â€Å"And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood; neither shall any stranger that so journeth among you eat blood. For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.† This verse explains well how important blood represents in the Bible. Like an example, the blood of Jesus Christ was used as the cleansing of the sins of the world. This believe is of the Christians. â€Å"Is it morally right for blood to be transfused from one person to another? Most religions permit it, but the Jehovah's Witnesses argue that biblical principles properly understood condemn it. Who is right? When the Bible was being written, the technology for transfusing blood didn't exist, so the Bible did not directly address this problem. The same is true of numerous other technologies now available to us. The transplantation of body organs (including even cross-species transplants), artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, genetic mapping, gene splicing–these are all technologies that were developed after the Bible was written, so what is the â€Å"correct† moral position to take on these issues? Through processes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transplantations, a woman in USA gave birth to her own grandchildren. Was it morally right for her to do this? What does the Bible say? Well, of course, the Bible doesn't say anything about this or any of the other technological procedures mentioned above. If we asked a hundred theologians to take their Bibles and resolve the moral dilemmas posed by these technologies, we would find ourselves hopelessly trapped in a maze of confusion when all of their answers were in (Till, Farell).† Many tribes across the world eat blood by including the blood in foods. Some drink it fresh. There are many ways how people intake the blood. What are the differences in blood transfusion and taking it in as food? Will this resolve the problem of moral ethics with regards to the notion of blood as sacred? As we may see, many views to this argument rise. This depends to how a person views this topic and has them believe as to what has been set by the norms. List of References Till, Farell. No Morality without the Bible. 28 Nov. 2003. The Skeptical Review Vol.5 #1. 01 December 2006 ;http://www.infidels.org/library/magazines/tsr/1994/1/1front94.html;. The American Stan

Black House Chapter Twenty-three

23 â€Å"ONE MORE !† says the guy from ESPN. It sounds more like an order than a request, and although Henry can't see the fellow, he knows this particular homeboy never played a sport in his life, pro or otherwise. He has the lardy, slightly oily aroma of someone who has been overweight almost from the jump. Sports is perhaps his compensation, with the power to still memories of clothes bought in the Husky section at Sears and all those childhood rhymes like â€Å"Fatty-fatty, two-by-four, had to do it on the floor, couldn't get through the bathroom door.† His name is Penniman. â€Å"Just like Little Richard!† he told Henry when they shook hands at the radio station. â€Å"Famous rock ‘n' roller from back in the fifties? Maybe you remember him.† â€Å"Vaguely,† Henry said, as if he hadn't at one time owned every single Little Richard had ever put out. â€Å"I believe he was one of the Founding Fathers.† Penniman laughed uproariously, and in that laugh Henry glimpsed a possible future for himself. But was it a future he wanted? People laughed at Howard Stern, too, and Howard Stern was a dork. â€Å"One more drink!† Penniman repeats now. They are in the bar of the Oak Tree Inn, where Penniman has tipped the bartender five bucks to switch the TV from bowling on ABC to ESPN, even though there's nothing on at this hour of the day except golf tips and bass fishing. â€Å"One more drink, just to seal the deal!† But they don't have a deal, and Henry isn't sure he wants to make one. Going national with George Rathbun as part of the ESPN radio package should be attractive, and he doesn't have any serious problem with changing the name of the show from Badger Barrage to ESPN Sports Barrage it would still focus primarily on the central and northern areas of the country but . . . But what? Before he can even get to work on the question, he smells it again: My Sin, the perfume his wife used to wear on certain evenings, when she wanted to send a certain signal. Lark was what he used to call her on those certain evenings, when the room was dark and they were both blind to everything but scents and textures and each other. Lark. â€Å"You know, I think I'm going to pass on that drink,† Henry says. â€Å"Got some work to do at home. But I'm going to think over your offer. And I mean seriously.† â€Å"Ah-ah-ah,† Penniman says, and Henry can tell from certain minute disturbances in the air that the man is shaking a finger beneath his nose. Henry wonders how Penniman would react if Henry suddenly darted his head forward and bit off the offending digit at the second knuckle. If Henry showed him a little Coulee Country hospitality Fisherman-style. How loud would Penniman yell? As loud as Little Richard before the instrumental break of â€Å"Tutti Frutti,† perhaps? Or not quite as loud as that? â€Å"Can't go till I'm ready to take you,† Mr. I'm Fat But It No Longer Matters tells him. â€Å"I'm your ride, y'know.† He's on his fourth gimlet, and his words are slightly slurred. My friend, Henry thinks, I'd poke a ferret up my ass before I'd get into a car with you at the wheel. â€Å"Actually, I can,† Henry says pleasantly. Nick Avery, the bartender, is having a kick-ass afternoon: the fat guy slipped him five to change the TV channel, and the blind guy slipped him five to call Skeeter's Taxi while the fat guy was in the bathroom, making a little room. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I said, ? ®Actually, I can.' Bartender?† â€Å"He's outside, sir,† Avery tells him. â€Å"Pulled up two minutes ago.† There is a hefty creak as Penniman turns on his bar stool. Henry can't see the man's frown as he takes in the taxi now idling in the hotel turnaround, but he can sense it. â€Å"Listen, Henry,† Penniman says. â€Å"I think you may lack a certain understanding of your current situation. There are stars in the firmament of sports radio, damned right there are people like the Fabulous Sports Babe and Tony Kornheiser make six figures a year just in speaking fees, six figures easy but you ain't there yet. That door is currently closed to you. But I, my friend, am one helluva doorman. The upshot is that if I say we ought to have one more drink, then â€Å" â€Å"Bartender,† Henry says quietly, then shakes his head. â€Å"I can't just call you bartender; it might work for Humphrey Bogart but it doesn't work for me. What's your name?† â€Å"Nick Avery, sir.† The last word comes out automatically, but Avery never would have used it when speaking to the other one, never in a million years. Both guys tipped him five, but the one in the dark glasses is the gent. It's got nothing to do with him being blind, it's just something he is. â€Å"Nick, who else is at the bar?† Avery looks around. In one of the back booths, two men are drinking beer. In the hall, a bellman is on the phone. At the bar itself, no one at all except for these two guys one slim, cool, and blind, the other fat, sweaty, and starting to be pissed off. â€Å"No one, sir.† â€Å"There's not a . . . lady?† Lark, he's almost said. There's not a lark? â€Å"No.† â€Å"Listen here,† Penniman says, and Henry thinks he's never heard anyone so unlike â€Å"Little Richard† Penniman in his entire life. This guy is whiter than Moby Dick . . . and probably about the same size. â€Å"We've got a lot more to discuss here.† Loh more t'dishcush is how it comes out. â€Å"Unless, that is† Unlesh â€Å"you're trying to let me know you're not interested.† Never in a million years, Penniman's voice says to Henry Leyden's educated ears. We're talking about putting a money machine in your living room, sweetheart, your very own private ATM, and there ain't no way in hell you're going to turn that down. â€Å"Nick, you don't smell perfume? Something very light and old-fashioned? My Sin, perhaps?† A flabby hand falls on Henry's shoulder like a hot-water bottle. â€Å"The sin, old buddy, would be for you to refuse to have another drink with me. Even a blindman could see th â€Å" â€Å"Suggest you get your hand off him,† Avery says, and perhaps Penniman's ears aren't entirely deaf to nuance, because the hand leaves Henry's shoulder at once. Then another hand comes in its place, higher up. It touches the back of Henry's neck in a cold caress that's there and then gone. Henry draws in breath. The smell of perfume comes with it. Usually scents fade after a period of exposure, as the receptors that caught them temporarily deaden. Not this time, though. Not this smell. â€Å"No perfume?† Henry almost pleads. The touch of her hand on his neck he can dismiss as a tactile hallucination. But his nose never betrays him. Never until now, anyway. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Avery says. â€Å"I can smell beer . . . peanuts . . . this man's gin and his aftershave . . .† Henry nods. The lights above the backbar slide across the dark lenses of his shades as he slips gracefully off his stool. â€Å"I think you want another drink, my friend,† Penniman says in what he no doubt believes to be a tone of polite menace. â€Å"One more drink, just to celebrate, and then I'll take you home in my Lexus.† Henry smells his wife's perfume. He's sure of it. And he seemed to feel the touch of his wife's hand on the back of his neck. Yet suddenly it's skinny little Morris Rosen he finds himself thinking about Morris, who wanted him to listen to â€Å"Where Did Our Love Go† as done by Dirtysperm. And of course for Henry to play it in his Wisconsin Rat persona. Morris Rosen, who has more integrity in one of his nail-chewed little fingers than this bozo has got in his entire body. He puts a hand on Penniman's forearm. He smiles into Penniman's unseen face, and feels the muscles beneath his palm relax. Penniman has decided he's going to get his way. Again. â€Å"You take my drink,† Henry says pleasantly, â€Å"add it to your drink, and then stick them both up your fat and bepimpled ass. If you need something to hold them in place, why, you can stick your job up there right after them.† Henry turns and walks briskly toward the door, orienting himself with his usual neat precision and holding one hand out in front of him as an insurance policy. Nick Avery has broken into spontaneous applause, but Henry barely hears this and Penniman he has already dismissed from his mind. What occupies him is the smell of My Sin perfume. It fades a little as he steps out into the afternoon heat . . . but is that not an amorous sigh he hears beside his left ear? The sort of sigh his wife sometimes made just before falling asleep after love? His Rhoda? His Lark? â€Å"Hello, the taxi!† he calls from the curb beneath the awning. â€Å"Right here, buddy what're you, blind?† â€Å"As a bat,† Henry agrees, and walks toward the sound of the voice. He'll go home, he'll put his feet up, he'll have a glass of tea, and then he'll listen to the damned 911 tape. That as yet unperformed chore may be what's causing his current case of the heebie-jeebies and shaky-shivers, knowing that he must sit in darkness and listen to the voice of a child-killing cannibal. Surely that must be it, because there's no reason to be afraid of his Lark, is there? If she were to return to return and haunt him she would surely haunt with love. Wouldn't she? Yes, he thinks, and lowers himself into the taxi's stifling back seat. â€Å"Where to, buddy?† â€Å"Norway Valley Road,† Henry says. â€Å"It's a white house with blue trim, standing back from the road. You'll see it not long after you cross the creek.† Henry settles back in the seat and turns his troubled face toward the open window. French Landing feels strange to him today . . . fraught. Like something that has slipped and slipped until it is now on the verge of simply falling off the table and smashing to pieces on the floor. Say that she has come back. Say that she has. If it's love she's come with, why does the smell of her perfume make me so uneasy? So almost revolted? And why was her touch (her imagined touch, he assures himself) so unpleasant? Why was her touch so cold? After the dazzle of the day, the living room of Beezer's crib is so dark that at first Jack can't make out anything. Then, when his eyes adjust a little, he sees why: blankets a double thickness, from the look have been hung over both of the living-room windows, and the door to the other downstairs room, almost certainly the kitchen, has been closed. â€Å"He can't stand the light,† Beezer says. He keeps his voice low so it won't carry across to the far side of the room, where the shape of a man lies on a couch. Another man is kneeling beside him. â€Å"Maybe the dog that bit him was rabid,† Jack says. He doesn't believe it. Beezer shakes his head decisively. â€Å"It isn't a phobic reaction. Doc says it's physiological. Where light falls on him, his skin starts to melt. You ever hear of anything like that?† â€Å"No.† And Jack has never smelled anything like the stench in this room, either. There's the buzz of not one but two table fans, and he can feel the cross-draft, but that stink is too gluey to move. There's the reek of spoiled meat of gangrene in torn flesh but Jack has smelled that before. It's the other smell that's getting to him, something like blood and funeral flowers and feces all mixed up together. He makes a gagging noise, can't help it, and Beezer looks at him with a certain impatient sympathy. â€Å"Bad, yeah, I know. But it's like the monkey house at the zoo, man you get used to it after a while.† The swing door to the other room opens, and a trim little woman with shoulder-length blond hair comes through. She's carrying a bowl. When the light strikes the figure lying on the couch, Mouse screams. It's a horribly thick sound, as if the man's lungs have begun to liquefy. Something maybe smoke, maybe steam starts to rise up from the skin of his forehead. â€Å"Hold on, Mouse,† the kneeling man says. It's Doc. Before the kitchen door swings all the way shut again, Jack is able to read what's pasted to his battered black bag. Somewhere in America there may be another medical man sporting a STEPPENWOLF RULES bumper sticker on the side of his physician's bag, but probably not in Wisconsin. The woman kneels beside Doc, who takes a cloth from the basin, wrings it out, and places it on Mouse's forehead. Mouse gives a shaky groan and begins to shiver all over. Water runs down his cheeks and into his beard. The beard seems to be coming out in mangy patches. Jack steps forward, telling himself he will get used to the smell, sure he will. Maybe it's even true. In the meantime he wishes for a little of the Vicks VapoRub most LAPD homicide detectives carry in their glove compartments as a matter of course. A dab under each nostril would be very welcome right now. There's a sound system (scruffy) and a pair of speakers in the corners of the room (huge), but no television. Stacked wooden crates filled with books line every wall without a door or a window in it, making the space seem even smaller than it is, almost cryptlike. Jack has a touch of claustrophobia in his makeup, and now this circuit warms up, increasing his discomfort. Most of the books seem to deal with religion and philosophy he sees Descartes, C. S. Lewis, the Bhagavad-Gita, Steven Avery's Tenets of Existence but there's also a lot of fiction, books on beer making, and (on top of one giant speaker) Albert Goldman's trash tome about Elvis Presley. On the other speaker is a photograph of a young girl with a splendid smile, freckles, and oceans of reddish-blond hair. Seeing the child who drew the hopscotch grid out front makes Jack Sawyer feel sick with anger and sorrow. Otherworldly beings and causes there may be, but there's also a sick old fuck prowling around who needs to be s topped. He'd do well to remember that. Bear Girl makes a space for Jack in front of the couch, moving gracefully even though she's on her knees and still holding the bowl. Jack sees that in it are two more wet cloths and a heap of melting ice cubes. The sight of them makes him thirstier than ever. He takes one and pops it into his mouth. Then he turns his attention to Mouse. A plaid blanket has been pulled up to his neck. His forehead and upper cheeks the places not covered by his decaying beard are pasty. His eyes are closed. His lips are drawn back to show teeth of startling whiteness. â€Å"Is he † Jack begins, and then Mouse's eyes open. Whatever Jack meant to ask leaves his head entirely. Around the hazel irises, Mouse's eyes have gone an uneasy, shifting scarlet. It's as if the man is looking into a terrible radioactive sunset. From the inner corners of his eyes, some sort of black scum is oozing. â€Å"The Book of Philosophical Transformation addresses most current dialectics,† Mouse says, speaking mellowly and lucidly, â€Å"and Machiavelli also speaks to these questions.† Jack can almost picture him in a lecture hall. Until his teeth begin to chatter, that is. â€Å"Mouse, it's Jack Sawyer.† No recognition in those weird red-and-hazel eyes. The black gunk at the corners of them seems to twitch, however, as if it is somehow sentient. Listening to him. â€Å"It's Hollywood,† Beezer murmurs. â€Å"The cop. Remember?† One of Mouse's hands lies on the plaid blanket. Jack takes it, and stifles a cry of surprise when it closes over his with amazing strength. It's hot, too. As hot as a biscuit just out of the oven. Mouse lets out a long, gasping sigh, and the stench is fetid bad meat, decayed flowers. He's rotting, Jack thinks. Rotting from the inside out. Oh Christ, help me through this. Christ may not, but the memory of Sophie might. Jack tries to fix her eyes in his memory, that lovely, level, clear blue gaze. â€Å"Listen,† Mouse says. â€Å"I'm listening.† Mouse seems to gather himself. Beneath the blanket, his body shivers in a loose, uncoordinated way that Jack guesses is next door to a seizure. Somewhere a clock is ticking. Somewhere a dog is barking. A boat hoots on the Mississippi. Other than these sounds, all is silence. Jack can remember only one other such suspension of the world's business in his entire life, and that was when he was in a Beverly Hills hospital, waiting for his mother to finish the long business of dying. Somewhere Ty Marshall is waiting to be rescued. Hoping to be rescued, at least. Somewhere there are Breakers hard at work, trying to destroy the axle upon which all existence spins. Here is only this eternal room with its feeble fans and noxious vapors. Mouse's eyes close, then open again. They fix upon the newcomer, and Jack is suddenly sure some great truth is going to be confided. The ice cube is gone from his mouth; Jack supposes he crunched it up and swallowed it without even realizing, but he doesn't dare take another. â€Å"Go on, buddy,† Doc says. â€Å"You get it out and then I'll load you up with another hypo of dope. The good stuff. Maybe you'll sleep.† Mouse pays no heed. His mutating eyes hold Jack's. His hand holds Jack's, tightening still more. Jack can almost feel the bones of his fingers grinding together. â€Å"Don't . . . go out and buy top-of-the-line equipment,† Mouse says, and sighs out another excruciatingly foul breath from his rotting lungs. â€Å"Don't . . . ?† â€Å"Most people give up brewing after . . . a year or two. Even dedicated . . . dedicated hobbyists. Making beer is not . . . is not for pussies.† Jack looks around at Beezer, who looks back impassively. â€Å"He's in and out. Be patient. Wait on him.† Mouse's grip tightens yet more, then loosens just as Jack is deciding he can take it no longer. â€Å"Get a big pot,† Mouse advises him. His eyes bulge. The reddish shadows come and go, come and go, fleeting across the curved landscape of his corneas, and Jack thinks, That's its shadow. The shadow of the Crimson King. Mouse has already got one foot in its court. â€Å"Five gallons . . . at least. You find the best ones are in . . . seafood supply stores. And for a fermentation vessel . . . plastic water-cooler jugs are good . . . they're lighter than glass, and . . . I'm burning up. Christ, Beez, I'm burning up!† â€Å"Fuck this, I'm going to shoot it to him,† Doc says, and snaps open his bag. Beezer grabs his arm. â€Å"Not yet.† Bloody tears begin to slip out of Mouse's eyes. The black goo seems to be forming into tiny tendrils. These reach greedily downward, as if trying to catch the moisture and drink it. â€Å"Fermentation lock and stopper,† Mouse whispers. â€Å"Thomas Merton is shit, never let anyone tell you different. No real thought there. You have to let the gases escape while keeping dust out. Jerry Garcia wasn't God. Kurt Cobain wasn't God. The perfume he smells is not that of his dead wife. He's caught the eye of the King. Gorg-ten-abbalah, ee-lee-lee. The opopanax is dead, long live the opopanax.† Jack leans more deeply into Mouse's smell. â€Å"Who's smelling perfume? Who's caught the eye of the King?† â€Å"The mad King, the bad King, the sad King. Ring-a-ding-ding, all hail the King.† â€Å"Mouse, who's caught the eye of the King?† Doc says, â€Å"I thought you wanted to know about â€Å" â€Å"Who?† Jack has no idea why this seems important to him, but it does. Is it something someone has said to him recently? Was it Dale? Tansy? Was it, God save us, Wendell Green? â€Å"Racking cane and hose,† Mouse says confidentially. â€Å"That's what you need when the fermentation's done! And you can't put beer in screw-top bottles! You â€Å" Mouse turns his head away from Jack, nestles it cozily in the hollow of his shoulder, opens his mouth, and vomits. Bear Girl screams. The vomit is pus-yellow and speckled with moving black bits like the crud in the corners of Mouse's eyes. It is alive. Beezer leaves the room in a hurry, not quite running, and Jack shades Mouse from the brief glare of kitchen sunlight as best he can. The hand clamped on Jack's loosens a little more. Jack turns to Doc. â€Å"Do you think he's going?† Doc shakes his head. â€Å"Passed out again. Poor old Mousie ain't getting off that easy.† He gives Jack a grim, haunted look. â€Å"This better be worth it, Mr. Policeman. ‘Cause if it ain't, I'm gonna replumb your sink.† Beezer comes back with a huge bundle of rags, and he's put on a pair of green kitchen gloves. Not speaking, he mops up the pool of vomit between Mouse's shoulder and the backrest of the couch. The black specks have ceased moving, and that's good. To have not seen them moving in the first place would have been even better. The vomit, Jack notices with dismay, has eaten into the couch's worn fabric like acid. â€Å"I'm going to pull the blanket down for a second or two,† Doc says, and Bear Girl gets up at once, still holding the bowl with the melting ice. She goes to one of the bookshelves and stands there with her back turned, trembling. â€Å"Doc, is this something I really need to see?† I think maybe it is. I don't think you know what you're dealing with, even now.† Doc takes hold of the blanket and eases it out from beneath Mouse's limp hand. Jack sees that more of the black stuff has begun to ooze from beneath the dying man's fingernails. â€Å"Remember that this happened only a couple of hours ago, Mr. Policeman.† He pulls the blanket down. Standing with her back to them, Susan â€Å"Bear Girl† Osgood faces the great works of Western philosophy and begins to cry silently. Jack tries to hold back his scream and cannot. Henry pays off the taxi, goes into his house, takes a deep and soothing breath of the air-conditioned cool. There is a faint aroma sweet and he tells himself it's just fresh-cut flowers, one of Mrs. Morton's specialties. He knows better, but wants no more to do with ghosts just now. He is actually feeling better, and he supposes he knows why: it was telling the ESPN guy to take his job and shove it. Nothing more apt to make a fellow's day, especially when the fellow in question is gainfully employed, possessed of two credit cards that are nowhere near the max-out point, and has a pitcher of cold iced tea in the fridge. Henry heads kitchenward now, making his way down the hall with one hand held out before him, testing the air for obstacles and displacements. There's no sound but the whisper of the air conditioner, the hum of the fridge, the clack of his heels on the hardwood . . . . . . and a sigh. An amorous sigh. Henry stands where he is for a moment, then turns cautiously. Is the sweet aroma a little stronger now, especially facing back in this direction, toward the living room and the front door? He thinks yes. And it's not flowers; no sense fooling himself about that. As always, the nose knows. That's the aroma of My Sin. â€Å"Rhoda?† he says, and then, lower: â€Å"Lark?† No answer. Of course not. He's just having the heebie-jeebies, that's all; those world-famous shaky-shivers, and why not? â€Å"Because I'm the sheik, baby,† Henry says. â€Å"The Sheik, the Shake, the Shook.† No smells. No sexy sighs. And yet he's haunted by the idea of his wife back in the living room, standing there in perfumed cerements of the grave, watching him silently as he came in and passed blindly before her. His Lark, come back from Noggin Mound Cemetery for a little visit. Maybe to listen to the latest Slobberbone CD. â€Å"Quit it,† he says softly. â€Å"Quit it, you dope.† He goes into his big, well-organized kitchen. On his way through the door he slaps a button on the panel there without even thinking about it. Mrs. Morton's voice comes from the overhead speaker, which is so high-tech she might almost be in the room. â€Å"Jack Sawyer was by, and he dropped off another tape he wants you to listen to. He said it was . . . you know, that man. That bad man.† â€Å"Bad man, right,† Henry murmurs, opening the refrigerator and enjoying the blast of cold air. His hand goes unerringly to one of three cans of Kingsland Lager stored inside the door. Never mind the iced tea. â€Å"Both of the tapes are in your studio, by the soundboard. Also, Jack wanted you to call him on his cell phone.† Mrs. Morton's voice takes on a faintly lecturing tone. â€Å"If you do speak to him, I hope you tell him to be careful. And be careful yourself.† A pause. â€Å"Also, don't forget to eat supper. It's all ready to go. Second shelf of the fridge, on your left.† â€Å"Nag, nag, nag,† Henry says, but he's smiling as he opens his beer. He goes to the telephone and dials Jack's number. On the seat of the Dodge Ram parked in front of 1 Nailhouse Row, Jack's cell phone comes to life. This time there's no one in the cab to be annoyed by its tiny but penetrating tweet. â€Å"The cellular customer you are trying to reach is currently not answering. Please try your call again later.† Henry hangs up, goes back to the doorway, and pushes another button on the panel there. The voices that deliver the time and temperature are all versions of his own, but he's programmed a random shuffle pattern into the gadget, so he never knows which one he's going to get. This time it's the Wisconsin Rat, screaming crazily into the sunny air-conditioned silence of his house, which has never felt so far from town as it does today: â€Å"Time's four twenty-two P.M.! Outside temperature's eighty-two! Inside temperature's seventy! What the hell do you care? What the hell does anyone care? Chew it up, eat it up, wash it down, it aaall â€Å" comes out the same place. Right. Henry thumbs the button again, silencing the Rat's trademark cry. How did it get late so fast? God, wasn't it just noon? For that matter, wasn't he just young, twenty years old and so full of spunk it was practically coming out of his ears? What That sigh comes again, derailing his mostly self-mocking train of thought. A sigh? Really? More likely just the air conditioner's compressor, cutting off. He can tell himself that, anyway. He can tell himself that if he wants to. â€Å"Is anyone here?† Henry asks. There is a tremble in his voice that he hates, an old man's palsied quaver. â€Å"Is anyone in the house with me?† For a terrible second he is almost afraid something will answer. Nothing does of course nothing does and he swallows half the can of beer in three long gulps. He decides he'll go back into the living room and read for a little while. Maybe Jack will call. Maybe he'll get himself a little more under control once he has a little fresh alcohol in his system. And maybe the world will end in the next five minutes, he thinks. That way you'll never have to deal with the voice on those damned tapes waiting in the studio. Those damned tapes lying there on the soundboard like unexploded bombs. Henry walks slowly back down the hall to the living room with one hand held out before him, telling himself he's not afraid, not a bit afraid of touching his wife's dead face. Jack Sawyer has seen a lot, he's traveled to places where you can't rent from Avis and the water tastes like wine, but he's never encountered anything like Mouse Baumann's leg. Or, rather, the pestilential, apocalyptic horror show that was Mouse Baumann's leg. Jack's first impulse once he's got himself back under something like control is to upbraid Doc for taking off Mouse's pants. Jack keeps thinking of sausages, and how the casing forces them to keep their shape even after the fry pan's sizzling on a red-hot burner. This is an undoubtedly stupid comparison, primo stupido, but the human mind under pressure puts on some pretty odd jinks and jumps. There's still the shape of a leg there sort of but the flesh has spread away from the bone. The skin is almost completely gone, melted to a runny substance that looks like a mixture of milk and bacon fat. The interwoven mat of muscle beneath what remains of the skin is sagging and undergoing the same cataclysmic metamorphosis. The infected leg is in a kind of undisciplined motion as the solid becomes liquid and the liquid sizzles relentlessly into the couch upon which Mouse is lying. Along with the almost insupportable stench of decay, Jack can smell scorching cloth and melting fabric. Poking out of this spreading, vaguely leglike mess is a foot that looks remarkably undamaged. If I wanted to, I could pull it right off . . . just like a squash off a vine. The thought gets to him in a way the sight of the grievously wounded leg hasn't quite been able to, and for a moment Jack can only bow his head, gagging and trying not to vomit down the front of his shirt. What perhaps saves him is a hand on his back. It's Beezer, offering what comfort he can. The rowdy color has completely left the Beez's face. He looks like a motorcyclist come back from the grave in an urban myth. â€Å"You see?† Doc is asking, and his voice seems to come from a great distance. â€Å"This ain't the chicken pox, my friend, although it looked a little like that while it was still getting cranked up. He's already exhibiting red spots on his left leg . . . his belly . . . his balls. That's pretty much what the skin around the bite looked like when we first got him back here, just some redness and swelling. I thought, ? ®Shit, ain't nothin' to this, I got enough Zithromax to put this on the run before sundown.' Well, you see what good the Zithro did. You see what good anything did. It's eating through the couch, and I'm guessing that when it finishes with the couch, it'll go right to work on the floor. This shit is hungry. So was it worth it, Hollywood? I guess only you and Mouse know the answer to that.† â€Å"He still knows where the house is,† Beezer says. â€Å"Me, I don't have a clue, even though we just came from there. You, either. Do you?† Doc shakes his head. â€Å"But Mouse, he knows.† â€Å"Susie, honey,† Doc says to Bear Girl. â€Å"Bring another blanket, would you? This one's damn near et through.† Bear Girl goes willingly enough. Jack gets to his feet. His legs are rubbery, but they hold him. â€Å"Shield him,† he tells Doc. â€Å"I'm going out to the kitchen. If I don't get a drink, I'm going to die.† Jack takes on water directly from the sink, swallowing until a spike plants itself in the center of his forehead and he belches like a horse. Then he just stands there, looking out into Beezer and Bear Girl's backyard. A neat little swing set has been planted there in the weedy desolation. It hurts Jack to look at it, but he looks anyway. After the lunacy of Mouse's leg, it seems important to remind himself that he's here for a reason. If the reminder hurts, so much the better. The sun, now turning gold as it eases itself down toward the Missis-sippi, glares in his eyes. Time hasn't been standing still after all, it seems. Not outside this little house, anyway. Outside 1 Nailhouse Row, time actually seems to have sped up. He's haunted by the idea that coming here was as pointless as detouring to Henry's house; tormented by the thought that Mr. Munshun and his boss, the abbalah, are running him around like a windup toy with a key in its back while they do their work. He can follow that buzz in his head to Black House, so why the hell doesn't he just get back in his truck and do it? The perfume he smells is not that of his dead wife. What does that mean? Why does the idea of someone smelling perfume make him so crazy and afraid? Beezer knocks on the kitchen door, making him jump. Jack's eye fixes on a sampler hung over the kitchen table. Instead of GOD BLESS OUR HOME, it reads HEAVY METAL THUNDER. With a carefully stitched HARLEY-DAVIDSON beneath. â€Å"Get back in here, man,† the Beez says. â€Å"He's awake again.† Henry's on a path in the woods or maybe it's a lane and something is behind him. Each time he turns to see in this dream he can see, but seeing is no blessing there's a little more of that something back there. It appears to be a man in evening dress, but the man is frightfully elongated, with spike teeth that jut over a smiling red lower lip. And he seems is it possible? to have only one eye. The first time Henry looks back, the shape is only a milky blur amid the trees. The next time he can make out the uneasy dark swim of its coat and a floating red blotch that might be a tie or an ascot. Up ahead of him is this thing's den, a stinking hole that only coincidentally looks like a house. Its presence buzzes in Henry's head. Instead of pine, the woods pressing in on either side smell of heavy, cloying perfume: My Sin. It's driving me, he thinks with dismay. Whatever that thing back there is, it's driving me like a steer toward the slaughterhouse. He thinks of cutting off the lane to his left or right, of using the miracle of his new sight to escape through the woods. Only there are things there, too. Dark, floating shapes like sooty scarves. He can almost see the closest. It's some sort of gigantic dog with a long tongue as red as the apparition's tie and bulging eyes. Can't let it drive me to the house, he thinks. I have to get out of this before it can get me there . . . but how? How? It comes to him with startling simplicity. All he has to do is wake up. Because this is a dream. This is just a â€Å"It's a dream!† Henry cries out, and jerks forward. He's not walking, he's sitting, sitting in his very own easy chair, and pretty soon he's going to have a very wet crotch because he fell asleep with a can of Kingsland Lager balanced there, and But there's no spill, because there's no can of beer. He feels cautiously to his right and yep, there it is, on the table with his book, a braille edition of Reflections in a Golden Eye. He must have put it there before first falling asleep and then falling into that horrible nightmare. Except Henry's pretty sure he didn't do any such thing. He was holding the book and the beer was between his legs, freeing his hands to touch the little upraised dots that tell the story. Something very considerately took both the book and the can after he dropped off, and put them on the table. Something that smells of My Sin perfume. The air reeks of it. Henry takes a long, slow breath with his nostrils flared and mouth tightly sealed shut. â€Å"No,† he says, speaking very clearly. â€Å"I can smell flowers . . . and rug shampoo . . . and fried onions from last night. Very faint but still there. The nose knows.† All true enough. But the smell had been there. It's gone now because she's gone, but she will be back. And suddenly he wants her to come. If he's frightened, surely it's the unknown he's frightened of, right? Only that and nothing more. He doesn't want to be alone here, with nothing for company but the memory of that rancid dream. And the tapes. He has to listen to the tapes. He promised Jack. Henry gets shakily to his feet and makes his way to the living-room control panel. This time he's greeted by the voice of Henry Shake, a mellow fellow if ever there was one. â€Å"Hey there, all you hoppin' cats and boppin' kitties, at the tone it's seven-fourteen P.M., Bulova Watch Time. Outside the temp is a very cool seventy-five degrees, and here in the Make-Believe Ballroom it's a very nifty seventy degrees. So why not get off your money, grab your honey, and make a little magic?† Seven-fourteen! When was the last time he fell asleep for almost three hours in the daytime? For that matter, when was the last time he had a dream in which he could see? The answer to that second question, so far as he can remember, is never. Where was that lane? What was the thing behind him? What was the place ahead of him, for that matter? â€Å"Doesn't matter,† Henry tells the empty room if it is empty. â€Å"It was a dream, that's all. The tapes, on the other hand . . .† He doesn't want to listen to them, has never wanted to listen to anything any less in his life (with the possible exception of Chicago singing â€Å"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?†), but he has to. If it might save Ty Marshall's life, or the life of even one other child, he must. Slowly, dreading every step, Henry Leyden makes his blind way to his studio, where two cassettes wait for him on the soundboard. â€Å"In heaven there is no beer,† Mouse sings in a toneless, droning voice. His cheeks are now covered with ugly red patches, and his nose seems to be sinking sideways into his face, like an atoll after an undersea earthquake. â€Å"That's why we drink it here. And when . . . we're gone . . . from here . . . our friends will be drinking all the beer.† It's been like this for hours now: philosophical nuggets, instructions for the beginning beer-making enthusiast, snatches of song. The light coming through the blankets over the windows has dimmed appreciably. Mouse pauses, his eyes closed. Then he starts another ditty. â€Å"Hundred bottles of beer on the wall, one hundred bottles of beer . . . if one of those bottles should happen to fall . . .† â€Å"I have to go,† Jack says. He's hung in there as well as he can, convinced that Mouse is going to give him something, but he can wait no longer. Somewhere, Ty Marshall is waiting for him. â€Å"Hold on,† Doc says. He rummages in his bag and comes out with a hypodermic needle. He raises it in the dimness and taps the glass barrel with a fingernail. â€Å"What's that?† Doc gives Jack and Beezer a brief, grim smile. â€Å"Speed,† he says, and injects it into Mouse's arm. For a moment there's nothing. Then, as Jack is opening his mouth again to tell them he has to go, Mouse's eyes snap wide. They are now entirely red a bright and bleeding red. Yet when they turn in his direction, Jack knows that Mouse is seeing him. Maybe really seeing him for the first time since he got here. Bear Girl flees the room, trailing a single diminishing phrase behind her: â€Å"No more no more no more no more â€Å" â€Å"Fuck,† Mouse says in a rusty voice. â€Å"Fuck, I'm fucked. Ain't I?† Beezer touches the top of his friend's head briefly but tenderly. â€Å"Yeah, man. I think you are. Can you help us out?† â€Å"Bit me once. Just once, and now . . . now . . .† His hideous red gaze turns to Doc. â€Å"Can barely see you. Fuckin' eyes are all weird.† â€Å"You're going down,† Doc says. â€Å"Ain't gonna lie to you, man.† â€Å"Not yet I ain't,† Mouse says. â€Å"Gimme something to write on. To draw a map on. Quick. Dunno what you shot me with, Doc, but the stuff from the dog's stronger. I ain't gonna be compos long. Quick!† Beezer feels around at the foot of the couch and comes up with a trade-sized paperback. Given the heavy shit on the bookcases, Jack could almost laugh the book is The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Beezer tears off the back cover and hands it to Mouse with the blank side up. â€Å"Pencil,† Mouse croaks. â€Å"Hurry up. I got it all, man. I got it . . . up here.† He touches his forehead. A patch of skin the size of a quarter sloughs off at his touch. Mouse wipes it on the blanket as if it were a booger. Beezer pulls a gnawed stub of pencil from an inside pocket of his vest. Mouse takes it and makes a pathetic effort to smile. The black stuff oozing from the corners of his eyes has continued to build up, and now it lies on his cheeks like smears of decayed jelly. More of it is springing out of the pores on his forehead in minute black dots that remind Jack of Henry's braille books. When Mouse bites his lower lip in concentration, the tender flesh splits open at once. Blood begins dribbling into his beard. Jack supposes the rotted-meat smell is still there, but Beezer had been right: he's gotten used to it. Mouse turns the book cover sideways, then draws a series of quick squiggles. â€Å"Lookit,† he says to Jack. â€Å"This the Mississippi, right?† â€Å"Right,† Jack says. When he leans in, he starts getting the smell again. Up close it's not even a stench; it's a miasma trying to crawl down his throat. But Jack doesn't move away. He knows what an effort Mouse is making. The least he can do is play his part. â€Å"Here's downtown the Nelson, Lucky's, the Agincourt Theater, the Taproom . . . here's where Chase Street turns into Lyall Road, then Route 35 . . . here's Libertyville . . . the VFW . . . Goltz's . . . ah, Christ â€Å" Mouse begins to thrash on the couch. Sores on his face and upper body burst open and begin leaking. He screams with pain. The hand not holding the pencil goes to his face and paws at it ineffectually. Something inside Jack speaks up, then speaks in a shining, imperative voice he remembers from his time on the road all those years ago. He supposes it's the voice of the Talisman, or whatever remains of it in his mind and soul. It doesn't want him to talk, it's trying to kill him before he can talk, it's in the black stuff, maybe it is the black stuff, you've got to get rid of it Some things can only be done without the mind's prudish interference; when the work is nasty, instinct is often best. So it is without thinking that Jack reaches out, grasps the black slime oozing from Mouse's eyes between his fingers, and pulls. At first the stuff only stretches, as if made of rubber. At the same time Jack can feel it squirming and writhing in his grip, perhaps trying to pinch or bite him. Then it lets go with a twang sound. Jack throws the convulsing black tissue onto the floor with a cry. The stuff tries to slither beneath the couch Jack sees this even as he wipes his hands on his shirt, frantic with revulsion. Doc slams his bag down on one piece. Beezer squashes the other with the heel of a motorcycle boot. It makes a squittering sound. â€Å"What the fuck is that shit?† Doc asks. His voice, ordinarily husky, has gone up into a near-falsetto range. â€Å"What the fuck â€Å" â€Å"Nothing from here,† Jack says, â€Å"and never mind. Look at him! Look at Mouse!† The red glare in Mouse's eyes has retreated; for the moment he looks almost normal. Certainly he's seeing them, and the pain seems gone. â€Å"Thanks,† he breathes. â€Å"I only wish you could get it all that way, but man, it's already coming back. Pay attention.† â€Å"I'm listening,† Jack says. â€Å"You better,† Mouse replies. â€Å"You think you know. You think you can find the place again even if these two can't, and maybe you can, but maybe you don't know quite so much as you . . . ah, fuck.† From somewhere beneath the blanket there is a ghastly bursting sound as something gives way. Sweat runs down Mouse's face, mixing with the black poison venting from his pores and turning his beard a damp and dirty gray. His eyes roll up to Jack's, and Jack can see that red glare starting to haze over them again. â€Å"This sucks,† Mouse pants. â€Å"Never thought I'd go out this way. Lookit, Hollywood . . .† The dying man draws a small rectangle on his makeshift scribble of map. â€Å"This â€Å" â€Å"Ed's Eats, where we found Irma,† Jack says. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"All right,† Mouse whispers. â€Å"Good. Now look . . . over on the other side . . . the Schubert and Gale side . . . and to the west . . .† Mouse draws a line going north from Highway 35. He puts little circles on either side of it. Jack takes these to be representations of trees. And, across the front of the line like a gate: NO TRESPASSING. â€Å"Yeah,† Doc breathes. â€Å"That's where it was, all right. Black House.† Mouse takes no notice. His dimming gaze is fixed solely on Jack. â€Å"Listen to me, cop. Are you listening?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Christ, you better be,† Mouse tells him. As it always has, the work captures Henry, absorbs him, takes him away. Boredom and sorrow have never been able to stand against this old captivation with sound from the sighted world. Apparently fear can't stand against it, either. The hardest moment isn't listening to the tapes but mustering the courage to stick the first one in the big TEAC audio deck. In that moment of hesitation he's sure he can smell his wife's perfume even in the soundproofed and air-filtered environment of the studio. In that moment of hesitation he is positive he isn't alone, that someone (or something) is standing just outside the studio door, looking in at him through the glass upper half. And that is, in fact, the absolute truth. Blessed with sight as we are, we can see what Henry cannot. We want to tell him what's out there, to lock the studio door, for the love of God lock it now, but we can only watch. Henry reaches for the PLAY button on the tape deck. Then his finger changes course and hits the intercom toggle instead. â€Å"Hello? Is anyone out there?† The figure standing in Henry's living room, looking in at him the way someone might look into an aquarium at a single exotic fish, makes no sound. The last of the sun's on the other side of the house and the living room is becoming quite dark, Henry being understandably forgetful when it comes to turning on the lights. Elmer Jesperson's amusing bee slippers (not that they amuse us much under these circumstances) are just about the brightest things out there. â€Å"Hello? Anyone?† The figure looking in through the glass half of the studio door is grinning. In one hand it is holding the hedge clippers from Henry's garage. â€Å"Last chance,† Henry says, and when there's still no response, he becomes the Wisconsin Rat, shrieking into the intercom, trying to startle whatever's out there into revealing itself: â€Å"Come on now, honey, come on now, you muthafukkah, talk to Ratty!† The figure peering in at Henry recoils as a snake might recoil when its prey makes a feint but it utters no sound. From between the grinning teeth comes a leathery old tongue, wagging and poking in derision. This creature has been into the perfume that Mrs. Morton has never had the heart to remove from the vanity in the little powder room adjacent to the master bedroom, and now Henry's visitor reeks of My Sin. Henry decides it's all just his imagination playing him up again oy, such a mistake, Morris Rosen would have told him, had Morris been there and hits PLAY with the tip of his finger. He hears a throat-clearing sound, and then Arnold Hrabowski identifies himself. The Fisherman interrupts him before he can even finish: Hello, asswipe. Henry rewinds, listens again: Hello, asswipe. Rewinds and listens yet again: Hello, asswipe. Yes, he has heard this voice before. He's sure of it. But where? The answer will come, answers of this sort always do eventually and getting there is half the fun. Henry listens, enrapt. His fingers dance back and forth over the tape deck's buttons like the fingers of a concert pianist over the keys of a Steinway. The feeling of being watched slips from him, although the figure outside the studio door the thing wearing the bee slippers and holding the hedge clippers never moves. Its smile has faded somewhat. A sulky expression is growing on its aged face. There is confusion in that look, and perhaps the first faint trace of fear. The old monster doesn't like it that the blind fish in the aquarium should have captured its voice. Of course it doesn't matter; maybe it's even part of the fun, but if it is, it's Mr. Munshun's fun, not its fun. And their fun should be the same . . . shouldn't i t? You have an emergency. Not me. You. â€Å"Not me, you,† Henry says. The mimicry is so good it's weird. â€Å"A little bit of sauerkraut in your salad, mein friend, ja?† Your worst nightmare . . . worst nightmare. Abbalah. I'm the Fisherman. Henry listening, intent. He lets the tape run awhile, then listens to the same phrase four times over: Kiss my scrote, you monkey . . . kiss my scrote, you monkey . . . you monkey . . . monkey . . . No, not monkey. The voice is actually saying munggey. MUNG-ghee. â€Å"I don't know where you are now, but you grew up in Chicago,† Henry murmurs. â€Å"South Side. And . . .† Warmth on his face. Suddenly he remembers warmth on his face. Why is that, friends and neighbors? Why is that, O great wise ones? You're no better'n a monkey on a stick. Monkey on a stick. Monkey â€Å"Monkey,† Henry says. He's rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers now. â€Å"Monkey on a stick. MUNG-ghee on a stigg. Who said that?† He plays the 911: Kiss my scrote, you monkey. He plays his memory: You're no better'n a monkey on a stick. Warmth on his face. Heat? Light? Both? Henry pops out the 911 tape and sticks in the one Jack brought today. Hello, Judy. Are you Judy today, or are you Sophie? The abbalah sends his best, and Gorg says â€Å"Caw-caw-caw!† [Husky, phlegmy laughter.] Ty says hello, too. Your little boy is very lonely . . . When Tyler Marshall's weeping, terrified voice booms through the speakers, Henry winces and fast-forwards. Derr vill be morrr mur-derts. The accent much thicker now, a burlesque, a joke, Katzenjammer Kids Meet the Wolfman, but somehow even more revealing because of that. Der liddul chull-drun . . . havv-uz-ted like wheed. Like wheed. Havv-uz-ted like . . . â€Å"Harvested like a monkey on a stick,† Henry says. â€Å"MUNG-ghee. HAVV-us-ted. Who are you, you son of a bitch?† Back to the 911 tape. There are whips in hell and chains in Sheol. But it's almost vips in hell, almost chenz in Shayol. Vips. Chenz. MUNG-ghee on a stick. A stigg. â€Å"You're no better'n † Henry begins, and then, all at once, another line comes to him. â€Å"Lady Magowan's Nightmare.† That one's good. A bad nightmare of what? Vips in hell? Chenz in Shayol? Mung-ghees on sticks? â€Å"My God,† Henry says softly. â€Å"Oh . . . my . . . God. The dance. He was at the dance.† Now it all begins to fall into place. How stupid they have been! How criminally stupid! The boy's bike . . . it had been right there. Right there, for Christ's sake! They were all blind men, make them all umps. â€Å"But he was so old,† Henry whispers. â€Å"And senile! How were we supposed to guess such a man could be the Fisherman?† Other questions follow this one. If the Fisherman is a resident at Maxton Elder Care, for instance, where in God's name could he have stashed Ty Marshall? And how is the bastard getting around French Landing? Does he have a car somewhere? â€Å"Doesn't matter,† Henry murmurs. â€Å"Not now, anyway. Who is he and where is he? Those are the things that matter.† The warmth on his face his mind's first effort to locate the Fisherman's voice in time and place had been the spotlight, of course, Symphonic Stan's spotlight, the pink of ripening berries. And some woman, some nice old woman Mr. Stan, yoo-hoo, Mr. Stan? had asked him if he took requests. Only, before Stan could reply, a voice as flat and hard as two stones grinding together I was here first, old woman. had interrupted. Flat . . . and hard . . . and with that faint Germanic harshness that said South Side Chicago, probably second or even third generation. Not vass here first, not old vumman, but those telltale v's had been lurking, hadn't they? Ah yes. â€Å"Mung-ghee,† Henry says, looking straight ahead. Looking straight at Charles Burnside, had he only known it. â€Å"Stigg. Havv-us-ted. Hasta la vista . . . baby.† Was that what it came down to, in the end? A dotty old maniac who sounded a bit like Arnold Schwarzenegger? Who was the woman? If he can remember her name, he can call Jack . . . or Dale, if Jack's still not answering his phone . . . and put an end to French Landing's bad dream. Lady Magowan's Nightmare. That one's good. â€Å"Nightmare,† Henry says, then adjusting his voice: â€Å"Nahht-mare.† Once again the mimicry is good. Certainly too good for the old codger standing outside the studio door. He is now scowling bitterly and gnashing the hedge clippers in front of the glass. How can the blindman in there sound so much like him? It's not right; it's completely improper. The old monster longs to cut the vocal cords right out of Henry Leyden's throat. Soon, he promises himself, he will do that. And eat them. Sitting in the swivel chair, drumming his fingers nervously on the gleaming oak in front of him, Henry recalls the brief encounter at the bandstand. Not long into the Strawberry Fest dance, this had been. Tell me your name and what you'd like to hear. I am Alice Weathers, and . â€Å"Moonglow,† please. By Benny Goodman. â€Å"Alice Weathers,† Henry says. â€Å"That was her name, and if she doesn't know your name, my homicidal friend, then I'm a monkey on a stick.† He starts to get up, and that is when someone something begins to knock, very softly, on the glass upper half of the door. Bear Girl has drawn close, almost against her will, and now she, Jack, Doc, and the Beez are gathered around the sofa. Mouse has sunk halfway into it. He looks like a person dying badly in quicksand. Well, Jack thinks, there's no quicksand, but he's dying badly, all right. Guess there's no question about that. â€Å"Listen up,† Mouse tells them. The black goo is forming at the corners of his eyes again. Worse, it's trickling from the corners of his mouth. The stench of decay is stronger than ever as Mouse's inner workings give up the struggle. Jack is frankly amazed that they've lasted as long as they have. â€Å"You talk,† Beezer says. â€Å"We'll listen.† Mouse looks at Doc. â€Å"When I finish, give me the fireworks. The Cadillac dope. Understand?† â€Å"You want to get out ahead of whatever it is you've got.† Mouse nods. â€Å"I'm down with that,† Doc agrees. â€Å"You'll go out with a smile on your face.† â€Å"Doubt that, bro, but I'll give it a try.† Mouse shifts his reddening gaze to Beezer. â€Å"When it's done, wrap me up in one of the nylon tents that're in the garage. Stick me in the tub. I'm betting that by midnight, you'll be able to wash me down the drain like . . . like so much beer foam. I'd be careful, though. Don't . . . touch what's left.† Bear Girl bursts into tears. â€Å"Don't cry, darlin',† Mouse says. â€Å"I'm gonna get out ahead. Doc promised. Beez?† â€Å"Right here, buddy.† â€Å"You have a little service for me. Okay? Read a poem . . . the one by Auden . . . the one that always used to frost your balls . . .† † ? ®Thou shalt not read the Bible for its prose,' † Beezer says. He's crying. â€Å"You got it, Mousie.† â€Å"Play some Dead . . . ? ®Ripple,' maybe . . . and make sure you're full enough of Kingsland to christen me good and proper into the next life. Guess there won't . . . be any grave for you to piss on, but . . . do the best you can.† Jack laughs at that. He can't help it. And this time it's his turn to catch the full force of Mouse's crimson eyes. â€Å"Promise me you'll wait until tomorrow to go out there, cop.† â€Å"Mouse, I'm not sure I can do that.† â€Å"You gotta. Go out there tonight, you won't have to worry about the devil dog . . . the other things in the woods around that house . . . the other things . . .† The red eyes roll horribly. Black stuff trickles into Mouse's beard like tar. Then he somehow forces himself to go on. â€Å"The other things in those woods will eat you like candy.† â€Å"I think that's a chance I'll have to take,† Jack says, frowning. â€Å"There's a little boy somewhere â€Å" â€Å"Safe,† Mouse whispers. Jack raises his eyebrows, unsure if he's heard Mouse right. And even if he has, can he trust what he's heard? Mouse has some powerful, evil poison working in him. So far he's been able to withstand it, to communicate in spite of it, but â€Å"Safe for a little while,† Mouse says. â€Å"Not from everything . . . there's things that might still get him, I suppose . . . but for the time being he's safe from Mr. Munching. Is that his name? Munching?† â€Å"Munshun, I think. How do you know it?† Mouse favors Jack with a smile of surpassing eeriness. It is the smile of a dying sibyl. Once more he manages to touch his forehead, and Jack notes with horror that the man's fingers are now melting into one another and turning black from the nails down. â€Å"Got it up here, man. Got it alll up here. Told you that. And listen: it's better the kid should get eaten by some giant bug or rock crab over there . . . where he is . . . than that you should die trying to rescue him. If you do that, the abbalah will wind up with the kid for sure. That's what your . . . your friend says.† â€Å"What friend?† Doc asks suspiciously. â€Å"Never mind,† Mouse says. â€Å"Hollywood knows. Don'tcha, Holly-wood?† Jack nods reluctantly. It's Speedy, of course. Or Parkus, if you prefer. â€Å"Wait until tomorrow,† Mouse says. â€Å"High noon, when the sun's strongest in both worlds. Promise.† At first Jack can say nothing. He's torn, in something close to agony. â€Å"It'd be almost full dark before you could get back out Highway 35 anyway,† Bear Girl says quietly. â€Å"And there's bad shit in those woods, all right,† Doc says. â€Å"Makes the stuff in that Blair Witch Project look fuckin' tame. I don't think you want to try it in the dark. Not unless you got a death wish, that is.† â€Å"When you're done . . .† Mouse whispers. â€Å"When you're done . . . if any of you are left . . . burn the place to the ground. That hole. That tomb. Burn it to the ground, do you hear me? Close the door.† â€Å"Yeah,† Beezer says. â€Å"Heard and understood, buddy.† â€Å"Last thing,† Mouse says. He's speaking directly to Jack now. â€Å"You may be able to find it . . . but I think I got something else you need. It's a word. It's powerful to you because of something you . . . you touched. Once a long time ago. I don't understand that part, but . . .† â€Å"It's all right,† Jack tells him. â€Å"I do. What's the word, Mouse?† For a moment he doesn't think Mouse will, in the end, be able to tell him. Something is clearly struggling to keep him from saying the word, but in this struggle, Mouse comes out on top. It is, Jack thinks, very likely his life's last W. â€Å"D'yamba,† Mouse says. â€Å"Now you, Hollywood. You say it.† â€Å"D'yamba,† Jack says, and a row of weighty paperbacks slides from one of the makeshift shelves at the foot of the couch. They hang there in the dimming air . . . hang . . . hang . . . and then drop to the floor with a crash. Bear Girl voices a little scream. â€Å"Don't forget it,† Mouse says. â€Å"You're gonna need it.† â€Å"How? How am I going to need it?† Mouse shakes his head wearily. â€Å"Don't . . . know.† Beezer reaches over Jack's shoulder and takes the pitiful little scribble of map. â€Å"You're going to meet us tomorrow morning at the Sand Bar,† he tells Jack. â€Å"Get there by eleven-thirty, and we should be turning into that goddamned lane right around noon. In the meantime, maybe I'll just hold on to this. A little insurance policy to make sure you do things Mouse's way.† â€Å"Okay,† Jack says. He doesn't need the map to find Chummy Burn-side's Black House, but Mouse is almost certainly right: it's probably not the sort of place you want to tackle after dark. He hates to leave Ty Marshall in the furance-lands it feels wrong in a way that's almost sinful but he has to remember that there's more at stake here than one little boy lost. â€Å"Beezer, are you sure you want to go back there?† â€Å"Hell no, I don't want to go back,† Beezer says, almost indignantly. â€Å"But something killed my daughter my daughter! and it got here from there! You want to tell me you don't know that's true?† Jack makes no reply. Of course it's true. And of course he wants Doc and the Beez with him when he turns up the lane to Black House. If they can bear to come, that is. D'yamba, he thinks. D'yamba. Don't forget. He turns back to the couch. â€Å"Mouse, do you â€Å" â€Å"No,† Doc says. â€Å"Guess he won't need the Cadillac dope, after all.† â€Å"Huh?† Jack peers at the big brewer-biker stupidly. He feels stupid. Stupid and exhausted. â€Å"Nothin' tickin' but his watch,† Doc says, and then he begins to sing. After a moment Beezer joins in, then Bear Girl. Jack steps away from the couch with a thought queerly similar to Henry's: How did it get late so early? Just how in hell did that happen? â€Å"In heaven, there is no beer . . . that's why we drink it here . . . and when . . . we're gone . . . from here . . .† Jack tiptoes across the room. On the far side, there's a lighted Kingsland Premium Golden Pale Ale bar clock. Our old friend who is finally looking every year of his age and not quite so lucky peers at the time with disbelief, not accepting it until he has compared it to his own watch. Almost eight. He has been here for hours. Almost dark, and the Fisherman still out there someplace. Not to mention his otherworldly playmates. D'yamba, he thinks again as he opens the door. And, as he steps out onto the splintery porch and closes the door behind him, he speaks aloud with great sincerity into the darkening day: â€Å"Speedy, I'd like to wring your neck.†