The True Meaning of the American Dream Essay Example for Free

The True Meaning of the American Dream Essay The American Dream has been all about a greater national vision, however as time has progressed, the American Dream has shifted from a greater national vision to individual material success. These cultural aspects of the American Dream complement each other and have an underlying relationship. One often â€Å"†¦winces a bit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  at the phrase the American Dream â€Å"†¦ because it has become such a clichà ©.† (Source 7) Everyone does not know the true meaning of the American Dream because one interprets it in their own way. But the true meaning of the American Dream is that it is the dream of opportunity. The American Dream accentuates a greater national vision because it is the opportunity for something that will not only benefit you, but it will also benefit others. â€Å"It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Source 1). A greater national vision gives the American Dream a deeper meaning. For example according to Martin C. Jischke (Source 1)’ James Truslow Adams view of the American Dream is that it is a â€Å"dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.† The American Dream is more than a dream and with â€Å"†¦talent and hard work† (Source 3) one is bound to find opportunity anywhere in the world. For once the American Dream â€Å"had meant something nobler† (Source 7), but over time it has become the want for individual material success. When one comes from a background of having nothing, he/she begins to become eager for success and wants to get something for themselves. This eagerness causes them to work hard and eventually they would be able to â€Å"†¦improve their lot in life†¦Ã¢â‚¬  according to W. Michael Cox and Richard Alm in By Our Own Bootstraps. There has been thousands of people who did not have much, but they soon became very well known around the world. For instance â€Å"Bill Gates in computer software†¦Oprah Winfrey in entertainment†¦Michael Jordan in sports†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Source 3) All of these people had the â€Å"opportunity† to become who they are today and they took that chance, but only to become successful. These cultural aspects of the American Dream complement each other because every person achieves their meaning of the American Dream by first experiencing individual material success, and then seeing that it’s a deeper meaning, which is the greater national vision. Martin C. Jishke would be the perfect example of how the cultural aspects complement each other because after he had completed college, which no one had ever done in his family, his meaning of what the American Dream is became a greater national vision. He had seen that it was more to the American Dream than just achieving your goal to only benefit yourself. The underlying relationship between these two cultural aspects of the American Dream is that in order to know the greater national vision of it, you have to achieve individual material success. Due to how the American Dream is interpreted many people believe that it does not exist anymore. But those people are greatly mistaken because it still exists the meaning has just changed over time. One would agree that as the years continue to pass by the definition of the American Dream will change, but there will always be an underlying relationship between the old meaning and the new meaning. Nothing ever stays the same.

The Issue Of Unethical Advertising

The Issue Of Unethical Advertising The issue of unethical advertising is closely connected with the entire concept of business ethics. If the origin of misleading or false advertising studied, the early beginning of unethical advertising probably found in the early time of mankind, at the same time when the trade appeared. Within the history the art of selling developed greatly, and even the branches of science appeared, which studying and developing the new methods and technologies of making people to consume different goods. Sometimes these methods and solutions break the ethical and moral principles and even the existing laws. For example the infamous effect of 25th frame could be mentioned. The human eyes can precept the video stream with the frequency of frames 24 per second. If the 25th frame with the proper message like Drink coca-cola is added to the video stream, audience will not notice the message but will remember it on the subconscious level and execute its order buying coca-cola. However the recent trends in this sphere are rather optimistic. The researchers of defined the harmful kinds of advertising and the most vulnerable parts of audience and started working on the laws forbidding some kinds of advertising. In this work I will cite the definitions of different types of advertising based on the mechanism of its influence, some cases of improper advertising will be discussed and some aspects of advertising will be commented. Unethical advertising To define my personal relation to unethical advertising Id like to use the classification of advertising by Tom Beauchamp. He divided all advertising on three broad categories according the way of influence on the audience: They are coercion, manipulation and persuasion. Beauchamp defines the level of control for every of these classes as the following: 1) Coercive influences are always control ­ling influences; (2) manipulative influences are sometimes controlling influences; and (3) persuasive influences are never control ­ling influences.(Beauchamp, 477) Sure, it is often hard to determine manipulating advertising, especially in those cases when the producers or advertisers dont agree with the definition. Freedom of choice is rather abstract category, not only in consumption but in daily life. Many of peoples choice are closely connected with their religious, ethnical or family background. Beauchamp, however, proposes to leave the issue of ideal freedom and try to define if ac ­tions of consumers are sufficiently or adequately free. To make the detection of manipulating advertising easier, he gives the definitions of coercion, manipu ­lation, and persuasion. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦coercion occurs if one party deliber ­ately and successfully uses force or a credible threat of unwanted, avoidable, and serious harm in order to compel a particular re ­sponse from another person. No matter how attractive or overwhelming an offer, coercion is not involved unless a threatening sanction is presented. (Beauchamp, 477) As the example the advertising of medical attention and food in return on human blood in starving countries could be provided. Nowadays this class of advertising is extremely rare, though it was widely spread before the industrial age. ..persuasion is a deliberate and suc ­cessful attempt by one person to encourage another to freely accept beliefs, attitudes, val ­ues, or actions through appeals to reason. The first person offers what he or she be ­lieves to be good reasons for accepting the desired perspective. In paradigmatic cases of persuasion, these good reasons are conveyed through structured verbal facts or argument. (Ibid) The persuasion can use not only verbal methods, but express the good reasons through nonverbal communication. Theoretically persuasive advertising is the most ethical class; however the situation is more complicated, as it is discussed below. Manipulation is a broad category that includes any successful attempt to elicit the desired response from another person by non-coercively modifying choices available to the person or by no persuasively altering another person perception of available choices. (Beauchamp, 479) The main difference between manipulation and persuasion is that the last one based on deception. The case of marketing infant formula could be the good example of manipulation. As was stated in the case study, there were two points of criticism in this marketing company: the aggressive advertising of instant formula that made new mothers believing the instant formula is equal or even better then breast milk for babies, and the use of medical workers in product promotion. As for me, the second issue should not be the object of criticism. Despite the influence of instant formula on babys digestion was not studied sufficiently, it was the good alternative for rice water or other artificial substitutes of breast milk. The lack of mother milk is not the new trouble, so the instant formula could be a good solution when mother has no enough milk or newborn baby has intolerance to lactose, or in some other cases. Prescript by medical personnel, infant formula could be a kind of treatment. However the combination of aggressive advertising with the promotion through medical personal was rather unethical. Using the lack of knowledge about the properties of instant formula in comparison with breast milk Nestle promoted its production among the mother who really didnt need artificial feeding for their babies. The use of somebodys lack of knowledge for the profit is a deception, so the marketing company of instant formula by Nestle was the manipulation. The result of such unethical marketing was the growths of child mortality level, though different sources evaluate differently the number of deaths from digestion malfunction. Id not support the claim of Dr. Spoke to boycott all the production of Nestle, but the unethical behavior of this company makes me suspicious regarding its production. Speaking about unethical advertising it could not be skipped the issue of tobacco and alcohol advertising. Alcohol and tobacco are legal drugs, and their harmful impact on people proved many years ago. So, the advertisers use so-called lifestyle advertising, which connecting the use of tobacco and alcohol with good times, easy sex and lot of fun. In the article Marketing and disclosure the Kool Penguin was mentioned, the image of repositioned Kool cigarettes by Brown and Williamson tobacco. Young-looking penguin with stylish hair dress in fashion sunglasses advertised cigarettes, and this campaign was unethical twice, in my opinion. First of all, I am sure that any advertising of drugs like alcohol and cigarettes is unethical and have to be banned. The damage from these two drugs within the history of mankind could hardly be evaluated because it is really huge. Sure, people will continue use the tobacco and alcohol, because history shows any bans and restrictions are useless. But I a m sure that customers of tobacco and alcohol should have information regarding these products only on demand, and this information should include the warnings about potential harm of these drugs, not the pictures and descriptions of brilliant lifestyle. Returning to the Kool cigarettes and Kool penguin, Id like to emphasize the second ethical problem of this image. Its young look can raise the consumption of cigarettes between youth. It is proved that children can use the empirical experience of previous situations after they are six years old in average, but it would be mistake to think that on its sixth birthday child gets the opportunity to detect and resist manipulations. The psychic of children and adolescents is rather vulnerable, their suggestibility is great, and so the advertising can have more significant impact on their mind. That is why the use of child-oriented symbols in the advertising of drugs is, probably, the most unethical marketing policy. The issue of women images in the advertising is another hot topic nowadays. Advertisers use images of beautiful women to promote their goods, especially food. The problem is that women who believe the advertising and consume the advertised food often loose their beauty because of excess weight and other problems with basal metabolism. Besides, the vital standards (height, weight, volume of tail and so on) of female models working in advertising business differ from the average female vital standards. Thus, the advertisers impose the artificial standard of beauty, that cant fit to every woman. It makes many women all over the world feel discomfort regarding their appearance, use different diets that can be injurious for the health, and so on, So, the advertising that demonstrates happiness, really kills it. Conclusion The limit of words makes me finish my though, but I want to summarize facts stated above: the ethical standards for advertising should be stricter, because unethical advertising brings a lot of potential harm to the society of consumers.

Motivation :: Business, Employee Satisfaction, Pay

Analysis The findings of the questionnaire revealed which motivational factors impacted the workplace. Pay was the most frequent response, with 92% of the responded answering that salary is biggest motivational factor. This is consistent with the findings of the second question when 82% of the respondents strongly agreed that that was a motivational factor in the workplace. Wiley (1997) suggested that financial compensation impels motivation and job performance. Also, according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943), psychological needs are said to be the first and most important need to be satisfied and in other to satisfy this needs, good or satisfactory wage has to be paid to employees to ensure maximum productivity. The finding of the research on the question 3 show that the 43% of the respondents strongly agreed that promotion motivate them whilst at workplace. (See figure 3). This finding fit on Herzberg’s two factor theory where he referred to intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. According to McCormick and Tifflin (1979), rewards can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards stem from rewards that are inherent in the job itself and which the individual enjoys because of successfully completing the task or attaining his goals. While extrinsic rewards are those that are external to the task of the job, such as pay, work condition, fringe benefits, security, promotion, contract of service, the work environment and conditions of work. According to question 4, 37% of the respondents strongly agree with a job title affect their motivation within workplace, where the job title make some staff at Kerry Food higher motivated due to their job title or status. According to Wiley (1997) suggest that by providing a higher status or designations the employee must be motivated. Employees prefer and proud of higher designations. According to question 5, the majority of the Kerry Food employees with 86% of the respondents felt that the change within their shift wasn’t good idea, and this lack of planning has affected the motivation of the employees in a negative way. Without a compressive roadmap or model for guiding the change process, organisational leaders may fall short in implementing their strategies for change Kotter (2007). According to question 6, the majority of the Kerry Food employees with 93% of the respondents said that they were more motivated before the change, the most affected where the participants with children’s, which they had to adopt new ways to avoid any conflict of their work patter, and most of them felt that they had to pay for a baby sister and it get expensive for them, and they felt dissatisfaction with the change.

Oscar Wilde Art Essay -- Oscar Wilde Writer Papers

Oscar Wilde Art We begin another chapter in the life of Oscar Wilde, the year 1888, many things have taken place, Oscar has been married and bore two children, Vyvyan and Cyril and his touring of the United States and other countries have brought forth success to the literary giant. Some of his successful writings are "The Picture of Dorian Gray"(1891), "A Woman of No Importance"(1894) and his most resent essay known "The Decay of Lying". Is it true that lying has fallen to its deepest shadow of shame? In the words of Wilde it is shamefully true. How could this type of atrocity take place, it seems that the Victorian society is still under the belief that the Romanticism of life is still coursing through their veins, dead veins as Wilde might best put it. Oscar views romanticism as crude and childlike, and something that should remain in the past. Wilde has criticized the likes of Wordsworth and other writers of the Romantic Era, if they had their way they would continue to send us into nature and recommend the following advice: "The solutions to societies problems can best be remedied here, within the confines of nature, this is where you should be. Walking, talking, and embracing the great outdoors and receiving all that nature has to offer. Here is where you can find yourself." Wilde's view of this remedy is outlandish, extreme and insane. It was Wilde’s observation that the literary works of the day no longer offered the reader a source of delightful fiction, there was a cry out for a change and it was, Wilde who answered that call in the form of an essay called "The Decay of Lying". This essay was a wake up call to the present day writers about their failure in their Art. There needs to be a clear explanation of ... ... his fellow writers to will follow in his path, this form which is to see art for the simple purpose of being art. Works Cited Page Abrams, Donaldson, David, Smith, Lewalski, Adams, Logan, Monk, Lipking, Stillinger, Ford, Christ, Daiches, Stallyworthy. Norton Anthology of English Literature, New York and London Published 1993. Laver, James. Oscar Wilde, Great Britain, Published in 1954 Sullivan, Kevin. Columbia Essays on Modern Writers, Ocsar Wilde New York & London Published 1972 The Victorian Web. Oscar Wilde ,<http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/victov.html> 10/28/99, <www.google.com><Internet Explorer Browser> <http://www.nyu.edu.library/bobst/research/fales/exhibits/Wilde/00main.htm> <http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/genlinfo.htm> www.google.com 10/28/99 Wilde, Oscar. Poems and Essays, Great Britain Published in 1956 Oscar Wilde Art Essay -- Oscar Wilde Writer Papers Oscar Wilde Art We begin another chapter in the life of Oscar Wilde, the year 1888, many things have taken place, Oscar has been married and bore two children, Vyvyan and Cyril and his touring of the United States and other countries have brought forth success to the literary giant. Some of his successful writings are "The Picture of Dorian Gray"(1891), "A Woman of No Importance"(1894) and his most resent essay known "The Decay of Lying". Is it true that lying has fallen to its deepest shadow of shame? In the words of Wilde it is shamefully true. How could this type of atrocity take place, it seems that the Victorian society is still under the belief that the Romanticism of life is still coursing through their veins, dead veins as Wilde might best put it. Oscar views romanticism as crude and childlike, and something that should remain in the past. Wilde has criticized the likes of Wordsworth and other writers of the Romantic Era, if they had their way they would continue to send us into nature and recommend the following advice: "The solutions to societies problems can best be remedied here, within the confines of nature, this is where you should be. Walking, talking, and embracing the great outdoors and receiving all that nature has to offer. Here is where you can find yourself." Wilde's view of this remedy is outlandish, extreme and insane. It was Wilde’s observation that the literary works of the day no longer offered the reader a source of delightful fiction, there was a cry out for a change and it was, Wilde who answered that call in the form of an essay called "The Decay of Lying". This essay was a wake up call to the present day writers about their failure in their Art. There needs to be a clear explanation of ... ... his fellow writers to will follow in his path, this form which is to see art for the simple purpose of being art. Works Cited Page Abrams, Donaldson, David, Smith, Lewalski, Adams, Logan, Monk, Lipking, Stillinger, Ford, Christ, Daiches, Stallyworthy. Norton Anthology of English Literature, New York and London Published 1993. Laver, James. Oscar Wilde, Great Britain, Published in 1954 Sullivan, Kevin. Columbia Essays on Modern Writers, Ocsar Wilde New York & London Published 1972 The Victorian Web. Oscar Wilde ,<http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/victov.html> 10/28/99, <www.google.com><Internet Explorer Browser> <http://www.nyu.edu.library/bobst/research/fales/exhibits/Wilde/00main.htm> <http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/genlinfo.htm> www.google.com 10/28/99 Wilde, Oscar. Poems and Essays, Great Britain Published in 1956

The Black Panther Tank Battalion Essay -- essays research papers

The 'Black Panther' Tank Battalion The 761st 'Black Panther' Tank Battalion was the first African-American armored unit to see combat. Before and during mobilization for World War II, officials in Washington, D.C., debated whether or not African-American soldiers should be used in armored units. Many military men and politicians believed that blacks did not have the brains, quickness or moral stamina to fight in a war. Referring to his World War I experiences, Colonel James A. Moss, commander of the 367th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division, stated, "As fighting troops, the Negro must be rated as second-class material, this primarily to his inferior intelligence and lack of mental and moral qualities." Colonel Perry L. Miles, commander of the 371st Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division, voiced a similar opinion: "In a future war, the main use of the Negro should be in labor organizations." General George S. Patton, Jr., in a letter to his wife, wrote that "a colored soldier cannot think fast enough to fight in armor." The armed forces embraced these beliefs even though African Americans had fought with courage and distinction in the Revolutionary War and every other war and conflict ever waged by the United States. They overlooked the fact that four regiments of the 93rd Division had served with the French during World War I and that the French government had awarded the coveted Croix de Guerre to three of the four regiments and to a company of the fourth, as well as to the 1st Battalion, 367th Infantry Regiment, 92nd Division. Lieutenant General Leslie J. McNair, chief of the U.S. Army ground forces, was the main proponent of allowing African Americans to serve in armored units. He believed his nation could ill afford to exclude such a potentially important source of manpower. The black press, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Congress of Racial Equality also placed increasing pressure on the War Department and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration to allow black soldiers to serve on an equal footing with white soldiers. In the summer of 1940, Congress passed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which said, "In the selection and training of men under this act, there shall be no discrimination against any person on account of race and color." In October, howeve... ...17th Airborne Division. Assigned at various times to the Third, Seventh and Ninth armies, the Black Panthers fought major engagements in six European countries and participated in four major Allied campaigns. During that time, the unit inflicted 130,000 casualties on the German army and captured, destroyed or aided in the liberation of more than 30 towns, several concentration camps, four airfields, three ammunition supply dumps, 461 wheeled vehicles, 34 tanks, 113 large guns, and thousands of individual and crew-served weapons. This was accomplished in spite of extremely adverse weather conditions, difficult terrain not suited to armor, heavily fortified enemy positions, extreme shortages of replacement personnel and equipment, an overall casualty rate approaching 50 percent and the loss of 71 tanks. In 1978--33 years after the end of World War II--the 761st Tank Battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation. In 1997, 53 years after giving his life on the battlefield, Sergeant Ruben Rivers was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The motto of the 761st Tank Battalion has always been "Come Out Fighting." In World War II, that is exactly what the Black Panthers did.

Principles of Physical Security Essay

Physical security is the wide phenomena that are taken for the prevention or determent of attackers from a possible access of a resource, information that is stored within physical media and facilities. Physical security is viewed under three fundamental aspects. These are; †¢ Responding adequately to the measures of security that would repel or catch the possible attackers in the event of detection. †¢ Using gadgets and implements that are forthwith important in the control of secure atmosphere. This could include cameras, security lighting and use of alarms, patrols by security guards that provide easy noticing of attacks. †¢ Facilitation of obstacles that are aimed at frustrating any possible attackers and delaying the serious security cases. A proper set of security designs has the compliment of all these structures that work cohesively with one another. A good physical security design is a compliment of four important factors which are intrusion detection, electronic and mechanical access controls, environmental design and video monitoring. Physical security is based on various principles that are applied to solve various security concerns at varied depths. (Walter, 1997). These include; Building security:   Buildings are the source of residence for human beings. However, their structural planning and establishments is compromised by various security threat factors that make the life of those living in them unsafe. Building security therefore implies all the fundamental components of architectural and construction concerns that make buildings safe places for living and hostage. It is the compound of all structures that provide authenticity in the physical structures that provides the safest levels for the habitation. The guarantee for this security is well accorded during the designing phase of the building. The aspect of this security is inclusive of both the internal and the external environments that are occupied by the building. The physical structure of the building should be designed in the most appropriate manner that provides the highest levels of security measures for its inhabitants. It should include a coordinated design in the roofs, walls outlet such as doors, windows and locks (Donald, 1997) Ground security: This is the protective aspect that is attached to airports and its surrounding environment. It includes all aspects that are attached to the physical structure of an airport that makes it a safe place for the various activities that goes on within their contemporaries. It incorporates adequate placement of the structures such as runways, surveillance services, communication systems and all aspects that are endowed within the structures of an airport. Due to the delicacy of the airport operations, high importance should be attached in the highest levels of security for the activities and processes of the airport (Azari, 2003) Access control systems: These are systems of control that are applied in securing adequate security towards information and other facets of information systems. This is the provisions of providing the legitimate users with the principles with which they should apply in assessing stored data. Information is deemed as an essential aspect and a resource aspect within any organization. Access control systems should therefore address the fundamentals with which the information should be mined, shared and made into use. Improper and illegitimate use of data and information may lead to comparative disadvantages for the organization. Improper and inappropriate use of information is subject to huge loses to an organization through misuse of the data and information that leaves the organization at a competitive disadvantage when its information is used by its competitors to develop business strengths. Importantly, the aspects of corporate intelligence as well as industrial espionage are two important aspects that define the rationality for data security. The current business environment and the expanding technological advancement have seen this process fully acknowledged. Various tools have been used to safeguard the organization information and their respective systems. Substantially therefore, physical security on information and their systems remains implicit for the success of the organization (Harold, 2003) Perimeter security: This is the broad components of techniques and methods that are used in providing an outer bounder security of premises. This is essential in preventing possible access of unauthorized persons within the premises. These may keep off trespassers, thieves, unauthorized persons and others persons. It can be secured using physically constructed walls and fences. Perimeter security is made to advance the most optimal security prospects that would help to safeguard the internal structures that are endowed within premises. Perimeter security should be advanced therefore as protective measures that safeguard the internal prospects of the premises. Technological advances security: This is the security protection for innovations, technological advancements, designs and process improvements. This should be protected to avoid losses through comparative disadvantages occurring form business competitors. It includes intellectual property security that can be provided through trademarks. Innovations come as the process of advancement in specific lines of production and manufacturing or personal production of his/her intellectual work. Security on these productions providing the environment with which the producer or the copyright owners can be safeguarded form any possible activities of misuse of the product that may make the profit motive of the technology to be unmet. (Peter, 2000)

The Indigo Spell Chapter Ten

THE NEXT MORNING, I sought out Ms. Terwilliger before class to give her a recap of yesterday's adventures. She leaned against her desk, sipping a cappuccino as I spoke. Her expression grew darker as the story progressed, and she sighed when I finished. â€Å"Well, that's unfortunate,† she said. â€Å"I'm glad you were able to find the Stone girl, but that kills our lead on Veronica until the next full moon. It could be too late by then.† â€Å"You're sure there's no other scrying spell?† I asked. She shook her head. â€Å"Most that I could attempt would alert her that I was looking for her. There is one that might mask me while I'm using it . . . but it also might not be able to penetrate any shielding she's using to hide herself.† â€Å"It's still worth a try, isn't it?† I asked. The warning bell rang, and students began trickling into the classroom. She shot me a smile as she straightened up. â€Å"Why, Miss Melbourne, I never thought I'd hear you suggesting such things. But you're right. We'll talk about it this afternoon. It's something I'd like you to see.† That anti-magic gut instinct started to rear its ugly head . . . and then stopped. Somewhere, against my wishes, I'd gotten caught up in all of this. I was too concerned now about Veronica's other victims to pay attention to my usual worries. In Alchemist eyes, using magic was bad. In my eyes, leaving innocents in danger was worse. With no other critical situations to contend with, I found that the day flew by. When I rejoined Ms. Terwilliger for our independent study, I found her packed up and waiting for me to arrive. â€Å"Field trip,† she told me. â€Å"We need to work on this at my place.† A wistful look crossed her features. â€Å"Too bad we can't stop at Spencer's.† Caffeine and magic didn't mix, which was another good reason for staying away from the arcane. I started to point out that since I wasn't working any magic, I didn't have the same restrictions. A moment later, I decided that would be mean. Ms. Terwilliger had enough going on with a bloodthirsty sister on the loose. She didn't need to be taunted too. The cats were waiting at the door when we arrived at her house, which was slightly terrifying. I'd never seen all of them at once and counted thirteen. I had to assume that number was by design. â€Å"I have to feed them first,† she told me as they swarmed at her feet. â€Å"Then we'll get to work.† I nodded wordlessly, thinking her plan was a good one. If those cats weren't fed soon, it seemed likely they would turn on us. I didn't like our odds. Once they had food to distract them, Ms. Terwilliger and I went to her workshop. There was little I could do except observe. Magic often required that the person doing the spell be the one to put in all the labor. I assisted with a little measuring, but that was about it. I'd seen her do a couple of quick, flashy spells in the past but never anything of this magnitude. It was clear to me that this was a very, very powerful feat. She had nothing to link her to Veronica, no hair or picture. The spell required the caster to use the image in her mind of the person being sought. Other components, herbs and oils, helped enhance the magic, but for the most part, the work was all on Ms. Terwilliger. Watching her prepare triggered a mix of emotions in me. Anxiety was one, of course, but it was paired with a secret fascination at seeing someone with her strength cast a spell. When everything was in place, she spoke the incantation, and I nearly gasped as I felt power surge up in the room. I'd never sensed it from another person before, and the intensity nearly knocked me over. Ms. Terwilliger was staring at a spot a few feet in front of her. After several long moments, a glowing dot appeared in the air. It grew bigger and bigger, turning into a flat, shimmering disc, which hung there like a mirror. I stepped backward, half-afraid the disc would keep expanding and consume the room. Eventually, it stabilized. Tense silence surrounded us as she stared at that glowing surface. A minute passed, and then the oval began to shrink and shrink until it was gone. Ms. Terwilliger sank with exhaustion and caught the side of her table for support. She was sweating heavily, and I handed her some orange juice we'd had ready. â€Å"Did you see anything?† I asked. There'd been nothing visible to me, but maybe only the caster could see what the spell revealed. She shook her head. â€Å"No. The spell was unable to touch her mind. Her shielding must be too strong.† â€Å"Then we can't do anything until next month.† I felt my stomach drop. I hadn't realized until that moment how much I'd been hoping this spell would work. So much of my life involved problem solving, and I felt lost when I ran out of options. â€Å"You and Adrian can keep warning the other girls,† said Ms. Terwilliger. Color was starting to return to her face. â€Å"At the very least, it might slow Veronica down.† I looked at the time on my cell phone. This spell had taken longer than I thought. â€Å"I don't think we can do a round trip to Los Angeles today. I'll get him tomorrow, and we'll see if we can finish off the list.† Once I was convinced she wouldn't pass out from magical exertion, I made motions to leave. She stopped me as I was about to walk out the door. â€Å"Sydney?† I glanced back, suddenly uneasy. The problem with having so many people call me by nicknames was that when someone called me by my actual name, it usually meant something serious was happening. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"We keep talking about warning others, but don't forget to look after yourself as well. Keep studying the book. Learn to protect yourself. And keep the charm on.† I touched the garnet, hidden under my shirt. â€Å"Yes, ma'am. I will.† Marcus's promised text came as I was driving back to school, telling me to meet him at a nearby arcade. I knew the place and had actually been to its adjacent mini-golf course once before, so I had no difficulty heading over there. Marcus was waiting for me just inside the door, and thankfully, Sabrina wasn't around wielding a gun. I hadn't spent a lot of time in arcades and didn't really understand them. They hardly meshed with my father's style of education. For me, it was a mass of sensory overload that I wasn't quite ready for. The smell of slightly burnt pizza filled the air. Excited children and teenagers darted back and forth between games. And everywhere, everything seemed to be flashing and beeping. I winced, thinking maybe my dad had been on to something in avoiding these places. â€Å"This is where we're going to discuss covert activities?† I asked in disbelief. He gave me one of his movie star smiles. â€Å"It's not an easy place for people to spy on you. Besides, I haven't played Skee-Ball in years. That game is awesome.† â€Å"I wouldn't know.† â€Å"What?† It was kind of nice to catch him by surprise again, even if it was for something so trivial. â€Å"You've been missing out. Spot me some money for tokens, and I'll show you.† Apparently, being an on-the-run renegade leader didn't pay well. He found the Skee-Ball machines instantly. I bought him a cupful of tokens and handed them over. â€Å"Have at it.† He promptly put a token in and threw his first ball. It landed completely outside of the rings, making him scowl. â€Å"You don't waste any time,† I remarked. His eyes were on the game as he made his second throw, which again missed. â€Å"It's a survival tactic. When you spend enough time on the run . . . hiding out all the time . . . well, you take advantage of these moments of freedom. And when pretty girls spirit you away.† â€Å"How do you know we're free? How can you be so sure the Alchemists haven't been watching me?† I asked. I was pretty sure I wasn't being watched and mostly wanted to test him. â€Å"Because they would've showed up on that first day.† He had a point. I put my hands on my hips and tried to be patient. â€Å"How long are you going to play? When can we talk?† â€Å"We can talk now.† His next ball hit the ten-point ring, and he whooped with joy. â€Å"I can talk and throw. Ask away. I'll give you as many shocking secrets as I can.† â€Å"I'm not easily shocked.† But I wasn't going to waste this opportunity. I glanced around, but he was right. No one was going to eavesdrop in this noisy place. We could barely hear each other as it was. â€Å"What'd you do to get kicked out of the Alchemists?† â€Å"I didn't get kicked out. I left.† This round ended, and he put in his next token. â€Å"Because of a Moroi girl.† I froze, unable to believe what I'd heard. Marcus Finch had started his great rebellion . . . because he'd been involved with a Moroi? It rang too close to my own situation. When I didn't say anything, he glanced over and took in my expression. â€Å"Oh. Oh. No, nothing like that,† he said, realizing my thoughts. â€Å"That's not a line even I would cross.† â€Å"Of course not,† I said, hoping I was doing a good job at hiding my nervousness. â€Å"Who would?† He returned to the game. â€Å"We were friends. I was assigned to Athens, and she lived there with her sister.† That derailed me. â€Å"Athens . . . you were in Athens? That was one of the places I wanted to be assigned. I went to St. Petersburg instead, but I always kept hoping that, maybe, maybe, I'd get reassigned to Greece. Or even Italy.† I was nearly babbling, but he didn't seem to notice. â€Å"What's wrong with St. Petersburg? Aside from the high Strigoi count.† â€Å"What's wrong is that it wasn't Athens or Rome. My dad specifically requested that I not be assigned to either place. He thought it'd be too distracting.† Marcus paused again to give me a long, level look. There was sympathy in his expression, as though my entire history and family drama were playing before his eyes. I didn't want him to feel sorry for me and wished I hadn't said anything. I cleared my throat. â€Å"So tell me about this girl in Athens.† He took the hint. â€Å"Like I said, she was a friend. So funny. Oh, man. She cracked me up. We used to hang out all the time – but you know how that's kind of frowned upon.† I almost laughed at his subtle joke. Kind of? That was an understatement. Field Alchemists weren't supposed to interact with Moroi unless it was absolutely necessary for some business matter or related to stopping and covering up Strigoi. My situation was a little unique, since my mission actually required me to talk to her on a daily basis. â€Å"Anyway,† he continued. â€Å"Someone noticed, and I got a lot of unwelcome attention for it. Around the same time, I started hearing all these rumors . . . like about Alchemists holding Moroi against their will. And even some Alchemists interacting with the Warriors.† â€Å"What? That's impossible. We would never work with those freaks.† The idea of Moroi prisoners was outlandish, but it was that second part that truly stumped me. I couldn't even process it. He might as well have said the Alchemists were working with aliens. â€Å"That's what I thought.† He threw another ball, looking supremely pleased when it scored thirty points. â€Å"But I kept hearing whispers, so I started asking questions. A lot of questions. And, well, that's when things really went bad. Questions don't always go over so well – especially if you're a nuisance about them.† I thought about my own experience. â€Å"That's certainly true.† â€Å"So that's when I walked. Or, well, ran. I could see the signs. I'd crossed a line and knew it was only a matter of time before I had a one-way ticket to re-education.† Another new round started, and he gestured me forward. â€Å"Want to give it a try?† I was still stunned enough by his earlier words that I stepped forward and took a ball. The Alchemists were logical, organized, and reasonable. I knew there were Alchemists who wished we could do more to fight the Strigoi, but there was no way our group would work with trigger-happy zealots. â€Å"Stanton told me we only tolerate the Warriors. That we're just keeping an eye on them.† â€Å"That's what I was told too.† He watched me line up a shot. â€Å"There's kind of a learning curve to this, by the way. It may take you a few – â€Å" I threw and hit the fifty-point ring. Marcus could only stare for a few seconds, his earlier smirk vanishing. â€Å"You said you'd never played!† he exclaimed. â€Å"I haven't.† I threw another fifty pointer. â€Å"Then how are you doing that?† â€Å"I don't know.† Fifty points again. â€Å"You just base your force on the ball's weight and distance to the ring. It's not that hard. This is kind of a boring game, really.† Marcus was still dumbstruck. â€Å"Are you some kind of super-athlete?† I nearly scoffed. â€Å"You don't need to be an athlete to play this.† â€Å"But . . . no . . .† He looked at the rings, then at me, and then back to the rings. â€Å"That's impossible. I've been playing this since I was a kid! My dad and I used to go to our town's carnival over and over in the summer, and I'd spend at least an hour playing this each time.† â€Å"Maybe you should have made it two hours.† I tossed another ball. â€Å"Now tell me more about the Warriors and the Alchemists. Did you ever get any proof?† It took him several moments to tune back into the conversation. â€Å"No. I tried. I even got cozy with the Warriors for a while – that's how I met Clarence. My group has found a few dark secrets about the Alchemists and saved other Moroi from the Warriors, but we were never able to make a connection between the two groups.† He paused dramatically. â€Å"Until now.† I picked up the next ball. This mundane activity was helping me analyze his startling words. â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"It was a fluke, really. We've got a guy working with us now who just left the Alchemists and broke his tattoo,† he explained. He said it like it was no big deal, but I still couldn't shake how uneasy â€Å"breaking the tattoo† made me feel. â€Å"He'd overheard something that matched up to something Sabrina uncovered. Now we've just got to get the evidence linking it all.† â€Å"How are you going to pull that off?† â€Å"Actually, you're going to pull it off.† He spoke just as I was releasing another ball. My shot went wide, missed the rings and even the machine entirely. The ball bounced off the wall and landed at the feet of some startled girls. Marcus retrieved the ball and gave them an apologetic smile, which made them gush about how it was no problem at all. As soon as they were gone, I leaned toward Marcus. â€Å"What did you say?† â€Å"You heard me. You want to join our group? You want to break your tattoo?† He looked annoyingly smug. â€Å"Then this is all part of the process.† â€Å"I never said I wanted to do any of those things!† I hissed. â€Å"I just wanted to find out more about them.† â€Å"And I bet you'd really love to know if there are factions in the Alchemists working with the Warriors.† He was right. I did want to know that. He caught hold of my hand. â€Å"Sydney, I know this is a lot to take in. I don't blame you for doubting, and that's exactly why we need you. You're smart. You're observant. You question. And just like me, those questions are going to get you in trouble – if they haven't already. Get out now while you can – on your own terms.† â€Å"I just met you! I'm not breaking away from the group that raised me.† I pulled my hand back. â€Å"I was willing to hear you guys out, but now you've gone too far.† I turned and headed toward the door, unwilling to listen anymore. Yet as I walked away, his words crawled over me. Even though I'd been forgiven for my involvement with Rose, my record still probably had a black mark. And even though I hadn't pushed hard about Marcus Finch, had even bringing him up raised Stanton's suspicions? How long until little things added up? I pushed open the doors and stepped out into bright sunlight. It chased away the darkness of what I'd just heard. Marcus was right behind me and touched my shoulder. â€Å"Sydney I'm sorry. I'm not trying to scare you.† That cocky attitude was gone. He was deadly earnest. â€Å"I just sense something about you . . . something that resonates with me. I think we're on the same side, that we want the same things. We've both gotten close to the Moroi. We want to help them – without being lied to or used.† I eyed him warily. â€Å"Go on.† â€Å"Please, hear us out.† â€Å"I thought I just did.† â€Å"You heard me out,† he corrected. â€Å"I want you to meet the others and hear their stories. They'll tell you more about what they went through. They'll tell you about this.† He tapped his tattoo. â€Å"And when you hear more about that task . . . well, I think you'll want to do it.† â€Å"Right. The big, mind-blowing thing that's going to unveil an Alchemist-Warrior conspiracy.† He remained serious, which bothered me more than if he'd suddenly revealed this to be one big joke. â€Å"So, what? You're going to get the others, and we'll all have an arcade day?† He shook his head. â€Å"Too dangerous. I'll gather them in some other place and then tell you where to meet us, but it's got to be last minute again. Can't risk detection.† â€Å"I can't go on some epic road trip,† I warned. â€Å"No one cares much about LA trips, but traipsing all over the state is going to get that unwanted attention you were talking about.† â€Å"I know, I know. It'll be close. I just have to make sure it's secure.† He was back to his excited, cheery self. â€Å"Will you do it? Come join us?† In spite of myself, I was curious. Even though I refused to believe in any connection between the Warriors and the Alchemists, I wanted to find out what leads this group thought they had. I also just wanted to see this mysterious group of his, period. What had Adrian called them? Marcus's Merry Men? And, of course, there was the tattoo. Marcus kept alluding to its secrets but still hadn't given me the details. â€Å"I'll do it,† I said at last. â€Å"On one condition.† â€Å"Name it.† â€Å"I want to bring someone with me,† I said. â€Å"You can trust him, I swear. But after Sabrina pulled a gun on me, you have to understand why I'd be a little nervous about walking into your clique.† Marcus looked like he might almost consider it but then suddenly recoiled. â€Å"Not Adrian?† â€Å"No, no. This guy's a dhampir. No one who'd be interested in turning you over to the Alchemists, especially if you really are working to protect Moroi. You say you've got a good feeling about me? Then trust me that you have nothing to worry about with him. He'd just be there to make me feel a little safer.† â€Å"You have nothing to worry about with us,† Marcus said. â€Å"We won't hurt you.† â€Å"I want to believe you. But I don't quite have that same good feeling you have yet.† He didn't say anything right away and then burst into laughter. â€Å"Fair enough. Bring your friend.† He shook my hand, as though we were sealing some great bargain. â€Å"I'll be in touch later with the details. You won't regret it, Sydney. I swear it.†