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Everman and Uriel: Segment IV
Chapter 3
The soldier's barracks was contained within the massive castle. Past a single short corridor, built near the king's chambers for his own protection, the barracks was a series of lengthy rooms linked together. Together they held enough cots and shelving for every soldier in the employ of the city. Massive hearths, now standing cold and empty, kept warm the entire barracks during the cold season. A hundred torches, set at intervals along the walls, lit the living area and the arching wooden ceiling above. Rugs and pelts of the local wildlife adorned the walls and flooring, providing much-needed shielding against the seeping cold of the stone floor.
Everman entered the barracks directly behind Gabriel, who strode over to his cot and sat, shedding his sheath to the floor. Everman approached his own bedding, directly beside his friend's, and stood there, looking out the thin slit of a window to the orange and red sky outside, full of color from the evening's sunset.
Archer stood a short distance away, tending to his own cot.
"Your mind is wandering, my friend," Gabriel observed after watching Everman do nothing but stand there, looking out the window, for several minutes.
Everman turned aside from the brilliant sky and sat, considering Gabriel, who had already plucked off his boots and tunic. He lay back on his cot, hands folded behind his head, stripped to the waist, looking back at Everman with a half-cocked smile. The concern in his eyes belied his feigned geniality.
"I've been thinking," was Everman's reply.
"A dangerous pastime at best," Gabriel jested. Everman was too enveloped in his thoughts to pay his comment any mind.
"Does anything seem amiss to you, Gabriel?" Everman asked, his eyebrows furled in a look of confusion. It was peculiar to see him this way, and Gabriel surmised that he was being weighed down by some serious concern.
Hearing Everman's tone, more serious than usual, Gabriel sat upright, swinging his legs over the side of the cot. "Amiss? Not so much, no. Why do you ask?"
Everman was hesitant a moment. Then he asked, "How's Jaina?" pulling the conversation quite suddenly down an entirely different avenue.
"Ah, ha," Gabriel exclaimed with a smile. He clasped his friend on the shoulder, confident that he had figured out what was troubling Everman. "Is that what's on your mind? I see. Is Caleb Everman finally thinking about putting away that tough guy attitude and settling down with a nice girl? You're long over due, you know."
"No," said Everman with a slight shake of his head. It was all he said in reply, and his eyes still looked distant.
Gabriel just grunted, feeling a tad ruffled that he still had not quite figured the man out, despite being his friend for years.
Feeling surrendered, Gabriel answered his question. "She's fine. The girls do their best to drive her crazy, like usual, and the clinic says the baby is due in a few weeks."
"You have a wife, two girls, and a baby on the way," Everman observed. "Why are you still in the military?"
"I like what I do," Gabriel replied easily, without hesitation. "There's no greater privilege then serving my king and defending my city. Besides, if I don't do it, who else will keep those bastard Dragons at bay, or, more importantly, keep your ass out of trouble? Somebody has to baby-sit you, after all."
"I see," was all Everman said in reply. Still slouching on his cot, he looked over and out the window again, his expression once again distant. The colors had fled from the sky, leaving only the deep twilight of the encroaching night.
After a moment of collecting his thoughts, Everman spoke once more, his voice low. "I'm suddenly not so sure I share your views."
"Regarding what?" asked Gabriel, concerned, his own voice lowered to match.
"This war we've put ourselves in," Everman replied. He looked up suddenly, the distant look in his eyes gone, replaced instead by a purposeful look of defiance. "Can you recall why this war is even going on?"
"To crush the threat of the enemy Dragon," Gabriel replied automatically.
"No, that's not what I meant. Do you recall how the war started? What happened to bring each side to battle?"
"Well, the Dragon…" Gabriel began, but then his voice trailed off. He sat for a moment, tongue in cheek, eyes staring out at nothing, wracking his brain for an answer. He stuttered, "They… And then we… What point are you trying to make?"
"You can't recall, can you?" Everman replied. "I can't either. Why do you suppose that is?"
"Because we're too busy looking ahead toward the future?" Gabriel proposed.
"Perhaps. But perhaps it's something else. Tell me, how far back do you remember?"
"Far enough," Gabriel said, perplexed. "Why?"
"Do you remember your own wedding?" Everman insisted, pushing the interrogation further.
"I most certainly do!" Gabriel said, defensively. "I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a clear summer day, and Jaina looked magnificent wearing her… umm…"
Gabriel did not continue speaking, but worked his mouth as if trying to. Then after a moment, he just sat there, slumped, looking baffled.
"Or the birth of your own children?" Everman persisted. He waited a moment, but, like his prior question, received no answer.
"As I suspected," Everman said a moment later, seeing the confusion in his friend's face. "I've been trying to find the point in fighting a pointless war which nobody can even remember why it began."
"Now hold on just one moment." Gabriel looked rather irked, and had difficulty keeping his voice low. "I know you, Everman. You've been my good friend since childhood, and I know you better than anyone else. I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I do know that you're as dedicated to the king as anyone else here. I don't know what you're trying to prove, but it's nonsense!"
"Is it?" Everman replied. His nonchalant attitude about such a serious subject wore on Gabriel's nerves. "Consider your daughters a moment, Gabriel. And your child on the way. To what kind of future do you intend to raise them? When they go off to war, and ask you what they're fighting for, why they're even fighting in the first place, what will you tell them?"
"Consider this, also," Everman continued, cutting short Gabriel's retort. "With neither side fighting for a cause more noble than victory, and with both sides appearing equal in arms and numbers, one can equate that any resolution to this conflict will come about from the spilt blood of many generations to come. If indeed it ever ends."
"Then we shall have to execute ourselves more efficiently than our enemy!" Gabriel responded boldly, sitting upright.
"You fail to see my meaning,"
"No, you fail to see my meaning!" Gabriel spat out, cutting off Everman's words. "If any of the other soldiers were to hear you talking like this, you'd suddenly find yourself a lot shorter. A head shorter, if you take my meaning! I don't recall you ever speaking like this before. You are one of the king's most loyal soldiers.
"I don't know what's gotten into you lately. First you nearly ream one of the townsfolk in the marketplace, and now your questioning our very way of life. What's wrong with you? It's as if you've become a different person in the last few days. This isn't like you at all.
"And to answer your last question, should our child in Jaina's belly be a boy, then I would be honored to see him off to war, to fight for our cause. As far as the girls, I could wish no better life for them than to marry a good soldier and support his family when he's off to battle. Which is no different than Jaina does for me."
"But of course you should know all that already," Gabriel concluded. "It's not the first time we've discussed them. Or have you forgotten that, too, along with your loyalties?"
To this, Everman had no reply. The thoughts, the doubts, he had been having recently he could not recall having before. Perhaps Gabriel was right, and he was afflicted by some ailment. Perhaps he was overly stressed about the war.
But, even as he told himself that, his doubts persisted. Why was the war going on at all? What were we fighting for? And, perhaps most important, what right did the king have to send others to their deaths in battle? Human or no, why was he so superior to make those kinds of decisions?
But to keep himself from the gallows, he would have to keep his doubts from all others, including his own friend.
"You are right," Everman admitted, lying easily. "The stress of battle is getting to me. Maybe I need a vacation."
Gabriel's over-sized grin reappeared, transforming his face as dramatically as the rising sun to a starry night.
"You need some ladies, my friend!" Gabriel exclaimed enthusiastically. "That's what I've been telling you from the beginning. After a few nights tossing the sheets with some beautiful, big-breasted girls, you'll feel like a new man and not have another care in the world. Am I right?"
To this, the other soldiers in the barracks cheered loudly.
Only partially amused by the chorus of hails from the other men in the room, Everman laid back on his cot and stayed that way until the moon rose high in the night sky and most of the others were asleep. Gabriel's deep, reverberating snores echoed around the high ceiling.
Preoccupied by his thoughts, Everman didn't find sleep until late that night.
The next day, Everman and a select squadron of Unicorn soldiers breached the walls of Arrik, the city of the Dragon, in the late hours of the night. Using ropes and hooks, they ascended the outer stone walls, the uneven protrusions of rock providing ample foot and hand grips. Once atop, they overtook the few guards on night watch and adorned their armor as disguise.
Everman, newly dressed in rusting chain mail overtop a thick woolen tunic, descended the wooden stairs to the village within the walls. The tunic, heavy underneath the mail, was dyed red, much to his distaste. He felt as a traitor to the crown by only wearing the shameful color of the Dragon.
Everman, putting aside his distaste for the new wardrobe, advanced into the city, taking to the dirt paths and side streets instead of the main cobbled roads. In the fleeting moonlight, the mud bricks of every house turned gray, and the wooden and thatch roofs became like ash. The large quarter moon and the entourage of heavenly stars above were his only light and guide through this foreign city. Stray clusters of weeds grew between the lanes and the building walls. Vines choked the mud bricks. Everywhere he walked, Everman saw dead-looking foliage trying to reclaim the city, ghastly under the partial light of the moon.
Traversing down a narrow muddy lane, Everman passed by a small window with the shutters ajar. Stopping to peer through the dirty glass frame, Everman saw a young woman in a simple dress sleeping beside a crib, inside of which slept a baby. The baby was clothed in rags; the woman was wearing little better.
What intrigued Everman was that he had viewed a scene exactly like this in the houses of his home city. The common people here appeared no different than in Anrene. They were no wealthier here, and likely lived their lives in exactly the same manner as his own people.
These people are no different than my own, Everman realized.
Just then, Everman heard a noise, and saw light around the corner of the building. Everman turned to leave, cursing himself for letting a distraction lower his guard, but it was already too late. The advancing stranger turned the corner and saw him standing there. Everman was revealed in the light of the stranger's lantern. Everman reflexively reached down for his sword.
"You, there!" hailed the stranger. Everman could see him well from this short distance. He a younger man, short and skinny, his arms naught but sharp angles and straight lines. His attire was the simple brown of a common man, both tunic and breeches. He lifted the lantern he was carrying, allowing each to see the other's face more clearly. What Everman saw was an unshaven lad of no more than fifteen summers with dark eyes and a sharp nose.
"Hold my light a moment?" asked the lad, thrusting the lantern toward Everman. He took it gingerly, still unsure whether this new arrival would run to alert the guards.
Free of the lantern, the lad leaned up against a wall and pulled off one of his black boots, turning it upside down to dump out a surprising quantity of mud and rocks. Once satisfied, he repeated the process for his other one.
Finished, he stood upright and took back the lantern, offering his thanks.
"So, they stuck you on patrol tonight."
Everman was unsure whether it was intended to be a question or not, but he nodded his silent agreement.
"My condolences," offered the lad. "The nights grow long for those unaccustomed to it. Me, I'm used to it. The rats only come out at night."
"Rat catcher," Everman observed. That would explain the mud in his boots, and his nocturnal stroll.
"Don't say that like it's an insult!" retorted the rat catcher. "It's an honest living. It's not as glamorous as guard duty, no, but to each their own."
It was evident at this point that this rat catcher, this young lad, didn't see Everman for what he truly was. The rat catcher did not, in fact, see past the red of his tunic, seeing only another faceless member of the city guard.
Which suited Everman perfectly, and also allowed him a unique opportunity, giving him the advantage over the other Unicorn invaders scattered throughout the city.
"What do you know about the Traveler?" Everman asked directly.
"You must be bored tonight," observed the rat catcher in reply. "Usually you guards never even come down off those walls to talk to the people you're supposed to be guarding."
"Yes," Everman agreed instantly. "Bored."
"Don't blame ya. That's boring work. You sit in one spot and stare at the forest. Or, for a bit of excitement, you get up, and take a walk."
"The Traveler?" Everman persisted.
"Not much of a talker are you?" said the rat catcher. He began to annoy Everman greatly. "Must not have much of a home life. You couldn't, not working nights like you do. Guess I don't blame you. I know the feeling. But, as far as the Traveler is concerned, I don't like him. Nobody in town does. If you were ever to leave your home during the day, you'd see that right away."
"Me, I wonder where he came from," continued the rat catcher as he leaned against a brick wall, clearly grateful for the company. It seemed apparent that he, himself, didn't commune much with the daylight world. "Are we supposed to believe that he just appeared in the middle of the night? Or perhaps born fully grown? He hasn't told anybody what he's actually doing here, or where he came from. Which has everyone worried. And then there's this rumor going around that he dabbles in the dark arts. Black magic. Nasty stuff, I'm sure; twenty-one kinds of bad. Which as you can imagine has everyone all aflutter. As far as anybody's concerned, he may come down from that tower and start turning people into frogs. What a mess that would be."
"Tower?" Everman asked, suddenly intrigued after having to suffer through the man's dribble.
"Aye," agreed the rat catcher. "Tower. You do know what a tower is, right? I'm starting to think they work you too hard. You're not right. I think you might need a woman. But, then again, so do I."
Everman was rather annoyed to be reminded of Gabriel just then.
"Where is this tower?" asked Everman.
"You're kind of slow, aren't you? But that's alright. I like you. We could play cards some time. Can't get anyone else to sit down and play with me. Must be the late hours I keep. Or the fact that I have nine pet mice."
Everman began to rub his temples, closing his eyes as he did so. This rat catcher was beginning to give him a headache. Perhaps he had been better off not running into the lad at all.
"Where is the tower?" Everman repeated, his patience all but exhausted.
The rat catcher looked at him curiously, his head cocked to one side. Everman swore that if he said anything other than directions to the tower, he was going to hit him.
The rat catcher must have picked up on that, much to Everman's disappointment.
"Two blocks north, following the main road. It's opposite the marketplace, and directly east of the castle's entrance. It stands immediately next to the thing you're supposed to be guarding, remember? Or did you forget why you were up on that wall in the first place?"
"Temporary amnesia," Everman replied after a moment's thought. He became worried that, seeing his behavior as suspicious, the rat catcher may decide to report him after all.
"In other words, drunk?" asked the rat catcher.
"You caught me," Everman submitted, letting the lad assume what he wanted.
"Ah, so that's what you're really doing up on those walls," the rat catcher concluded.
"Don't tell anybody," Everman mused as he slipped past the rat catcher, heading north.
Turning a corner to get out of ear shot of the lad, Everman proceeded with his new route. He approached, then passed through, the marketplace. A multitude of cloths and draperies, their bright colors dimmed by moonlight, hung over the entire courtyard. Wagons were parked around the circular yard, forlorn and abandoned at this hour.
Everman marveled once again at how similar this place was to the marketplace in Anrene, except for being empty and dark. In fact, as Everman stood in the center of the marketplace and looked about him, he observed that the two market stands were not only similar, but identical. They bore the same proportions and the same circular design of the cobblestones underfoot. Under closer inspection, he noticed that even the carts of the sleeping vendors were parked in exactly the same positions around the circle.
Feeling greatly disturbed by his discoveries, Everman quickened his pace down the streets. He had to remember his duties. He was here to find the Traveler, not wonder about the many coincidences between their cities.
Hurrying through the streets, Everman soon arrived at the front gates of the castle. Seeing the two guards standing out front of the massive gates, each of them dressed in red, quickly reminded him of where he was, and he ducked behind one of the houses. Taking a detour through a skinny, winding avenue, he soon arrived at the foot of the tower. It wasn't hard to find. The tower was wide and squat, constructed of stone so dark it was black in the partial light. And the air around the entire structure sizzled with an unnatural energy that made Everman's skin crawl and the hair of his nape stand on end.
Finding the door unguarded, Everman ventured inside the tower.
Atop a circular stairway, through a heavy door of steel, Everman found himself in an enormous circular room. The room was as wide as the whole tower, and perhaps three stories high, covered by a roof of tightly-pressed wooden planks. A multitude of windows spanned the room around, all of them vertical slits that reached over ten feet tall. Wide columns were spread throughout the room, columns as dark as the exterior. Before each of these columns stood a guard, and Everman took his place among them. He watched the proceedings along with them.
What would happen over the next few minutes would scar Everman's memory so deeply that he would never forget it over his unnaturally long life.
Surrounded by free standing torches and candles for lighting, six figures stood in the very center of the room. Four of them bore flowing white robes and long white hair, which Everman quickly identified as mages. These were the select few Sorcerers that the king used to predict storms, harvesting time, the outcomes of battles, and suchlike. They were most renowned for, but certainly not limited to, their ability to forecast events with uncanny accuracy, such is why King Elwyn kept a cabinet of mage advisors with him. Everman thought a moment, then realized with a gnawing dread that the number of mages King Elwyn kept with him was also four.
The fifth one of the group was even more a surprise than the number of mages. From his long, flowing blond hair to his even longer velvet cape, along with his delicately pointed ears and pale skin, Everman for a moment thought that King Elwyn had followed him here. Everman looked again, in shock, and realized that there were only slight variations between this man and his king. This was not King Elwyn of the Unicorn, but King Sherbourne of the Dragons!
And standing there in person was stringent proof that the tales Everman had been told of the king of the Dragons were all false.
As all of them were taught since childhood, King Elwyn was appointed by the gods themselves to rule over the people of Anrene. He was their chosen, their one and only son, sent to the world of mortals to lead them. The gods did not have a second son. More so, as the stories went, King Sherbourne was a horrible demon, a malevolent dwarf bent on the destruction of everything good and holy. He was supposed to be a shadowy figure, cast in darkness, with burning red eyes that could flay a man's soul.
And here he stood, before Everman's own eyes, an elf, exactly like his own king in every way! The king of the Dragons was actually an elf!
Was he fed naught but lies since childbirth? Were the townspeople of Arrik fed similar lies about his people? And if he could explain the truth to his own people, as well as to the people of this city, could he end this war and stop the slaughter?
"Behold, your majesty, my power over the demons themselves!"
This cry was uttered by the sixth figure, whom Everman could not identify. He reasoned that this person must be the Traveler, the wielder of dark magicks. The Traveler was dressed in a robe of vile green, the color of poison or some debilitating magic potion. From atop his head sprouted a forest of crazily growing white hair. He had a chin and nose that both stretched out impossibly far and sinister, beady little eyes like a diabolical bird.
"Watch as I bring forth the creatures of nightmare!"
Everman, the king, and the entire room watched as the Traveler wove his hands into the air, performing his strange ritual. Soon a light of purple, emanating from some unseen force, appeared before him. It grew, and lit the chamber whole in its otherworldly glow. Then, popping into existence like a sprite from childhood stories, a sphere of bright light appeared. The sphere held within it a storm of purple and blue, churning and swirling like fog, with miniature streaks of lightning dancing within. The sphere grew and stretched, becoming oblong, growing tall and thin, then at length resolving itself into a doorway. The frame of the doorway was the same purple and blue storms as the sphere, but within that frame appeared a portal reflecting an image of the night sky, complete with dazzling stars and majestic galaxies. And the entire image of the night sky rippled endlessly as if a reflection upon flowing water.
Smiling a twisted smile upon his creation, the Traveler circled about his magical doorway. "Have you ever seen anything as grand as this, your majesty?"
King Sherbourne simply shook his head, too captivated and amazed to even speak.
"This is but a parlor trick, your majesty!" exclaimed the Traveler excitedly. "It is the creatures that I can pull from this doorway that is the real excitement. Behold! A fearsome creature, under my control!"
At the Traveler's command, a creature emerged from the magical gateway. The otherworldly beast loosely resembled an overgrown cat, standing upwards of three feet in height. It was covered in scales of a blood red that shimmered brightly in the unworldly light of the magically infused purple glow. It bore long whiskers, much like a large feline, with triangle ears that twitched about endlessly. A long tail of crimson swayed gently and gracefully behind it.
Complimenting its feline appearance, massive retractable razors protruded from the creature's enormous claws, and when it yawned it revealed two sets of dangerous looking fangs.
"Behold! I have pulled forth from the void a great parademon! Kin to the very dragons themselves! A fearsome beast from distant worlds!"
So the rat catcher was right, Everman observed. He and the others of this city had every right to mistrust the Traveler. Here he was showing off his power over demonic forces to the king, the elven king, of Arrik. Any man who controls the powers of demons could not be trusted.
Everman became worried that his plan to bring peace to the land might be undone by this loose variable. The Traveler would tip the scales in favor of the Dragon, and using his black magicks, crush their opposition before Everman could preach the truth to either side. In his conversation with Gabriel the day prior, he had addressed his fears that two powers of equal arms and men would drag this war out infinitely long. That at least would give him the time to speak with both sides.
But this Traveler would ruin all of that. With the Dragons' newfound unnatural magicks, they might wash over his home city before Everman could even begin to unravel his plan.
His thoughts cast aside at the moment, Everman missed the vanishing of the great demon from the center of the room. The Traveler's next statement, however, quickly returned his train of thought.
"As great and mighty a beast as that was, there are yet many greater monstrosities waiting in the Nexus! Behold now, as I call forth a demon from the very depths of Hell itself!"
And before Everman's eyes, and the eyes of all its future victims, a great demon stepped forth from the gate.
The mages cried out in terror, throwing their arms up in panic and cowering. The king stepped back, fearfully grasping for the ornamental dagger that hung from his side. The guards to either side of Everman quivered in place, trembling.
Everman himself stepped back into the shadow of the pillar, peering out from darkness at a sight that he could not pry his eyes away from.
This demon was not like the other. This demon stood upright at nine foot tall and was covered in short fur as dark as a starless night, with blood-red eyes that glowed menacingly. Great horns sprouted from the creature's head, curving back around its head then spreading outwards. Down its back flowed a mane of long, coarse hair, as black as the rest of its fur. And on either side of that mane, folded tightly against its back were a pair of enormous wings.
The demon stood upon giant bovine-like hooves, and a lengthy tail swung from its hindquarters. It growled, revealing a short, ugly snout filled with razor-sharp teeth. The demon's arms were as large fully-grown men and bulged with enormous muscles. Worse yet, each of the creature's fingers were tipped with long, dangerous talons.
The creature stepped out of the doorway, each heavy footstep echoing loudly and shaking the floorboards beneath. It stood with legs bent not only at the knee, but also bent backwards at a second joint near the creature's ankles. It swung its massive head around, its lengthy midnight-black mane swirling almost gracefully around him with each movement. It cast its fearsome red eyes at each body in the room, as if deciding which would be the appetizer.
"Worry not, your majesty!" called the Traveler, his voice unshaken. He appeared to be the only one unafraid of the gigantic beast. He stepped up beside it, his putrid green cape swinging behind his graceful stride. "This fearsome beast is under my complete control! And with my aid, and your coin, you will be commanding an army of demons like this to conquer your enemies!"
Everman, standing in shadow, looked from the Traveler to the king, suddenly more fearful than ever before. The Traveler is selling these demons to the Dragons? This is disastrous! Everman knew that the Traveler and his demon-gate had to be stopped, but what good was he against such powers?
As the king and Traveler haggled, the creature slowly turned around in place. Its hellish eyes were taking in the entire room, and all those that occupied it. At length, the beast's gaze fell upon Everman, hiding in shadow, and it stopped turning. The beast stared intently at Everman's hiding spot for a long moment. Everman drew a sharp breath and willed his heart to stop beating, fearful that the creature might hear it as loudly as it pumped in his own ears.
Than it growled so deeply that the floorboards reverberated below them. Short plumes of dust danced up, covering the entire floor in a dirty brown fog. The other guards whimpered, shying away.
Everman slowly inched backward until he was pressed against the cold stone wall. He could go no further, yet the beast still appeared to be looking directly at him.
Then the demon took a step forward.
The king and the Traveler were haggling over price, oblivious, as the demon strode toward Everman, its lumbering hooves cracking and splintering the wood beneath.
Everman looked around at the guards nearest him, wondering why they had not done anything by now. But what he saw were fully armored men cowering in the distant corners of the room, shivering underneath their mail. They were too afraid to even move.
The horrendous beast slowly stepped closer to Everman, salivating out of its gaping mouth. Its hellfire eyes were locked onto Everman without even blinking.
Several long seconds later, the Traveler finally took notice.
"What's gotten into you?" asked the Traveler, his voice no longer high and showy like an over-energetic salesman. At that moment he sounded suddenly as human as the rest of them.
The beast paid his words no mind, so the Traveler rashly advanced upon it and grasped one of its immense arms.
It was that single action that spawned the insuing chaos.
The beast turned, swinging a massive arm around and knocking the Traveler across the room. With a gigantic roar that shook the spines of every man in that tower, the beast hunkered down on all fours and sprinted toward the gathering of mages. As the others could only watch horrified, the demon's massive jaws sank into the forearm of one of the mages, soiling red his white robe. Tasting the fresh blood still upon its muzzle, the demon became enraged, slashing and hacking without abandon. The poor mages, even with their powers, became the first unfortunate victims of the demon's fury.
"No!" cried the Traveler, his voice a frantic shrill. "No! What are you doing! You are under my control!"
The beast, giving him not even a moment's glance, left his four tangled victims behind, turning his bloodlust now upon the king himself. The elf, in his fair skinned and white robed splendor, could do nothing but hold his ornamental dagger out before him. The demon, while the Traveler raved at the top of his lungs, lunged at the king, casting aside his flimsy dagger, the hilt of which streaked with fresh blood.
Everman cast his eyes away, shutting them tightly, but his ears told the dreadful story. The king's blood-curdling screams ended with the letting of blood and the cracking of bones.
Its thirst insatiable, the demon turned on the guards, one by one, each too fearful to assist their endangered comrade. Their mail cracked easily in the demon's powerful jaws like a lobster's shell covering the meat inside.
The lumber of the floor became stained with the blood of many. The demon did not seem interested in consuming their bodies whole, but desired only to lap up the warm blood of the fallen as a cat would lap up warm milk.
The Traveler, finally understanding that he no longer had control of the beast (if indeed he ever had it at all), gathered his cloak about him and ran for the magical doorway. The demon, lunging at another fresh victim, took no notice of him. But Everman saw him, from the relative safety of the shadows, and watched as he leapt through the starlight doorway at the center of the room. His form disappeared, where he presumably emerged safe and sound elsewhere.
Everman, seeing this, took his idea. He ran alongside the stone wall to the heavy steel door and shoved against it, hoping to make his escape. At first the heavy steel door slid open easily. But then, after opening only a few inches, it stopped abruptly, causing Everman to crash into it shoulder first. He pushed again, straining with all of his might, and the door budged only another inch.
Afterward, the door began to push back.
Everman strained, bracing his feet against the wooden planks of the floor and pushing with his legs, but he had lost the few inches he had gained.
Someone was on the other side of the door pushing it back!
"Open this door!" Everman cried frantically. "Open this door at once!"
But it did no good. His aggressor did not give, but continued to push the door closed.
Suddenly remembering his guise, he yelled once more. "I am a member of the king's royal guard! The king has been slain! You will open this door immediately!"
Still it did no good. The unseen figure relentlessly pushed against Everman, keeping the door shut.
But the figure on the other side of the steel door was not Everman's only concern. He glanced back, keeping a nervous eye on the demon, to see that his shouts had attracted the demon's attention.
With the beast once more staring intently at him, it dropped the mangle of its latest victim upon the ground. Everman pushed once more in vain before the monster charged him. Narrowly leaping clear of its path, the demon collided into the steel door, knocking aside both it and the mysterious stranger hidden behind.
Everman quickly stood and looked back, seeing the demon rise onto all fours and assault the door itself. The creature sliced its claws through the steel, deforming it viciously. As it did so, Everman noticed a figure, dark and shadowy at this distance, flee from the demon, descending down the stairway and out of sight.
Enraged that someone had purposely locked him in here with that demon, Everman had no time to dwell on it at the present. He frantically cast his eyes about him, trying not to notice the broken and mutilated bodies all around him. The single exit was blocked by the demon, who had just finished turning a thick steel door into a ball of scrap.
The only option left to him was to escape by the same magical doorway that the Traveler had just fled through. Everman approached, feeling sickened by the unnatural purple glow that the unholy gateway emitted. His distrust for magic was strong, emanating back during the days of his youth when the chosen few deemed to be mages lorded over the remainder.
Everman hesitated, considering this magical abomination before him. During that time, the demon returned its attention back to him, and raced toward him on all fours.
Left without options, Everman leapt blindly into the twisting gateway of the Nexus.
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The Pines Resort
One of the Fraser's Hill's leading resort is The Pines Resort.Immediately upon reaching the top Fraser's Hill, you will notice Fraser's Pine Resort nestling majestically around the hill slopes amongst lust pine trees. Near the Resort would be the Glen Bungalow, the Equine Paddock and also the Fraser's Hill Course. The Pines Resort is famous of its lush pine forests along with a hilly terrain. It is preferred by those vacation maker who enjoy a quiet and peaceful holiday, rather near to the town area.
Hidden away deep inside a beautiful forest of pine trees, the place is encircled by spectacular mountain sights passing on an invigorating and refreshing atmosphere. Its 90 first-class fully-maintained flats include a sizable balcony looking over probably the most scenic sights in Fraser's Hill.Regardless if you are taking pleasure in the truly amazing outdoors, partaking in fun-filled character activities, or simply relaxing not doing anything particularly, you're guaranteed simply perfect peace and tranquility in the Pines Resort Fraser's Hill.
If you are coming from Rawang, go ahead and take trunk road and mind to North 2 kms after Batang Kali town, follow road signs and switch right towards Kuala Kubu Bahru (35 min drive). If you're traveling in the North go into the North-South Highway and exit at Tanjong Malim interchange.

subset: commoncrawl


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Futuristic site on global ethics, Earth Charter, the future of science and religion, the purpose of life.
Offers masters degree in Applied Conservation and Community Development centered on field experience in bottom-up planning of community futures and sustainable development in Tibet, India, Peru,and Afghanistan.
This survey considers earthquake, pandemic, alien aggression, interplanetary impact, supernova, ice age, nuclear catastrophe, bioterror, and nanotech robot aggression.
Subtitled "A survival manual for humanity", this online book attempts to summarise problems threatening humanity's very survival, their causes and possible solutions to them.
The site author, Alan J Bessant, introduces his thesis and promotes understanding of the Universal Extinction Constant and Extinction Threat Level.
The site intended to prevent the cataclysmic end-of-the-world scenarios caused by advancing technology. Articles, news and media references.
Dedicated to education regarding the prospect of indefinite life extension technologies. Offers forum, chat, frequently asked questions, and articles of interest.
Forum established to discuss what our future will be like in several different areas, such as technology, computer, economy, politics, war, and sociology.
An online network of individuals from around the world supporting physical immortality and life extension ideas. Offers forum, frequently asked questions, and scientific articles.
Basque futures consulting firm specializing in economic development and local and urban planning using trends-based impact assessment and strategy formation.
Futurist, Techno-Philosopher and emerging technology expert. NY, NY.
Contains current papers, interviews, letters, lecture descriptions, publications, and reprints; each focused on a different change trend.
Offers presentations and workshops focused on emerging Internet trends and their impacts on organizations; site contains article reprints and description of "Future Check" workshops.
Lectures and workshops to improve thinking, leadership, and awareness of emerging change; includes lecture and workshop descriptions, books, videos, and downloads of powerpoint slides.
Services include research on emerging issues of change, scenario building, keynote speeches, workshops, and strategy formulation; "Insight" essays on futures thinking. Principals: Jennifer Jarratt and John Mahaffie.
Firm founded in 1977 identifies and evaluates emerging issues of change for strategic management. Services include research, workshops, and speaking; the "From Our Files" section offers synopses of past trend reports.
Leadership workshops and training programs for businesses and organizations; focused on multiple leadership skills including foresight.
Consultant with expertise in industrial automation offers technology foresight, business strategies, angel investing, and merger and acquisition services; site features extensive essay collection and annotated bibliography.
Includes futures research-based presentations, essays, course syllabi, research tools, and group process exercises to enhance foresight in communities, organizations, and individuals.
A fee-based service linking futurists, decision-makers, and business leaders in order to inject foresight into decision-making and expand available foresight tools; organizes conferences, research reports and projects, and workshop; site offers some links to relevant readings.
Forecasting and foresight for businesses, emphasizing creativity and the unexpected for purposes of branding, reinvention, and strategic positioning; on-line resources include program descriptions, articles, book reviews, and "news from the future."
Coordinates requests between organizations and futures speakers and facilitators for lectures, briefings, workshops, and conferences; lists sample forecasts.
Offers keynote speeches, seminars, scenario building and preferred future workshops; site contains many articles on future trends, ideas on business, space, and science fiction.
An executive advisory firm formed by Alvin and Heidi Toffler. Helps companies and governments create their future through the appropriate strategic approach. Main office in Massachusetts, USA. Company profile, services, team, and contact information.
A business futurist consulting lead by Carolyn Corbin, offering keynote speeches, executive briefings, customized research, seminars.
Internationally active group of experts on future management in enterprises, organizations and government administrations
Insights on how organizations can effectively and successfully keep their eyes on the future. By futurist John Mahaffie.
A consulting firm focusing on strategic future issues and corporate foresight.
Report from the year 2029: local markets have become an important complement to the established global economic system.
An outline of processes for developing progressive alternative societies.


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Faith, Hope, and Love in Action on behalf of women, children and youth around the world
In raising awareness for Human Trafficking, we have focused on ways to end this horrible practice, but what if we could stop girls from being abducted in the first place. Is there something we could do to arm them with knowledge that would make them safe? And how do we reach out to them? FUMC United Methodist Women asked these questions.
Summertime is concert time and did you know that concerts are high on the list as places for possible abductions to occur, especially concerts that attract young girls? Yes, it's true.
Often parents will send their kids to these concerts unaccompanied. Figuring their kids are safe in the venue, they drop them off at the start of the show and pick them up when the show is over. Traffickers will buy a ticket to the event and then lure these unaccompanied girls to a remote area of the venue with the promise of meeting the artist or being taken backstage, by claiming they are with the band.
So what part can we play in stopping this? Actually, FUMC UMW played a very big part. Have you heard of One Direction? They are the biggest boy band on the planet right now and they are currently on a world tour that will include many of the cities that are high risk areas for human trafficking. By using the No.1 choice for communication among teens….Twitter….we contacted three of the largest One Direction fan Twitter accounts and asked that they post a warning about the dangers of human trafficking. All three complied and as a result, our warning message was seen by over 519,000 girls all over the world! The next day, one of the boys in the band tweeted a reminder to the fans to be safe and be mindful of security at all times, and his message was seen by over 20 million fans throughout the world.
So, UMW…20 million, Human Traffickers…0!


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Dear Paws to Talk, I was recently adopted from the local shelter and given a wonderful home. I share the house with Rufus a large mixed breed dog. Before I joined my new home, all...Read More
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Clark the Husky: I hate my job. What do I do?
Dear Paws to Talk, I am a 2-year-old Husky from Alaska. Ever since I was a pup, my humans have been preparing me to pull their sled in competitive races. My fellow pack members do...Read More
Betty the Boxer: How do I settle a problem with my neighbor?
Dear Paws to Talk, I patrol my yard (If I don't do it who will) to keep other animals and mysterious humans out. The other day the neighbor dog hopped my fence, stole my toy...Read More
Tulius the Polish Lowland Sheepdog: I just lost my brother. How do I start to feel better?
Dear Paws to Talk, I am so sad. My older brother, Tyo went to heaven recently. I miss him so much. He taught me everything I know like how to win the love of my...Read More
Dear Paws to Talk, I am a 4-year-old Jack Russell Terrier. I have a big yard and love to run around it. I do 50 laps each day. This is my thing. A couple of days ago, some humans(not mine) put up a large fence blocking off my yard. They are doing some kind of...[ Click to Continue ]
Dear Paws to Talk, I am a cute Pomeranian with a gorgeous fur coat. Despite the look nature gave me, everyday my humans dress me up in various outfits. I have worn tutus, dresses, sweaters, t-shirts, boots and many different hats. My wardrobe has gotten so large that I have my own closet. I wish...[ Click to Continue ]
Dear Paws to Talk, I am entering my adult years and am having a hard time finding a good stud. I am sick of the immature canines in my neighborhood. All they want to do is smell my behind and bark orders. They don't treat me like a lady. I want a male that will...[ Click to Continue ]
Dear Paws to Talk, Everyday, I sniff around my yard but my scent is always interrupted by the giant stonewall along the yard edges. Ever since I was a puppy, I wanted to get over the stonewall to follow a juicy smell that lies on the other side. The problem is I am a bit...[ Click to Continue ]
Welcome to our blog! People think dogs aren't aware of what goes on in the world. They assume we can't understand human problems. Just because we are furry (most of us) and don't have thumbs doesn't mean that we don't feel happiness, sadness, anger and all the same emotions humans do. Our humans have always...[ Click to Continue ]
I am a 10-year-old perfect specimen of black Standard Poodle. I enjoy playing catch, lovingly nibbling on my humans' hands, cedar plank salmon and champagne. Since I can remember, I have always been told that I am incredibly smart. My humans thought about sending me to law school but I begged them to let me...[ Click to Continue ]


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Dear future client (I hope!)
You must be wondering why I chose a funny nickname such as "Mikki". Let me reassure you, it's not because I do "Mickey Mouse business". It's because of my name: Hasmik Avetissian. You see what I mean? Very often people can't even tell by my name if I am a woman or a man! And just in case you were wondering if my parents liked me or not (you have to have a reason to name a child like that!!!), I'll have you know that when they were naming their beloved daughter, born in Armenia, they had no idea that years later she'd find herself selling real estate in Canada, where her name would not be so "popular". All this to say, that if you entrust your real estate needs to me, not only will you get all the experience and advantages that come with the RE/MAX balloon, but you'll also get an agent that's very different from everybody else (and my name is my witness!)
So, here I am: In Real Estate for over 16 years!
1. To assist in getting as many qualified buyers as possible into your home until it is sold.
2. To communicate to you weekly the results of our activities.
3. To assist you in negotiating the highest dollar value…between you and the buyer.
1. Price your home competitively…to open the market vs. narrowing the market.
2. Suggest and advise as to any minor changes you may want to do in your property to make it more saleable.
3. Contact over the next 48 hours my buyer leads, and over next 7 days my center of influence and past clients for their referrals and prospective buyers.
4. Submit the listing of your home to MLS and centris.ca
5. Add more exposure through placing the listing of your home on RE/MAX Web site (the most visited Real Estate Web site), my personal Web Site and installing a sign in front of your home.
6. Install an information box with the description of your home directly on the sign to make sure passers-by have immediate access to it. (seasonal!)
7. Announce your home on Point2Homes.com and Previsite.com( real estate sites that reunite over 60! different internet sites under the same roof and are seeing an enormous growth these days).
8. Place the video of your property listing on Youtube.
9. Promote your home at the company sales meeting.
10. Develop a list of features of your home for the Brokers to use with their potential buyers.
11. Constantly update you as to any changes in the marketplace.
12. Whenever possible pre-qualify the prospective buyers.
13. When possible have the cooperating Brokers in the area tour your home.
14. Follow-up on the Brokers who have shown your home … for their feedback and response and contact you with the results.
15. Represent you on all offer presentations … to assist you in negotiating the best possible price and terms.
16. Handle all the follow-up upon an offer accepted: inspection, mortgage, title and other closing procedures.
17. Be with you at the notary for the final signing.


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1. We are a state of the art veterinary hospital staffed by a dedicated doctors and paraprofessionals who are animal lovers just like you.
2. We are Fear Free™ Certified.
We currently the only Veterinary Hospital with a staff that is certified in our area. We pay attention to the emotional well-being of your pet as well as its medical, surgical, and dental needs. We do our best to make sure your pet and you have a totally excellent veterinary experience. We want to eliminate fear, anxiety and stress in our patients and instead use a Fear Free™ softer, gentler, better approach.
3. Our doctors and staff
Our Doctors and staff are simply the very best with many years of experience in all aspects of veterinary care (see their bios)
4. Service
We are a service oriented animal hospital. We try to do everything we can do to give extraordinary, exceptional and friendly service. We are truly dedicated to our patients and appreciative of their people. In short the most important thing to us is your pet and you.
5. Prices
We do our best to keep our prices affordable without compromising quality. All of our flea, tick, heartworm, and frequently used medications are priced equal to or more frequently below internet pharmacy prices.
6. Philosophy
In trying to help your pet no stone will be left unturned, no level of commitment of our time or effort is too much. We will never turn away any pet that needs to be seen today. We will always make time for you. Our goal is to provide the finest, most compassionate, and Fear Free™ veterinary care available.


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MSD Merck Sharp & Dohme
Rethinking a medical monitoring device, for and with anaesthesiologists.
& tools
– Kickoff framework
– Field and desk research
– Benchmark
– Analogies analysis
– Contextual interviews
– Field observations
– User testing
– Personas
– Co-creation workshop
– Moodboards
– Prototyping
– User testing
– Journey Map
– Clustering
– Personas
– Co-creation workshop
– Moodboards
– Prototyping
We weren't trying to design a solution from scratch. Instead, we had to redesign a device that already existed but wasn't being used. We had to bring it back to life. We had to revive it!
Defining the problem & asking
a lot of questions
Presently few anesthesiologists make use of the devices that allow them to monitor neuromuscular blockade. There's always a first assumption like this, which is a baseline problem. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. From then on we always had to question everything: are there enough devices available? Why aren't the ones available used? How does this specific device integrate the flow of this broader process, the surgery? What is the most important anesthesiologist need? How can we design a device that meets his needs?Laying inside the operation room
Study, listen, observe
To truly interpret such a specific context as the one of anaesthesiology, we had to study hard. After all, we needed to know as much as we could about this branch of medicine in order to be able to listen and understand the people we were going to interview.
After many hours spent studying and making sure the anaesthesia's jargon was familiar to the whole team, we went out into the field. We interviewed different stakeholders, but mainly we talked with anaesthesiologists. We walked along OR's halls and observed surgeries.
These different methods are part of a whole. It's what enabled us to understand how important it is for the anaesthesiologist to be in control and how fundamental it was for this to be translated into the solution we were to design.
You are "designersanesthesiologist"?
Product & service design bootcamp
Usually, research results aren't presented to the people we have been studying since the beginning. On this project, since we wanted to explore a solution that was truly useful for anesthesiologists, we had to have their input and a co-creation moment with them. This meant showing them what we had figured out about anesthesiologists on the field, to the anesthesiologists on the workshop. What was at first an apprehensive reaction, then turned to a positive attitude, when on the co-creation session, groups where drawing new solutions from the research important findings and presenting prototype solutions that directly reported to them.Validating with the ones
who matter the most
Prototyping & validating
From the get go we had already a first prototype that we tested at the end of each the first rounds of interviews. It had the great advantage of cutting some steps testwise and it engaged the people we interviewed, by showing them that what we were doing wasn't only conceptual but readily translated into something real.
After the co-creation session, some ideas were prototyped, but we still had to understand how they would function together. We made some changes and merged them into one single solution, while preparing for the next of validation.
We went back to the field, to different hospitals and tested the prototype solution we had. After 34 tests, it was possible to envision what it still demanded improvement but that required only small adjustments.
Most importantly, we confirmed the need to develop a solution that didn't disrupt the environment it would exist in, but instead, seamlessly integrated the flow of its context.


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|Problem Solving Simulation →
Biophysical and Social Culture. Custom Biophysical and Social Culture Essay Writing Service || Biophysical and Social Culture Essay samples, help
The economy of Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA has been declining due to the large number of homeless people in the county which is approximated to be about 9600. This condition has been brought about due to numerous factors such as unemployment, increased food needs and less income hence making some well-wishers wanting to step aside from giving them the support they have been offering.
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Due to these conditions, many cases are emerging as a result of distress, leading to mental illness, introverts, physical disabilities, depression, drug abusing and even the worst of all committing suicide. About 50 percent of Children and unaccompanied youths have been considered to be contributing to the increase in number of homeless persons. Curbing this condition has proved to be fruitless, since these children have been experiencing this kind of life from conception to young adulthood hence, depriving them with the fruits of development, socially, academically, emotionally and physically (Lang, 2010).
Adult homeless persons are also on the rise because most of them have been involved in criminal activities and released from prisons after being sentenced to a jail term with no jobs or some had stayed for long without getting employed. According to the reports given before, being homeless didn't mean necessarily being out of shelter because there were two types of shelters that accommodate the homeless people. These types of shelters are such as shelter programs and non-shelter programs.
Shelter programs were those meant to give some homeless people a roof to cover their heads while non-shelter ones were those who had no place to cover themselves other than living in poor conditions.
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Shelter program were such as emergence shelters which were meant to provide accommodation in the evenings or over-night and to add on top of that food was provided (Homelessconnectminneapolis, 2011). Other than the shelter program mentioned, there was also battered women shelters meant to safe and guide women who were being physically abused together with there children and finally there were transitional housing which was to accommodate you for a while as you look for means to sustain yourself.
Non-shelter programs like informal shelter were meant to cater for those who had a place to stay but temporarily. Those places were either given for free accommodation purposes or you pay a small fee for a while. Where as unsheltered are those who had no place at all to stay other than under uncompleted buildings, bridges and cars. According to Broeke, (2011) unemployment has been another factor contributing to high poverty in the county. Most people seek for employment of which there are limited vacancies. For the lucky few who gets their hands on the jobs they believe this will raise them out of poverty while those who fail to get the jobs, a big percentage do turn to drugs such as alcohol hence ending up abusing their bodies believing that they will forget about there problems./p>
Mentally ill people are also seen as contributing to the population of homeless. This mental disorder condition is approximated to be about 40% and persons living in these conditions don't need to be isolated to mental institution rather, they should be kept in normal environment and be given mental support since most of their condition come about due to the homeless trauma (Wilder Research, 2010). In order for these problems to reduce in Hennepin County, then there was need for those people living in those conditions to be guided through mental and medical chemical health care, training and placement, employment, comprehensive medical and dental care and many more (Family Housing Fund, 1999).
This could help curb the problem. That is why, well wishers such as Business and Civic leaders, advocates, community members and the individual who have at one point gone through this homeless experience with Project Homeless Connect have ganged up to unite 125 separate service agencies in support of this homeless persons (Loiselle, 2008). To achieve this, they have built up shelters and drop-in centers to accommodate the homeless, improve service delivery, build capacity for support and implement system improvement.
for more than
30 pages
for more than
50 pages
for more than
100 pages
According to National Coalition for the Homeless, (July 2009) homelessness is caused by complex circumstances which arise if a family will have to choose on either to get food, other basic needs and shelter. Hence, resulting to do without housing because they can not afford it.
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Please choose an option to download Unit-Linked Bonds
Australian Shares Growth Bond Balanced Bond High Growth Bond Cash Plus Bond Guaranteed Bond Imputation Fund Implemented Portfolios Dynamic Asset Allocation Bond
Centuria Investment Bonds offer a choice of Unit-linked options.
Unit-linked bonds are invested in a portfolio of shares, bonds and/or cash which is priced in units. The unit price varies as the market value of the underlying investments changes. The value of these investments reflects the change in the unit price. Fact sheets outlining each portfolio's performance are updated in the third week of each month, and available on the profile page links below.
|Australian Shares Bond Fund
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I was living with a couple of high school buddies during the summer time. They came up to this place called Nome, Alaska and worked with a gold company. They said there were lots of jobs out there, so the buddies I was living with took the summer off and went off to Nome to work. I stayed behind because I wanted to finish college and only had one more year to go. When they came back I got to hear all about the wild times in Nome: a lot of king crab, and just wild bars, and it just sounded like a something a young man would be interested in! ...I was.
I got off the jet and it was a cool June day. ... I made my way to the Alaska Gold Company office to see if I could figure out where my buddy Gary lived, because I was going to move in with him for the summer. He was working, maybe it was even a night shift, but a couple of his friends happened to wander in. And they said, "Oh you're a friend of Gary's? Any friend of Gary's is a friend of mine!" And he said, "Let's go down and have some lunch." We went to the Polar Cub, and I only had ten dollars, or 16 maybe. I spent ten bucks on that hamburger! Then, "Let's go to the B.O.T. and have a beer."... I was broke by that point. ... We eventually found Gary, and I moved in with my bag of goods, and immediately started work the next day. It was pouring rain that first day, and it was an outdoor job in the mud. It was kind of a record summer of wetness and rain. No sunshine. ... If a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds, everybody would drop their tools and try to run to get into the sun for that brief moment, as the ray ran across the thaw field. That was a kind of first impression.
FROST on your nose
My room was big enough to fit a bed. But to change clothes I had to either stand on the bed or stand outside the room. It was so small. We said we wanted to live in a tent down in Dry Creek, below Icy View, so we moved down there the winter of 1980. It was really cold. Your nose would be sticking out the sleeping bag and freezing, you'd get frost on your nose. It would make the skin on your nose and your upper lip totally raw from the frost.
"Coming from Idaho, with all the forest and trees, I didn't like it here at first, because there was no green. It seemed desolate. As time went on, I got to know the richness of the tundra: the plant life, and the miniature forests, and all the big skies and views."
a land of opportunity
Well, [those jobs at the Alaska Gold Company] were interesting. ...The pay was good, because we were working 7 days a week and a lot of overtime. ... I got to the point where I could have weekends off when I was working in the office. We did a lot of fishing and hunting. And getting out into the country, and exploring, and it was just a wonderful place to explore. But in 1983, a friend found out I studied architecture and wanted to me to design and build him a house. There was a challenge! So I got into doing that. I designed and built this guy's house. It took a year. He was a dog musher. I got into dog mushing because of that friendship, and so then I got a dog team, and next thing I knew I had something to do in the winter here. We were exploring all over the region on dogs with a bunch of buddies, and friendship was pretty easy then. Just doing things I never could've imagined myself doing. As time went on, it became obvious: if you'd apply yourself here, then you could do just about any kind of job that was here. There was just a lot of opportunity. Things that would've been a lot harder to do elsewhere because of competition in the job market. That was a little bit of an anchor for me. It was obvious that the wilderness was a big draw. The third thing I always talk about is the community.
the Future of Nome
In the 1980s, Nome was doing a strategic plan, like a 10-year plan or something like that, and they predicted population growth here being at least double, or close to 10,000 people. But it has really stayed the same. It's so hard to predict. I think, for people that stay here, it's going to probably require some technological advance in transportation. It seems to me that it's unsustainable the way it is now. There's just no way with the energy input--unless some technological breakthrough comes along--that allows people to travel here and live here. And it seems to me that we are always looking for technological solutions, but we're kind of running out of them. We're starting to do so much damage, because we're relying on technology to solve our problems rather than good common sense. So I'm kind of a bit pessimistic about the future. ... You know, with climate change, the permafrost is going to melt; I don't know what that's gonna do. The sea levels are going to rise, and that'll probably flood the airport in 50 years, maybe? So they'd have to move that; you know there'd be a lot of questions: "Do I have to move [the] town? Is it worth it?" ... Things will have to change socially, in society, to make things sustainable.


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This is a very short post because we are busy entertaining a special guest.
I mentioned modifying the TV antenna in the dark last night in order to get a signal. I took a photo this morning to show you what it now looks like.
The paint roller extending pole is proving to be quite a success.


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Posted on July 31, 2017
Bluetooth is a wireless technology. Individuals are utilizing this innovation for accepting and sending information over short ranges. Bluetooth is currently accessible in cars, telephones, radios, headsets, and so on. Many organizations have likewise made Bluetooth speakers that allow individuals to hear excellent music wherever they are in the organization. Bluetooth speakers are connected with laptops, computers, cell phones and some other gadget for getting a charge out of incredible music. These are much helpful to utilize and a stage higher than the ordinary speakers. The speakers give great execution, are vitality proficient, can be efficiently moved starting with one place then onto the next and with no disturbance of wires
You will not experience any sound disturbances in Bluetooth speakers. The sound quality is very impressive as compared to the regular speakers. These are small in size, still strong enough to provide you high quality of sound. They are very energy efficient, and you can enjoy continuous music for two days with fully charged speakers. You can take extra batteries along with if you are going out on a long trip. These speakers are movable. You can take these speakers to any place where you want to enjoy music. You do not have to take tension about mixed up wires. You can automatically connect these speakers to your device to enjoy music. You do not have to use any special software for using these speakers. They are priced at a reasonable amount so that one can easily afford them. When you have to change a playlist you just have to press a button. You do not have to get up from your seat for changing the playlist.
The standard range of wireless Bluetooth speakers is about 15-35 feet, and you can enjoy music in different rooms. You can control the speakers easily from your bedroom even when you are sitting in the living room. You can easily have full command over your audio system by using wireless Bluetooth speakers. Wireless Bluetooth speakers work with different Bluetooth enabled devices. Bluetooth speakers are compact and are usually for outdoors. You may search on the internet to find the best wireless Bluetooth speakers to make your life full of music. You can enjoy a superb musical performance by using wireless Bluetooth speakers. You may look for the features of different Bluetooth speakers to choose the best one that satisfies your needs.
These speakers work through USB, and they are similar to the regular speakers. These help to bring in the music of your choice anytime and anywhere. Sharing of your favorite music with your friends is enhanced. There are many advantages of portable Bluetooth speakers. One of the benefits of these speakers is that they are easy to carry around to any place. These are of very light weight and so help you to set up your music system anywhere to produce a thrilling experience. These are affordable and can easily to connect to other Bluetooth enabled devices. Some good companies deal in making such speakers. You can use them anywhere. These give high quality of sound anywhere. Bluetooth speakers don't choose where to use them be it at your home or in your office for various purposes under different conditions.


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The true test of a school's worth lies not merely in the success of its students. Perhaps, more importantly, the acid test lies in the answer to the questions…..
That each one of you is a success in your own field, is a 'given'. It goes without saying that every Johnian walks tall….a triple H young man…Head Held High…..with the famous Johnian "attitude" carrying you through each challenge with elan! What very few realise, however, is that the true secret behind your success is that each one of you has imbibed the deep set of values that your school has given you, and that is what makes you truly rare in a world where friendships, loyalty and spirituality are often sacrificed and betrayed on the altar of self interest.
On 19.7.2018, the St. John's Old Boys Association (SJOBA) completed 38 years of its existence. A happy moment indeed !! Celebrations are called for. The new team has taken charge and I wish them all the best for the coming year in leading our Alumni Association which we are all so proud of.
SJOBA has come a long way from the initial 19 members in 1980 to thousands in 2018. The spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood led to the grand success of SJOBA becoming the thriving, vibrant and active association that it is. To strengthen it further, it is essential to recognize and enforce the principle that SJOBA is for the Old Boys. The outgoing team did a great job in the previous year in adhering to the aforesaid principle. I hope the new team can continue with the same. I wish them all the very best and would remind them of the slogan "ask not what SJOBA can do for you; ask what you can do for SJOBA".
At the outset, on behalf of the Team SJOBA 2018-19, we shall like to thank you all and especially the Collegium of Past Presidents for handing over the baton to us and giving us the privilege of leading SJOBA.
Continuing with our alumni's rich legacy, let me assure you, on behalf of my entire Team of Executives, that we shall strive to further strengthen and uphold the values of our Alma Mater and the spirit of SJOBA throughout the tenure.
Our beloved Alma Mater – St John's High - completes 59 glorious years in 2018. Only history decides when organisations become institutions, institutions become landmarks and landmarks become heritage. St Johns today is not just an educational institution but part of the city's proud heritage.


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Caloosa River Boat Rental is just Minutes Away From Fort Myers's Beach! We Provide One Of The Finest Selections of High Quality Fuel Efficient Cruising & Fishing Boat Rental's in the Cape Coral and Sanibel Island Area. We are located right at the foot of the Cape Coral Pkwy Bridge. Only a stone's throw away from open water!
Featuring Our Newest Addition
2015 Tidewater 170 Center Console
Only $129.00 Dollars for 6 hours of FUN!
Caloosa River Boat Rental is open 6 days a week from 9:00 am until Dusk. We are also open on Sunday's but by appointment only. Are you new to the area and do not know where to stay. They can help along with informing you where all the local hot spots are on the beautiful Caloosa River and Southwest Florida's waterways!


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The Texas constable is provided for in the Texas Constitution of 1876 (Article 5, Section 18), which calls for the election of a constable in each precinct of a county, and counties may have between one and eight precincts each depending on their population. The term of office for Texas constables is four years. However, when vacancies arise, the commissioner's court of the respective county has the authority to appoint a replacement to serve out the remaining term. If no person is elected and qualified under law to fill an office of constable for seven consecutive years, the respective commissioner's court may declare the office dormant and it may not be filled by election or appointment. However, the commissioner's court may reinstate the office by a majority vote or by calling an election where a majority of precinct voters approve it...
Precinct 1
505 Hwy. 100
Port Isabel, Texas, 78578
Ph: (956) 943-6757
Precinct 2
Abelardo Gomez Jr., Constable
835 E. Levee, 2nd Floor
Brownsville, Texas, 78520
Ph: (956) 544-0859
Fax: (956) 550-1350
Security Bypass Form - Attorney
Precinct 3
Adrian Gonzalez, Constable
Main Office:
1390 W. Expressway 83
San Benito, Texas, 78586
Ph: (956) 361-8228
Fax: (956) 361-8211
Sub Station:
125 E. Colorado
Rio Hondo, Texas, 78583
Ph: (956) 748-4625
Fax (956) 748-4628
Precinct 4
Merced Burnias, Constable
745 W. Ocean Boulevard
Los Fresnos, Texas, 78566
Ph: (956) 233-6156


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Soul Slings Ring Sling Prism Surprise
Earthy yellows, browns and oranges dominate this delightful rainbow.
All the strength, airiness and rainbow gorgeousness of our beloved handwoven Prism wraps, also available as ring slings. Being 100% cotton twill, they are also very easy to launder and maintain. They are supportive without too much bulk. They have excellent grip and are very breathable and light. With a couple of washes, they get soft enough for tender newborn skin and remain sturdy enough to comfortably carry toddlers.
Soul ring slings are comfortable, fashionable and affordable baby carriers from India. Their generous length and simple gathered shoulder ensure that one size fits all. In fact, one sling can be used to wear your baby from birth onwards till 15 kg or so! Simple to use, compact enough to fit in your handbag and easy to maintain, Soul slings are made from 100% natural fibres.
This product is ethically made by Soul in Bangalore, India.
Size: 71 cm (28 in) wide and 208 cm (82 in) long.
Colour: Stripes in blue, green, yellow, pink and purple with a brown weft.
Fibre: 100% Cotton.
Weight Recommendation: up to 15 kg (33 lb).
* Please wash and iron your Soul carrier once before use. Wash it separately for the first few washes as the colours may bleed a little.
* Sizes mentioned are before washing. Please note that the wraps are generously sized, as there will be shrinking for the first few washes.
* Soul fabrics may show colour variations, loose threads, tiny slubs, snags or unevenness that are characteristic of natural fibre textiles. These variations should in no way be considered flaws or defects as they do not affect the functionality of the carrier. It is the nature of the fabric and these imperfections highlight its natural beauty and uniqueness.
* All images are for representation purposes only. Please be aware that the final product in hand may have slight variations in colour and texture when compared to the product photo(s) in this listing.


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Our View: Covered area great addition to market
A terrific addition is coming to Olympia's wildly popular Farmers Market at the foot of Capitol Way. Friends of the Market have given the city of Olympia $40,000 to build a pavilion to cover the picnic tables at the market.
On hot summer days or rainy days in the fall, the picnic area needs a shelter. "It's probably the most asked-for thing ... from customers since we've been down there," said Charlie Haney, general manager of the Farmers Market.
The pavilion, which will be directly in front of the covered stage, will allow patrons to stay comfortable while watching performances or eating, Haney said. The city gets the money because Olympia owns the building while leasing the property from the Port of Olympia.
The even better news is that the pavilion covering should be in place when the market opens for the season April 5.
Additional picnic tables are planned and there still will be places for people who prefer to sit in the sun, according to market vendor Steve Wilcox.
The non-profit organization Friends of the Market collected the money for the pavilion mainly through its Taste of the Market fund-raising event.
The Farmers Market experience just keeps getting better and better.


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#HappyHourClub 21 / Peach Passion Moonshine Iced Tea
Today I took the train down to San Diego for a mini adventure with Mom. We rewarded ourselves after a long walk along the beach with iced country peach passion herbal tea. Then I spied the bottle of Ole Smokey Moonshine leftover from my last visit here. Behold the perfect sweet tea for a hot September day.
- 2 ounces Ole Smoky Peach Moonshine
- 2 ounces Celestial Peach Passion Herbal Tea (brew up a big pitcher by placing the pitcher outside in the sun with 6 teabags)
- 1 tsp of Agave Syrup
- Lemon or mint for garnish
Combine the items above and pour over a nice glass filled with ice.


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"Buried Treasure": First Place, Family Circle Fiction Contest 2011
"Buried Treasure," by Diana Bletter, won first place in Family Circle's 2011 Fiction Contest.
My husband was sorting garbage in the basement below 10 floors of apartments in Kansas City. The room was deserted and gloomy, filled with deep shadows underneath a couple of long dim lights. From the edge of a towering pile, I made out discarded remnants from other people's lives: rusted toaster, charred wooden rolling pin, chipped ceramic dish.
"What about this?" I asked, bending to pick up a book about rescue dogs.
"Nobody buys used books anymore," said my husband, Andrew, barely turning in my direction. He was handsome, that much was certain. But he'd been out of work for six months and it showed on his face. His bright blue eyes had dulled. I watched as he leaned his muscular body forward, sifting through the garbage.
"This is awful," I said, throwing a plastic toy telephone back onto the pile.
Andrew said nothing. Instead, he glanced at me and stretched out his arms. For a moment, I thought he'd stop what he was doing and come to me, declaring that we could forget our troubles and everything would be all right. Instead, with outstretched arms, he bent his knees and lifted a large wooden cabinet. Struggling against its weight, he tottered, faltering, carrying it toward the door.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
"No," he replied in an unwavering voice. His face was usually calm yet now it looked fierce, glistening with sweat.
"I really hate just standing here not doing anything," I said.
"The cabinet is almost bigger than you are," Andrew said with a laugh. He set it down, wiping his forehead on his upper arm. The air inside the room was unbearably hot. We were in the middle of a July heat wave bearing down on the entire Midwest. On the fields and wide plains outside Kansas City, a vast stretch of stifling air had settled. Nothing stirred.
Watching Andrew take a deep breath before he lifted the cabinet again, I was reminded of his father. Roger had been a farmer up until he got too sick to work and then sold his fields for a fraction of their value to a shopping mall developer. Roger used to haul everything on his back and joked he worked harder than any old mule. His body was so stiff when he woke up in the morning that he'd crawl on his hands and knees across the bedroom to reach the bathroom door.
"Things have gone from bad to worse," I said grimly, wiping my hands on my shorts. "And now we're reduced to sifting through other people's garbage."
"I could take the janitor's job," Andrew said. "But you don't want me to."
"You'd be with the girls in their school," I said. "They'll be embarrassed in front of their friends. If we can hold out until you get a respectable job..."
Andrew stiffened. "Sarah, my father would say that it's the man who makes the money," he said. "Money doesn't make the man."
"You're right," I said. "It's just..." I abandoned my words the way the building tenants had abandoned all these possessions. I didn't want to admit that I also worried about what his own friends might think, the guys he rode bicycles with almost every summer morning.
I remembered the very first time I saw Andrew. He was standing in a group of bicyclists, men and several women in colorful clothes that stood out in the gray dawn like a palette of tempera paints. As I approached, my bicycle hit a pothole and began to wobble. I wondered why the bicycle was shaking so much and assumed it was because I was new to riding. I started to panic and then realized I had a flat tire. I stopped, pulled over and wondered what I'd do next.
A man in the group spotted me. He walked over briskly, wearing a yellow bike jersey and black shorts. There was something graceful about his gait.
"Let me help you with that," he offered.
I thanked him, and as he took the bicycle from my hands I felt as if I were entrusting him with my child. He spun the tire slowly, examining it like a doctor studying a patient's wounds, then stopped the wheel, pointing at a thumbtack sticking into the rubber. He pulled it out and the tire let out a huge sigh of air.
"Do you have your spare?" he asked.
"I should have," I said uncertainly.
He unzipped the black pouch under my bicycle seat and extracted a cinnamon-raisin protein bar.
"I'm afraid you can't fix your flat with this," he said, smiling and tilting his head at me. I caught his eyes, the deep blue shade of a lake, the spare line of his chin, the toned curve of his shoulders.
"I thought I'd packed one," I said, embarrassed. "I mean, the guy at the store said he had everything ready for me."
"Never depend on anyone else for your survival," he said. "I was in the navy with a good group of guys, but we were taught you have to count on yourself."
Standing at the edge of the pile of junk, I recalled Andrew's words. I picked up an umbrella, one of its spokes poking out of the black fabric. You have to count on yourself. What was I going to do? Our two daughters would soon graduate high school and hoped to go to college. We had a mortgage. Andrew had been the last man hired at his company and was the first man fired during the financial crisis. I'd been a teacher's assistant in the elementary school until the new school budget eliminated my position.
"If nobody buys the cabinet, I'll chop it up for firewood to sell in the winter," Andrew said. "You can help me carry the rest of the things to the pickup later."
"No problem," I said, looking down at my hands, clenched into fists.
I remembered watching Andrew fix the flat tire. He'd asked me what I would have done if he hadn't been there. I had wanted to tell him that my mother had died the month before and my grief had made me absent-minded, scatterbrained and directionless. The only way to escape the raw grief was to ride away, see the plains rush by like roaring streams. I wanted to go fast after all the slow days sitting with my mother in her hospital room. It was the start of spring and outside her window, we could see the leaves in the trees unfurling, the tulips opening, my heart breaking. I'll never make it out of here, my mother had said.
But I couldn't explain all that to Andrew—I'd just met him moments before. He changed my tire and the group set off. Although Andrew could have easily ridden at the front, he rode alongside me. That evening, after I'd returned home and showered, I changed into a white blouse, looped a pastel pink sweater carefully over my shoulders and we met for dinner. One year later, we were married.
I knew he was the man my mother would have approved of: a businessman with a good future, someone who would always be able to take care of my flat tire—and me. But then Andrew's company went under. Bad luck was how his best friend, Sean Phillips, put it. He lived on the ninth floor of this building and had suggested we come over and scout around the basement to see what we might find to sell. I was trying not to feel envious each time Sean and his wife invited us into their beautiful apartment. I knew that jealousy would only turn me bitter and ungrateful for what I, we, still had. Yet looking at my husband, I was flooded with fear. How would we survive?
"Find anything interesting?" he asked from across the heap.
"A flour sifter I could probably use myself," I replied, thinking I could learn to bake my own healthy bread. The lights above us flickered. Every now and then I turned to the door, fearing the building's janitor would come in to stop us, half hoping he'd come in to stop us. Sean had said he didn't think it would be a problem for us to go through the garbage—after all, the people had already thrown the stuff out. Yet I couldn't convince myself that this was right.
I picked up a bouquet of dusty flowers that might have been a centerpiece on a table at a wedding. I pictured my own wedding and how I'd walked down the aisle, looking up at Andrew, who stood at the altar beaming at me as if I were the sun rising. I'd never felt more beautiful or more certain that life would hold only good things for us. Our first daughter, Caitlin, was born the following year. Soon after came Nora. They filled the hole that grief for my mother had left behind.
I knelt down by a woman's fake alligator handbag and opened it. There was a business card in a side pocket from Bella Donna Hair Salon and a cotton handkerchief with the initials JK. My first thought was, Just Kidding. Would we be able to laugh about all this one day?
Everything in our life up until that moment had felt blessed. We had our two lovely daughters and a cozy house on a quiet cul-de-sac about 30 minutes away. On early walks with the dog before I left for school, I could see the stretch of fields rolling out toward the horizon, greeting the morning. The days of my life had unfolded exactly the way they should, like pages in a book. I was certain that life guaranteed us only happiness, yet now it seemed that everything had unraveled all at once.
I thought of the spool on my mother's sewing machine. She'd been a seamstress at a wedding shop, an expert at making each bride's gown a perfect fit. I pictured her hunched over the needle, concentrating, a safety pin in between her full lips, as the thread suddenly ran out and the spool whirled around on itself, jostling and bumping against the metal rod. What would my mother have told me now? She'd lost her husband—my father—when I was four and managed to raise me and put me through school. Sarah, she would have said in her no-nonsense voice, when life throws you a punch, punch back.
"Look at this jewelry box," Andrew said, holding up an elegant white box. "Now this is something I could sell. It's a vintage jewelry box. You don't see things like this anymore."
He made his way toward me and I noticed that his cream-colored shirt—the one I'd bought him a couple of Christmases ago—had a streak of dirt running across it like a railroad track.
"Let's just go," I said, pleading.
"I heard about one guy who made thousands of dollars selling antique jeans," he said cheerfully. "Eventually, this will pay off."
"Eventually," I said, trying to mirror his enthusiasm. "What happened to that job in Sean's company?"
"They're not hiring right now," he said as he reached me. "I don't want to wait for that, Sarah. I want to be able to support you and the girls. I want to support my family."
"But how?" I asked, unable to hide my despondency.
"My father always told me the story about his father and a friend during the Depression," Andrew said. "His friend was a rich kid who refused to work any job because he thought it was beneath him while my grandfather washed dishes and collected milk bottles and did whatever he could to survive. His friend didn't make it but my grandfather did. He saved enough money to go back to the farm and start over."
"He was a tough man," I said, looking up at Andrew. "So are you."
"I'm sorry you sold your necklaces," Andrew said suddenly, staring at the box. "You could have put them in here."
"Those aren't things that matter," I said with conviction.
"But they were your mother's," he said sadly.
"She'd tell me that I don't need a few necklaces to remember her," I replied.
"She would have been proud of you, Sarah," he said.
I turned from Andrew, my eyes welling. I imagined the sun outside, a brilliant golden globe shining over the prairies. Andrew's father and my mother had never met but they both would have been in agreement: Life goes on. Sometimes you have to pick up the pieces and make the most of what you've been given.
"You should take the janitor's job. And I'll clean offices until I find something else," I said, as if I had known the answer all along. "I remember reading in the newspaper about a woman who worked in a cafeteria in a private school. The parents were so snobby to her and then one day she won the lottery! She now has more money than they do, but she's still there because she enjoys being around the kids."
Andrew and I smiled at each other.
"Look at this ballerina," he said, gently opening the box. It was lined in light blue satin that was stained yet still a pearly blue. He turned the key and music began playing. The ballerina was poised with her arms above her head, one leg bent, standing on tiptoe. She turned and turned. The music filled the cluttered room. It filled my heart.
"It's amazing it still works after all these years," Andrew whispered, almost in a trance.
"It is so beautiful," I said just as softly, not wanting to break the spell.
Originally published in the March 2011 issue of Family Circle magazine.


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As a former U.S. Naval Officer, Attorney Dondi West is dedicated to the needs of Maryland Veterans and Military Professionals. The Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program offers free authorized companies to low-revenue people in the Houston space. The day earlier than the listening to I acquired a name from a lawyer saying she was now representing my ex-spouse and was going to request an adjournment. A fresh graduate lawyer is certainly paid much less cash as in comparison with an attorney who has attained a higher degree of training. Suddenly, I discovered, a household of four couldn't reside close to as nicely on a state salary.
The lawyer should have a knowledge of the precise state laws that govern submit conviction issues akin to prosecutorial misconduct, admission of DNA proof, and other elements that can have an amazing impression on your case. We have a government accepted lender, our famous lend money to people and firms of the United States, any quantity in GBP £, Euros and Canadian dollars.
This should be defined to you while you ask about the cost for companies, but if its not make sure you bring it up throughout the preliminary meeting with the lawyer. A job with a low stress stage, good work-life balance and stable prospects to improve, get promoted and earn a better wage would make many staff joyful. I would have been better off by eight,000 dollars never to have hired the money grubber.
Do not even assume attorneys deserve courtesy from self represented parties when they're willfully for their own monetary benefits using each authorized trick they know to win. I know a bunch of people who have moved because it is so dirty and smelly now, unfortunately I don't have the money to afford a new place or I would move also. In Britain, a barrister is a lawyer who speaks within the higher courts of regulation on behalf of either the prosecution or the defence..the barrister who had represented Reed at the felony trial. The numerous veterans service organizations (VSO) provide free claims help.
In our case, involving a number of aged members of our household, the joint account holders walked away with the cash. The weather held up for the 4th Tan and Tan Lawyers Cup which was held on 17th April 2016 on the Vines. Additionally, for individuals who don't qualify totally free authorized assistance, we hyperlink to the Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service(s) for private attorneys in each state. Legal Fees refer only to the money you pay to the lawyer for the time spent by members of the authorized group working in your case.