The abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The abortion - Essay Example However, a spontaneous expulsion occurring within the twelve weeks of gestation is termed as a ‘miscarriage’. On the other hand, the cessation of a pregnancy may also occur due to induced expulsion of human embryo or fetus (Gupta, 2011, p. 359). Abortion seems to be a mystery when it comes to ethicality and an argument in favor of supporting family life. The Reader-response criticism of the story â€Å"The abortion† by Alice Walker, however, provided a better view on my perceptions and beliefs on the topic of â€Å"abortion†. Induced expulsion is done intentionally by parents themselves. It is done by using medicines to kill the fetus while the baby’s heart starts beating. It is either because parents do not want to have another child or they do not want a child at all. There are numerous procedures for induced abortion. However, the chosen process or way should be in accordance with the age of fetus, laws and rules, service availability and the coor dination between doctor and patient about the chosen process (Surgery 2009). The most common medical reasons that are claimed to be strong and in favor of abortion include the struggle to save woman’s physical and mental well being. An induced abortion is â€Å"that brought on intentionally by medication or instrumentation† (The Free Dictionary by Farlex). But does this intentional act actually an individual and sovereign decision? Was Imrani willing to undertake that abortion? Was it morally and ethically justifiable? The ethical reasons most people present often include the argument that their child is of less age and he or she needs more attention of the mother. But it is a crime and it is unfair means to avoid a child. The mother, often forcing herself into this decision, suffers a lot. Imrani’s immediate response to the abortion was painful, torturing and suffering. â€Å"She could not imagine being fine again† (p. 212). This is what happens to mothe rs due to their natural affection and love that they hold for their children. If the abortion was to save Imrani’s life or mental health, it was deteriorated anyways. The story â€Å"The Abortion† by Alice Walker, is based on this brutal act of aborting one’s child. The incidents and scenarios provided in the story resemble the circumstances that one of my friends went through. She had a 7 months baby and she was pregnant again but her husband persuaded her to abort the child as their first child was still too young. My friend really did not like the idea to kill her own child as she feels his heartbeat and she was very upset. But as her husband insisted she agreed to abort it. The consequences of not opting for an abortion seemed devastating for her married life. Her husband got too harsh while persuading her on the abortion. However, her strong will and determination led her to resist all the forceful arguments against the birth of her second child. The financ ial problems that her husband referred to, the health issue that he used as a prop and the worsened relationship between them were difficult to resist. Like Imrani, she also took a wrong decision due to continuous conflict with her husband. This was the day she killed her baby and her happy life. She felt awful after getting the abortion and could not accept her husband’s love and affection to be true. She felt cruel and inhuman. Her views changed about herself and her husband. She could not continue with her happy life and did not feel contented ever again. The guilt of killing a child and taking his breath away stayed with her, even after her divorce! Abortion has been legalized during 1973 in approximately 50 states for social, medical or other valid reasons. But as everyone knows, in the modern society, the decision of

Contemporary Marketing Issues and Strategic Marketing Essay

Contemporary Marketing Issues and Strategic Marketing - Essay Example (Tapscott; Ticoll, 2003) However while commendable and also desirable, the quest for transparency has its pitfalls also. Within a competitive framework where asymmetry in information comes as an advantage, opening up everything can bring at par the corporate battlefield. Although transparency in financial revelation is not only wanted, it is compulsory, but transparency in marketing strategy can be devastating. Besides, in the ultimate analysis, although a company might bring about transparency, success cannot always be assured. There are chances that plans laid up in the best possible manner can still go haywire. (Tapscott; Ticoll, 2003) In the 21st century we are witnessing the development of strategic alliances and networks in which businesses work in unison towards shared goals and maintain partnership in their operations. Managing of such relationships in the most efficient manner is nearly the solution to success or failure. The preceding is at the core of marketing strategy that has to include the following factors (i) the opening and shutting of strategic windows (ii) the effect of market propellers. (iii) The type of competition within the market place. (iv) The stage of the market or the industry life cycle. (v) The assets and the abilities which the company possesses or is able to readily obtain. Understanding of the all these five factors is vital if efficient long-term marketing strategies are to be advanced that will result in a company establishing a strategic competitive advantage in industries or in product markets. (Proctor, 2000) The current era of informational transparency calls for building marketing strategies through customer relationships and integrating communications across multiple channels. This is driven by the fact that marketing is witnessing a rapid shift of power towards consumer and the management of communication processes was being raised to strategic levels to facilitate in building customer relations and drive business results. Marketers are trying to cope with increasingly tough competition while the cost of acquisition of new customers is rising. Privacy concerns and regulatory acts like 'Do Not Call' legislation gave higher focus on setting up true relationships instead of blindly luring customers with uncertain mass-communication strategies. (Developing Effective Multi-Channel Marketing Strategies) Channel proliferation spawned by new media like websites and e-mail also added channels through which new methods of marketing are surfacing that seek to more efficiently use customer data to filter across target lists, build personalization rules and build marketing campaigns across and within the complete spectrum of media channels available. Therefore the two main constituents of efficient multi-channel marketing are building pertinent offers through personalization and coordinating and management of multiple marketing channels. (Developing Effective Multi-Channel Marketing Strategies) In order to build a consistent and effective multi-channel marketing and Customer Relationship Management -- CRM strategy, the answer lies in integrated solutions. It is through integration that companies are able to restructure CRM and marketing, keeping up a consistent message, leading to more efficient campaigns and increased Return on

Marketing Analysis Of The Product Olay Marketing Essay

Marketing Analysis Of The Product Olay Marketing Essay The Procter Gamble As a consumer goods company PG had global, on the ground presence in about 150 countries, more than 300 brands manufacturing, distribution and selling acclivities going on day to day basis. PG compete a wide collection of categories ranging from baby care, household care, fabric care, beauty care, food and food care, per care and as well as health care. Olay The trust by the women over fifty years made Olay as the world wide leader in skin care products. The entrepreneurial and innovative chemist Graham wulff, from South Africa, in the early 1950s developed the formula for Olay. In next followed twenty years, graham along with his business partner Mr. Jack Lowe, put up the company that they both shaped to market Olay hooked on successful international organization with a 10 million dollar turnover a year. When Mr. Wulff functioning for the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in South Africa in the early 1950s. As he was a productive inventor, he set up a laboratory at his home, at his home he used to develop products at his free time. He determined to formulate a product which extensively cares for skin, as his attention turned to skin care. The brilliant advertising and marketing intuition of Mr. Jack Lowes has invented the first name as Oil of Olay, designed the label and wrote on the pack copy. Jack wrote the advertising copy to the magazines and newspapers as tips and beauty hints with suggestions on how to use the product. Then Adams National Industries formed by both the partners Graham and Jack to market Oil of Olay. A high demand made to the product as Oil of Olay made remarkable to success in the South African market. The extremely effective style advertisements proved by the reader. In 1985 Procter Gamble acquired the Oil of Olay making Oil of Oaly from strength to strength. PRODUCT LINE OLAY Olay has offering a multitude of 11 product line, some of them are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Olay Professional Pro-X Olay Professional Pro-X is a scientifically advanced line of skin care that gives you younger-acting, younger-looking skin in 28 days. Guaranteed.* It works by resignaling your skin to repair the moisture barrier and boost the surface-cell turnover rate. The result? A new anti-aging breakthrough thats potent, proven, and professional. Olay Definity The face of anti-aging will forever be redefined. Go beyond lines and wrinkles. New Olay Definity transforms the look of brown spots, dullness and uneven skin tone. The result? A look thats highly defined. Luminous. More flawless. Olay Regenerist Olay Regenerist, formulated with the exclusive Olay Amino-Peptide Complex, beautifully regenerates skins appearance, without irritation, by renewing its outer layer one cell at a time. The result is skin that looks, feels and behaves more like new skin. Total Effects The key to the success of Total Effects is its exclusive VitaNiacin formula. Proven effective in fighting multiple signs of aging, this exclusive combination helps rejuvenate and beautify your skin while improving the condition of the skins moisture barrier. Olay Complete Olay Complete moisturizers give your skin all-day moisture, vitamins and UVA/UVB protection in a lightweight formula for healthy skin every day. Suitable for all skin types, Olay Complete matches your skins needs with its formulas for regular, sensitive, combination/oily or extra dry skin. Olay Hydrate Cleanse Olay Hydrate Cleanse dissolves oil, makeup and dirt while a mild surfactant gel matrix helps to sweep away impurities for a clean, rinsed feel. Formulated with an emollient cleanser and skin hydrators, Olay Hydrate Cleanse leaves skin feeling and looking beautifully healthy. Daily Facials Daily Facials gently clears away oil, dirt and makeup down to the pores, leaving your skin refreshed, rejuvenated and beautifully clean. From quick, convenient cloths to double-sided discs to powerful scrubs, masks and more, Daily Facials has a cleansing product perfect for you. Olay Clarity Life can be stressful, but it doesnt have to get under your skin. Olay Clarity is the first line of Olay cleansers with a dual-hydroxy formula to actually help your skin resist blemishes aggravated by stress and hormones, day after stressful day. Olay Body Lotion Olay Body Lotion products dont just moisturize. They actually strengthen the skins natural moisture barrier to prevent dry skin over time, thus breaking the cycle of dry skin. The result is a strong, essentially impermeable moisture barrier that protects your healthy skin from the elements. With regular use, skin stays hydrated, supple and radiant even if you skip a day. Olay Body Cleansing Olays moisture-rich shower products will take your shower to a whole new level with luxurious moisturizers and skin-loving cleansers. Theres one thats just right for every skin type. Shower your body in skin-loving cleansers and moisturizers from Olay today. Olay Touch of Sun A moisturizer with a touch of sunless tanner, Olay Touch of Sun gives your skin a radiant, sun-kissed glow. No streaks. No orange coloring. No sun required. Source: www.docstoc.com/docs/14719894/Oil-Of-Olay-Products Skin Care Market: Skin care products consumption grew over the years of the review period. Women are spending more money to get a good look. For a better and younger look they are willing to try new products. to maintain consumer loyalty and loyalty, the companies in skin care industry adopting the latest technology and making the revolutionary substances to new products. The improved number of working women equates the women spending more money to spend more on their skin care, skin care become one of the favorite path for expenditure. Brand Strength: The introduction of Skin Tone Analysis System (STAS) by PGs Olay brand in selected stores enables Olay beauty consultants with a proper training to analyze customers skin type as well as perform consultations to suggest the best product to meet their needs. Aimed at the clinical dermatology market created at CDP originally development of technology is STAS. STAS encourages brand loyalty increasing the basket spends, as it is powerful sales tool providing the customers along with graphical demonstration of the science that backed the range of Olay. http://www.cambridge-design.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/pdf/ProductSystems.pdf Olay Strenghts: http://www.beautyandaging.com/oil-of-olay-review Olay is made available widely in may retail stores and also made available online as well. Olay has innovated many product lines in the skin care segment to reach a different and a large variety of consumers world wide who have their own set of needs, and most importantly Olay is a very long established company under Procter Gambles hood which is one of the largest companies and globally dominating. Olay has a spread widely all over by installing kiosks in malls and retail stores through out and had achieved a large number of customers who are quite happy with the positive results of the product. The brands range from high end to low end, respectively, to reach different demographics. Olay does have free samples on their websites, which does allow users to try out their products without any obligation to them initially, making it an attractive offer. Nonetheless, this is a skin care line specifically geared toward anti aging prevention in women. The main ingredients of Olay are pentacide peptides that helps in reduction of wrinkles and make the skin look younger ,because of its miracle treatment success the consumers are quite satisfied with its results thereby making them buy the product again and again. Olay weaknesses: Some of the issues found in Olay ingredients are that there are no results from the clinical trials which they had posted for any of the product lines in their website. And also the unavailiabilty of personal testimonies makes it difficult to believe all the claims of their products because the reviews given on them did not have names or pictures. It was hard be convinced of the credibility of these type of claims when more details were not provided with the result that each person had using the skin care line. Another problem that occurred was that customers are not able to directly purchase Olay through Olay.com, making them have to go to another source. The odds are that you have heard of Olay before because it is so well known as a big name brand. This product line has a lot of money that has gone into it, but they are still lacking the conclusive information necessary with the support of clinical evidence to show what their products really have to offer.   One more issue could be the fact that this line targets women specifically who are middle-aged and also some of the main ingredients used have been contentious in the past. This includes the use of additives like glycerin, which have been argued will remove moisture from the skin instead of adding it to the complexion. Olay would do better to potentially focus on more powerful active ingredients in their skin care line to attract users. One of the main drawback of Olay is that its priced very high because of which not many customers buy the product as a result of which olay looses its customers to its competitors like Garnier, Loreal and others who are priced according to the mass market consumers. BRAND EFFECTIVENESS: There are significant benefits to a successful brand extension: Identify logical new product possibilities Capitalize on the paid-for equity in established brand names Enable a company to enter new categories at significantly lower cost Reduce the risk of failure given the already established awareness and trust Create a positive synergistic effect with the efficiencies of umbrella branding and advertising Reinforce the consumers perceptions of the parent brand name Bring news to existing brands when there is otherwise nothing new to say about them Brands are a constraint to enter into new variants. Brands (not production capabilities) are the prime barrier to entry into most categories. Many companies could make a cola, but only Coca-Cola owns that brand. As a result, well known existing brand names can be the way for a company to enter a new category that otherwise would be impossible. Our brand extension study for Reeses identified peanut butter as a logical brand extension. Hershey could not have efficiently entered the peanut butter category without the Reeses brand. In effect, brand extensions allow a company to capitalize on the previously paid for recognition, reputation and leverageable equity of its brand names. With the prohibitive cost of establishing new brands (just ask ex dot-coms), brand extensions save companies money. When done correctly, they also reinforce the properties of the existing parent product through synergy and bring news to the brand. It is not uncommon to find sales of the parent product rising a fter the launch of a successful brand extension. Notice how was the Olay brand introduced into the soap business: source: http://www.brandextension.org/benefits.html Olay has launched a various types of skin care products so as to extend the brand into different variants in the skin care segment very successfully there by validating its brand effectiveness prevailing on its consumers minds . The procedure of extending a brand also has other potential benefits. In recent years, the UKs cosmetics market has seen many brands launching exclusive and expensive lines after gaining some of the market share. Examples of this include Procter Gambles Olay skincare line.Olay on itself is a great example of a brand which recognized a need for multi-branding, which let them avoid one brand cannibalizing the market share of another as well as reserved more valuable space on stores shelves for their products. In November 2008, they launched a range of premium skincare products under its Olay brand. The Olay Pro-X range is aiming at mass market but is being marketed as a luxury product at the same time. This is closely related to PGs desire to re-position the b rand for high-end market customers. The Pro-X series is yet another additional line in Olays family and it benefits from the fact that the awareness of core brand can reduce costs. Olay has been an established and popular brand so its name will increase the willingness of consumers to try new brands. According to PG spokesman, Pro-X is aimed at customers who are more likely to buy mid- to premium-range skincare products from department stores. (Marketing Week, 30.10.08). The fact that Pro-X is an extension, not a new brand, makes it much easier for distributors and retailers to agree on distributing and selling it as they dont need to worry about potentially risky aspects, e.g. safety issues. Customers perceived risk of purchase also becomes lower than in the case of a completely new brand. PG first did a research if the online marketing would benfeit the brand and wether if it will influence the minds of the customers as they wondered that wether the payback is better than the other media choices in terms of influencing sales, they then focussed on effectiveness and have come up with a strategy as ., does online advertising affect sales? If it did, then how can the marketer achieve sales in the most cost efficient manner and it included the best frequency, targeting and other dynamics. PG started with an ample frequency of 40 ads per consumer over 8 weeks this was way too past the point making it expensive, however it was very effective and then the next step they took was to make the brand efficient and they cut the frequency down and entered online there by making a tremendous impact on its sales. BRAND VALUE: poolonline.com According to the source brand value mainly on the financial performance and the brand market performance and olay has very efficiently balanced both its financial and the brands market performance. Olay is Britains bestselling skincare product, according to Marketings Biggest Brands survey. However, year-on-year sales were down by 11% in the 12 months to July 2005, and in this years Readers Digest Most Trusted Brands survey, Nivea knocked Olay off top spot being one amongst its tough competitor (bowery). Olay undoubtedly has done a marvelous job of building on its heritage of skincare for its majorcore target the older women. Women of this age have a greater disposable income and will buy premium products, even if using mass-market brands for their daily skincare. The major challenge for Olay is to target young customers. The anti-ageing brands are driven by constantly changing ingredients, making it hard to build specific benefit loyalty. Olay s ads are approachable and real. It is a safe, trusted and comfortable brand.(according to SHIRIN VALIPOUR GLOBAL BUSINESS DIRECTOR, JWT) source: http://www.market-intelligence.com.au/images/brand.png AWARDS: Olay has received quite some awards stating its Brand loyalty,Brand image among which some of the latest awards are., Glamour Magazine gave their Glammy Award toOlay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum, for Best Drugstore Eye Cream,(September, 2009). Life Style Magazine gave their Beauty Award to Olay Definity Eye Illuminator , for Best Eye Cream, (August, 2009). Better Homes and Gardens Best New Product Award goes to.. Olay Definity Color Recapture for Best New Anti-Aging Product and Best New Product Overall in a survey among 50,000 consumers, (January,2009) Consumer Survey of Product Innovation gave their Product of the Year Award to Olay Body Wash plus Spa Exfoliating Ribbons Winner Body Care Category. Survey of 100,000 people by TNS. (January, 2009). These awards prove that the brand has made a significant impact on the consumers mindsets and has established a very strong brand loyalty, and also its Brand Image as an unbeatable market leader in the skincare industry in the anti ageing cosmetic sector. TARGET MARKET: Olay mainly targets middle aged women from 25-45 as the product is for reducing wrinkles with the basic concept of looking young and therefore so is the target market, though Olay could have implemented research and developed new age products for younger women to achieve the market share and increase is brand equity, Inspite of very few publics falling into the brands target the brand has marked a place as a global leading skin care product. MARKET SHARE: BRAND IMAGE: CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS: BHAI PLZ HELP OUT WITH THIS UNTIL THEN I WILL FIGURE OUT THE REFERENCESà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ OK MERE BHAI ..

Relationship between Sublime and Magical Realism Explored in The Monkey

Relationship between Sublime and Magical Realism Explored in The Monkey      Ã‚   From the beginning of The Monkey, a short story located within Isak Dinesen's anthology Seven Gothic Tales, the reader is taken back to a â€Å"storytime† world he or she may remember from childhood. Dinesen's 1934 example of what has been identified as the "Gothic Sublime" sets the stage for analysis of its relationship to other types of literature. What constitutes Sublime literature? More importantly, how may sublime literature relate to Magical Realist literature? Through examination of The Monkey, the relationship between Sublime literature and Magical Realist literature can be defined.    Scholars have traced the history of Sublime literature back to the third century literary critic Longinus. In his work Peri Hypsos, he lays the groundwork for the Sublime literature that still exists today. "Sublimity is always an eminence and excellence in language" (qtd. in Arensberg 3). "Excellence and eminence" are conveyed through rhetorical devices found in the text. Many of these devices are also found in works identified as Magical Realist works of literature.    Longinus' characteristics are evidenced throughout The Monkey. One such characteristic is the use of elevated language to describe a scene or action:    The Prioress received her nephew within her lofty parlor. Its three tall windows looked out, between heavy curtains which had on them borders of flower garlands done in cross-stich, over the lawns and avenues of the autumnal garden. From the damask-clad walls her long-departed father and mother gazed down, out of broad gilt frames, with military gravity and youthful grace, powered and laced for some gr... ...ic realms cannot merge.    For these reasons, based on the examination of these two works, one cannot assume that Sublime literature and Magical Realist literature are the same, nor can one assume that they are genres of one another. They seem to have many characteristics in common, and therefore one would assume that they maintain a close relationship, although independently. By comparing and contrasting another genre of literature with Magical Realism, the defining boundaries that make up Magical Realism are narrowed.    Works Cited Arensberg, Mary. The American Sublime. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1986. Dinesen, Isak. Seven Gothic Tales. New York: Harrison Smith and Robert Haas Inc., 1934. Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Longinus. On the Sublime. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1995.    Relationship between Sublime and Magical Realism Explored in The Monkey Relationship between Sublime and Magical Realism Explored in The Monkey      Ã‚   From the beginning of The Monkey, a short story located within Isak Dinesen's anthology Seven Gothic Tales, the reader is taken back to a â€Å"storytime† world he or she may remember from childhood. Dinesen's 1934 example of what has been identified as the "Gothic Sublime" sets the stage for analysis of its relationship to other types of literature. What constitutes Sublime literature? More importantly, how may sublime literature relate to Magical Realist literature? Through examination of The Monkey, the relationship between Sublime literature and Magical Realist literature can be defined.    Scholars have traced the history of Sublime literature back to the third century literary critic Longinus. In his work Peri Hypsos, he lays the groundwork for the Sublime literature that still exists today. "Sublimity is always an eminence and excellence in language" (qtd. in Arensberg 3). "Excellence and eminence" are conveyed through rhetorical devices found in the text. Many of these devices are also found in works identified as Magical Realist works of literature.    Longinus' characteristics are evidenced throughout The Monkey. One such characteristic is the use of elevated language to describe a scene or action:    The Prioress received her nephew within her lofty parlor. Its three tall windows looked out, between heavy curtains which had on them borders of flower garlands done in cross-stich, over the lawns and avenues of the autumnal garden. From the damask-clad walls her long-departed father and mother gazed down, out of broad gilt frames, with military gravity and youthful grace, powered and laced for some gr... ...ic realms cannot merge.    For these reasons, based on the examination of these two works, one cannot assume that Sublime literature and Magical Realist literature are the same, nor can one assume that they are genres of one another. They seem to have many characteristics in common, and therefore one would assume that they maintain a close relationship, although independently. By comparing and contrasting another genre of literature with Magical Realism, the defining boundaries that make up Magical Realism are narrowed.    Works Cited Arensberg, Mary. The American Sublime. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1986. Dinesen, Isak. Seven Gothic Tales. New York: Harrison Smith and Robert Haas Inc., 1934. Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Longinus. On the Sublime. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1995.   

America’s Commercial Airline Industry

1989 has been a year in which both aviation experts and spokesmen. For the flying public have expressed intensified concern over what they perceive to be a substantial deterioration in the safety of America†s passenger airline operations. In the first nine months of 1989 alone, there have been ten fatal air crashes involving large transport-category planes owned by U. S. based carriers (Ott p. 28). This compares disfavorably to the first nine of months of 1988, when but two such accidents took place, and in fact, it is the highest number of death-causing accidents for the American commercial aviation industry during the 1980s (Fotos p. ). This spate of airborne tragedies has prompted interested parties to ask a series of disturbing questions. Is it now safe to fly on American owned airlines, and, related to this, is it now riskier to board these planes than it was before industry deregulation took place in 1978? What, if any, specific factors have contributed to the perceived decline in the industry†s safety standards? Finally, what, if anything, can be done to enhance the airworthiness of U. S. passenger planes and to improve the safety performance of the crews who man them? In this paper, all three of these questions will be addressed, and, without advancing too far ahead, we discover that there simply are no definitive answers to any of them. As serious accidents among America†s air carriers have mounted in 1989, a â€Å"conventional wisdom† has supplied a plausible account of the historical roots of the present safety problem. In 1978, the Federal government de-regulated the U. S. airline industry. Faced with an increasingly competitive environment, individual carriers tried to hold down fares by making cost-related cuts in policies and procedures related to safety. Many have argued that, â€Å"increased competition may lead airlines to skimp on investments in safety,†(Bornstein and Zimmerman p. 913) by, for example, allowing aging planes to take to the skies following routine inspections rather than replacing them with new craft. But there is an overarching problem with this explanation: 1989†³s accidents apart, empirical data suggest that it is currently safer to fly on a plane operated by a major U. S. air carrier than it was ten years ago! In 1978, the odds of a large airliner†s becoming involved in fatal crash were one for every million aircraft departures; ten years later, that proportion has dropped to around one in every 2. 25 million departures (McConnel p. 207). On the whole, it is, in fact, comparatively safe to fly, and even with 1989 crash incidents added to the aggregated figures, flying is no more dangerous today than it was prior to deregulation. The Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and an array of independent air safety experts have all probed this year†s major airline accidents. Despite all of post hoc study, they have been unable to discern a common link among them, (Ott p. 28) with one major exception. The qualification at hand refers to dramatic increase in the volume of air traffic since de-regulation. According to NTSB member John Lauber, † ‘ if there is a trend in accidents, it is a trend set by the increasing volume of air transport operations rather than any fundamental deterioration in the margins of safety (Ott p. 28). At first glance, this argument is comforting: more flights in the air simply result in more accidents commensurate with higher traffic volumes, so that the impact of de-regulation has had only the broadest and most indirect influences upon the industry†s safety record. But to ascribe the recent rash of safety problems to the â€Å"neutral† effect of higher traffic volume in the wake of de-regulation and leave it at that overlooks several critical points. For example, to remain competitive, many airlines schedule flights in clusters for the convenience of their passengers. This, in turn, as Rudolf Kapustin (an independent industry- watcher) states, tends to increase risks among flight occurring at â€Å"peak times (Ott p. 28). † Far more worrisome, when accidents for smaller, commuter or regional airlines are factored in, we find that 16 percent of all airlines had safety records considerably worse than the norm, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all airborne accidents between 1977 and 1984 (Ott p. 30). These figures strongly indicate that policies and practices by the airlines themselves may have acted as variables that have had a role in recent accidents. There are two major factors that appear to have had a part in this year†s major carrier crashes, both of which can be related to cost cutting challenges upon the airlines unleashed by de-regulation. The first of these concerns the planes themselves. There is evidence to suggest that some U. S. airlines are operating a higher percentage of â€Å"high time† or â€Å"geriatric† aircraft than was previously the case. About 2,300 of the 8,000 odd commercial jets flown by major airline crews have passed twenty years of continuous service. Plainly, aging fleets have some immediate linkage to two recent air fatalities. In April, 1988 Aloha Airlines 737 experienced a structural collapse; a huge section of the upper fuselage peeled off; one flight attendant was killed and sixty-one passengers were injured. â€Å"The aircraft in question,† investigators found, had logged some 90,000 take-off/landing duty cycle, † the second highest number recorded by any jetliner operating in the free world. Eight months later, with the Aloha case still under study, a United Airlines 747 bound for Honolulu literally disintegrated in the air over the Pacific Ocean, resulting in nine deaths. This craft was another â€Å"veteran† plane, one that had a maintenance record suggesting increasing safety problems. Clearly, there is an economic motive behind airline operation of â€Å"geriatric† planes. A Boeing 737, for example, cost around $25 million at present, so that, † it is in the economic interest of an airline to prolong the life of its current fleet if it can do so at reasonable cost and without compromising safety. In the opinion of some critics, given the competitive pressures of a de-regulated market environment, some airlines are paying too much attention to this economic imperative, and, conversely, too little care to the maintenance of adequate safety standards. Most jet transport accidents are not the result of equipment failure; a full two-thirds can be attributed to human error. At present, all U. S. air carriers, major airlines and regionals alike, are facing a reduced pool of qualified pilots and flight personnel to staff their crews. De-regulation has meant a higher level of demand for a finite number of qualified crew members, and, at the same time, the number of potential crew members leaving the nation†s armed forces (the traditional mainstay of new hires for the airlines) has dropped sharply in recent years. As has been noted in a recent issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology: † the major airlines are reported to be drastically reducing the amount of flying time they require from applicants, â€Å"and while † there is no shortage of applicants (there is) a shortage of highly qualified ones (Pilot Turnover†¦ p. 91). Inexperienced pilots tend to make more mistakes than their veteran counterparts, so that the labor demand growth that has taken place with deregulation coupled with a reduced number of former armed forces pilots available may well be a factor undermining airline safety. Having stated that it is, in general, safe to board U. S. operated planes, yet another qualification must be made at this juncture. Smaller carriers, flying short routes and known as â€Å"commuter† airlines have much worse safety records than the major airlines. According to McConnell: In the past decade, commuter airlines have had 81 fatal accidents, Killing 384 people. In 1987 alone 35 accidents caused 58 deaths. And in the first two months of 1988, crashes killed 22. The Commuters† fatal accidents rate per 100,000 departures has averaged Seven times that of the major airlines (McConnel p. 206). These smaller carriers, like their major airlines counternumbers, are subject to FAA monitoring and regulation, and the results of FAA inquiries into the safety of the commuter lines has led the Agency to suspend or revoke commuter airline operating certificates on 58 occasions since 1981 for safety violations. The heart of the problem with the commuter airlines resides in the shrinking pool of qualified pilots available to them (Ott p. 28). Generally offering lower pay than the majors, the commuter lines have experienced a drain of talent as many of their most experienced pilots have left to take positions with the majors. In 1985, major U. S. carriers hired some 7,600n new pilots; the majority of them previously worked for commuter airlines (McConnel p. 209). At the same time, willingness of the majors to accept less qualified pilots from sources apart from the regionals has decreased the quality of regional hires yet another notch (Pilot Turnover†¦ p. 91). The trend toward less experienced crews in this segment of the industry is undeniable. † The pilots hired by U. S. regionals who had less than 2,000 hr. flight time rose 22. 3% of those hired in 1985 to 36. 2% in the first six months of 1989 (Ott p. 29). In addition to a declining level of experience in the cockpits of commuter aircraft, these pilots face demands that often exceed those placed upon pilots working for the majors. On some small carriers, pilots face several trips a day between under-equipped airfields, and in addition must plan routes, study weather, handle baggage and even fuel the plane. Fatigue can become a factor (McConnel p. 207). To fill spots, regionals have tried to lure flight instructors from flying schools into their ranks (Pilots Turnover†¦ p. 91). Unfortunately, by engaging in this practice, the regionals reduce the capacity of the nation†s flight schools to enlarge the pool of personnel available to all carriers. If a shortage of qualified crew members is identified as a factor that has some causal relation to a perceived decline in American air carrier safety, this effect is most acute at the level of the commuter/regional firms. The evidence regarding the effect of de-regulation upon safety for American airlines is mixed, inconclusive, but nevertheless broad enough. Common sense tells us that older planes and less experienced crews will have a negative impact upon safety, and, in the case of commuter lines, the latter has probably contributed to a performance record significantly below that of the major carriers. Given that a case can be made that identifiable variables are now eroding flight safety, the question naturally becomes: What can be done to remedy or, at least, ameliorate this situation? The FAA formed an Airworthiness Assurance Task Force shortly after the Aloha incident, and, in February, 1989, this body issued its recommendations. These proposals generally dealt with the tandem problems of aging fleets and inexperienced crews. Regarding the former, The Task Force noted that in several recent accidents, parts that had either been inspected and passed review or parts that were thought to have an â€Å"infinite† working life, broke down. The Airworthiness Assurance Task Force recommended to the FAA an $800 million program to upgrade older aircraft. The key provision would mandate the replacement of various parts and assemblies at specified time intervals, even if inspection detected no flaws. In other words, the industry would move to a plan of preventive replacement, rather than preventive maintenance. The plan would require repairs in about one of every five jetliners currently in service (Hoffer p115). The FAA itself has followed up on this recommendation: this year the agency mandated replacement of rivets on older 727s, and in the near future, the order will be extended to veteran 737s and 747s as well. The cost of all this promises to be high, amounting to an average of around $600,000 per plane. Still, conducted on a phased basis, it does not spell financial ruin for the majors, and given FAA powers, they have no choice but to comply. The FAA has also made recommendations regarding improvement of crew performance. It has, for example, suggested that airlines should â€Å"avoid pairing two pilots who may be qualified but inexperienced, either as pilot or in the particular aircraft type they would be flying (Ott p. 29). † The Agency has also urged that only experienced pilots be given control over aircraft during times of severe weather conditions. Both of these proposals have been accepted by the industry. Far more controversial, the FAA has also endorsed the idea of setting autonomous safety departments within each airline that would have absolute power to ground flights or personnel on the basis of safety. These departments would actively monitor pilot performance through retrospective examination of data contained in tapes on flight recorders (Fotos p. 31). Although the airlines see such a move as having safety-enhancing outcomes, the notion that control over scheduled flights will be ceded by line management to a safety procedures, has met with some resistance. At bottom, implementing the FAA†s suggestions will carry a step price tag in both financial and management labor terms, and taken together, may contribute to a second round of shakeouts, as weaker carriers will not be able to bear these costs and continue to be competitive.

Compensated Demand Curve

The Compensated Demand Curve Definition: the compensated demand curve is a demand curve that ignores the income effect of a price change, only taking into account the substitution effect. To do this, utility is held constant from the change in the price of the good. In this section, we will graphically derive the compensated demand curve from indifference curves and budget constraints by incorporating the substitution and income effects, and use the compensated demand curve to find the compensating variation. Let us consider a price increase for a normal good, a good whose demand increases as income increases. In Figure 7. e. 1, assume that the price of Y (PY) is $1, and that the individual has an income of $100. The initial price of X (PX) is $1, so the individual’s initial budget constraint is therefore BC1, with a vertical intercept of 100, and a horizontal intercept of 100. The individual reaches his optimum (maximizes utility) at point A, where his initial budget constrai nt BC1 is tangent to the indifference curve IC1.Let’s say that at this point, he maximizes his utility by consuming 43 units of good X. If PX increases from $1 to $2, his budget constraint will rotate inward until it reaches BC2 where there is now a horizontal intercept of 50. The individual now reaches his new optimum where the indifference curve IC2 is tangent to BC2 at the point B, where he maximizes his utility by consuming 18 units of good X. We can use these points to plot a demand curve for good X: According to Figure 7. e. 1, when PX is $1, the individual maximizes utility at point A where he consumes 43 units of X.This information can be replotted on a curve showing the relationship between the price of X and the quantity of X consumed (figure 7. e. 2). At a price of $1, the individual will consume 43 units of X, so the point A will replot on figure 7. e. 2 as the point A’. Similarly at point B, at a price of $2, the individual will consume 18 units of X, so t he point B will replot on figure 7. e. 2 as the point B’. If we connect A’ and B’ together, we will get the ordinary demand curve for good X In order to obtain the compensated demand curve, we must first observe 2 effects that take place as PX increases:Substitution Effect: when Px increases from $1 to $2, X becomes relatively more expensive than Y, so the individual consumes less X. To show the substitution effect, we must hold the individual’s utility constant. To do this, we draw a budget constraint BC3 that is parallel to BC2 and shift it up until it is just tangent to a point on his original indifference curve (IC1). This occurs at point C, where the consumer is consuming 29 units of X. The substitution effect is the movement from point A to CIncome Effect: because Px has increased, the individual’s purchasing power has decreased, and thus has less money to spend on both X and Y. Because X is a normal good, the individual will consume more as his income increases. The individual will reach an optimum at point B where he will consume 18 units of X. The income effect is the movement from point C to B To summarize, Total effect = Substitution Effect + Income Effect = A to C +C to B We have already found the ordinary demand curve by replotting points A and B as points A’ and B’.In essence, this is the total effect of the increase in PX. Because the compensated demand curve assumes that utility is held constant, it only shows the substitution effect. Therefore, we simply have to replot points A and C. We have already determined that point A replots as A’ at a price of $1 and a quantity of 43. At point C, the individual consumes 29 units at a price of $2; so we can replot this point as point C’ on figure 7. e. 2. If we connect these 2 points together, we get the compensated demand curve. We can prove that good X is a normal good. One way to do it is to look at Figure 7. e. and notice that between po ints B and C, as income increases, the consumption of good X increases, which fits the definition of a normal good. Another way is to look at the compensated demand curve and compare it with the ordinary demand curve. The compensated demand curve in figure 7. e. 2 is steeper than the ordinary demand curve. When this condition holds, good X is a normal good. We can also use the compensated demand curve to find the compensating variation. The compensating variation is the amount of money required to restore an individual to his original utility level when prices change.In figure 7. e. 2, it is represented by the area between the two prices, and left of the compensated demand curve – it is the sum of areas S and T. Meanwhile the change in consumer surplus is simply the area between the two prices and left of the ordinary demand curve – it is the area S ———————————————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ †¢ Next, consider a price decrease for an inferior good, a good whose demand decreases as income increases.In Figure 7. e. 3, assume that the price of Y (PY) is $1, and that the individual has an income of $100. The initial price of X (PX) is $2, so the individual’s initial budget constraint is therefore BC1, with a vertical intercept of 100, and a horizontal intercept of 50. The individual reaches his optimum (maximizes utility) at point A, where his initial budget constraint BC1 is tangent to the indifference curve IC1. Let’s say that at this point, he maximizes his utility by consuming 17 units of good X.If PX decreases from $2 to $1, his budget constraint will rotate outward until it reaches BC2 where there i s now a horizontal intercept of 100. The individual now reaches his new optimum where the indifference curve IC2 is tangent to BC2 at the point B, where he maximizes his utility by consuming 28 units of good X. Using the same method as described in figure 7. e. 1 and figure 7. e. 2, we can replot A and B on figure 7. e. 3 as A’ and B’ on figure 7. e. 4. If we connect these points together, we will get the ordinary demand curve for good XIn order to obtain the compensated demand curve, we must first observe 2 effects that take place as PX increases: Substitution Effect: when Px decreases from $2 to $1, X becomes relatively cheaper than Y, so the individual will consume more X. To show the substitution effect, we must hold the individual’s utility constant. To do this, we draw a budget constraint BC3 that is parallel to BC2 and shift it down until it is just tangent to a point on his original indifference curve (IC1). This occurs at point C, where the consumer is consuming 33 units of X.The substitution effect is the movement from point A to C Income Effect: Px has decreased, so the individual’s purchasing power has increased, and thus has more money to spend on both X and Y. Because X is an inferior good, the individual will consume less as his income increases. The individual will reach an optimum at point B where he will consume 28 units of X. The income effect is the movement from point C to B To summarize, Total effect = Substitution Effect + Income Effect = A to C +C to B Using the same method as described in figure 7. . 1 and figure 7. e. 2, we can replot A and C on figure 7. e. 3 as A’ and C’ on figure 7. e. 4. If we connect these points together, we will get the compensated demand curve for good X We can prove that good X is an inferior good. One way to do it is to look at Figure 7. e. 3 and notice that between points B and C, as income increases, the consumption of good X decreases, which fits the definition of an inferior good. Another way is to look at the compensated demand curve and compare it with the ordinary demand curve.The compensated demand curve in figure 7. e. 4 is flatter than the ordinary demand curve. When this condition holds, good X is an inferior good. Again, we can also use the compensated demand curve to find the compensating variation. It is the area between the two prices, and left of the compensated demand curve – it is the sum of areas S and T ——————————————————————————————————————————————– †¢ Let us now consider a price decrease for an extreme case: a giffen good.A giffen good violates the law of demand and results in an upward s loping demand curve. In Figure 7. e. 5, assume that the price of Y (PY) is $1, and that the individual has an income of $100. The initial price of X (PX) is $1, so the individual’s initial budget constraint is therefore BC1, with a vertical intercept of 100, and a horizontal intercept of 50. The individual reaches his optimum (maximizes utility) at point A, where his initial budget constraint BC1 is tangent to the indifference curve IC1. Let’s say that at this point, he maximizes his utility by consuming 37 units of good X.If PX decreases from $2 to $1, his budget constraint will rotate outward until it reaches BC2 where there is now a horizontal intercept of 100. The individual now reaches his new optimum where the indifference curve IC2 is tangent to BC2 at the point B, where he maximizes his utility by consuming 30 units of good X. The total consumption of good X has actually decreased; let us decompose this. Using the same method as described in figure 7. e. 1 and figure 7. e. 2, we can replot A and B on figure 7. e. 5 as A’ and B’ on figure 7. e. 6.The shape of the ordinary demand curve for a giffen good is as follows: between the points A and B, it is upward sloping (known as the â€Å"Giffen Range†), and at any price above or below points A and B, respectively, the demand curve is downward sloping. This results in a backward-bending ordinary demand curve W In order to obtain the compensated demand curve, we must first observe 2 effects that take place as PX increases: Substitution Effect: when Px decreases from $2 to $1, X becomes relatively cheaper than Y, so the individual will consume more X. To show the substitution effect, we must hold the individual’s utility constant.To do this, we draw a budget constraint BC3 that is parallel to BC2 and shift it down until it is just tangent to a point on his original indifference curve (IC1). This occurs at point C, where the consumer is consuming 47 units of X. The sub stitution effect is the movement from point A to C Income Effect: Px has decreased, so the individual’s purchasing power has increased, and thus has more money to spend on both X and Y. Because X is a giffen good, the individual will consume less as his income increases; also note that the income effect is stronger than the substitution effect.This results in the individual reaching an optimum at point B where he will consume 30 units of X. The income effect is the movement from point C to B To summarize, Total effect = Substitution Effect + Income Effect = A to C +C to B Using the same method as described in figure 7. e. 1 and figure 7. e. 2, we can replot A and C on figure 7. e. 5 as A’ and C’ on figure 7. e. 6. If we connect these points together, we will get the compensated for good X Note that the compensated demand curve is still downward sloping.This is because the substitution effect always works in one direction, while the income effect can work in both directions Study Questions 1) Redraw figure 7. e. 1 and figure 7. e. 2 for a decrease in the price of a normal good. Shade the area representing the compensation variation. 2) Redraw figure 7. e. 3 and figure 7. e. 4 for an increase in the price of an inferior good. Shade the area representing the compensation variation. 3) Redraw figure 7. e. 5 and figure 7. e. 6 for an increase in the price of a giffen good. Shade the area representing the compensation variation.

Hong Kong Moral and National Education Essays

Hong Kong Moral and National Education Essays Hong Kong Moral and National Education Essay Hong Kong Moral and National Education Essay Do you think moral and national education should be abolished? Moral and national education had recently become a hot topic in Hong Kong. Moral and national education  is a school curriculum proposed by the  Education Bureau of Hong Kong, it s transformed from the current moral and civic education. The Education Bureau stated that it is to cultivate â€Å"positive values and attitudes† in students. Schools are forced to make it into an independent subject and teachers will teach according to curriculum given by the Education Bureau. However, the society suspected that it is brainwashing, they express their concerns through forming associations like Scholarism and marching. National Education should have included different perspectives for students to know more about their country and citizenship. Instead of letting students know about their country thoroughly, the information is carefully selected by the government. Of the 19 references, 18 of them were written by mainland Chinese. There are no references from local or foreign scholar, no diverse views and different interests. They are all one-sided view of China and neglected lots of important issues such as the development in human rights and democracy in China. Such references and handbooks are inappropriate to use as teaching materials. Hong Kong schools already have liberal studies, civil education and Chinese history, content of lessons are overlapped. Students are overburdened by homework, test and examination. Schools and teachers are rushing through the syllabus of HKDSE. Time is tight for both school and students, another compulsory subject is not needed. This creates more pressure and stress than the benefit it might have on the major stakeholders. The curriculum guide for the evaluation of student’s performance is also being worried. Students have to be emotionally touched in order to show their patriotism. It focuses students to dissemble or to fake their feelings in order to get higher marks, it is not a proper way of education. Along with contents that praises the Communist China, â€Å"advanced, altruistic and united governing body† with characteristics that â€Å"ensuring stable governance, protecting wholeness of country†. Students are to be brainwashed and to love their country blindly. Extreme nationalism and patriotism can easily leads to war just because of a little conflict (WW1). In my opinion, a moral and civic education curriculum committee should be set to draw up guide lines and design the teaching materials. It should be consist of trained teachers, parents and people from different parts of the society. The curriculum committee can also monitor the implantation of this subject or whether it should become a subject at school. With all the rejections and disagreements from professional teachers, parents and even students themselves, the government should understand their concerns and go for a more opened approach.

Free Essays on Kleptomania

Kleptomaniacs, pyromaniacs, nymphomaniacs and all the maniacs in the world†¦tonight is your night! First, I’d like to apologize for the missing cutlery and the lack of candles stolen by our kleptomaniacs / (slash) pyromaniacs. Tonight’s speakers, including me (Klara the Klepto), Pete the Pyro and Ned the Nympho are going to be talking about rare disorders. I wasn’t quite sure what to talk about, so I kind of borrowed my subject from the next speaker†¦kleptomania! Kleptomania is a serious, yet relatively unknown disorder that is thought to be caused by an imbalance of a certain chemical in the brain, or more simply some sort of personality disorder such as depression! I myself admit to have taken a few little objects once or twice in my lifetime with out permission, and I guess everyone has†¦but what defers kleptomaniacs from people who just enjoy stealing? Here are some real signs of Kleptomania: * taking objects on impulse, without planning ahead * repeatedly taking things that are not valuable or needed for personal use *not feeling guilty after stealing and getting some sort of rush before taking an object! Looking into this crowd, I see pockets full of useless objects, people looking for â€Å"misplaced† items, table clothes on fire and many other unusual occurrences. But I guess that’s normal if you take into consideration what this speech is about! Most Kleptomaniacs are females in there 30’s and a surprisingly large percent of those with kleptomania have some form of an eating disorder! Many people laugh at the thought of a person who just can’t stop stealing†¦ things as small as carrots at a supermarket to more important yet almost useless things such as somebody else’s briefcase. But I’m sorry to tell those of you who believe kleptomaniacs steal because they enjoy it so much that, that’s almost completely wrong! Yes, it is possible, but most Kleptomaniacs steal, and don’t feel guilty†¦and th... Free Essays on Kleptomania Free Essays on Kleptomania Kleptomaniacs, pyromaniacs, nymphomaniacs and all the maniacs in the world†¦tonight is your night! First, I’d like to apologize for the missing cutlery and the lack of candles stolen by our kleptomaniacs / (slash) pyromaniacs. Tonight’s speakers, including me (Klara the Klepto), Pete the Pyro and Ned the Nympho are going to be talking about rare disorders. I wasn’t quite sure what to talk about, so I kind of borrowed my subject from the next speaker†¦kleptomania! Kleptomania is a serious, yet relatively unknown disorder that is thought to be caused by an imbalance of a certain chemical in the brain, or more simply some sort of personality disorder such as depression! I myself admit to have taken a few little objects once or twice in my lifetime with out permission, and I guess everyone has†¦but what defers kleptomaniacs from people who just enjoy stealing? Here are some real signs of Kleptomania: * taking objects on impulse, without planning ahead * repeatedly taking things that are not valuable or needed for personal use *not feeling guilty after stealing and getting some sort of rush before taking an object! Looking into this crowd, I see pockets full of useless objects, people looking for â€Å"misplaced† items, table clothes on fire and many other unusual occurrences. But I guess that’s normal if you take into consideration what this speech is about! Most Kleptomaniacs are females in there 30’s and a surprisingly large percent of those with kleptomania have some form of an eating disorder! Many people laugh at the thought of a person who just can’t stop stealing†¦ things as small as carrots at a supermarket to more important yet almost useless things such as somebody else’s briefcase. But I’m sorry to tell those of you who believe kleptomaniacs steal because they enjoy it so much that, that’s almost completely wrong! Yes, it is possible, but most Kleptomaniacs steal, and don’t feel guilty†¦and th...

Blood Promise Chapter Fifteen

â€Å"Just like that?† I asked in disbelief. His lips quirked into a smile. â€Å"Rolan knows who I am. He knows who works for me. Once Pavel makes my†¦ ah, wishes known, that will be the end of it.† I shivered, knowing Abe spoke the truth. Considering what a smartass I’d been to Abe this whole time, it really was a wonder I hadn’t had my feet set in cement and been tossed into the ocean. â€Å"So why aren’t you forcefully dragging me out of here?† â€Å"I never like to make anyone do anything they don’t want to. Even Rolan. It’s much easier if people simply see reason and do what I ask them to, without the use of force.† â€Å"And by ? ®see reason,’ you mean, ? ®blackmail,'† I said, thinking of what I’d just agreed to. â€Å"We made a trade,† he said. â€Å"That’s all. Don’t forget your end of the bargain. You promised to leave here, and you don’t seem like the type to go back on your word.† â€Å"I don’t.† â€Å"Rose!† Viktoria suddenly appeared at the door. Wow, that was fast. Pavel was calmly dragging her by her arm. Her hair was mussed, and a dress strap was slipping from her shoulder. Her face was a mixture of incredulity and anger. â€Å"What did you do? That guy came and told Rolan to get out of here and never see me again! And then†¦ Rolan agreed. He just left.† I found it slightly funny that Viktoria immediately blamed me for this. True, I was responsible, but Abe was standing right there. It wasn’t a secret who his employees were. Nonetheless, I defended my actions. â€Å"He was using you,† I said. There were tears in Viktoria’s brown eyes. â€Å"He loves me.† â€Å"If he loves you, then why did he hit on me as soon as your back was turned?† â€Å"He did not!† â€Å"He’s the one who got Sonya pregnant.† Even in the alley’s dim lighting, I saw her face pale. â€Å"That’s a lie.† I threw up my hands. â€Å"Why would I make that up? He wanted to make plans with me as soon as you were out of town!† â€Å"If he did,† she said, voice shaking, â€Å"it was because you led him on.† I gaped. Beside me, Abe listened quietly, a smug look on his face. He was so self-satisfied and probably thought he was being proven right. I wanted to punch him, but Viktoria was my concern. â€Å"How can you think that? I’m your friend!† I told her. â€Å"If you were my friend, you wouldn’t be acting like this. You wouldn’t try to stand in my way. You act like you loved my brother, but there’s no way you could have-no way you really understand love!† Didn’t understand love? Was she crazy? If she only knew what I’d sacrificed for Dimitri, what I’d done to be where I was now†¦ all for love. She was the one who couldn’t understand. Love wasn’t a fling in a back room at a party. It was something you lived and died for. My emotions surged, that darkness welling up within me that made me want to lash out in return for her horrible accusation. It was only through the strongest of efforts that I remembered she was already hurting, that she only said the things she did because she was confused and upset. â€Å"Viktoria, I do understand, and I’m sorry. I’m only doing this because you’re my friend. I care about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my friend,† she hissed. â€Å"You aren’t part of this family. You don’t understand anything about us or how we live! I wish you’d never come here.† She turned and stormed away, pushing back inside through the long line of partygoers. My heart ached as I watched her. I turned to Abe. â€Å"She’s going to go try to find him.† He still wore that damnably knowing expression. â€Å"It won’t matter. He’ll have nothing to do with her anymore. Not if he values that pretty face of his.† I was worried for Viktoria but kind of had a feeling Abe was right about Rolan. Rolan would no longer be an issue. As for Viktoria’s next guy†¦ well, that was a worry for another day. â€Å"Fine. Then we’re done here. Do not follow me anymore,† I growled. â€Å"Keep your promise to leave Baia, and I won’t have to.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"I told you: I always keep my promises.† And as I hurried back to the Belikov house, I suddenly wondered if that was true. The blowout with Abe and Viktoria was like cold water on my face. What was I doing here? To a certain extent, Abe had been right†¦ I had been deluding myself, pretending Dimitri’s family was my own in order to soothe my grief over him. But they weren’t. This wasn’t home. The Academy wasn’t my home either, not anymore. The only thing I had left was my promise-my promise to Dimitri. The promise I’d somehow lost sight of since coming here. Some of the Belikov family was in bed when I got home, but others were still in the living room. I slipped upstairs to my room, waiting anxiously for Viktoria to get home. A half hour later, I heard footsteps on the stairs and the sound of her door closing. I knocked gently on it. â€Å"Viktoria,† I said in a loud whisper. â€Å"It’s me. Please talk to me.† â€Å"No!† came the response. â€Å"I don’t ever want to talk to you again.† â€Å"Viktoria-â€Å" â€Å"Go away!† â€Å"I’m just worried about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my brother! You aren’t even my sister. You have no place here!† Ouch. Her voice was muffled by the door, but I didn’t want to risk a fight in the hall and let the others hear. Going to my room, my heart breaking, I stopped and stood in front of the mirror. It was then that I knew she was right. Even Abe was right. Baia wasn’t my place. In a flash, my meager belongings were packed, but I hesitated before going downstairs. Viktoria’s closed door stared at me, and I had to fight the urge to knock again. If I did, it would only trigger another fight. Or, maybe even worse, she would forgive me-and then I would want to stay forever, lost in the comfort of Dimitri’s family and their simple life. Taking a deep breath, I headed downstairs and walked out the front door. I wanted to tell the others goodbye but worried the same thing would happen, that I’d look at their faces and change my mind. I needed to go, I realized. I was angry at both Viktoria and Abe. Their words had hurt me, but there’d been truth in them. This wasn’t my world. I had other things to do with my life. And I had a lot of promises to keep. When I was about eight blocks away, I slowed down, not because I was tired but because I wasn’t sure where I was going. Leaving that house had been the biggest step. I sank down on the curb in front of a neighbor’s silent, dark yard. I wanted to cry without knowing why. I wanted my old life back. I wanted Dimitri and Lissa. Oh, God, I wanted them. But Dimitri was gone, and the only way I’d see him was if I truly set out to kill him. And as for Lissa†¦ she was more or less gone to me too. Even if I survived this, I didn’t think she could forgive me. Sitting there, feeling lost and alone, I tried reaching out to her one more time. I knew it was foolish, considering what I’d seen before, but I had to try one more time. I had to know if I really could have my old place back there. I slipped inside her mind instantly, my runaway emotions making the transition easy. She was on a private jet. If Jill had been stunned by meeting St. Vladimir’s A-list students, going on a trip with them made her downright comatose. She stared at everything wide-eyed and barely said a word during the whole flight to the Royal Court . When Avery offered her a glass of champagne, Jill could barely stammer out, â€Å"N-no thanks.† After that, the others seemed to forget about her and got carried away by their own conversation. Lissa noticed Jill’s uneasiness but didn’t do much to remedy it. That was a shock. The Lissa I had known would have gone out of her way to make Jill comfortable and be included. Fortunately, the younger girl seemed perfectly entertained by watching the others’ antics. I also took comfort in knowing Jill would be okay once she met up with Mia. Lissa had sent word ahead to Mia to come pick up Jill when they landed, seeing as Lissa and the others had to attend to one of Tatiana’s functions right away. Mia had said she’d take Jill under her wing for the weekend and show her some of the innovative things she’d learned to do with her water magic. Lissa was glad for this, happy she wouldn’t be babysitting a freshman all weekend. Even if Jill was totally off of Lissa’s radar, one person wasn’t: Avery’s brother Reed. Their father had decided it would be a good idea for Reed to go with them, and seeing as Mr.-excuse me-Headmaster Lazar had played a key role in working with Tatiana to arrange this trip, there was little argument. Avery had rolled her eyes and spoken to Lissa about it covertly, just before boarding. â€Å"We’re all riding your reputation,† Avery said. â€Å"Part of the reason Dad let me come was because you’re in good with the queen, and he wants it to rub off on me. He’s then hoping I’ll get in good with her, and then that’ll rub off on Reed-and the rest of the family.† Lissa tried not to over think the logic too much. Mostly, she was bothered because Reed Lazar was still as unpleasant as he’d been the first day they met. He wasn’t really mean or anything; it just made her uncomfortable being around him. Really, he was the polar opposite of Avery. Whereas she was animated and could always strike up conversation, he stayed tight-lipped and spoke only when spoken to. Lissa couldn’t really tell if it was shyness or disdain. When Lissa had tried asking him if he was excited to go to Court, Reed had simply shrugged. â€Å"Whatever. I don’t care.† His tone had been almost hostile, like he resented her for asking, so she’d given up all other attempts at conversation. The only person, other than his sister, that Lissa saw Reed ever speak to was Avery’s guardian Simon. He had also come along. When the flight landed, Mia was as good as her word. She waved enthusiastically when Lissa stepped off the plane, her blond curls whipping around in the wind. Lissa grinned back, and they gave each other quick half-hugs, something that never failed to amuse me given their former enemy status. Lissa made introductions for those who needed them as an escort of guardians led them away from the landing strip and toward the inner portion of Court. Mia welcomed Jill so warmly that the younger girl’s uneasiness faded, and excitement glowed in her green eyes. Smiling fondly, Mia glanced away from Jill and over to Lissa. â€Å"Where’s Rose?† Silence fell, followed by uncomfortable glances. â€Å"What?† demanded Mia. â€Å"What did I say?† â€Å"Rose is gone,† said Lissa. â€Å"Sorry†¦ I thought you knew. She dropped out and left after the attack because there were some things†¦ some personal things†¦ she needed to take care of.† Lissa feared Mia would ask about the personal things. Only a few people knew about my search for Dimitri, and Lissa wanted to keep it that way. Most thought I’d just disappeared from post-battle trauma. Mia’s next question completely shocked Lissa. â€Å"Why didn’t you go with her?† â€Å"What?† Lissa stammered. â€Å"Why would I do that? Rose dropped out. No way am I going to.† â€Å"Yeah, I suppose.† Mia turned speculative. â€Å"You guys are just so close-even without the bond. I assumed you’d follow each other to the ends of the earth and figure out the details later.† Mia’s own life had gone through so much upheaval that she took that kind of thing in stride. That weird, fluctuating anger I’d been feeling pop up in Lissa every so often suddenly reared its head and turned on Mia. â€Å"Yeah, well, if we were so close, then it seems like she wouldn’t have left in the first place. She’s the selfish one, not me.† The words stung me and clearly shocked Mia. Mia had a temper of her own, but she sat on it and simply held up her hands in an apologetic way. She really had changed. â€Å"Sorry. Wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything.† Lissa said nothing else. Since my departure, she’d beat herself up about a lot of things. She’d gone over and over things she could have done for me before or after the attack, things that might have made me stay. But it had never occurred to her to go with me, and the revelation hit her like a smack to the face. Mia’s words made her feel guilty and angry all at the same time-and she wasn’t sure who she was the maddest at: me or herself. â€Å"I know what you’re thinking,† said Adrian a few minutes later, once Mia had led Jill away and promised to meet up later. â€Å"What, you read minds now?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Don’t have to. It’s written all over your face. And Rose never would have let you go with her, so stop agonizing over it.† They entered the royal guest housing, which was just as lush and opulent as it had been when I’d stayed there. â€Å"You don’t know that. I could have talked her into it.† â€Å"No,† said Adrian sharply. â€Å"You couldn’t have. I’m serious-don’t give yourself one more thing to be depressed about.† â€Å"Hey, who said I’m depressed? Like I said, she abandoned me.† Adrian was surprised. Since my departure, Lissa had been more sad than anything. She’d occasionally been angry at my decision, but neither Adrian nor I had seen such vehemence from her. Dark feelings boiled within her heart. â€Å"I thought you understood,† said Adrian, with a small, puzzled frown. â€Å"I thought you said you’d-â€Å" Avery suddenly interrupted, giving Adrian a sharp look. â€Å"Hey, hey. Leave her alone, okay? We’ll see you at the reception.† They were at a point where the groups had to split, girls going to one part of the lodging and guys to the other. Adrian looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he nodded and headed off with Reed and a couple of guardians. Avery put a gentle arm around Lissa as she glared at Adrian’s retreating figure. â€Å"You okay?† Avery’s normally laughing face was filled with concern. It startled Lissa in the same way Adrian’s moments of seriousness always startled me. â€Å"I guess. I don’t know.† â€Å"Don’t beat yourself up over what you could have or should have done. The past is gone. Move on to the future.† Lissa’s heart was still heavy, her mood blacker than it had been in quite a while. She managed a tight smile. â€Å"I think that’s the wisest thing you’ve ever said.† â€Å"I know! Can you believe it? Do you think it’ll impress Adrian?† They dissolved into laughter, yet despite her cheery exterior, Lissa was still struck by Mia’s offhand comments. They plagued Lissa in a way she hadn’t thought possible. What really bothered her the most wasn’t the thought that if she’d come with me, she could have kept me out of trouble. No. Her biggest issue was that she hadn’t thought of coming with me in the first place. I was her best friend. As far as she was concerned, that should have been her immediate reaction to my departure. It hadn’t been, and now Lissa was racked with even more guilt than usual. The guilt was all-consuming, and she would occasionally transform it to anger to ease the pain. It didn’t help much. Her mood didn’t improve as the evening progressed, either. Not long after the group’s arrival, the queen hosted a small reception for the most elite of all visitors who had come to the Court. Lissa was quickly discovering that the queen always seemed to be hosting some party or another. At one point in her life, Lissa would have considered that fun. She no longer did, at least not when it came to these kinds of parties. But keeping her dark feelings locked up, Lissa stayed good at playing the role of nice royal girl. The queen seemed happy that Lissa had a â€Å"suitable† royal friend and was equally pleased when Lissa impressed other royals and dignitaries she was introduced to. At one point, though, Lissa’s resolve nearly faltered. â€Å"Before you leave,† said Tatiana, â€Å"we should see about your guardians.† She and Lissa stood together with a group of admirers and hangers-on who were keeping respectful distances. Lissa had been staring vacantly at the bubbles in her untouched champagne and looked up with a start. â€Å"Guardians, your majesty?† â€Å"Well, there’s no delicate way to put this, but now, for better or for worse, you’re without any protection.† The queen paused respectfully. â€Å"Belikov was a good man.† My name naturally didn’t come to her lips. I might as well have never existed. She’d never liked me, particularly since she thought I was going to run off with Adrian. As it was, Lissa had noticed Tatiana watching with some consideration while Avery and Adrian flirted. It was hard to say if the queen disapproved. Her partying aside, Avery seemed a model girl-save that Tatiana had wanted Lissa and Adrian to eventually get together. â€Å"I don’t need any protection right now,† said Lissa politely, her heart clenching. â€Å"No, but you’ll be out of school soon enough. We think we’ve found some excellent candidates for you. One of them’s a woman-a lucky find.† â€Å"Janine Hathaway offered to be my guardian,† said Lissa suddenly. I hadn’t known that, but as she spoke, I read the story in her mind. My mom had approached her not long after I left. I was a little shocked. My mom was very loyal to her current assignment. This would have been a big move for her. â€Å"Janine Hathaway?† Tatiana’s eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline. â€Å"I’m sure she has other commitments. No, we’ve got much better choices. This young lady’s only a few years older than you.† A better choice than Janine Hathaway? Not likely. Before Dimitri, my mother had been the gold standard by which I measured all badassedness. Tatiana’s â€Å"young lady† was undoubtedly someone under the queen’s control-and more importantly, not a Hathaway. The queen didn’t like my mom any more than she liked me. Once, when Tatiana had been bitching me out for something, she’d made a reference to a man my mother had been involved with-someone whom I suspected might be my father, a guy named Ibrahim. The funny thing was, the queen had almost sounded like she had once had an interest in the guy too, and I had to wonder if that was part of her dislike for my family. Lissa put on a tight, polite smile for the queen and thanked her for the consideration. Lissa and I both understood what was going on. This was Tatiana’s game. Everyone was part of her plan, and there was no way to go against her. For a brief moment, Lissa had that strange thought again, of something Victor Dashkov had once said to her. Aside from his crazy killing and kidnapping schemes, Victor had also wanted to start a revolution among the Moroi. He thought the power distribution was off-something Lissa occasionally believed too-and that it was wielded unfairly by those with too much control. The moment was gone almost as soon as it came. Victor Dashkov was a crazy villain whose ideas deserved no acknowledgment. Then, as soon as courtesy allowed, Lissa excused herself from the queen and headed across the room, feeling like she was going to explode with grief and anger. She nearly ran into Avery as she did. â€Å"God,† said Avery. â€Å"Do you think Reed could embarrass me any more? Two people have tried to make conversation with him, and he keeps scaring them off. He actually just told Robin Badica to shut up. I mean, yeah, she was going on and on, but still. That is not cool.† Avery’s dramatic look of exasperation faded as she took in Lissa’s face. â€Å"Hey, what’s wrong?† Lissa glanced at Tatiana and then turned back to Avery, taking comfort in her friend’s blue-gray eyes. â€Å"I need to get out of here.† Lissa took a deep, calming breath. â€Å"Remember all that good stuff you said you knew about? When is that going to happen?† Avery smiled. â€Å"As soon as you want.† I returned to myself, sitting there on the curb. My emotions were still going crazy, and my eyes were fighting off tears. My earlier doubts were confirmed: Lissa didn’t need me anymore†¦ and yet, I still had that feeling that there was something odd going on that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. I supposed her guilt over Mia’s comment or spirit side effects could be affecting her, but still†¦ she wasn’t the same Lissa. Footsteps on the pavement made me look up. Of all the people who might have found me, I would have expected Abe or maybe Viktoria. But it wasn’t. It was Yeva. The old woman stood there, a shawl draped over her narrow shoulders, and her sharp, cunning eyes looking down at me disapprovingly. I sighed. â€Å"What happened? Did a house fall on your sister?† I asked. Maybe there was a benefit to our language barrier. She pursed her lips. â€Å"You can’t stay here any longer,† she said. My mouth dropped open. â€Å"You†¦ you speak English?† She snorted. â€Å"Of course.† I shot up. â€Å"All this time you’ve been pretending not to? You’ve been making Paul play translator?† â€Å"It’s easier,† she said simply. â€Å"You avoid a lot of annoying conversation when you don’t speak the language. And I’ve found that Americans make the most annoying conversation of all.† I was still aghast. â€Å"You don’t even know me! But from the first day, you’ve been giving me hell. Why? Why do you hate me?† â€Å"I don’t hate you. But I am disappointed.† â€Å"Disappointed? How?† â€Å"I dreamed you would come.† â€Å"I heard that. You dream a lot?† â€Å"Sometimes,† she said. The moonlight glinted in her eyes, enhancing her otherworldly appearance. A chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Sometimes my dreams are true. Sometimes not. I dreamed Dimka was dead, but I didn’t want to believe it, not until I had proof. You were my proof.† â€Å"And that’s why you were disappointed?† Yeva drew the shawl more tightly around her. â€Å"No. In my dreams, you shone. You burned like a star, and I saw you as a warrior, someone who could do great deeds. Instead? You’ve sat around and moped. You’ve done nothing. You haven’t done what you came to do.† I studied her, wondering if she really knew what she was talking about. â€Å"And what is that exactly?† â€Å"You know what it is. I dreamed that, too.† I waited for more. When it didn’t come, I laughed. â€Å"Nice vague answer. You’re as bad as any scam fortune-teller.† Even in the darkness, I could see the anger kindle in her eyes. â€Å"You’ve come to search for Dimka. To try to kill him. You must find him.† â€Å"What do you mean ? ®try’?† I didn’t want to believe her, didn’t want to believe she might actually know my future. Nonetheless, I found myself getting hooked in. â€Å"Have you seen what happens? Do I kill him?† â€Å"I can’t see everything.† â€Å"Oh. Fantastic.† â€Å"I only saw that you must find him.† â€Å"But that’s all you’ve got? I already knew that!† â€Å"It’s what I saw.† I groaned. â€Å"Damn it, I don’t have time for these cryptic clues. If you can’t help me, then don’t say anything.† She stayed quiet. I slung my bag over my shoulder. â€Å"Fine. I’m leaving then.† And like that, I knew where I would go. â€Å"Tell the others†¦ well, tell them thank you for everything. And that I’m sorry.† â€Å"You’re doing the right thing,† she said. â€Å"This isn’t where you should be.† â€Å"So I’ve heard,† I muttered, walking away. I wondered if she’d say anything else: chastise me, curse me, give me more mysterious words of â€Å"wisdom.† But she stayed silent, and I didn’t look back. I had no home, not here and not in America. The only thing left for me was to do what I’d come to do. I had told Abe I kept my promises. I would. I’d leave Baia like I told him. And I’d kill Dimitri, as I’d promised myself I would. I knew where to go now. The address had never left my mind: 83 Kasakova. I didn’t know where it was, but once I reached the town’s center, I found a guy walking down the street who gave me directions. The address was close by, only about a mile, and I headed out at a brisk pace. When I reached the house, I was glad to see that the lights were still on. Even as pissed off and raging as I was, I didn’t want to wake anyone up. I also didn’t want to speak to Nikolai and was relieved when Denis opened the door. His expression was all astonishment when he saw me. Despite his bold words back at the church earlier, I don’t think he’d really believed I’d join him and the other unpromised ones. He was speechless, so I did the talking. â€Å"I changed my mind. I’m coming with you.† I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what came next. I’d promised Abe I’d leave Baia-but I hadn’t promised to return to the U.S. â€Å"Take me to Novosibirsk.† Blood Promise Chapter Fifteen â€Å"Just like that?† I asked in disbelief. His lips quirked into a smile. â€Å"Rolan knows who I am. He knows who works for me. Once Pavel makes my†¦ ah, wishes known, that will be the end of it.† I shivered, knowing Abe spoke the truth. Considering what a smartass I’d been to Abe this whole time, it really was a wonder I hadn’t had my feet set in cement and been tossed into the ocean. â€Å"So why aren’t you forcefully dragging me out of here?† â€Å"I never like to make anyone do anything they don’t want to. Even Rolan. It’s much easier if people simply see reason and do what I ask them to, without the use of force.† â€Å"And by ? ®see reason,’ you mean, ? ®blackmail,'† I said, thinking of what I’d just agreed to. â€Å"We made a trade,† he said. â€Å"That’s all. Don’t forget your end of the bargain. You promised to leave here, and you don’t seem like the type to go back on your word.† â€Å"I don’t.† â€Å"Rose!† Viktoria suddenly appeared at the door. Wow, that was fast. Pavel was calmly dragging her by her arm. Her hair was mussed, and a dress strap was slipping from her shoulder. Her face was a mixture of incredulity and anger. â€Å"What did you do? That guy came and told Rolan to get out of here and never see me again! And then†¦ Rolan agreed. He just left.† I found it slightly funny that Viktoria immediately blamed me for this. True, I was responsible, but Abe was standing right there. It wasn’t a secret who his employees were. Nonetheless, I defended my actions. â€Å"He was using you,† I said. There were tears in Viktoria’s brown eyes. â€Å"He loves me.† â€Å"If he loves you, then why did he hit on me as soon as your back was turned?† â€Å"He did not!† â€Å"He’s the one who got Sonya pregnant.† Even in the alley’s dim lighting, I saw her face pale. â€Å"That’s a lie.† I threw up my hands. â€Å"Why would I make that up? He wanted to make plans with me as soon as you were out of town!† â€Å"If he did,† she said, voice shaking, â€Å"it was because you led him on.† I gaped. Beside me, Abe listened quietly, a smug look on his face. He was so self-satisfied and probably thought he was being proven right. I wanted to punch him, but Viktoria was my concern. â€Å"How can you think that? I’m your friend!† I told her. â€Å"If you were my friend, you wouldn’t be acting like this. You wouldn’t try to stand in my way. You act like you loved my brother, but there’s no way you could have-no way you really understand love!† Didn’t understand love? Was she crazy? If she only knew what I’d sacrificed for Dimitri, what I’d done to be where I was now†¦ all for love. She was the one who couldn’t understand. Love wasn’t a fling in a back room at a party. It was something you lived and died for. My emotions surged, that darkness welling up within me that made me want to lash out in return for her horrible accusation. It was only through the strongest of efforts that I remembered she was already hurting, that she only said the things she did because she was confused and upset. â€Å"Viktoria, I do understand, and I’m sorry. I’m only doing this because you’re my friend. I care about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my friend,† she hissed. â€Å"You aren’t part of this family. You don’t understand anything about us or how we live! I wish you’d never come here.† She turned and stormed away, pushing back inside through the long line of partygoers. My heart ached as I watched her. I turned to Abe. â€Å"She’s going to go try to find him.† He still wore that damnably knowing expression. â€Å"It won’t matter. He’ll have nothing to do with her anymore. Not if he values that pretty face of his.† I was worried for Viktoria but kind of had a feeling Abe was right about Rolan. Rolan would no longer be an issue. As for Viktoria’s next guy†¦ well, that was a worry for another day. â€Å"Fine. Then we’re done here. Do not follow me anymore,† I growled. â€Å"Keep your promise to leave Baia, and I won’t have to.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"I told you: I always keep my promises.† And as I hurried back to the Belikov house, I suddenly wondered if that was true. The blowout with Abe and Viktoria was like cold water on my face. What was I doing here? To a certain extent, Abe had been right†¦ I had been deluding myself, pretending Dimitri’s family was my own in order to soothe my grief over him. But they weren’t. This wasn’t home. The Academy wasn’t my home either, not anymore. The only thing I had left was my promise-my promise to Dimitri. The promise I’d somehow lost sight of since coming here. Some of the Belikov family was in bed when I got home, but others were still in the living room. I slipped upstairs to my room, waiting anxiously for Viktoria to get home. A half hour later, I heard footsteps on the stairs and the sound of her door closing. I knocked gently on it. â€Å"Viktoria,† I said in a loud whisper. â€Å"It’s me. Please talk to me.† â€Å"No!† came the response. â€Å"I don’t ever want to talk to you again.† â€Å"Viktoria-â€Å" â€Å"Go away!† â€Å"I’m just worried about you.† â€Å"You aren’t my brother! You aren’t even my sister. You have no place here!† Ouch. Her voice was muffled by the door, but I didn’t want to risk a fight in the hall and let the others hear. Going to my room, my heart breaking, I stopped and stood in front of the mirror. It was then that I knew she was right. Even Abe was right. Baia wasn’t my place. In a flash, my meager belongings were packed, but I hesitated before going downstairs. Viktoria’s closed door stared at me, and I had to fight the urge to knock again. If I did, it would only trigger another fight. Or, maybe even worse, she would forgive me-and then I would want to stay forever, lost in the comfort of Dimitri’s family and their simple life. Taking a deep breath, I headed downstairs and walked out the front door. I wanted to tell the others goodbye but worried the same thing would happen, that I’d look at their faces and change my mind. I needed to go, I realized. I was angry at both Viktoria and Abe. Their words had hurt me, but there’d been truth in them. This wasn’t my world. I had other things to do with my life. And I had a lot of promises to keep. When I was about eight blocks away, I slowed down, not because I was tired but because I wasn’t sure where I was going. Leaving that house had been the biggest step. I sank down on the curb in front of a neighbor’s silent, dark yard. I wanted to cry without knowing why. I wanted my old life back. I wanted Dimitri and Lissa. Oh, God, I wanted them. But Dimitri was gone, and the only way I’d see him was if I truly set out to kill him. And as for Lissa†¦ she was more or less gone to me too. Even if I survived this, I didn’t think she could forgive me. Sitting there, feeling lost and alone, I tried reaching out to her one more time. I knew it was foolish, considering what I’d seen before, but I had to try one more time. I had to know if I really could have my old place back there. I slipped inside her mind instantly, my runaway emotions making the transition easy. She was on a private jet. If Jill had been stunned by meeting St. Vladimir’s A-list students, going on a trip with them made her downright comatose. She stared at everything wide-eyed and barely said a word during the whole flight to the Royal Court . When Avery offered her a glass of champagne, Jill could barely stammer out, â€Å"N-no thanks.† After that, the others seemed to forget about her and got carried away by their own conversation. Lissa noticed Jill’s uneasiness but didn’t do much to remedy it. That was a shock. The Lissa I had known would have gone out of her way to make Jill comfortable and be included. Fortunately, the younger girl seemed perfectly entertained by watching the others’ antics. I also took comfort in knowing Jill would be okay once she met up with Mia. Lissa had sent word ahead to Mia to come pick up Jill when they landed, seeing as Lissa and the others had to attend to one of Tatiana’s functions right away. Mia had said she’d take Jill under her wing for the weekend and show her some of the innovative things she’d learned to do with her water magic. Lissa was glad for this, happy she wouldn’t be babysitting a freshman all weekend. Even if Jill was totally off of Lissa’s radar, one person wasn’t: Avery’s brother Reed. Their father had decided it would be a good idea for Reed to go with them, and seeing as Mr.-excuse me-Headmaster Lazar had played a key role in working with Tatiana to arrange this trip, there was little argument. Avery had rolled her eyes and spoken to Lissa about it covertly, just before boarding. â€Å"We’re all riding your reputation,† Avery said. â€Å"Part of the reason Dad let me come was because you’re in good with the queen, and he wants it to rub off on me. He’s then hoping I’ll get in good with her, and then that’ll rub off on Reed-and the rest of the family.† Lissa tried not to over think the logic too much. Mostly, she was bothered because Reed Lazar was still as unpleasant as he’d been the first day they met. He wasn’t really mean or anything; it just made her uncomfortable being around him. Really, he was the polar opposite of Avery. Whereas she was animated and could always strike up conversation, he stayed tight-lipped and spoke only when spoken to. Lissa couldn’t really tell if it was shyness or disdain. When Lissa had tried asking him if he was excited to go to Court, Reed had simply shrugged. â€Å"Whatever. I don’t care.† His tone had been almost hostile, like he resented her for asking, so she’d given up all other attempts at conversation. The only person, other than his sister, that Lissa saw Reed ever speak to was Avery’s guardian Simon. He had also come along. When the flight landed, Mia was as good as her word. She waved enthusiastically when Lissa stepped off the plane, her blond curls whipping around in the wind. Lissa grinned back, and they gave each other quick half-hugs, something that never failed to amuse me given their former enemy status. Lissa made introductions for those who needed them as an escort of guardians led them away from the landing strip and toward the inner portion of Court. Mia welcomed Jill so warmly that the younger girl’s uneasiness faded, and excitement glowed in her green eyes. Smiling fondly, Mia glanced away from Jill and over to Lissa. â€Å"Where’s Rose?† Silence fell, followed by uncomfortable glances. â€Å"What?† demanded Mia. â€Å"What did I say?† â€Å"Rose is gone,† said Lissa. â€Å"Sorry†¦ I thought you knew. She dropped out and left after the attack because there were some things†¦ some personal things†¦ she needed to take care of.† Lissa feared Mia would ask about the personal things. Only a few people knew about my search for Dimitri, and Lissa wanted to keep it that way. Most thought I’d just disappeared from post-battle trauma. Mia’s next question completely shocked Lissa. â€Å"Why didn’t you go with her?† â€Å"What?† Lissa stammered. â€Å"Why would I do that? Rose dropped out. No way am I going to.† â€Å"Yeah, I suppose.† Mia turned speculative. â€Å"You guys are just so close-even without the bond. I assumed you’d follow each other to the ends of the earth and figure out the details later.† Mia’s own life had gone through so much upheaval that she took that kind of thing in stride. That weird, fluctuating anger I’d been feeling pop up in Lissa every so often suddenly reared its head and turned on Mia. â€Å"Yeah, well, if we were so close, then it seems like she wouldn’t have left in the first place. She’s the selfish one, not me.† The words stung me and clearly shocked Mia. Mia had a temper of her own, but she sat on it and simply held up her hands in an apologetic way. She really had changed. â€Å"Sorry. Wasn’t trying to accuse you of anything.† Lissa said nothing else. Since my departure, she’d beat herself up about a lot of things. She’d gone over and over things she could have done for me before or after the attack, things that might have made me stay. But it had never occurred to her to go with me, and the revelation hit her like a smack to the face. Mia’s words made her feel guilty and angry all at the same time-and she wasn’t sure who she was the maddest at: me or herself. â€Å"I know what you’re thinking,† said Adrian a few minutes later, once Mia had led Jill away and promised to meet up later. â€Å"What, you read minds now?† asked Lissa. â€Å"Don’t have to. It’s written all over your face. And Rose never would have let you go with her, so stop agonizing over it.† They entered the royal guest housing, which was just as lush and opulent as it had been when I’d stayed there. â€Å"You don’t know that. I could have talked her into it.† â€Å"No,† said Adrian sharply. â€Å"You couldn’t have. I’m serious-don’t give yourself one more thing to be depressed about.† â€Å"Hey, who said I’m depressed? Like I said, she abandoned me.† Adrian was surprised. Since my departure, Lissa had been more sad than anything. She’d occasionally been angry at my decision, but neither Adrian nor I had seen such vehemence from her. Dark feelings boiled within her heart. â€Å"I thought you understood,† said Adrian, with a small, puzzled frown. â€Å"I thought you said you’d-â€Å" Avery suddenly interrupted, giving Adrian a sharp look. â€Å"Hey, hey. Leave her alone, okay? We’ll see you at the reception.† They were at a point where the groups had to split, girls going to one part of the lodging and guys to the other. Adrian looked like he wanted to say more, but instead he nodded and headed off with Reed and a couple of guardians. Avery put a gentle arm around Lissa as she glared at Adrian’s retreating figure. â€Å"You okay?† Avery’s normally laughing face was filled with concern. It startled Lissa in the same way Adrian’s moments of seriousness always startled me. â€Å"I guess. I don’t know.† â€Å"Don’t beat yourself up over what you could have or should have done. The past is gone. Move on to the future.† Lissa’s heart was still heavy, her mood blacker than it had been in quite a while. She managed a tight smile. â€Å"I think that’s the wisest thing you’ve ever said.† â€Å"I know! Can you believe it? Do you think it’ll impress Adrian?† They dissolved into laughter, yet despite her cheery exterior, Lissa was still struck by Mia’s offhand comments. They plagued Lissa in a way she hadn’t thought possible. What really bothered her the most wasn’t the thought that if she’d come with me, she could have kept me out of trouble. No. Her biggest issue was that she hadn’t thought of coming with me in the first place. I was her best friend. As far as she was concerned, that should have been her immediate reaction to my departure. It hadn’t been, and now Lissa was racked with even more guilt than usual. The guilt was all-consuming, and she would occasionally transform it to anger to ease the pain. It didn’t help much. Her mood didn’t improve as the evening progressed, either. Not long after the group’s arrival, the queen hosted a small reception for the most elite of all visitors who had come to the Court. Lissa was quickly discovering that the queen always seemed to be hosting some party or another. At one point in her life, Lissa would have considered that fun. She no longer did, at least not when it came to these kinds of parties. But keeping her dark feelings locked up, Lissa stayed good at playing the role of nice royal girl. The queen seemed happy that Lissa had a â€Å"suitable† royal friend and was equally pleased when Lissa impressed other royals and dignitaries she was introduced to. At one point, though, Lissa’s resolve nearly faltered. â€Å"Before you leave,† said Tatiana, â€Å"we should see about your guardians.† She and Lissa stood together with a group of admirers and hangers-on who were keeping respectful distances. Lissa had been staring vacantly at the bubbles in her untouched champagne and looked up with a start. â€Å"Guardians, your majesty?† â€Å"Well, there’s no delicate way to put this, but now, for better or for worse, you’re without any protection.† The queen paused respectfully. â€Å"Belikov was a good man.† My name naturally didn’t come to her lips. I might as well have never existed. She’d never liked me, particularly since she thought I was going to run off with Adrian. As it was, Lissa had noticed Tatiana watching with some consideration while Avery and Adrian flirted. It was hard to say if the queen disapproved. Her partying aside, Avery seemed a model girl-save that Tatiana had wanted Lissa and Adrian to eventually get together. â€Å"I don’t need any protection right now,† said Lissa politely, her heart clenching. â€Å"No, but you’ll be out of school soon enough. We think we’ve found some excellent candidates for you. One of them’s a woman-a lucky find.† â€Å"Janine Hathaway offered to be my guardian,† said Lissa suddenly. I hadn’t known that, but as she spoke, I read the story in her mind. My mom had approached her not long after I left. I was a little shocked. My mom was very loyal to her current assignment. This would have been a big move for her. â€Å"Janine Hathaway?† Tatiana’s eyebrows rose nearly to her hairline. â€Å"I’m sure she has other commitments. No, we’ve got much better choices. This young lady’s only a few years older than you.† A better choice than Janine Hathaway? Not likely. Before Dimitri, my mother had been the gold standard by which I measured all badassedness. Tatiana’s â€Å"young lady† was undoubtedly someone under the queen’s control-and more importantly, not a Hathaway. The queen didn’t like my mom any more than she liked me. Once, when Tatiana had been bitching me out for something, she’d made a reference to a man my mother had been involved with-someone whom I suspected might be my father, a guy named Ibrahim. The funny thing was, the queen had almost sounded like she had once had an interest in the guy too, and I had to wonder if that was part of her dislike for my family. Lissa put on a tight, polite smile for the queen and thanked her for the consideration. Lissa and I both understood what was going on. This was Tatiana’s game. Everyone was part of her plan, and there was no way to go against her. For a brief moment, Lissa had that strange thought again, of something Victor Dashkov had once said to her. Aside from his crazy killing and kidnapping schemes, Victor had also wanted to start a revolution among the Moroi. He thought the power distribution was off-something Lissa occasionally believed too-and that it was wielded unfairly by those with too much control. The moment was gone almost as soon as it came. Victor Dashkov was a crazy villain whose ideas deserved no acknowledgment. Then, as soon as courtesy allowed, Lissa excused herself from the queen and headed across the room, feeling like she was going to explode with grief and anger. She nearly ran into Avery as she did. â€Å"God,† said Avery. â€Å"Do you think Reed could embarrass me any more? Two people have tried to make conversation with him, and he keeps scaring them off. He actually just told Robin Badica to shut up. I mean, yeah, she was going on and on, but still. That is not cool.† Avery’s dramatic look of exasperation faded as she took in Lissa’s face. â€Å"Hey, what’s wrong?† Lissa glanced at Tatiana and then turned back to Avery, taking comfort in her friend’s blue-gray eyes. â€Å"I need to get out of here.† Lissa took a deep, calming breath. â€Å"Remember all that good stuff you said you knew about? When is that going to happen?† Avery smiled. â€Å"As soon as you want.† I returned to myself, sitting there on the curb. My emotions were still going crazy, and my eyes were fighting off tears. My earlier doubts were confirmed: Lissa didn’t need me anymore†¦ and yet, I still had that feeling that there was something odd going on that I couldn’t quite put a finger on. I supposed her guilt over Mia’s comment or spirit side effects could be affecting her, but still†¦ she wasn’t the same Lissa. Footsteps on the pavement made me look up. Of all the people who might have found me, I would have expected Abe or maybe Viktoria. But it wasn’t. It was Yeva. The old woman stood there, a shawl draped over her narrow shoulders, and her sharp, cunning eyes looking down at me disapprovingly. I sighed. â€Å"What happened? Did a house fall on your sister?† I asked. Maybe there was a benefit to our language barrier. She pursed her lips. â€Å"You can’t stay here any longer,† she said. My mouth dropped open. â€Å"You†¦ you speak English?† She snorted. â€Å"Of course.† I shot up. â€Å"All this time you’ve been pretending not to? You’ve been making Paul play translator?† â€Å"It’s easier,† she said simply. â€Å"You avoid a lot of annoying conversation when you don’t speak the language. And I’ve found that Americans make the most annoying conversation of all.† I was still aghast. â€Å"You don’t even know me! But from the first day, you’ve been giving me hell. Why? Why do you hate me?† â€Å"I don’t hate you. But I am disappointed.† â€Å"Disappointed? How?† â€Å"I dreamed you would come.† â€Å"I heard that. You dream a lot?† â€Å"Sometimes,† she said. The moonlight glinted in her eyes, enhancing her otherworldly appearance. A chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Sometimes my dreams are true. Sometimes not. I dreamed Dimka was dead, but I didn’t want to believe it, not until I had proof. You were my proof.† â€Å"And that’s why you were disappointed?† Yeva drew the shawl more tightly around her. â€Å"No. In my dreams, you shone. You burned like a star, and I saw you as a warrior, someone who could do great deeds. Instead? You’ve sat around and moped. You’ve done nothing. You haven’t done what you came to do.† I studied her, wondering if she really knew what she was talking about. â€Å"And what is that exactly?† â€Å"You know what it is. I dreamed that, too.† I waited for more. When it didn’t come, I laughed. â€Å"Nice vague answer. You’re as bad as any scam fortune-teller.† Even in the darkness, I could see the anger kindle in her eyes. â€Å"You’ve come to search for Dimka. To try to kill him. You must find him.† â€Å"What do you mean ? ®try’?† I didn’t want to believe her, didn’t want to believe she might actually know my future. Nonetheless, I found myself getting hooked in. â€Å"Have you seen what happens? Do I kill him?† â€Å"I can’t see everything.† â€Å"Oh. Fantastic.† â€Å"I only saw that you must find him.† â€Å"But that’s all you’ve got? I already knew that!† â€Å"It’s what I saw.† I groaned. â€Å"Damn it, I don’t have time for these cryptic clues. If you can’t help me, then don’t say anything.† She stayed quiet. I slung my bag over my shoulder. â€Å"Fine. I’m leaving then.† And like that, I knew where I would go. â€Å"Tell the others†¦ well, tell them thank you for everything. And that I’m sorry.† â€Å"You’re doing the right thing,† she said. â€Å"This isn’t where you should be.† â€Å"So I’ve heard,† I muttered, walking away. I wondered if she’d say anything else: chastise me, curse me, give me more mysterious words of â€Å"wisdom.† But she stayed silent, and I didn’t look back. I had no home, not here and not in America. The only thing left for me was to do what I’d come to do. I had told Abe I kept my promises. I would. I’d leave Baia like I told him. And I’d kill Dimitri, as I’d promised myself I would. I knew where to go now. The address had never left my mind: 83 Kasakova. I didn’t know where it was, but once I reached the town’s center, I found a guy walking down the street who gave me directions. The address was close by, only about a mile, and I headed out at a brisk pace. When I reached the house, I was glad to see that the lights were still on. Even as pissed off and raging as I was, I didn’t want to wake anyone up. I also didn’t want to speak to Nikolai and was relieved when Denis opened the door. His expression was all astonishment when he saw me. Despite his bold words back at the church earlier, I don’t think he’d really believed I’d join him and the other unpromised ones. He was speechless, so I did the talking. â€Å"I changed my mind. I’m coming with you.† I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what came next. I’d promised Abe I’d leave Baia-but I hadn’t promised to return to the U.S. â€Å"Take me to Novosibirsk.†