Presentations of Attack of Pearl Harbor PowerPoint Presentation

Presentations of Attack of Pearl Harbor - PowerPoint Presentation Example This paper and exposition would thus analyze and contextualize the main components of a database set. To begin with, there is the tables which are diagrammatic representations and intuitions which are mostly used to store data. It is needless to mention the fact that without tables, a database would not be complete and it would not be referred to as a database. Once a person logs in to an excel or a database page, there are rows and columns which would be labeled and named according to the information they store (Chays & Deng, 2003). For example, if it is row and column on teachers-then such a row would be called teacher while the columns may be the names of the people. Other variables may be entered such as numerical and dates. Intuitively, there are queries which refer to the primary questions concerning the data contained in the database. It is important to note and mention that that queries encompass specific records, summaries or fields which may be required or needed from the database. In principle, queries allow a user to obtain information based on the defined criteria by a user. Forms are also a component which seek to reduce the challenge and ease the process of data entry. In the conventional sense and knowledge, most scientists and scholars prefer to use tables for data entry other than tables since they look more appealing and presentable. Report on their part have print records to present the contained and encompassed information or data. Similarly, there are other components of a database discussed below here in. There is the space for index which is a customization which allows for a person to retrieve and obtain information much faster and with ease. In principle, the index allows the user to get the information easier and faster. For example, the person or the user would customize information as using the First or last name of the columns and rows. This is to say that an index is unique to differentiate itself from other items and

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke in Social Contract Theory Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke in Social Contract Theory - Essay Example In these two books, Locke and Hobbes’ views on the social contract can be studied. Although Locke and Hobbes differ in their arguments and perceptions of social contract, they both agree that, in the state of nature, people will be more willing to choose state protection over their liberty. This is the core of social contract theory (Morris, 1999). In the social contract theory, both Hobbes and Locke argue that the state of nature is more likely to experience chaos. However, Locke views the state of nature and natural law from a more positive perspective as compared to Hobbes. Hobbes on the other side argues that highly egoistic people, whose probability of initiating war is very high, inhabit the state of nature. The function of Hobbes and Locke’s social contract theory was to serve as a way of citizens’ rights protection. However, these two differed on the manner in which this could be conducted. While Hobbes thought that a central authority could be responsible for the protection of citizens’ rights, Locke thought that division of power was necessary so that all citizens, including those in authority are held accountable to the law in society (Mack, 2009). Hobbes and Locke similarly address the roots of civilization using their concept of the state of nature. This is a term in political philosophy, which refers to the society without the emergence of the government system. Hobbes describes the state of nature as devoid of rule of war and inhabitants live in fear of death, and in brutality. He links brutality in the state of nature to the lack of rights, including property rights. Therefore, in this state, enmity between people crops from the competition for resources, as there are no rules that determine the legitimacy of property ownership by people. However, Locke’s view on the state of nature sharply contrasts Hobbes’ view. Locke thought that a central authority is not responsible for

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay Example for Free

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whether it is better to advance with the rest of the world, or to hold on to the traditions that truly make a society independent and beautiful. The play begins with Yemoja, the most important woman in the village, in a house with Daisy and Ruth, two feminist western-educated scholars. They are the primary antagonists in the play. At this early stage, we see that Daisy and Ruth are not fond of Yemoja. Daisy and Ruth are leaders of the â€Å"Better Life for Rural Women† campaign, which inspires women to believe that they are not only equal to men in many ways, but are even superior in others. The two of them select Yemoja as the mediator between the village and the western world that they are so desperate to force upon the women. The movement causes a great disturbance in the village between the men and women, and especially with Yemoja’s husband and father. Back in Daisy’s home, she has been getting into many disagreements with her family. Her husband Okei, disagrees with her passion about the feminist movement and they frequently fight about it. Her mother-in-law, Sherifat, still encourages Yemoja to participate in the village’s traditional tribal rituals. Sherifat expresses that it would a terrible fate if Yemoja attempts to assimilate to the modern culture and loses her roots. As the story goes on, Daisy becomes estranged from her daughter Bose, as Bose is beginning to understand more and more the culture of the village and becomes closer to Yemoja and Sherifat. Towards the end of the play, the villagers organize a march, for which Daisy gives Yemoja steps to teach to the rest of the women. It becomes clear to Yemoja at that point that western culture is not for them. Daisy and Ruth’s superior arrives to enlighten the women about her ideas of feminism. She is the one that will decide whether or not the movement has succeeded or not. When it is time for Yemoja to perform the dance, however, she and Sherifat perform one of the Idu rituals instead. Bose even joins in the dancing. Ruth falls and becomes extremely injured while Daisy is thrust into the middle of the action. The play ends here in a beautifully tragic scene as Ruth chokes to death while the rest of the villagers celebrate having revitalized their culture. Tess Onwueme’s play was delightfully written and captivating to any audience. The story was intriguing and definitely matched it’s title. Now I see that, Tell It To Women, is a statement on how the women of the village are always being told to do or be something. Whether it is by Daisy and Ruth or by their husbands, the women never really find their own voice until the very end. We see in the first movement, Sherifat telling the chorus of women that being a wife is â€Å"meaning that a wife deserves to be treated like a daughter and not something that you possess. † Yet, throughout much of the story, we see the women being treated like servants and as subhuman to Daisy and Ruth, the village men, and western civilization as a whole. However, I believe that even as a woman, the author was at times, very objective in her portrayal of feminism. She was able to write a play that showed both the positives and negatives of modernism, while advancing the ideals of traditionalism. She does all this without losing sight of what is most important to women of a small village like that. At one part she even has Ruth say â€Å"these rural women are very gullible, you know. All you need to do is make them feel they are important†¦ we need them anyway, maybe even more than they need us. † The author is commenting here on the passive-aggressive attempts of Daisy and Ruth but also shows that the village women do not actually need to be modernized. Perhaps here, the author is a little biased because she is making Daisy and Ruth out to be selfish and slightly cruel. To a western reader, the play was not very easy to read. The names of the villagers were at times tongue tying and I found myself changing opinions about a character because I in fact, thought they were another. Onwueme also does not really explain the native African dialect and proverbial expressions that are used, which was slightly confusing as well. Many play-writes include footnotes at the bottom of the page to explain vernacular that is not known to the reader and that would have been very helpful here. That being said, the true meaning of the play was present the entire time. The clash of cultures and the lingering pains of colonialism in Africa come through wonderfully in the author’s interpretation. In one eloquent line we see that colonialism left its mark of the villagers. Sherifat says to Daisy that â€Å"it’s easier for those who inflict the pain on others to forget. † Tell It To Women, while at times was hard to follow, beautifully captured the struggle of traditionalism versus modernism and is a true mark of feminism. Overall, I thought that the play was well written and captivating. Even as a man, when sometimes it is hard to understand the desires of women, let alone women of another culture, I was able to grasp the true value of this play. It enlightened me about African culture and the roles of men and women in society. I believe Onwueme did a tremendous job in exposing the struggles of postcolonial Africa in an artful representation.

Nursing Crisis Intervention: Stroke

Nursing Crisis Intervention: Stroke Stroke is a global problem of the increasing elderly population. According to the Department of Health (2007a), stroke is the third leading cause of death in the UK, with more than 110,000 individuals falling victim to a stroke each year at a cost to the National Health Services exceeding  £2.8 billion. The Stroke Association (2007) places this number at 130,000 with a mortality rate at 67,000 per year, including indirect costs of  £1.8 billion and costs for informal healthcare following stroke at  £2.4 billion. Incidence of stroke is equally as prevalent elsewhere, such as in the United States where, as the third leading cause of US deaths (Becker Wira 2006; Nolan Naylor 2003) stroke is the leading cause of disability (Becker Wira 2006; Stroke Association as cited by Amber 2003, p. 316; Stroke Association 2007). Becker and Wira (2006) state the incidence of stroke within the United States is 400,000 individuals per year with an anticipated growth to over 1 million yearly st roke victims by 2050. The American Stroke Association (as cited by Amber 2003, p. 316) states â€Å"every 45 seconds, someone in America has a stroke. Every 3.1 minutes, someone dies of one.† Nolan and Naylor (2003) state an average of 35,000 individuals suffer strokes when hospitalized for other unrelated illnesses. Such was the case for Ms. C., who suffered an ischemic stroke while hospitalized for a pacemaker implant. As the unit nurse assigned to care for Ms. C., subtle signs of her stroke were noticed and reported to the Code Gray[1] team for immediate response. The many roles of a unit nurse in the presence of a crisis are vital in providing adequate care to her patient, including the need to maintain a calm demeanour in the face of chaos. A number of rapid physical assessments must be performed including the use of the FAST criteria[2] (Mathiesen et al, 2006), response teams must be alerted and the nurse must keep the patient calm and oriented throughout the flurry of activity that can easily upset an elderly individual. While all emergencies call for rapid response, it is even more critical in the case of stroke when, if the patient is eligible for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)[3] a detailed physical history and examination, a neurological assessment, computed tomography (CT) scan and additional blood work must be performed before irreparable damage from the stroke occurs. With a focus on patient impact and nursing interventions, this paper will present the case study of Ms. C. Case presentation Ms. C., a 78-year-old, ambulatory, Caucasian female was admitted to the hospital for the replacement of a cardiac pacemaker. Ms. C. was widowed 5 years prior to her current hospitalization and lived alone having two married children living in Scotland and Wales. Prior to admission Ms. C. was diagnosed with high blood pressure (HBP), high cholesterol, was diabetic, and was on pharmaceutical medication for all three conditions. In spring 1995, Ms. C. had recurrent bouts of tachycardia alternating with bradycardia. Following an attempt to control the situation through pharmaceutical intervention, her cardiologist recommended she receive a cardiac pacemaker; which was implanted without complication the same year. She reports remaining in good health since that time; although additional medical notes indicate the onset of dementia, as she appears confused at times. Upon admission, vitals were normal, with the exception of her blood pressure (BP) which was 175/95. Her physician ordered Ms. C. be started on Losartan[4]. Subsequent vitals indicated a fluctuation in BP ranging from a low of 170/90 at 1AM to a high of 195/110 at 10AM. As Ms. C. was not responding to medication or fluid balancing recommended by her physician and her BP continued to climb, her cardiologist postponed surgery until her BP was brought under control. At 11:48am, when taking Ms. C.’s vitals, she appeared confused, her speech was slurred, there was slight facial droop and she could not extend her arm for the blood pressure cuff. At 11:50am a Code Gray alert was sounded. Impact on the patient When assessing the impact to the patient when a stroke occurs, the nurse must be aware of the implications on a variety of levels, including biological, psychological and sociological. In the case of Ms. C., there were additional implications for each of these due to the combination of her low-level, yet progressive dementia. Biological changes in an ischemic stroke (confirmed by the CT scan as opposed to hemorrhagic) were the result of a thrombolytic occlusion at the cerebral artery branch point due to atherosclerosis. On the cellular level, neuronal damage occurs when neurons become depolarized and allow for inordinate amounts of calcium to cross the cellular membrane that ultimately leads to a destruction of said cellular membrane and other structures within the neuron (Becker Wira 2006). Becker and Wira (2006) also comment on the neuronal damage caused by free radical, arachidonic acid and nitric acid generation that takes place during the ischemic cascade[5]. Genetic activation also takes place and leads to the production of cytokines in response to and as a cause of inflammation that can â€Å"consume† the ischemic penumbra (Becker Wira 2006). If one can limit the degree of injury to the ischemic penumbra located within the origami, the degree of permanent damage due to the ischemic episode is limited and is the goal of immediate stroke response (Becker Wira 2006). A combination of diagnostic laboratory tests[6] and rapid nursing assessments would be required to assess the level of damage. Although the Code Gray approach is geared towards rapid response to allow for administering t-PA within the three-hour window, Ms. C. was not eligible for t-PA treatment due to her uncontrolled hypertension (Bonnono et al. 2000, p. 300). The psychological impact on Ms. C was the most dramatic as her post-stroke status left her more confused and fearful than one might find in a strike victim due to the comorbid dementia. In addition to being frightened of the unknown and feeling very alone as a widow and without her children present, Ms. C. felt betrayed by her body and didn’t understand what was happening to her or why. Psychologically Ms. C. had to be kept calm and be reminded of what was occurring and why, with such orienting comments as â€Å"You are going to be examined by Dr. X† or â€Å"You are going to have a test done that won’t hurt you. There is no need to be afraid; I’ll be with you to assure you’re safe.† With the unknown of any comprehension deficits caused by the stroke it was also important to remind other team members that Ms. C. had problems with confusion and that it was important â€Å"for patients with dementia in particular to understand what is about to happen to them† (Cunningham McWilliam 2006, p. 14). Cunningham and McWilliam (2006, p. 14) suggest that nursing staff must compensate in their communication with dementia patients and that this often requires nurses to re-prioritize their tasks and sense of immediacy in order to offer the patient the greatest level of psychological and/or emotional support. Lipley (2005) states one of the most important nursing tasks is offering support to a stroke patient. The sociological impact relating to Ms. C.’s crisis was limited for the immediate future while hospitalized, although she indicated that she wanted her children contacted and requested they come to the hospital. The biggest sociological change and challenges facing Ms. C. would be following her discharge from the hospital. Depending on the amount of total damage suffered from her stroke and the subsequent progress with therapy to regain lost functionality, it was probable that Ms. C. would relocate to either live with one of her children and/or settle in a home for the aged. This required the nurse to contact a social worker to help Ms. C. with her adjustment. Implications for the organization One of the six strategic goals established by the Department of Health’s National Stroke Strategy (2007b) is to â€Å"accelerate the emergency response to stroke and improve coordination between different agencies and professionals involved including through improved access to CT scanning.† Fortunately, the hospital where Ms. C. suffered her stroke complied with this goal and had a Code Gray team assembled. National Health Services (2007) approximates 90 percent of hospitals in England as prepared to administer specialized stroke services. The number of stroke victims is increasing every year. The nurses must be aware of required interventions. This paper has highlighted the ischemic stroke and patient impacts, as well as those on the organization and nurse. The charts below presents required nursing interventions in response to an inpatient stroke. Reference Amber, R., Watkins, W., 2003. The community impact of Code Gray. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 26 (4), pp. 316-322. Becker, J. U. Wira, C., R. 2006. Stroke, Ischemic [Online]. Available from: http://www.medscape.com/emerg/topic558.htm [cited March 16 2007]. Bonnono, C., Criddle, L. M., Lutsep, H., Stevens, P., Kearns, K., Norton, R., 2000. Emergi-paths and stroke teams: An emergency department approach to acute ischemic stroke. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 32 (6), pp. 298-305. Cunningham, C. McWilliam, K., 2006. Caring for people with dementia in AE. Emergency Nurse, 14 (6), pp. 12–16. Department of Health, 2007a. Stroke [Online]. Department of Health. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Stroke/index.htm [cited March 16, 2007]. Department of Health, 2007b. Developing a national stroke strategy [Online]. Department of Health. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Stroke/DH_4132138 [cited March 16, 2007]. Department of Health, 2007c. Good practice examples and case studies: standard five (strokes) [Online]. Department of Health. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Olderpeoplesservices/Olderpeoplepromotionproject/DH_4002291[cited March 16, 2007]. Lipley, N., 2005. Different strokes†¦ Emergency Nurse, 13 (5), p. 5. Mathiesen, C., Tavianini, H. D., Palladino, K., 2006. Best practices in stroke rapid response: A case study. Medsurg Nursing, 15 (6), pp. 364-369. Nolan, S., Naylor, G. Burns, M., 2003. Code Gray: An organized approach to inpatient stroke. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly, 26 (4), pp. 296-302. Spilker, J., Kongable, G., Barch, C., Braimah, J., Bratina, P., Daley, S., Donnarumma, R., Rapp, K. Sailor, S., 1997. Using the NIH stroke scale to assess patients. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 29 (6), pp. 384-393. Stroke Association, 2007. Facts and figures about stroke [Online]. The Stroke Association. Available from http://www.stroke.org.uk/media_centre/facts_and_figures/index.html [cited March 16, 2007]. Wojner, A. W., Morgenstern, L., Alexandrov., A. V., Rodriguez, D., Persse, D., Grotta, J., 2003. Paramedic and emergency department care of stroke: Baseline data from a citywide performance improvement study. American Journal of Critical Care, 12 (5), pp. 411-417. 1 Footnotes [1] The term generally accepted in the medical community for multidisciplinary stroke response teams. The typical composition of a Code Gray team includes a primary care RN, charge RN from the Stroke/cardio care unit, an ICU RN, ICU resident, a neurologist, CT technologist and an individual responsible for telecommunications (Nolan Naylor 2003, p. 297). The Department of Health (2007c) reports that other Code Gray teams also include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, dieticians, pharmacists, a clinical psychologist and social worker. [2] FAST criteria is the acronym also known as the Cincinnati Pre-hospital Stroke Scale, such that F = Facial Droop, A = Arm drift, S = Speech and T = Time (Mathiesen et al. 2006; Lipley 2005). [3] t-PA must be administered within three hours of the first onset of symptoms (Amber 2003). [4] Losartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker. The choice was made to use this type of intervention based on the muscle relaxing nature of the medication rather than incorporating those that lowered BP through a modification of electrical activity within the nervous or cardiac system due to the reliance on her pacemaker and the potential other such forms of medication might have on recurrent tachycardia or bradycardia. [5] Ischemic cascade is the term referring to the chain of events that takes place following an ischemic stroke. [6] Although a variety of diagnostic blood work was already performed on Ms. C, a CBC, chemistry panel and cardiac biomarkers were ordered following the stroke for comparison against pre-stroke values along with coagulation studies (Becker Wira 2006).

The Scrivener and History in Richard III Essay -- Literary Analysis, S

Richard III challenges notions of how history is created and presented. Shakespeare’s play depicts the infamous Richard not only at odds with the other characters, but also fighting for a different interpretation of history. Richard and Margaret function as two characters opposed to each other with regard to history; Richard attempts to cover up the past as Margaret attempts to expose it. However, the creation and acceptance of history is largely predicated on more common figures. In particular the scrivener, a seemingly small side character, becomes an integral figure who creates the documentation of history, cementing the written version as a truth. The scrivener, tasked with the duty to write the documents falsely indicting Hastings at Richard’s request, approaches the audience in Act III, scene 6 and laments his position of falsely creating a legal document construed as truth, and manifests the complicated truth of history. The scrivener’s position as a f igure entrusted with written truth is observantly figured against both Richard’s approach to history through his language and the play as a whole–a text figured with propagandistic interests with the Tudor line. The scrivener’s scene, with its focus of documented history, exposes Richard’s verbal tricks and the play’s reliability as a historical document. While critics including Paige Martin Reynolds and Linda Charnes have identified both Richard and Margaret of Anjou as figures who engage with and distort history, lesser characters serve similar vital functions. Overall, Charnes and Reynolds contribute much to the conversation of history within the text and are essential to this particular reading, yet the level that the scrivener as a character works on contributes to... ...g to their favor, and in the creation of Hastings’ indictment, must create another â€Å"device† to place public opinion in the hands of the court (3. 6. 11). The public, nonetheless, knows that the bias is in place, illustrated by the scrivener’s questions to the audience. In the depiction of this figure, the scrivener calls out to the audience to recognize authorial control of historical narratives. The question remains as to what the audience should make of this bungling of historical narratives. Should they assign a Derridan lack of truth to the entire ordeal? Should they posit a historical meaning outside of the context of Richard III, relying solely on finite historical texts the scrivener brings into question? What remains to be addressed here is the question of meaning with characters that both create and question the very nature of truth in history and drama.

Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution :: Volunteering Community Sevice Essays

Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution Non-profit organizations that use the help of volunteers are being faced with new challenges in recruiting and retaining the new generation of volunteers. Certainly as the years pass, the interest of the volunteers’ changes in how they wish, or in what ways they can donate of themselves. When the American Red Cross was in its beginnings from before the turn of the century to the 1920’s, its primary focus was disaster relief. By the time of World War II (Dulles), dozens of new services provided by volunteers had been added to the original responsibilities. Today as in the past, our society approaches a new age and a new generation whose interest in volunteerism must be exploited by volunteer organizations if they wish to survive this change and continue to provide service to people in need. This paper explores the possible reasons for this change at it analyzes the idea that the new baby boomer generation of retired (or nearly so) volunteers and the Generation X an d Y volunteers (who are now of working age) want to help in a different way by using of their specialized skills. The new volunteers want to volunteer on their own time—perhaps even at their home on the computer. Many would be volunteers have not joined because they have not been told their specialized skill could be greatly used on projects to help people in need. Organizations are just realizing the untapped potential in many of its volunteers. They are realizing that â€Å"volunteer† does not mean â€Å"amateur.† In fact, according to the Volunteer 2000 Study by the American Red Cross, management expert Peter F. Drucker recently observed that more and more organizations are selecting, training, and managing volunteers as â€Å"unpaid staff† rather than as â€Å"well meaning amateurs.† Consider the electrician who spends some weekends working without pay at a project to rehabilitate housing for the homeless. Or the computer literacy teacher that trains paid staff how to build a web page. These volunteers are professionals volunteering in their professional expertise—they are not amateurs. These volunteers add value and strength to the organization to complete its mission. Taking into account that changes may not be good for all volunteer organizations, new opportunities are available for people to help in the information age as never before. Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution :: Volunteering Community Sevice Essays Changes in Volunteerism in the Information Revolution Non-profit organizations that use the help of volunteers are being faced with new challenges in recruiting and retaining the new generation of volunteers. Certainly as the years pass, the interest of the volunteers’ changes in how they wish, or in what ways they can donate of themselves. When the American Red Cross was in its beginnings from before the turn of the century to the 1920’s, its primary focus was disaster relief. By the time of World War II (Dulles), dozens of new services provided by volunteers had been added to the original responsibilities. Today as in the past, our society approaches a new age and a new generation whose interest in volunteerism must be exploited by volunteer organizations if they wish to survive this change and continue to provide service to people in need. This paper explores the possible reasons for this change at it analyzes the idea that the new baby boomer generation of retired (or nearly so) volunteers and the Generation X an d Y volunteers (who are now of working age) want to help in a different way by using of their specialized skills. The new volunteers want to volunteer on their own time—perhaps even at their home on the computer. Many would be volunteers have not joined because they have not been told their specialized skill could be greatly used on projects to help people in need. Organizations are just realizing the untapped potential in many of its volunteers. They are realizing that â€Å"volunteer† does not mean â€Å"amateur.† In fact, according to the Volunteer 2000 Study by the American Red Cross, management expert Peter F. Drucker recently observed that more and more organizations are selecting, training, and managing volunteers as â€Å"unpaid staff† rather than as â€Å"well meaning amateurs.† Consider the electrician who spends some weekends working without pay at a project to rehabilitate housing for the homeless. Or the computer literacy teacher that trains paid staff how to build a web page. These volunteers are professionals volunteering in their professional expertise—they are not amateurs. These volunteers add value and strength to the organization to complete its mission. Taking into account that changes may not be good for all volunteer organizations, new opportunities are available for people to help in the information age as never before.

Frostbite Chapter 23

Twenty-three THE WEATHER WARMED UP ON the day of my molnija ceremony. In fact, it was so warm that a lot of the snow on campus began melting, running down the sides of the Academy's stone buildings in slim, silvery streams. Winter was far from being over, so I knew everything would just freeze up again in a few days. For now, though, it felt as though the entire world was weeping. I had walked away from the Spokane incident with minor bruises and cuts. The burns from the melting flex-cuffs were the worst of my injuries. But I was still having a hard time dealing with the death I'd caused and the death I'd seen. I'd wanted little more than to go curl up in a ball somewhere and not talk to anyone, except maybe Lissa. But on my fourth day back at the Academy, my mother had found me and told me it was time to receive my marks. It had taken me several moments to grasp what she was talking about. Then it occurred to me that in decapitating two Strigoi, I'd earned two molnija tattoos. My first ones. The realization had stunned me. All my life, in considering my future career as a guardian, I'd looked forward to the marks. I'd seen them as badges of honor. But now? Mainly they were going to be reminders of something I wanted to forget. The ceremony took place in the guardians' building, in a large room they used for meetings and banquets. It was nothing at all like the great dining room at the resort. It was efficient and practical, like the guardians were. The carpet was a bluish gray shade, low and tightly woven. The bare white walls held framed black-and-white photos of St. Vladimir's through the years. There were no other decorations or fanfare, yet the solemnity and power of the moment were palpable. All the guardians on campus- but no novices- attended. They milled around in the building's main meeting room, hanging out in clusters but not talking. When the ceremony started, they fell into orderly ranks without being told and watched me. I sat on a stool in the corner of the room, leaning forward with my hair hanging over the front of my face. Behind me, a guardian named Lionel held a tattooist's needle to the back of my neck. I'd known him the whole time I'd been at the Academy, but I'd never realized he was trained to draw molnija marks. Before he started, he had a murmured conversation with my mother and Alberta. â€Å"She won't have a promise mark,† he said. â€Å"She hasn't graduated.† â€Å"It happens,† said Alberta. â€Å"She made the kills. Do the molnijas, and she'll get the promise mark later.† Considering the pain I regularly put myself through, I didn't expect the tattoos to hurt as much as they did. But I bit my lip and stayed silent as Lionel made the marks. The process seemed to go on forever. When he finished, he produced a couple of mirrors, and with some maneuvering, I was able to see the back of my neck. Two tiny black marks sat there, side by side, against my reddened and sensitive skin. Molnija meant â€Å"lightning† in Russian, and that's what the jagged shape was meant to symbolize. Two marks. One for Isaiah, one for Elena. Once I'd seen them, he bandaged them up and gave me some instructions about caring for them while they healed. Most of it I missed, but I figured I could ask again later. I was still kind of shocked by it all. After that, all the gathered guardians came up to me one by one. They each gave me some sort of sign of affection- a hug, a kiss on the cheek- and kind words. â€Å"Welcome to the ranks,† said Alberta, her weathered face gentle as she pulled me into a tight embrace. Dimitri didn't say anything when his turn came, but as always, his eyes spoke legions. Pride and tenderness filled his expression, and I swallowed back tears. He rested one hand gently on my cheek, nodded, and walked away. When Stan- the instructor I'd fought with the most since my first day- hugged me and said, â€Å"Now you're one of us. I always knew you'd be one of the best,† I thought I'd pass out. And then when my mother came up to me, I couldn't help the tear that ran down my cheek. She wiped it away and then brushed her fingers against the back of my neck. â€Å"Don't ever forget,† she told me. Nobody said, â€Å"Congratulations,† and I was glad. Death wasn't anything to get excited about. When that was done, drinks and food were served. I walked to the buffet table and made a plate for myself of miniature feta quiches and a slice of mango cheesecake. I ate without really tasting the food and answered questions from others without even knowing what I said half the time. It was like I was a Rose robot, going through the motions of what was expected. On the back of my neck, my skin stung from the tattoos, and in my mind, I kept seeing Mason's blue eyes and Isaiah's red ones. I felt guilty for not enjoying my big day more, but I was relieved when the group finally started dispersing. My mother walked up to me as others murmured their goodbyes. Aside from her words here at the ceremony, we hadn't talked much since my breakdown on the plane. I still felt a little funny about that- and a little embarrassed as well. She'd never mentioned it, but something very small had shifted in the nature of our relationship. We weren't anywhere near being friends†¦but we weren't exactly enemies anymore either. â€Å"Lord Szelsky is leaving soon,† she told me as we stood near the building's doorway, not far from where I'd yelled for her on that first day we'd talked. â€Å"I'll be going with him.† â€Å"I know,† I said. There was no question she'd leave. That was how it was. Guardians followed Moroi. They came first. She regarded me for a few moments, her brown eyes thoughtful. For the first time in a long time, I felt like we were actually looking eye to eye, as opposed to her looking down on me. It was about time, too, seeing as I had half a foot of height on her. â€Å"You did well,† she said at last. â€Å"Considering the circumstances.† It was only half a compliment, but I deserved no more. I understood now the mistakes and lapses of judgment that had led to the events at Isaiah's house. Some had been my fault; some hadn't. I wished I could have changed some of my actions, but I knew she was right. I'd done the best I could in the end with the mess before me. â€Å"Killing Strigoi wasn't as glamorous as I thought it'd be,† I told her. She gave me a sad smile. â€Å"No. It never is.† I thought then about all the marks on her neck, all the kills. I shuddered. â€Å"Oh, hey.† Eager to change the subject, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the little blue eye pendant she'd given me. â€Å"This thing you gave me. It's a n-nazari† I stumbled over the word. She looked surprised. â€Å"Yes. How'd you know?† I didn't want to explain my dreams with Adrian. â€Å"Someone told me. It's a protection thing, right?† A pensive look crossed her face, and then she exhaled and nodded. â€Å"Yes. It comes from an old superstition in the Middle East†¦Some people believe that those who want to hurt you can curse you or give you ‘the evil eye.' The nazar is meant to counteract the evil eye †¦ and just bring protection in general to those who wear it.† I ran my fingers over the piece of glass. â€Å"Middle East†¦so, places sort of like, um, Turkey?† My mother's lips quirked. â€Å"Places exactly like Turkey.† She hesitated. â€Å"It was †¦ a gift. A gift I received a long time ago †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her gaze turned inward, lost in memory. â€Å"I got a lot of †¦ attention from men when I was your age. Attention that seemed flattering at first but wasn't in the end. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes, between what's real affection and what's someone wanting to take advantage of you. But when you feel the real thing†¦well, you'll know.† I understood then why she was so overprotective about my reputation- she'd endangered her own when she was younger. Maybe more than that had been damaged. I also knew why she'd given the nazar to me. My father had given it to her. I didn't think she wanted to talk anymore about it, so I didn't ask. It was enough to know that maybe, just maybe, their relationship hadn't been all about business and genes after all. We said goodbye, and I returned to my classes. Everyone knew where I'd been that morning, and my fellow novices wanted to see my molnija marks. I didn't blame them. If our roles had been reversed, I would have been harassing me too. â€Å"Come on, Rose,† begged Shane Reyes. We were walking out of our morning practice, and he kept swatting my ponytail. I made a mental note to wear my hair down tomorrow. Several others followed us and echoed his requests. â€Å"Yeah, come on. Let's see what you got for your swordsmanship!† Their eyes shone with eagerness and excitement. I was a hero, their classmate who'd dispatched the leaders of the roving band of Strigoi that had so terrorized us over the holidays. But I met the eyes of someone standing at the back of the group, someone who looked neither eager nor excited. Eddie. Meeting my gaze, he gave me a small, sad smile. He understood. â€Å"Sorry, guys,† I said, turning back to the others. â€Å"They have to stay bandaged. Doctor's orders.† This was met with grumbles that soon turned into questions about how I'd actually killed the Strigoi. Decapitation was one of the hardest and rarest ways to kill a vampire; it wasn't like carrying a sword was convenient. So I did my best to tell my friends what had happened, making sure to stick to the facts and not glorify the killings. The school day couldn't end a moment too soon, and Lissa walked with me back to my dorm. She and I hadn't had the chance to talk much since everything had gone down in Spokane. I'd undergone a lot of questioning, and then there'd been Mason's funeral. Lissa had also been caught up in her own distractions with the royals leaving campus, so she'd had no more free time than me. Being near her made me feel better. Even though I could be in her head at any time, it just wasn't the same as actually being physically around another living person who cared about you. When we got to the door of my room, I saw a bouquet of freesias sitting on the floor near it. Sighing, I picked up the fragrant flowers without even looking at the attached card. â€Å"What are those?† asked Lissa while I unlocked the door. â€Å"They're from Adrian,† I told her. We walked inside, and I pointed to my desk, where a few other bouquets sat. I put the freesias down beside them. â€Å"I'll be glad when he leaves campus. I don't think I can take much more of this.† She turned to me in surprise. â€Å"Oh. Um, you don't know.† I got that warning twinge through the bond that told me I wouldn't like what was about to come. â€Å"Know what?† â€Å"Uh, he isn't leaving. He's going to stay here for a while.† â€Å"He has to leave,† I argued. To my knowledge, the only reason he'd come back at all was because of Mason's funeral, and I still wasn't sure why he'd done that, since he barely knew Mason. Maybe Adrian had just done it for show. Or maybe to keep stalking Lissa and me. â€Å"He's in college. Or maybe reform school. I don't know, but he does something.† â€Å"He's taking the semester off.† I stared. Smiling at my shock, she nodded. â€Å"He's going to stay and work with me†¦ and Ms. Carmack. All this time, he never even knew what spirit was. He just knew he hadn't specialized but that he had these weird abilities. He just kept them to himself, except for when he occasionally found another spirit user. But they didn't know any more than he did.† â€Å"I should have figured it out sooner,† I mused. â€Å"There was something about being around him. †¦ I always wanted to talk to him, you know? He just has this †¦ charisma. Like you do. I guess it's all tied into spirit and compulsion or whatever. It makes me like him †¦ even though I don't like him.† â€Å"Don't you?† she teased. â€Å"No,† I replied adamantly. â€Å"And I don't like that dream thing, either.† Her jade eyes went wide with wonder. â€Å"That is cool,† she said. â€Å"You've always been able to tell what's going on with me, but I've never been able to communicate with you the other way. I'm glad you guys got away when you did†¦but I wish I could have figured out the dream thing and helped find you.† â€Å"Not me,† I said. â€Å"I'm glad Adrian didn't get you to go off your meds.† I hadn't found that out until a few days after being in Spokane. Lissa had apparently rejected Adrian's initial suggestion that stopping the pills would let her learn more about spirit. She had admitted to me later, however, that if Christian and I had stayed missing much longer, she might have cracked. â€Å"How are you feeling lately?† I asked, recalling her concerns about the medication. â€Å"You still feel like the pills aren't working?† â€Å"Mmm†¦well, it's hard to explain. I still feel closer to the magic, like maybe they aren't blocking me so much anymore. But I'm not feeling any of the other mental side effects†¦not upset or anything.† â€Å"Wow, that's great.† A beautiful smile lit her face. â€Å"I know. It makes me think there might be hope for me to learn to work the magic after all someday.† Seeing her so happy made me smile back. I hadn't liked seeing those dark feelings starting to return and was glad they'd vanished. I didn't understand the how or the why, but as long as she felt okay- Everyone has light around them, except for you. You have shadows. You take them from Lissa. Adrian's words slammed into my mind. Uneasily, I thought about my behavior these last couple of weeks. Some of the angry outbursts. My rebelliousness- unusual even for me. My own black coil of emotion, stirring in my chest†¦ No, I decided. There were no similarities. Lissa's dark feelings were magic-based. Mine were stress-based. Besides, I felt fine right now. Seeing her watching me, I tried to remember where we'd left off in the conversation. â€Å"Maybe you'll eventually find a way to make it work. I mean, if Adrian could find a way to use spirit and doesn't need meds †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She suddenly laughed. â€Å"You don't know, do you?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"That Adrian does medicate himself.† â€Å"He does? But he said- † I groaned. â€Å"Of course he does. The cigarettes. The drinking. God only knows what else.† She nodded. â€Å"Yup. He's almost always got something in his system.† â€Å"But probably not at night†¦which is why he can poke his head into my dreams.† â€Å"Man, I wish I could do that,† she sighed. â€Å"Maybe you'll learn someday. Just don't become an alcoholic in the process.† â€Å"I won't,† she assured me. â€Å"But I will learn. None of the other spirit users could do it, Rose- well, aside from St. Vladimir. I'll learn like he did. I'm going to learn to use it- and I won't let it hurt me.† I smiled and touched her hand. I had absolute faith in her. â€Å"I know.† We talked for most of the evening. When the time came for my usual practice with Dimitri, I parted ways with her. As I walked away, I pondered something that had been bothering me. Although the attacking groups of Strigoi had had many more members, the guardians felt confident Isaiah had been their leader. That didn't mean there wouldn't be other threats in the future, but they felt it'd be a while before his followers regrouped. But I couldn't help thinking about the list I'd seen in the tunnel in Spokane, the one that had listed royal families by size. And Isaiah had mentioned the Dragomirs by name. He knew they were almost gone, and he'd sounded keen on being the one to finish them. Sure, he was dead now†¦but were there other Strigoi out there with the same idea? I shook my head. I couldn't worry about that. Not today. I still needed to recover from everything else. Soon, though. Soon I'd have to deal with this. I didn't even know if our practice was still on but went to the locker room anyway. After changing into practice clothes, I headed down into the gym and found Dimitri in a supply room, reading one of the Western novels he loved. He looked up at my entrance. I'd seen little of him in these last few days and had figured he was busy with Tasha. â€Å"I thought you might come by,† he said, putting a bookmark between the pages. â€Å"It's time for practice.† He shook his head. â€Å"No. No practice today. You still need to recover.† â€Å"I've got a clean bill of health. I'm good to go.† I pushed as much patented Rose Hathaway bravado into my words as I could. Dimitri wasn't falling for any of it. He gestured to the chair beside him. â€Å"Sit down, Rose.† I hesitated only a moment before complying. He moved his own chair close to mine so that we sat directly across from each other. My heart fluttered as I looked into those gorgeous dark eyes. â€Å"No one gets over their first kill†¦kills†¦easily. Even with Strigoi†¦well, it's still technically taking a life. That's hard to come to terms with. And after everything else you went through †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, then reached out and caught my hand in his. His fingers were exactly like I remembered, long and powerful, calloused with years of training. â€Å"When I saw your face†¦when we found you in that house†¦you can't imagine how I felt.† I swallowed. â€Å"How †¦ how did you feel?† â€Å"Devastated †¦ grief-stricken. You were alive, but the way you looked †¦ I didn't think you'd ever recover. And it tore me apart to think of that happening to you so young.† He squeezed my hand. â€Å"You will recover- I know that now, and I'm glad. But you aren't there. Not yet. Losing someone you care about is never easy.† My eyes dropped from his and studied the floor. â€Å"It's my fault,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Mason. Getting killed.† I didn't have to see Dimitri's face to know compassion was filling it. â€Å"Oh, Roza. No. You made some bad decisions†¦you should have told others when you knew he was gone†¦but you can't blame yourself. You didn't kill him.† Tears brimmed in my eyes as I looked back up. â€Å"I might as well have. The whole reason he went there- it was my fault. We had a fight†¦and I told him about the Spokane thing, even though you asked me not to†¦.† One tear leaked out of the corner of my eye. Really, I needed to learn to stop that. Just as my mother had, Dimitri delicately wiped the tear off my cheek. â€Å"You can't blame yourself for that,† he told me. â€Å"You can regret your decisions and wish you'd done things differently, but in the end, Mason made his decisions too. That was what he chose to do. It was his decision in the end, no matter your original role.† When Mason had come back for me, I realized, he'd let his feelings for me get in the way. It was what Dimitri had always feared, that if he and I had any sort of relationship, it would put us- and any Moroi we protected- in danger. â€Å"I just wish I'd been able to †¦ I don't know, do anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Swallowing back further tears, I pulled my hands from Dimitri's and stood up before I could say something stupid. â€Å"I should go,† I said thickly. â€Å"Let me know when you want to start practice again. And thanks for †¦ talking.† I started to turn; then I heard him say abruptly, â€Å"No.† I glanced back. â€Å"What?† He held my gaze, and something warm and wonderful and powerful shot between us. â€Å"No,† he repeated. â€Å"I told her no. Tasha.† â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shut my mouth before my jaw hit the floor. â€Å"But†¦why? That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You could have had a baby. And she †¦ she was, you know, into you†¦.† The ghost of a smile flickered on his face. â€Å"Yes, she was. Is. And that's why I had to say no. I couldn't return that†¦couldn't give her what she wanted. Not when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He took a few steps toward me. â€Å"Not when my heart is somewhere else.† I almost started crying again. â€Å"But you seemed so into her. And you kept going on about how young I acted.† â€Å"You act young,† he said, â€Å"because you are young. But you know things, Roza. Things people older than you don't even know. That day †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I knew instantly which day he referred to. The one up against the wall. â€Å"You were right, about how I fight to stay in control. No one else has ever figured that out- and it scared me. You scare me.† â€Å"Why? Don't you want anyone to know?† He shrugged. â€Å"Whether they know that fact or not doesn't matter. What matters is that someone- that you- know me that well. When a person can see into your soul, it's hard. It forces you to be open. Vulnerable. It's much easier being with someone who's just more of a casual friend.† â€Å"Like Tasha.† â€Å"Tasha Ozera is an amazing woman. She's beautiful and she's brave. But she doesn't- â€Å" â€Å"She doesn't get you,† I finished. He nodded. â€Å"I knew that. But I still wanted the relationship. I knew it would be easy and that she could take me away from you. I thought she could make me forget you.† I'd thought the same thing about Mason. â€Å"But she couldn't.† â€Å"Yes. And, so †¦ that's a problem.† â€Å"Because it's wrong for us to be together.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Because of the age difference.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But more importantly because we're going to be Lissa's guardians and need to focus on her- not each other.† â€Å"Yes.† I thought about this for a moment and then looked straight into his eyes. â€Å"Well,† I said at last, â€Å"the way I see it, we aren't Lissa's guardians yet.† I steeled myself for the next response. I knew it was going to be one of the Zen life lessons. Something about inner strength and perseverance, about how the choices we made today were templates for the future or some other nonsense. Instead he kissed me. Time stopped as he reached out and cupped my face between his hands. He brought his mouth down and brushed it against my lips. It was barely a kiss at first but soon increased, becoming heady and deep. When he finally pulled away, it was to kiss my forehead. He left his lips there for several seconds as his arms held me close. I wished the kiss could have gone on forever. Breaking the embrace, he ran a few fingers through my hair and down my cheek. He stepped back toward the door. â€Å"I'll see you later, Roza.† â€Å"At our next practice?† I asked. â€Å"We are starting those up again, right? I mean, you still have things to teach me.† Standing in the doorway, he looked over at me and smiled. â€Å"Yes. Lots of things.†