The Occupation Of Japan Essays - Military Personnel, Asia, Japan

The Occupation of Japan The occupation of Japan was, from start to finish, an American operation. General Douglans MacArthur, sole supreme commander of the Allied Power was in charge. The Americans had insufficient men to make a military government of Japan possible; so t hey decided to act through the existing Japanese gobernment. General Mac Arthur became, except in name, dictator of Japan. He imposed his will on Japan. Demilitarization was speedily carried out, demobilization of the former imperial forces was complet ed by early 1946. Japan was extensively fire bomded during the second world war. The stench of sewer gas, rotting garbage, and the acrid smell of ashes and scorched debris pervaded the air. The Japanese people had to live in the damp, and col d of the concrete buildings, because they were the only ones left. Little remained of the vulnerable wooden frame, tile roof dwelling lived in by most Japanese. When the first signs of winter set in, the occupation forces immediately took over all the s team-heated buildings. The Japanese were out in the cold in the first post war winter fuel was very hard to find, a family was considered lucky if they had a small barely glowing charcoal brazier to huddle around. That next summer in random spots new ho uses were built, each house was standardized at 216 square feet, and required 2400 board feet of material in order to be built. A master plan for a modernistic city had been drafted, but it was cast aside because of the lack of time before the next winte r. The thousands of people who lived in railroad stations and public parks needed housing. All the Japanese heard was democracy from the Americans. All they cared about was food. General MacAruther asked the government to send food, when they refus ed he sent another telegram that said, "Send me food, or send me bullets." American troops were forbidden to eat local food, as to keep from cutting from cutting into the sparse local supply. No food was was brought in expressly for the Japanese durning the first six months after the American presence there. Herbert Hoover, serving as chairman of a special presidential advisory committee, recommended minimum imports to Japan of 870,000 tons of food to be distributed in different urban areas. Fi sh, the source of so much of the protein in the Japanese diet, were no longer available in adequate quantities because the fishing fleet, particularly the large vessels, had been badly decimated by the war and because the U.S.S.R. closed off the fishing g rounds in the north. The most important aspect of the democratization policy was the adoption of a new constitution and its supporting legislation. When the Japanese government proved too confused or too reluctant to come up with a constitutional reform that satisfied MacArthur, he had his own staff draft a new constitution in February 1946. This, with only minor changes, was then adopted by the Japanese government in the form of an imperial amendment to the 1889 constitution and went into effect on May 3, 1947. The new Constitution was a perfection of the British parliamentary form of government that the Japanese had been moving toward in the 1920s. Supreme political power was assigned to the Diet. Cabinets were made responsible to the Diet by having the prime minister elected by the lower house. The House of Peers was replaced by an elected House of Councillors. The judicial system was made as independent of executive interference as possible, and a newly created supreme court was given the power to review the constitutionality of laws. Local governments were given greatly increased powers. The Emperor was reduced to being a symbol of the unity of the nation. Japanese began to see him in person. He went to hospitals, schools, mines, industrial plants; he broke ground for public buildings and snipped tape at the opening of gates and highways. He was steered here and there, shown things, and kept muttering, "Ah so, ah so." People started to call him "Ah-so-san." Suddenly the puybli c began to take this shy, ill-at-ease man to their hearts. They saw in him something of their own

Korean War vs. Vietnam War essays

Korean War vs. Vietnam War essays Korea and Vietnam had similar beginnings as far as revolutions are concerned. Korea had been occupied by Japan and Vietnam had been occupied by France. The United States and other U.N. nations put millions of dollars into both wars, but pretty much came out empty handed. At first it seemed as though America would win both wars but those opinions changed after years and years of fighting proved that not enough was being done to successfully rid Asian countries of communism. At first Truman just had sea and air suppport but it soon turned inot a war with the U.S.'s total involvment. A similar situation took place in Vietnam. In the beginning the U.N. sent support to France but soon got actively involved in the war once the support was not enough anymore. Korea, just like Vietnam was split between a Northern Communist enemy and a Southern Republic ally of the U.S. In both events the U.S. government was forced into signing peace treaties because of the severe U.S. losses from fighting. Both Vietnam and Korea were supported by China and the Soviet Union. By the beginning of the Korean War, China was already on its way to becoming a nuclear power. U.S. government officials faced problems with this. They needed to fight the main enemy but at the same time avoid a fight with China. Both sided knew that a fight with China would have meant World WarIII with a nuclear weapons. Both sides preferred to avoid this but either side was willing to use nuclear weapons if they detected a threat from the other side. For the U.S. both wars had similar goals. The stop of communism was imminent and the U.N. would do everything short of using nuclear weapons to stop it. The Vietnam war however brought on a new enemy, guerilla warfare. Guerilla tactics were powerful and could severly destroy operations in a sector. During the Korean war most of the fighting was done between two armies. But as far as Vietnam was concerned, U.S. troop...

The Benefits of the Legalization of Marijuana in Colorodo and Research Paper

The Benefits of the Legalization of Marijuana in Colorodo and Washinton state - Research Paper Example The legalization of marijuana means that there will be no more arrests that will be made to people either found using or in possession of the drug. Under the new Colorados law, residents who are beyond 21 years of age can possess, produce, sell and use up to an ounce of the drug at any given time. The law has had an immense and measurable effect to the colored people in Colorado where racial disparities regarding marijuana use and possession arrests have been questionable. Police in Colorado have been arresting blacks three times more than the whites. The arrests have been questionable since the whites have higher rates of using the drug than the colored residents. According to the NAACP, the legalization will alleviate the biased arrests. The blacks make 11% of Colorado’s population, but for every three Marijuana related arrests made, one must be a black person. The arrests have long-lasting and devastating effects. The arrests records affect an individual’s chances of getting a job, loans, housing, and other public benefits. People with Marijuana arrest records are demoted to the second class status. With the legalization of Marijuana, such arrests are stopped making life easy for all residents (Franklin 4). Legalizing the use of marijuana solves the problems associated with the illicit market. Marijuana users will shift to purchasing the drug from regulated stores. Violence originating from street corner trades will cease as the markets will be replaced with well-guarded stores having security and surveillance systems. Consumers now get clear information of what they are buying instead of getting whatever that is wrapped up in a baggie. The consumers will now have the benefit of choosing of what they want from a wide variety of the product depending on the price and the quality they want. The prices of the drug will respond like those of other products depending on supply and demand. The

Ational Geographic photographers videos and responses Assignment

Ational Geographic photographers videos and responses - Assignment Example He has a specially improved camera Obscura helping him to reveal iconic landscapes from the unique perspective. He says his pictures are dreamlike and surreal, but are products of camera in recording, which is like a dream in the physical wake (National Geographic 1). He uses photography to reflect the influence of global warming. His time-lapse cameras have captured evidence of reducing glaciers and changing snow patterns across the world. He maintains that camera gives a language to communicate to the world because the pictorial language can penetrate people’s hearts and minds. He insists that the photographer’s highest calling is to challenge and alter the inherited wisdom (National Geographic 1). Professor Kashi describes the highs and the lows of the working as a photojournalist. During the interview, Kashi shares his beliefs that a photographer’s great work comes from the issues he or she genuinely cares. He maintains that a photojournalist has to examine the world and himself because of the challenges and risks involved to accomplish the mission (National Geographic 1). He gained access to North Korea where he stresses on seeing life from you because of the different passions possessed by various people. In his viewpoint, the lives of the photographers are not normal life. He expresses interest in the photos of people taking the bus, couple crying at the Pyongyang airport and kids throwing snowballs at each other (National Geographic 1). Brian Skerry has been diving with the camera for over 30 years capturing the unseen world below the water’s surface. The passion of protecting the planet for the future motivated his underwater photography. He says that photography is a discovery process as he spends time with different kinds of sea creatures underwater from the biggest to smallest (National Geographic 1). He photographed human rights abuses and conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He captured the lives of citizens in the

Tourism in Bhutan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tourism in Bhutan - Case Study Example This research aims to evaluate and present tourism in Bhutan that has been experiencing a constant increase ever since 1974, when the Government of Bhutan all started issuing travel licenses to foreign visitors into the isolated country. The Bhutan Tourism Corporation or the BTC was solely responsible for handing tourism related matters of the country until 1991. The country’s government however, decided in 1991 to privatize and corporation in an attempt to boost up the tourism as well as facilitate private sector investment into the tourism into the industry. With the help of the efforts put in by the government, the country now has more then seventy five fully licensed tour operating companies. As mentioned above, it is the Bhutanese government that is responsible for tourism planning inside the country. The government however is reluctant to issue a great number of visit visas to tourists as it thinks of the acute impact increased tourism could have on the environment and c ulture of the country. However, if tourism is properly planned and managed by the government, alongside providing appropriate input required to boost tourist activity, then the local travel industry can easily outshine the expected growth plans without having any negative or acute impact on the environment of the country. There are already several initiatives taken by the country to boost up its tourism. The government is busy in looking for resources to finance the expansion costs. A very smart measure taken by the government is to bring all tourism related stake holders on board while drafting a new tourism related policy. This will make sure that the new tourism policy does not only represent the wishes of the State but also takes into account the views of stake holders like travel managers and tour operators who play an essential part in promoting the tourism of the country (Cooper, 2001). Objectives of the Tourism Industry The main objective of Bhutan’

Factors Influencing Static Electricity

Factors Influencing Static Electricity Abstract The purpose of this experiment is to understand the magnitude of static electricity and the factors influencing it. The importance of this study can be linked to climate, technological advances, and improving existing inventions or creating new inventions. The fascination with static electricity motivated me to understand what static electricity is, in order to further my knowledge and flawlessly explain the science of lightning. Static electricity is the imbalance of electric charge which produces a small spark, therefore on a much larger scale, lightning in a thunderstorm is the result of the separation of protons and electrons. For my experiment, I created an electroscope using a glass jar with a plastic lid, a paperclip holding two small pieces of aluminum foil and tape securing the paperclip. I used 3 balloons of different sizes, small, medium, and large and rubbed it on my hair to separate charges, then I brought the balloon closer to the electroscope and the aluminum  foil then repelled from the other piece of aluminum; this successfully conveyed  that there was a separation of charge on the balloon from rubbing it on my hair. I repeated this experiment with the next 2 balloons and recorded my results. To decrease the likelihood of failure, I did 2 more trials; the results I came across supported my original hypothesis which stated that the bigger the material, the greater amount of electric   ch arge, and after conducting the experiment 2 more times with each different size of material, my hypothesis still was proved to be accurate. Upon proving the hypothesis to be true, I then concluded that the magnitude of lightning must have extreme strength considering the large scale damage it can do, and the fascination continued as I felt as though the science behind lightning was now between my very fingertips. To conclude, my experiment has taught me about the science of static electricity, the different ways we can separate charges in order to induce a shock, and how it can be related and interconnected with climate. This field of study has extreme significance and I am confident that the use of static electricity will grow, such as the use of static electricity in printers and photocopiers has already been implemented. For the next experiment I conduct, I would like to test the different influences other factors have on static electricity, such as the type of materials tested, the effects of the environment where the experiment takes place, or the significance of climate regarding static electricity. Introduction fI have always been fascinated with electric charge, static electricity, and the effects of friction. The fascination with science and its relationship to static  electricity and climate leaves me wondering what causes static electricity, how it is produced, and what are the factors that create a higher magnitude of static electricity. The main reason I am motivated to do this experiment is due to the fact that the world is advancing technologically each and every  day. In my opinion the incorporation of static electricity into common  applications is a very important subject to study; especially considering the amazing capabilities, and future advancements, of printers, photocopiers. I have many un-answered questions about the science of static electricity and the various factors that influence it. The topic of static electricity raises interesting points and thought provoking questions, I would like to answer a few such as; how does static electricity relate to lightning? What is the effect of size and temperature on static electricity? And, is static electricity necessary for life on Earth? + The purpose of this experiment is to examine the difference in magnitude of  static electricity, using several materials of different sizes. Testing the different materials will then lead me to understand the factors that may influence the strength of electric charges, and how it could relate to climate. +Hypothesis: I think that the size of an object is ther essential factor affecting  the magnitude of static electricity, that is, the bigger the material, the  greater magnitude Indicatevariables Manipulated  variable :Size of the material testing balloons Responding  variable:  Amount of static electricity Constants:  The types of materials, number of times each balloon is rubbed, and the temperature in the room the experiment will be conducted in. Research Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charges, and is generated by the separation of positive charges and negative charges. Therefore, when two different materials are within contact, the electrons can move from one material to the next when then leaves a surplus of positive charge on the other material, this consequently creates static electricity. Static electricity may be produced by friction and create a spark; however friction does not create it, but rather the transfer of electrons will create the static charge. All materials, people, and objects contain atoms. Atoms possess a nucleus which consist of protons and neutrons, whereas the electrons are outside of the nucleus. Objects and materials are usually neutrally charged as there is an equal number of protons and electronshowever if there is an imbalance between the  electric charges induced by contact, static electricity will generate. Static electricity can also be generated through various ways, such as when putting ceramics under pressure or heat. One can also separate charges by positioning a charged object   near a neutral object. This results in the charges of the neutral object repelling the same polarity as the charged object while the charged object will be attracted to the opposite polarity, which then causes the neutral object to have an unequal amount of charge. Discovering the different ways to separate charges increases my motivation to understand the factors that affect the magnitude of static electricity. The transfer of electrons onto a different material and having an imbalance between charges will result in static electricity, however I would like to understand the  relationship between polarity and size. My entire experiment is based on the many factors that could possibly influence the degree of static electricity. I am using the factors that could possibly affect static electricity as my foundation because static  electricity is vital to human existence, and important.                    . Hypothesis Based on my research, I think that the size of an object is the significant factor affecting the strength of static electricity, in other words, the larger the material, the greater the magnitude. Research that I have conducted has helped me discover the science behind lightning, which reenforces my hypothesis of larger  materials or objects that hold electric charge having greater strength because of how strong lightning is. Lightning is essentially static electricity on a bigger scale. Procedure Materials Glass jar Plastic lid Tape Aluminum foil Paper clip Balloons Ruler Variables o Manipulated variable- For this experiment, the size of each balloon will be manipulated. o Respondingvariable The magnitude of static electricity observable from the  foil repels.   o Constants Types of material, number of times each balloon is rubbed, and the temperature of the environment that the experiment will be conducted in. Stepbystep 1. Inflate 3 balloons of different sizes; small, medium, and large 2. Straighten   the paper clip out, then create a shape with a center circle with two hooks attached to it 3. Make a small opening in the middle of the plastic lid 4. Place the paper clip in the opening with the center circle sticking out from the top, and the hooks at the bottom, then secure it with tape 5. Cut two small pieces of aluminum foil of equal size, then make a small hole in the end of each strip 6. Attach the strips of foil onto the hooks of the paperclip 7. Now we have an electroscope and its time for the experiment to be conducted, create a data chart to record trials and measurements 8. Grab the small balloon, and rub it on your hair 10 times, then take the balloon and get close to the top of the electroscope, the foil should then move apart; this conveys that there is a separation of charges. 9. Measure the distance between the aluminum foil in the data chart 10. Repeat step 8 with the next two balloons and record the results to compare the strength of static electricity 11. Complete 2 more trials for each size of the balloons Results Observations Small balloon 0.7 inches Medium balloon 1inch Large balloon 1.2 inches Conclusion Based on the results of this experiment, the hypothesis that   the bigger the material is, the stronger the magnitude, is proven to be true. The small balloon on  each trial has the smallest distance between the 2 strips of aluminum foil, and the  large balloon has the largest distance. This correlation supports my original  chypothesis and can therefore expand my knowledge of static electricity and apply  Q-:it to wider scales. This study has extreme significance as it can be applied to  creating new inventions with the use of static electricity, explaining climate, and  understanding the different strengths of static electricity and its uses. On a personal interest, I believe the fascination with this topic is because of how   powerful lightning can be, and how it can be conducted from my very fingertips. The purpose of this project for me is to understand the science behind lightning  learned the details of static electricity, why we feel a shock when there is an imbalance of charges, and the different ways to separate charges. For next time, I would like to experiment with varying materials rather than different sizes, and possibly change small details such as, number of rubs per material, number of trials, and trying to experiment in different temperatures. Bibliography Hanania, Jordan, Kailyn Stenhouse, and Jason Donev. Static electricity. Static electricity-EnergyEducation.N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2017. . How does static electricity work? Howdoesstaticelectricitywork?{Everyday Mysteries: FunScienceFactsfrom theLibraryofCongress).N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2017. . What Is Static Electricity? LiveScience.Purch, n.d. Web. 10 Jan. 2017. .                 Ã‚  

Zoe’s Tale PART III Chapter Twenty-One

The next morning I found out Dad was under arrest. â€Å"It's not exactly arrest,† Dad said at our kitchen table, having his morning coffee. â€Å"I've been relieved of my position as colony leader and have to travel back to Phoenix Station for an inquiry. So it's more like a trial. And if that goes badly then I'll be arrested.† â€Å"Is it going to go badly?† I asked. â€Å"Probably,† Dad said. â€Å"They don't usually have an inquiry if they don't know how it's going to turn out, and if it was going to turn out well, they wouldn't bother to have it.† He sipped his coffee. â€Å"What did you do?† I asked. I had my own coffee, loaded up with cream and sugar, which was sitting ignored in front of me. I was still in shock about Enzo, and this really wasn't helping. â€Å"I tried to talk General Gau out of walking into the trap we set for him and his fleet,† Dad said. â€Å"When we met I asked him not to call his fleet. Begged him not to, actually. It was against my orders. I was told to engage in ‘nonessential conversation' with him. As if you can have nonessential conversation with someone who is planning to take over your colony, and whose entire fleet you're about to blow up.† â€Å"Why did you do it?† I asked. â€Å"Why did you try to give General Gau an out?† â€Å"I don't know,† Dad said. â€Å"Probably because I didn't want the blood of all those crews on my hands.† â€Å"You weren't the one who set off the bombs,† I said. â€Å"I don't think that matters, do you?† Dad said. He set down his cup. â€Å"I was still part of the plan. I was still an active participant. I still bear some responsibility. I wanted to know that at the very least I tried in some small way to avoid so much bloodshed. I guess I was just hoping there might be a way to do things other than the way that ends up with everyone getting killed.† I got up out of my chair and gave my dad a big hug. He took it, and then looked at me, a little surprised, when I sat back down. â€Å"Thank you,† he said. â€Å"I'd like to know what that was about.† â€Å"It was me being happy that we think alike,† I said. â€Å"I can tell we're related, even if it's not biologically.† â€Å"I don't think anyone would doubt we think alike, dear,† Dad said. â€Å"Although given that I'm about to get royally shafted by the Colonial Union, I'm not sure it's such a good thing for you.† â€Å"I think it is,† I said. â€Å"And biology or not, I think we're both smart enough to figure out that things are not going well for anyone,† Dad said. â€Å"This is a real big mess, nor are we out of it.† â€Å"Amen,† I said. â€Å"How are you, sweetheart?† Dad asked. â€Å"Are you going to be okay?† I opened my mouth to say something and closed it again. â€Å"I think right now I want to talk about anything else in the world besides how I'm doing,† I said, finally. â€Å"All right,† Dad said. He started talking about himself then, not because he was an egotist but because he knew listening to him would help me take my mind off my own worries. I listened to him talk on without worrying too much about what he said. Dad left on the supply ship San Joaquin the next day, with Manfred Trujillo and a couple other colonists who were going as representatives of Roanoke, on political and cultural business. That was their cover, anyway. What they were really doing, or so Jane had told me, was trying to find out anything about what was going on in the universe involving Roanoke and who had attacked us. It would take a week for Dad and the others to reach Phoenix Station; they'd spend a day or so there and then it would take another week for them to return. Which is to say, it'd take another week for everyone but Dad to return; if Dad's inquiry went against him, he wouldn't be coming back. We tried not to think about that. Three days later most of the colony converged on the Gugino homestead and said good-bye to Bruno and Natalie, Maria, Katherina, and Enzo. They were buried where they had died; Jane and others had removed the missile debris that had fallen on them, reshaped the area with new soil, and set new sod on top. A marker was placed to note the family. At some point in the future, there might be another, larger marker, but for now it was small and simple: the family name, the name of the members, and their dates. It reminded me of my own family marker, where my biological mother lay. For some reason I found this a little bit comforting. Magdy's father, who had been Bruno Gugino's closest friend, spoke warmly about the whole family. A group of singers came and sang two of Natalie's favorite hymns from Zhong Guo. Magdy spoke, briefly and with difficulty about his best friend. When he sat back down, Gretchen was there to hold him while he sobbed. Finally we all stood and some prayed and others stood silently, with their heads bowed, thinking about missing friends and loved ones. Then people left, until it was just me and Gretchen and Magdy, standing silently by the marker. â€Å"He loved you, you know,† Magdy said to me, suddenly. â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"No,† Magdy said, and I saw how he was trying to get across to me that he wasn't just making comforting words. â€Å"I'm not talking about how we say we love something, or love people we just like. He really loved you, Zoe. He was ready to spend his whole life with you. I wish I could make you believe this.† I took out my PDA, opened it to Enzo's poem, and showed it to Magdy. â€Å"I believe it,† I said. Magdy read the poem, nodded. Then he handed the PDA back to me. â€Å"I'm glad,† he said. â€Å"I'm glad he sent that to you. I used to make fun of him because he wrote you those poems. I told him that he was just being a goof.† I smiled at that. â€Å"But now I'm glad he didn't listen to me. I'm glad he sent them. Because now you know. You know how much he loved you.† Magdy broke down as he tried to finish that sentence. I came up to him and held him and let him cry. â€Å"He loved you too, Magdy,† I said to him. â€Å"As much as me. As much as anyone. You were his best friend.† â€Å"I loved him too,† Magdy said. â€Å"He was my brother. I mean, not my real brother†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He started to get a look on his face; he was annoyed with himself that he wasn't expressing himself like he wanted. â€Å"No, Magdy,† I said. â€Å"You were his real brother. In every way that matters, you were his brother. He knew you thought of him that way. And he loved you for it.† â€Å"I'm sorry, Zoe,† Magdy said, and looked down at his feet. â€Å"I'm sorry I always gave you and Enzo a hard time. I'm sorry.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, gently. â€Å"Stop that. You were supposed to give us a hard time, Magdy. Giving people a hard time is what you do. Ask Gretchen.† â€Å"It's true,† Gretchen said, not unkindly. â€Å"It really is.† â€Å"Enzo thought of you as his brother,† I said. â€Å"You're my brother too. You have been all this time. I love you, Magdy.† â€Å"I love you too, Zoe,† Magdy said quietly, and then looked straight at me. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"You're welcome.† I gave him another hug. â€Å"Just remember that as your new family member I'm now entitled to give you all sorts of crap.† â€Å"I can't wait,† Magdy said, and then turned to Gretchen. â€Å"Does this make you my sister too?† â€Å"Considering our history, you better hope not,† Gretchen said. Magdy laughed at that, which was a good sign, then gave me a peck on a cheek, gave Gretchen a hug, and then walked from the grave of his friend and brother. â€Å"Do you think he's going to be okay?† I asked Gretchen, as we watched him go. â€Å"No,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Not for a long time. I know you loved Enzo, Zoe, I really do, and I don't want this to sound like I'm trying to undercut that. But Enzo and Magdy were two halves of the same whole.† She nodded to Magdy. â€Å"You lost someone you love. He's lost part of himself. I don't know if he's going to get over that.† â€Å"You can help him,† I said. â€Å"Maybe,† Gretchen said. â€Å"But think about what you're asking me to do.† I laughed. It's why I loved Gretchen. She was the smartest girl I ever knew, and smart enough to know that being smart had its own repercussions. She could help Magdy, all right, by becoming part of what he was missing. But it meant her being that, one way or another, for the rest of their lives. She would do it, because when it came down to it she really did love Magdy. But she was right to worry about what it meant for her. â€Å"Anyway,† Gretchen said, â€Å"I'm not done helping someone else.† I snapped out of my thoughts at that. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"Well. You know. I'm okay.† â€Å"I know,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I also know you lie horribly.† â€Å"I can't fool you,† I said. â€Å"No,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Because what Enzo was to Magdy, I am to you.† I hugged her. â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"Good,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Whenever you forget, I'll remind you.† â€Å"Okay,† I said. We unhugged and Gretchen left me alone with Enzo and his family, and I sat with them for a long time. Four days later, a note from Dad from a skip drone from Phoenix Station. A miracle, it said. I'm not headed for prison. We are heading back on the next supply ship. Tell Hickory and Dickory that I will need to speak to them when I return. Love you. There was another note for Jane, but she didn't tell me what was in it. â€Å"Why would Dad want to talk to you?† I asked Hickory. â€Å"We don't know,† Hickory said. â€Å"The last time he and I spoke of anything of any importance was the day – I am sorry – that your friend Enzo died. Some time ago, before we left Huckleberry, I had mentioned to Major Perry that the Obin government and the Obin people stood ready to assist you and your family here on Roanoke should you need our assistance. Major Perry reminded me of that conversation and asked me if the offer still stood. I told him that at the time I believed it did.† â€Å"You think Dad is going to ask for your help?† I asked. â€Å"I do not know,† Hickory said. â€Å"And since I last spoke to Major Perry circumstances have changed.† â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Dickory and I have finally received detailed updated information from our government, up to and including its analysis of the Colonial Union's attack on the Conclave fleet,† Hickory said. â€Å"The most important piece of news is that we have been informed that shortly after the Magellan disappeared, the Colonial Union came to the Obin government and asked it not to search for the Roanoke colony, nor to offer it assistance if it were to be located by the Conclave or any other race.† â€Å"They knew you would come looking for me,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"But why would they tell you not to help us?† I asked. â€Å"Because it would interfere with the Colonial Union's own plans to lure the Conclave fleet to Roanoke,† Hickory said. â€Å"That's happened,† I said. â€Å"That's done. The Obin can help us now,† I said. â€Å"The Colonial Union has asked us to continue not to offer aid or assistance to Roanoke,† Hickory said. â€Å"That makes no sense,† I said. â€Å"We are inclined to agree,† Hickory said. â€Å"But that means that you can't even help me,† I said. â€Å"There is a difference between you and the colony of Roanoke,† Hickory said. â€Å"The Colonial Union cannot ask us not to protect or assist you. It would violate the treaty between our peoples, and the Colonial Union would not want to do that, especially now. But the Colonial Union may choose to interpret the treaty narrowly and has. Our treaty concerns you, Zoe. To a much lesser extent it concerns your family, meaning Major Perry and Lieutenant Sagan. It does not concern Roanoke colony at all.† â€Å"It does when I live here,† I said. â€Å"This colony is of a great deal of concern to me. Its people are of a great deal of concern to me. Everybody I care about in the whole universe is here. Roanoke matters to me. It should matter to you.† â€Å"We did not say it did not matter to us,† Hickory said, and I heard something in its voice I had never heard before: reproach. â€Å"Nor do we suggest it does not matter to you, for many reasons. We are telling you how the Colonial Union is asking the Obin government to view its rights under treaty. And we are telling you that our government, for its own reasons, has agreed.† â€Å"So if my dad asks for your help, you will tell him no,† I said. â€Å"We will tell him that so long as Roanoke is a Colonial Union world, we are unable to offer help.† â€Å"So, no,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"We are sorry, Zoe.† â€Å"I want you to give me the information your government has given you,† I said. â€Å"We will do so,† Hickory said. â€Å"But it is in our native language and file formatting, and will take a considerable amount of time for your PDA to translate.† â€Å"I don't care,† I said. â€Å"As you wish,† Hickory said. Not too long after that I stared at the screen of my PDA and ground my teeth together as it slowly plodded through file transformations and translations. I realized it would be easier just to ask Hickory and Dickory about it all, but I wanted to see it all with my own eyes. However long it took. It took long enough that I had hardly read any of it by the time Dad and the others had made it home. â€Å"This all looks like gibberish to me,† Gretchen said, looking at the documents I was showing her on my PDA. â€Å"It's like it was translated from monkey or something.† â€Å"Look,† I said. I pulled up a different document. â€Å"According to this, blowing up the Conclave fleet backfired. It was supposed to make the Conclave collapse and all the races start shooting at each other. Well, the Conclave is starting to collapse, but hardly any of them are actually fighting each other. They're attacking Colonial Union worlds instead. They really messed this up.† â€Å"If you say this is what it says, I'm going to believe you,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I'm not actually finding verbs here.† I pulled up another document. â€Å"Here, this is about a Conclave leader named Nerbros Eser. He's General Gau's main competition for leadership of the Conclave now. Gau still doesn't want to attack the Colonial Union directly, even though we just destroyed his fleet. He still thinks the Conclave is strong enough to keep doing what it's been doing. But this Eser guy thinks the Conclave should just wipe us out. The Colonial Union. And especially us here on Roanoke. Just to make the point that you don't mess with the Conclave. The two of them are fighting over control of the Conclave right now.† â€Å"Okay,† Gretchen said. â€Å"But I still don't know what any of this means, Zoe. Speak not-hyper-ese to me. You're losing me.† I stopped and took a breath. Gretchen was right. I'd spent most of the last day reading these documents, drinking coffee, and not sleeping; I was not at the peak of my communication skills. So I tried again. â€Å"The whole point of founding Roanoke colony was to start a war,† I said. â€Å"It looks like it worked,† Gretchen said. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It was supposed to start a war within the Conclave. Blowing up their fleet was supposed to tear the Conclave apart from the inside. It would end the threat of this huge coalition of alien races and bring things back to the way it was before, when every race was fighting every other race. We trigger a civil war, and then we sweep in while they're all fighting and scoop up the worlds we want and come out of it all stronger than before – maybe too strong for any one race or even a small group of races to square off against. That was the plan.† â€Å"But you're telling me it didn't work that way,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Right,† I said. â€Å"We blew up the fleet and got the Conclave members fighting, but who they're fighting is us. The reason we didn't like the Conclave is that it was four hundred against one, the one being us. Well, now it's still four hundred against one, except now no one's listening to the one guy who was keeping them from engaging in total war against us.† â€Å"Us here on Roanoke,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Us everywhere,† I said. â€Å"The Colonial Union. Humans. Us. This is happening now,† I said. â€Å"Colonial Union worlds are being attacked. Not just the new colony worlds, the ones that usually get attacked. Even the established colonies – the ones that haven't been attacked in decades – are getting hit. And unless General Gau gets them all back in line, these attacks are going to keep happening. They're going to get worse.† â€Å"I think you need a new hobby,† Gretchen said, handing me back my PDA. â€Å"Your new one here is really depressing.† â€Å"I'm not trying to scare you,† I said. â€Å"I thought you would want to know about all this.† â€Å"You don't have to tell me,† Gretchen said. â€Å"You need to tell your parents. Or my dad. Someone who actually knows what to do about all this.† â€Å"They already know,† I said. â€Å"I heard John and Jane talking about it last night after he got back from Phoenix Station. Everyone there knows the colonies are under attack. No one's reporting it – the Colonial Union has a lockdown on the news – but everyone's talking about it.† â€Å"What does that leave for Roanoke?† Gretchen said. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. â€Å"But I know we don't have a lot of pull right now.† â€Å"So we're all going to die,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Well. Gee. Thanks, Zoe. I'm really glad to know it.† â€Å"It's not that bad yet,† I said. â€Å"Our parents are working on it. They'll figure it out. We're not all going to die.† â€Å"Well, you're not going to die, at least,† Gretchen said. â€Å"What does that mean?† I asked. â€Å"If things really go swirling, the Obin will swoop in and take you out of here,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Although if all of the Colonial Union is really under attack, I'm not sure where you're going to end up going. But the point is, you have an escape route. The rest of us don't.† I stared at Gretchen. â€Å"That's incredibly unfair,† I said. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere, Gretchen.† â€Å"Why?† Gretchen said. â€Å"I'm not angry at you that you have a way out, Zoe. I'm envious. I've been through one attack. Just one missile got through and it didn't even explode properly, and it still did incredible damage and killed someone I care about and everyone in his family. When they come for us for real, we don't have a chance.† â€Å"You still have your training,† I said. â€Å"I'm not going to be able to engage in single combat with a missile, Zoe,† Gretchen said, annoyed. â€Å"Yes, if someone decides to have a landing party here, I might be able to fight them off for a while. But after what we've done to that Conclave fleet, do you think anyone is really going to bother? They're just going to blow us up from the sky. You said it yourself. They want to be rid of us. And you're the only one that has a chance of getting out of here.† â€Å"I already said I'm not going anywhere,† I said. â€Å"Jesus, Zoe,† Gretchen said. â€Å"I love you, I really do, but I can't believe you're actually that dumb. If you have a chance to go, go. I don't want you to die. Your mom and dad don't want it. The Obin will hack a path through all the rest of us to keep you from dying. I think you should take the hint.† â€Å"I get the hint,† I said. â€Å"But you don't understand. I've been the sole survivor, Gretchen. It's happened to me before. Once is enough for any lifetime. I'm not going anywhere.† â€Å"Hickory and Dickory want you to leave Roanoke,† Dad said to me, after he had paged me with his PDA. Hickory and Dickory were standing in the living room with him. I was clearly coming in on some sort of negotiation between them. And it was also clearly about me. The tone of Dad's voice was light enough that I could tell he was hoping to make some point to the Obin, and I was pretty sure I knew what the point was. â€Å"Are you and Mom coming?† I said. â€Å"No,† Dad said. This I expected. Whatever was going to happen with the colony, both John and Jane would see it through, even if it meant they would die with it. It's what they expected of themselves as colony leaders, as former soldiers, and as human beings. â€Å"Then to hell with that,† I said. I looked at Hickory and Dickory when I said it. â€Å"Told you,† Dad said to Hickory. â€Å"You didn't tell her to come away,† Hickory said. â€Å"Go away, Zoe,† Dad said. This was said with such a sarcastic delivery that even Hickory and Dickory couldn't miss it. I gave a less-than-entirely-polite response to that, and then to Hickory and Dickory, and then, for good measure, to the whole idea that I was something special to the Obin. Because I was feeling saucy, and also because I was tired of the whole thing. â€Å"If you want to protect me,† I said to Hickory, â€Å"then protect this colony. Protect the people I care about.† â€Å"We cannot,† Hickory said. â€Å"We are forbidden to do so.† â€Å"Then you have a problem,† I said, â€Å"because I'm not going anywhere. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it.† And then I left, dramatically, partly because I think that was what Dad was expecting, and partly because I was done saying what I wanted to say on the matter. Then I went to my room and waited for Dad to call me again. Because whatever was going on between him and Hickory and Dickory, it wasn't over when I stomped out of the room. And like I said, whatever it was, was clearly about me. About ten minutes later Dad called for me again. I went back into the living room. Hickory and Dickory were gone. â€Å"Sit down, Zoe, please,† Dad said. â€Å"I need you to do something for me.† â€Å"Does it involve leaving Roanoke?† I asked. â€Å"It does,† Dad said. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Zoe,† Dad said. â€Å"No,† I said again. â€Å"And I don't understand you. Ten minutes ago you were happy to have me stand here in front of Hickory and Dickory and tell them I wasn't going anywhere, and now you want me to leave? What did they tell you to make you change your mind?† â€Å"It's what I told them,† Dad said. â€Å"And I haven't changed my mind. I need you to go, Zoe.† â€Å"For what?† I said. â€Å"So I can stay alive while everyone I care about dies? You and Mom and Gretchen and Magdy? So I can be saved when Roanoke is destroyed?† â€Å"I need you to go so I can save Roanoke,† Dad said. â€Å"I don't understand,† I said. â€Å"That's probably because you didn't actually let me finish before you got on your soapbox,† Dad said. â€Å"Don't mock me,† I said. Dad sighed. â€Å"I'm not trying to mock you, Zoe. But what I really need from you right now is to be quiet so I can tell you about this. Can you do that, please? It will make things go a lot more quickly. Then if you say no, at least you'll be saying no for the right reasons. All right?† â€Å"All right,† I said. â€Å"Thank you,† Dad said. â€Å"Look. Right now all of the Colonial Union is under attack because we destroyed the Conclave fleet. Every CU world has been hit. The Colonial Defense Forces are strained as it is, and it's going to get worse. A lot worse. The Colonial Union is already making decisions about what colonies it can afford to lose when push comes to shove.† â€Å"And Roanoke is one of those,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Dad said. â€Å"Very definitely. But it's more than that, Zoe. There was a possibility that I might have been able to ask the Obin to help us here on Roanoke. Because you were here. But the Colonial Union has told the Obin not to help us at all. They can take you from here, but they can't help you or us defend Roanoke. The Colonial Union doesn't want them to help us.† â€Å"Why not?† I asked. â€Å"That doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"It doesn't make sense if you assume the Colonial Union wants Roanoke to survive,† Dad said. â€Å"But look at it another way, Zoe. This is the first colony with colonists from the CU rather than Earth. The settlers here are from the ten most powerful and most populous Colonial Union worlds. If Roanoke is destroyed, all ten of those worlds are going to be hit hard by the loss. Roanoke will become a rallying cry for those worlds. And for the whole Colonial Union.† â€Å"You're saying we're worth more to the Colonial Union dead than alive,† I said. â€Å"We're worth more as a symbol than as a colony,† Dad said. â€Å"Which is inconvenient for those of us who live here and want to stay alive. But, yes. It's why they won't let the Obin help us. It's why we don't make the cut for resources.† â€Å"You know this for sure?† I asked. â€Å"Someone told you this when you went back to Phoenix Station?† â€Å"Someone did,† Dad said. â€Å"A man named General Szilard. He was Jane's former commanding officer. It was unofficial, but it matched up with my own internal math.† â€Å"And you trust him?† I asked. â€Å"No offense, but the Colonial Union hasn't exactly been on the up-and-up with us lately.† â€Å"I have my issues with Szilard,† Dad said. â€Å"And so does your mom. But yes. I trust him on this. Right now he's the only one in the whole Colonial Union I actually do trust.† â€Å"What does this have to with me leaving Roanoke?† I asked. â€Å"General Szilard told me something else when I saw him,† Dad said. â€Å"Also unofficial, but from good sources. He told me that General Gau, the Conclave leader – â€Å" â€Å"I know who he is, Dad,† I said. â€Å"I've been keeping up with current events.† â€Å"Sorry,† Dad said. â€Å"He said General Gau was being targeted for assassination by someone in his own close circle of advisors, and that the assassination would happen soon, probably in the next few weeks.† â€Å"Why'd he tell you this?† I asked. â€Å"So I could use it,† Dad said. â€Å"Even if the Colonial Union wanted to tell General Gau about the attempt – which it doesn't, since it probably would like to see it succeed – there's no reason to believe that Gau would consider it credible. The CU did just blow up his fleet. But Gau might listen to the information if it came from me, because he's already had dealings with me.† â€Å"And you were the one who begged him not to bring his fleet to Roanoke,† I said. â€Å"Right,† Dad said. â€Å"It's because of that we've been attacked as little as we have. General Gau said to me that neither he nor the Conclave would retaliate against Roanoke itself for what happened to the fleet.† â€Å"We were still attacked,† I said. â€Å"But not by the Conclave itself,† Dad said. â€Å"By someone else, testing our defenses. But if Gau is assassinated, that guarantee dies with him. And then it's open season on Roanoke, and we'll get hit, fast, because we're where the Conclave had its biggest defeat. We're a symbol for the Conclave, too. So we have to let General Gau know he's in danger. For our own sake.† â€Å"If you tell him this, you'll be giving information to an enemy of the Colonial Union,† I said. â€Å"You'll be a traitor.† Dad gave me a wry grin. â€Å"Trust me, Zoe,† he said. â€Å"I'm already neck-deep in trouble.† His smile disappeared. â€Å"And yes, General Gau is an enemy of the Colonial Union. But I think he might be a friend to Roanoke. Right now, Roanoke needs all the friends it can get, wherever it can get them. The ones we used to have are turning their backs on us. We're going out to this new one, hat in hand.† â€Å"And by we you mean me,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Dad said. â€Å"I need you to deliver this message for me.† â€Å"You don't need me to do it,† I said. â€Å"You could do it. Mom could do it. It would be better from either of you.† Dad shook his head. â€Å"Neither Jane nor I can leave Roanoke, Zoe. The Colonial Union is watching us. They don't trust us. And even if we could, we can't leave because we belong here with the colonists. We're their leaders. We can't abandon them. Whatever happens to them happens to us too. We made a promise to them and we're going to stay and defend this colony, no matter what happens. You understand that.† I nodded. â€Å"So we can't go. â€Å"But you can, and secretly,† Dad said. â€Å"The Obin already want to take you off Roanoke. The Colonial Union will allow it because it's part of their treaty with the Obin, and as long as Jane and I stay here, it won't raise an eyebrow. The Obin are technically neutral in the fight between the Conclave and the Colonial Union; an Obin ship will be able to get to General Gau's headquarters where a ship from the Colonial Union couldn't.† â€Å"So send Hickory and Dickory,† I said. â€Å"Or just have the Obin send a skip drone to General Gau.† â€Å"It won't work,† Dad said. â€Å"The Obin are not going to jeopardize their relationship with the Colonial Union to pass messages for me. The only reason they're doing this at all is because I'm agreeing to let them take you off Roanoke. I'm using the only piece of leverage I have with the Obin, Zoe. That's you. â€Å"And there's something else. General Gau has to know that I believe the information I'm sending him is good. That I'm not just being a pawn again in a larger Colonial Union game. I need to give him a token of my sincerity, Zoe. Something that proves that I have as much to risk in sending him this information as he has in receiving it. Even if I or Jane could go ourselves, General Gau would have no reason to trust what we say to him, because he knows both Jane and I were soldiers and are leaders. He knows we would be willing to sacrifice ourselves for our colony. But he also knows that I'm not willing to sacrifice my only daughter. And neither is Jane. â€Å"So you see, Zoe. It has to be you. No one else can do it. You're the only one who can get to General Gau, deliver the message, and be believed. Not me, not Jane, not Hickory and Dickory. No one else. Just you. Deliver the message, and we might still find a way to save Roanoke. It's a small chance. But right now it's the only one we've got.† I sat there for a few minutes, taking in what Dad asked of me. â€Å"You know if Hickory and Dickory take me off Roanoke, they're not going to want to bring me back,† I said, finally. â€Å"You know that.† â€Å"I'm pretty sure of it,† Dad said. â€Å"You're asking me to leave,† I said. â€Å"You're asking me to accept that I might not ever see any of you again. Because if General Gau won't believe me, or if he's killed before I can talk to him, or even if he does believe me but can't do anything to help us, this trip won't mean anything. All it will do is get me off Roanoke.† â€Å"If that's all it did, Zoe, I still wouldn't complain,† Dad said, and then quickly held up his hand, to stop me from commenting on that. â€Å"But if that's all I thought it would do, I wouldn't ask you to do it. I know you don't want to leave Roanoke, Zoe. I know you don't want to leave us or your friends. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, Zoe. But you're also old enough now to make your own decisions. If when all was said and done you wanted to stay on Roanoke to face whatever came our way, I wouldn't try to stop you. Nor would Jane. We would be with you until the end. You know that.† â€Å"I do,† I said. â€Å"There are risks for everyone,† Dad said. â€Å"When Jane and I tell the Roanoke colony council about this – which we will do once you're gone – I'm pretty sure they are going to kick us out as the colony leaders. When news gets back to the Colonial Union, Jane and I are almost certainly going to be arrested on charges of treason. Even if everything goes perfectly, Zoe, and General Gau accepts your message and acts on it and maybe even makes sure that Roanoke stays unmolested, we will still have to pay for our actions. Jane and I accept this. We think it's worth it for a chance to keep Roanoke safe. The risk for you here, Zoe, is that if you do this, you might not see us or your friends again for a very long time, or at all. It's a big risk. It's a real risk. You have to decide whether it's one worth taking.† I thought about this some more. â€Å"How long do I have to think about this?† I asked. â€Å"All the time you need,† Dad said. â€Å"But those assassins aren't sitting around doing nothing.† I glanced over to where Hickory and Dickory had been. â€Å"How long do you think it will take them to get a transport here?† I asked. â€Å"Are you kidding?† Dad said. â€Å"If they didn't send for one the second I was done talking to them, I'll eat my hat.† â€Å"You don't wear a hat,† I said. â€Å"I will buy a hat and eat it, then,† Dad said. â€Å"I'm going to come back,† I said. â€Å"I'm going to take this message to General Gau, and then I'm going to get back here. I'm not sure how I'm going to convince the Obin of that, but I'm going to do it. I promise you, Dad.† â€Å"Good,† Dad said. â€Å"Bring an army with you. And guns. And battle cruisers.† â€Å"Guns, cruisers, army,† I said, running down the checklist. â€Å"Anything else? I mean, as long as I'm going shopping.† â€Å"Rumor is that I might be in the market for a hat,† Dad said. â€Å"Hat, right,† I said. â€Å"Make it a jaunty hat,† he said. â€Å"I promise nothing,† I said. â€Å"Fine,† Dad said. â€Å"But if you have to choose between the hat and the army, pick the army. And make it a good one. We're going to need it.† â€Å"Where is Gretchen?† Jane asked me. We stood outside the small Obin transport. I had already said good-bye to Dad. Hickory and Dickory waited for me inside the transport. â€Å"I didn't tell her I was leaving,† I said. â€Å"She is going to be very upset about that,† Mom said. â€Å"I don't intend to be away long enough for her to miss me,† I said. Mom didn't say anything to that. â€Å"I wrote her a note,† I said, finally. â€Å"It's scheduled for delivery tomorrow morning. I told her what I thought I could tell her about why I left. I told her to talk to you about the rest of it. So she might come by to see you.† â€Å"I'll talk to her about it,† Jane said. â€Å"I'll try to make her understand.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"How are you?† Mom asked. â€Å"I'm terrified,† I said. â€Å"I'm scared I'll never see you or Dad or Gretchen again. I'm scared I'm going to screw this up. I'm scared that even if I don't screw this up it won't matter. I feel like I'm going to pass out, and I've felt that way since this thing landed.† Jane gave me a hug and then looked to my neck, puzzled. â€Å"You're not taking your jade elephant pendant?† she said. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"It's a long story. Tell Gretchen I said for her to tell it to you. You need to know about it anyway.† â€Å"Did you lose it?† Jane asked. â€Å"It's not lost,† I said. â€Å"It's just not with me anymore.† â€Å"Oh,† Jane said. â€Å"I don't need it anymore,† I said. â€Å"I know who in this world loves me, and has loved me.† â€Å"Good,† Jane said. â€Å"What I was going to tell you is that as well as remembering who loves you, you should remember who you are. And everything about who you are. And everything about what you are.† â€Å"What I am,† I said, and smirked. â€Å"It's because of what I am that I'm leaving. What I am has been more trouble than it's worth, if you ask me.† â€Å"That doesn't surprise me,† Jane said. â€Å"I have to tell you, Zoe, that there have been times when I have felt sorry for you. So much of your life has been completely out of your control. You've lived your life under the gaze of an entire race of people, and they have made their demands on you right from the beginning. I'm always amazed you've stayed sane through all of it.† â€Å"Well, you know,† I said. â€Å"Good parents help.† â€Å"Thank you,† Jane said. â€Å"We tried to keep your life as normal as possible. And I think we've raised you well enough that I can tell you this and have you understand it: What you are has made demands of you all your life. Now it's time to demand something back. Do you understand?† â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said. â€Å"Who you are has always had to make room for what you are,† Jane said. â€Å"You know that.† I nodded. It had. â€Å"Part of that was because you were young, and what you are is so much larger than who you are,† Jane said. â€Å"You can't expect a normal eight-year-old or even a fourteen-year-old to understand what it means to be something like what you are. But you're old enough now to understand it. To get an appreciation for it. To know how you can use it, for something besides trying to stay up late.† I smiled, amazed that Jane remembered me trying to use the treaty to stay up past my bedtime. â€Å"I've watched you in the last year,† Jane said. â€Å"I've seen how you interact with Hickory and Dickory. They've imposed a lot on you because of what you are. All that training and practicing. But you've also started asking more of them. All those documents you've had them give you.† â€Å"I didn't know you knew about that,† I said. â€Å"I was an information officer,† Jane said. â€Å"This sort of thing is my job. My point is that you've become more willing to use that power. You are finally taking control of your life. What you are is starting to make room for who you are.† â€Å"It's a start,† I said. â€Å"Keep going,† Jane said. â€Å"We need who you are, Zoe. We need you to take what you are – every part of what you are – and use it to save us. To save Roanoke. And to come back to us.† â€Å"How do I do it?† I asked. Jane smiled. â€Å"Like I said: Demand something back,† she said. â€Å"That's unhelpfully vague,† I said. â€Å"Perhaps,† Jane said, and then kissed me on the cheek. â€Å"Or maybe I just have faith that you're smart enough to figure it out on your own.† Mom got a hug for that. Ten minutes later I was fifteen klicks above Roanoke and climbing, heading for an Obin transport, thinking about what Jane had said. â€Å"You will find that our Obin ships travel far more quickly than your Colonial Union ships,† Hickory said. â€Å"Is that right,† I said. I wandered over to where Hickory and Dickory had placed my luggage and picked out one of the suitcases. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"Far more efficient engines and better artificial gravity management. We will reach skip distance from Roanoke in a little under two days. It would take one of your ships five or six days to reach the same distance.† â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"The sooner we get to General Gau the better.† I unzipped the suitcase. â€Å"This is a very exciting moment for us,† Hickory said. â€Å"This is the first time since you have lived with Major Perry and Lieutenant Sagan that you will meet other Obin in person.† â€Å"But they know all about me,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"The recordings of the last year have made their way to all Obin, both in unedited and digest form. The unedited versions will take time to process.† â€Å"I'll bet,† I said. â€Å"Here we are.† I found what I was looking for: the stone knife, given to me by my werewolf. I had packed it quickly, when no one was looking. I was just making sure that I didn't imagine packing it. â€Å"You brought your stone knife,† Hickory said. â€Å"I did,† I said. â€Å"I have plans for it.† â€Å"What plans?† Hickory asked. â€Å"I'll tell you later,† I said. â€Å"But tell me, Hickory,† I said. â€Å"This ship we're going to. Is there anyone important on it?† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"Because it is the first time that you have been in the presence of other Obin since you were a child, one of the members of Obin's governing council will be there to greet you. It very much wants to meet with you.† â€Å"Good,† I said, and glanced at the knife. â€Å"I very much want to meet with it, too.† I think I actually made Hickory nervous right then.

Chapter 29 The Dream

It comes down to this,† said Hermione, rubbing her forehead. â€Å"Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking.† â€Å"It must've been Crouch,† said Ron at once. â€Å"That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner.† â€Å"I don't think so,† said Harry, shaking his head. â€Å"He seemed really weak – I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything.† â€Å"You can't Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough times?† said Hermione. â€Å"Okay†¦hows this for a theory,† said Ron excitedly. â€Å"Krum attacked Crouch – no, wait for it – and then Stunned himself!† â€Å"And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?† said Hermione coldly. â€Å"Oh yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was daybreak. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had crept out of their dormitories very early and hurried up to the Owlery together to send a note to Sirius. Now they were standing looking out at the misty grounds. All three of them were puffy-eyed and pale because they had been talking late into the night about Mr. Crouch. â€Å"Just go through it again, Harry,† said Hermione. â€Å"What did Mr. Crouch actually say?† â€Å"I've told you, he wasn't making much sense,† said Harry. â€Å"He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault†¦.He mentioned his son.† â€Å"Well, that was his fault,† said Hermione testily. â€Å"He was out of his mind,† said Harry. â€Å"Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions.† â€Å"And†¦remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?† said Ron tentatively. â€Å"I've told you,† Harry repeated dully. â€Å"He said he's getting stronger.† There was a pause. Then Ron said in a falsely confident voice, â€Å"But he was out of his mind, like you said, so half of it was probably just raving†¦.† â€Å"He was sanest when he was trying to talk about Voldemort,† said Harry, and Ron winced at the sound of the name. â€Å"He was having real trouble stringing two words together, but that was when he seemed to know where he was, and know what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore.† Harry turned away from the window and stared up into the rafters. The many perches were half-empty; every now and then, another owl would swoop in through one of the windows, returning from its night's hunting with a mouse in its beak. â€Å"If Snape hadn't held me up,† Harry said bitterly, â€Å"we might've got there in time. ‘The headmaster is busy. Potter†¦what's this rubbish, Potter?' Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?† â€Å"Maybe he didn't want you to get there!† said Ron quickly. â€Å"Maybe – hang on – how fast d'you reckon he could've gotten down to the forest? D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?† â€Å"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something,† said Harry. â€Å"Wouldn't put it past him,† Ron muttered. â€Å"We need to see Professor Moody,† said Hermione. â€Å"We need to find out whether he found Mr. Crouch.† â€Å"If he had the Marauder's Map on him, it would've been easy,† said Harry. â€Å"Unless Crouch was already outside the grounds,† said Ron, â€Å"because it only shows up to the boundaries, doesn't -â€Å" â€Å"Shh!† said Hermione suddenly. Somebody was climbing the steps up to the Owlery. Harry could hear two voices arguing, coming closer and closer. â€Å"- that's blackmail, that is, we could get into a lot of trouble for that-â€Å" â€Å"- we've tried being polite; it's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did -â€Å" â€Å"I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!† â€Å"Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?† The Owlery door banged open. Fred and George came over the threshold, then froze at the sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. â€Å"What're you doing here?† Ron and Fred said at the same time. â€Å"Sending a letter,† said Harry and George in unison. â€Å"What, at this time?† said Hermione and Fred. Fred grinned. â€Å"Fine – we won't ask you what you're doing, if you don't ask us,† he said. He was holding a sealed envelope in his hands. Harry glanced at it, but Fred, whether accidentally or on purpose, shifted his hand so that the name on it was covered. â€Å"Well, don't let us hold you up,† Fred said, making a mock bow and pointing at the door. Ron didn't move. â€Å"Who're you blackmailing?† he said. The grin vanished from Fred's face. Harry saw George half glance at Fred, before smiling at Ron. â€Å"Don't be stupid, I was only joking,† he said easily. â€Å"Didn't sound like that,† said Ron. Fred and George looked at each other. Then Fred said abruptly, â€Å"I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but -â€Å" â€Å"It's my business if you're blackmailing someone,† said Ron. â€Å"George's right, you could end up in serious trouble for that.† â€Å"Told you, I was joking,† said George. He walked over to Fred, pulled the letter out of his hands, and began attaching it to the leg of the nearest barn owl. â€Å"You're starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron. Carry on like this and you'll be made a prefect.† â€Å"No, I won't!† said Ron hotly. George carried the barn owl over to the window and it took off. George turned around and grinned at Ron. â€Å"Well, stop telling people what to do then. See you later.† He and Fred left the Owlery. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at one another. â€Å"You don't think they know something about all this, do you?† Hermione whispered. â€Å"About Crouch and everything?† â€Å"No,† said Harry. â€Å"If it was something that serious, they'd tell someone. They'd tell Dumbledore.† Ron, however, was looking uncomfortable. â€Å"What's the matter?† Hermione asked him. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Ron slowly, â€Å"I dunno if they would. They're†¦they're obsessed with making money lately, I noticed it when I was hanging around with them – when – you know -â€Å" â€Å"We weren't talking.† Harry finished the sentence for him. â€Å"Yeah, but blackmail†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's this joke shop idea they've got,† said Ron. â€Å"I thought they were only saying it to annoy Mum, but they really mean it, they want to start one. They've only got a year left at Hogwarts, they keep going on about how it's time to think about their future, and Dad can't help them, and they need gold to get started.† Hermione was looking uncomfortable now. â€Å"Yes, but†¦they wouldn't do anything against the law to get gold.† â€Å"Wouldn't they?† said Ron, looking skeptical. â€Å"I dunno†¦they don't exactly mind breaking rules, do they?† â€Å"Yes, but this is the law,† said Hermione, looking scared. â€Å"This isn't some silly school rule†¦.They'll get a lot more than detention for blackmail! Ron†¦maybe you'd better tell Percy†¦.† â€Å"Are you mad?† said Ron. â€Å"Tell Percy? He'd probably do a Crouch and turn them in.† He stared at the window through which Fred and George's owl had departed, then said, â€Å"Come on, let's get some breakfast.† â€Å"D'you think it's too early to go and see Professor Moody?† Hermione said as they went down the spiral staircase. â€Å"Yes,† said Harry. â€Å"He'd probably blast us through the door if we wake him at the crack of dawn; he'll think we're trying to attack him while he's asleep. Let's give it till break.† History of Magic had rarely gone so slowly. Harry kept checking Ron's watch, having finally discarded his own, but Ron's was moving so slowly he could have sworn it had stopped working too. All three of them were so tired they could happily have put their heads down on the desks and slept; even Hermione wasn't taking her usual notes, but was sitting with her head on her hand, gazing at Professor Binns with her eyes out of focus. When the bell finally rang, they hurried out into the corridors toward the Dark Arts classroom and found Professor Moody leaving it. He looked as tired as they felt. The eyelid of his normal eye was drooping, giving his face an even more lopsided appearance than usual. â€Å"Professor Moody?† Harry called as they made their way toward him through the crowd. â€Å"Hello, Potter,† growled Moody. His magical eye followed a couple of passing first years, who sped up, looking nervous; it rolled into the back of Moody's head and watched them around the corner before he spoke again. â€Å"Come in here.† He stood back to let them into his empty classroom, limped in after them, and closed the door. â€Å"Did you find him?† Harry asked without preamble. â€Å"Mr. Crouch?† â€Å"No,† said Moody. He moved over to his desk, sat down, stretched out his wooden leg with a slight groan, and pulled out his hip flask. â€Å"Did you use the map?† Harry said. â€Å"Of course,† said Moody, taking a swig from his flask. â€Å"Took a leaf out of your book, Potter. Summoned it from my office into the forest. He wasn't anywhere on there.† â€Å"So he did Disapparate?† said Ron. â€Å"You can't Disapparate on the grounds, Ron!† said Hermione. â€Å"There are other ways he could have disappeared, aren't there, Professor?† Moody's magical eye quivered as it rested on Hermione. â€Å"You're another one who might think about a career as an Auror,† he told her. â€Å"Mind works the right way. Granger.† Hermione flushed pink with pleasure. â€Å"Well, he wasn't invisible,† said Harry. â€Å"The map shows invisible people. He must've left the grounds, then.† â€Å"But under his own steam?† said Hermione eagerly, â€Å"or because someone made him?† â€Å"Yeah, someone could've – could've pulled him onto a broom and flown off with him, couldn't they?† said Ron quickly, looking hopefully at Moody as if he too wanted to be told he had the makings of an Auror. â€Å"We can't rule out kidnap,† growled Moody. â€Å"So,† said Ron, â€Å"d'you reckon he's somewhere in Hogsmeade?† â€Å"Could be anywhere,† said Moody, shaking his head. â€Å"Only thing we know for sure is that he's not here.† He yawned widely, so that his scars stretched, and his lopsided mouth revealed a number of missing teeth. Then he said, â€Å"Now, Dumbledore's told me you three fancy yourselves as investigators, but there's nothing you can do for Crouch. The Ministry'll be looking for him now, Dumbledore's notified them. Potter, you just keep your mind on the third task.† â€Å"What?† said Harry. â€Å"Oh yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hadn't given the maze a single thought since he'd left it with Krum the previous night. â€Å"Should be right up your street, this one,† said Moody, looking up at Harry and scratching his scarred and stubbly chin. â€Å"From what Dumbledore's said, you've managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Sorcerers Stone in your first year, didn't you?† â€Å"We helped,† Ron said quickly. â€Å"Me and Hermione helped.† Moody grinned. â€Å"Well, help him practice for this one, and I'll be very surprised if he doesn't win,† said Moody. â€Å"In the meantime†¦constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance.† He took another long draw from his hip flask, and his magical eye swiveled onto the window. The topmost sail of the Durmstrang ship was visible through it. â€Å"You two,† counseled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and Hermione, â€Å"you stick close to Potter, all right? I'm keeping an eye on things, but all the same†¦you can never have too many eyes out.† Sirius sent their owl back the very next morning. It fluttered down beside Harry at the same moment that a tawny owl landed in front of Hermione, clutching a copy of the Daily Prophet in its beak. She took the newspaper, scanned the first few pages, said, â€Å"Ha! She hasn't got wind of Crouch!† then joined Ron and Harry in reading what Sirius had to say on the mysterious events of the night before last. Harry – what do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest with Viktor Krum? I want you to swear, by return owl, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night. There is somebody highly dangerous at Hogwarts. It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed. Your name didn't get into the Goblet of Fire by accident. If someone's trying to attack you, they're on their last chance. Stay close to Ron and Hermione, do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn't go amiss either. There's nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourself. I'm waiting for your letter giving me your word you won't stray out-of-bounds again. Sirius â€Å"Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?† said Harry in mild indignation as he folded up Sirius's letter and put it inside his robes. â€Å"After all the stuff he did at school!† â€Å"He's worried about you!† said Hermione sharply. â€Å"Just like Moody and Hagrid! So listen to them!† â€Å"No one's tried to attack me all year,† said Harry. â€Å"No one's done anything to me at all-â€Å" â€Å"Except put your name in the Goblet of Fire,† said Hermione. â€Å"And they must've done that for a reason. Harry. Snuffles is right. Maybe they've been biding their time. Maybe this is the task they're going to get you.† â€Å"Look,† said Harry impatiently, â€Å"let's say Sirius is right, and someone Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch. Well, they would've been in the trees near us, wouldn't they? But they waited till I was out of the way until they acted, didn't they? So it doesn't look like I'm their target, does it?† â€Å"They couldn't have made it look like an accident if they'd murdered you in the forest!† said Hermione. â€Å"But if you die during a task-â€Å" â€Å"They didn't care about attacking Krum, did they?† said Harry. â€Å"Why didn't they just polish me off at the same time? They could've made it look like Krum and I had a duel or something.† â€Å"Harry, I don't understand it either,† said Hermione desperately. â€Å"I just know there are a lot of odd things going on, and I don't like it†¦.Moody's right – Sirius is right – you've got to get in training for the third task, straight away. And you make sure you write back to Sirius and promise him you're not going to go sneaking off alone again.† The Hogwarts grounds never looked more inviting than when Harry had to stay indoors. For the next few days he spent all of his free time either in the library with Hermione and Ron, looking up hexes, or else in empty classrooms, which they sneaked into to practice. Harry was concentrating on the Stunning Spell, which he had never used before. The trouble was that practicing it involved certain sacrifices on Ron's and Hermione's part. â€Å"Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?† Ron suggested on Monday lunchtime as he lay flat on his back in the middle of their Charms classroom, having just been Stunned and reawoken by Harry for the fifth time in a row. â€Å"Let's Stun her for a bit. Or you could use Dobby, Harry, I bet he'd do anything to help you. I'm not complaining or anything† – he got gingerly to his feet, rubbing his backside – â€Å"but I'm aching all over†¦.† â€Å"Well, you keep missing the cushions, don't you!† said Hermione impatiently, rearranging the pile of cushions they had used for the Banishing Spell, which Flitwick had left in a cabinet. â€Å"Just try and fall backward!† â€Å"Once you're Stunned, you can't aim too well, Hermione! â€Å"said Ron angrily. â€Å"Why don't you take a turn?† â€Å"Well, I think Harry's got it now, anyway,† said Hermione hastily. â€Å"And we don't have to worry about Disarming, because he's been able to do that for ages†¦.I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening.† She looked down the list they had made in the library. â€Å"I like the look of this one,† she said, â€Å"this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you. Harry. We'll start with that one.† The bell rang. They hastily shoved the cushions back into Flitwick's cupboard and slipped out of the classroom. â€Å"See you at dinner!† said Hermione, and she set off for Arithmancy, while Harry and Ron headed toward North Tower, and Divination. Broad strips of dazzling gold sunlight tell across the corridor from the high windows. The sky outside was so brightly blue it looked as though it had been enameled. â€Å"It's going to be boiling in Trelawney's room, she never puts out that fire,† said Ron as they started up the staircase toward the silver ladder and the trapdoor. He was quite right. The dimly lit room was swelteringly hot. The fumes from the perfumed fire were heavier than ever. Harry's head swam as he made his way over to one of the curtained windows. While Professor Trelawney was looking the other way, disentangling her shawl from a lamp, he opened it an inch or so and settled back in his chintz armchair, so that a soft breeze played across his face. It was extremely comfortable. â€Å"My dears,† said Professor Trelawney, sitting down in her winged armchair in front of the class and peering around at them all with her strangely enlarged eyes, â€Å"we have almost finished our work on planetary divination. Today, however, will be an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of Mars, for he is placed most interestingly at the present time. If you will all look this way, I will dim the lights†¦.† She waved her wand and the lamps went out. The fire was the only source of light now. Professor Trelawney bent down and lifted, from under her chair, a miniature model of the solar system, contained within a glass dome. It was a beautiful thing; each of the moons glimmered in place around the nine planets and the fiery sun, all of them hanging in thin air beneath the glass. Harry watched lazily as Professor Trelawney began to point out the fascinating angle Mars was making to Neptune. The heavily perfumed fumes washed over him, and the breeze from the window played across his face. He could hear an insect humming gently somewhere behind the curtain. His eyelids began to droop†¦. He was riding on the back of an eagle owl, soaring through the clear blue sky toward an old, ivy-covered house set high on a hillside. Lower and lower they flew, the wind blowing pleasantly in Harry's face, until they reached a dark and broken window in the upper story of the house and entered. Now they were flying along a gloomy passageway, to a room at the very end†¦through the door they went, into a dark room whose windows were boarded up†¦. Harry had left the owl's back†¦he was watching, now, as it fluttered across the room, into a chair with its back to him†¦.There were two dark shapes on the floor beside the chair†¦both of them were stirring†¦. One was a huge snake†¦the other was a man†¦a short, balding man, a man with watery eyes and a pointed nose†¦he was wheezing and sobbing on the hearth rug†¦. â€Å"You are in luck, Wormtail,† said a cold, high-pitched voice from the depths of the chair in which the owl had landed. â€Å"You are very fortunate indeed. Your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead.† â€Å"My Lord!† gasped the man on the floor. â€Å"My Lord, I am†¦I am so pleased†¦and so sorry†¦.† â€Å"Nagini,† said the cold voice, â€Å"you are out of luck. I will not be feeding Wormtail to you, after all†¦but never mind, never mind†¦there is still Harry Potter†¦.† The snake hissed. Harry could see its tongue fluttering. â€Å"Now, Wormtail,† said the cold voice, â€Å"perhaps one more little reminder why I will not tolerate another blunder from you†¦.† â€Å"My Lord†¦no†¦I beg you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The tip of a wand emerged from around the back of the chair. It was pointing at Wormtail. â€Å"Crucio!† said the cold voice. Wormtail screamed, screamed as though every nerve in his body were on fire, the screaming filled Harry's ears as the scar on his forehead seared with pain; he was yelling too†¦Voldemort would hear him, would know he was there†¦. â€Å"Harry! Harry!† Harry opened his eyes. He was lying on the floor of Professor Trelawney's room with his hands over his face. His scar was still burning so badly that his eyes were watering. The pain had been real. The whole class was standing around him, and Ron was kneeling next to him, looking terrified. â€Å"You all right?† he said. â€Å"Of course he isn't!† said Professor Trelawney, looking thoroughly excited. Her great eyes loomed over Harry, gazing at him. â€Å"What was it. Potter? A premonition? An apparition? What did you see?† â€Å"Nothing,† Harry lied. He sat up. He could feel himself shaking. He couldn't stop himself from looking around, into the shadows behind him; Voldemort's voice had sounded so close†¦. â€Å"You were clutching your scar!† said Professor Trelawney. â€Å"You were rolling on the floor, clutching your scar! Come now. Potter, I have experience in these matters!† Harry looked up at her. â€Å"I need to go to the hospital wing, I think,† he said. â€Å"Bad headache.† â€Å"My dear, you were undoubtedly stimulated by the extraordinary clairvoyant vibrations of my room!† said Professor Trelawney. â€Å"If you leave now, you may lose the opportunity to see further than you have ever -â€Å" â€Å"I don't want to see anything except a headache cure,† said Harry. He stood up. The class backed away. They all looked unnerved. â€Å"See you later,† Harry muttered to Ron, and he picked up his bag and headed for the trapdoor, ignoring Professor Trelawney, who was wearing an expression of great frustration, as though she had just been denied a real treat. When Harry reached the bottom of her stepladder, however, he did not set off for the hospital wing. He had no intention whatsoever of going there. Sirius had told him what to do if his scar hurt him again, and Harry was going to follow his advice: He was going straight to Dumbledore's office. He marched down the corridors, thinking about what he had seen in the dream†¦it had been as vivid as the one that had awoken him on Privet Drive†¦.He ran over the details in his mind, trying to make sure he could remember them†¦.He had heard Voldemort accusing Wormtail of making a blunder†¦but the owl had brought good news, the blunder had been repaired, somebody was dead†¦so Wormtail was not going to be fed to the snake†¦he, Harry, was going to be fed to it instead†¦. Harry had walked right past the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledores office without noticing. He blinked, looked around, realized what he had done, and retraced his steps, stopping in front of it. Then he remembered that he didn't know the password. â€Å"Sherbet lemon?† he tried tentatively. The gargoyle did not move. â€Å"Okay,† said Harry, staring at it, â€Å"Pear Drop. Er – Licorice Wand. Fizzing Whizbee. Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans†¦oh no, he doesn't like them, does he?†¦oh just open, can't you?† he said angrily. â€Å"I really need to see him, its urgent!† The gargoyle remained immovable. Harry kicked it, achieving nothing but an excruciating pain in his big toe. â€Å"Chocolate Frog!† he yelled angrily, standing on one leg. â€Å"Sugar Quill! Cockroach Cluster!† The gargoyle sprang to life and jumped aside. Harry blinked. â€Å"Cockroach Cluster?† he said, amazed. â€Å"I was only joking†¦.† He hurried through the gap in the walls and stepped onto the foot of a spiral stone staircase, which moved slowly upward as the doors closed behind him, taking him up to a polished oak door with a brass door knocker. He could hear voices from inside the office. He stepped off the moving staircase and hesitated, listening. â€Å"Dumbledore, I'm afraid I don't see the connection, don't see it at all!† It was the voice of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. â€Å"Ludo says Berthas perfectly capable of getting herself lost. I agree we would have expected to have found her by now, but all the same, we've no evidence of foul play, Dumbledore, none at all. As for her disappearance being linked with Barty Crouch's!† â€Å"And what do you thinks happened to Barty Crouch, Minister?† said Moody's growling voice. â€Å"I see two possibilities, Alastor,† said Fudge. â€Å"Either Crouch has finally cracked – more than likely, I'm sure you'll agree, given his personal history – lost his mind, and gone wandering off somewhere -â€Å" â€Å"He wandered extremely quickly, if that is the case, Cornelius,† said Dumbledore calmly. â€Å"Or else – well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Fudge sounded embarrassed. â€Å"Well, I'll reserve judgment until after I've seen the place where he was found, but you say it was just past the Beauxbatons carriage? Dumbledore, you know what that woman is?† â€Å"I consider her to be a very able headmistress – and an excellent dancer,† said Dumbledore quietly. â€Å"Dumbledore, come!† said Fudge angrily. â€Å"Don't you think you might be prejudiced in her favor because of Hagrid? They don't all turn out harmless – if, indeed, you can call Hagrid harmless, with that monster fixation he's got -â€Å" â€Å"I no more suspect Madame Maxime than Hagrid,† said Dumbledore, just as calmly. â€Å"I think it possible that it is you who are prejudiced, Cornelius.† â€Å"Can we wrap up this discussion?† growled Moody. â€Å"Yes, yes, let's go down to the grounds, then,† said Fudge impatiently. â€Å"No, it's not that,† said Moody, â€Å"it's just that Potter wants a word with you, Dumbledore. He's just outside the door.†

What is a homesteader essays

What is a homesteader essays What is a homesteader? Well, a homesteader was a person like you or me. They were not cowboys like many people say. Homesteaders left their homes for a specific reason. These reasons are looked at on page 3. But no matter what their reason, the main thing is they were leaving their homes. They went on a very long and hard journey, and many did not make it to their destination. Homesteaders were people who left their homes. They were people like you or me, not cowboys like movies make them out to be. They could be bankers, farmers, or anyone else who wanted to leave their homes for the west. It didnt matter if they were rich or poor. Everyone had a reason to be on the wagon train heading for the West. Homesteaders left for many reasons. These could be personal or physical. It may be something like the person had a sick aunt in the west and they were going to live with her. Or a person may have went bankrupt and went to the west to seek a fortune. Many people left because the west had good farmlands. Or blacks left to escape the laws of the south. The next two pages describe two major reasons people left. One of the main reasons many homesteaders left was because of the Homestead Act. The Homestead Act said that the government would give away 160 acres of land away to people for free. The only catch was the people had to pay a small registration fee and live and work the land for about 5 years. Another reason was because of gold. Miners left their homes in the other parts of the US to go to the West. Many gold rushes were going on there. When the miners got there they set up boomtowns. Boomtowns were small towns that were built in 3-5 days so the miners had a place to stay. They consisted mainly of shacks and tents. Many boomtowns were abandoned soon after they were built. They were then called ghost towns. Some boomtowns stayed towns and are now major cities. Homesteaders did not take many things on their jo ...

Edmontonia - Facts and Figures

Edmontonia - Facts and Figures Name: Edmontonia (from Edmonton); pronounced ED-mon-TOE-nee-ah Habitat: Woodlands of North America Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (75-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 20 feet long and three tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Low-slung body; sharp spikes on shoulders; lack of tail club About Edmontonia Edmonton in Canada is one of the few regions in the world with two dinosaurs named after itthe duck-billed herbivore Edmontosaurus, and the armored nodosaur Edmontonia. However, you should bear in mind that Edmontonia was named not after the city, but after the Edmonton Formation where it was discovered; theres no evidence that it actually lived in the environs of Edmonton itself. The type specimen of this dinosaur was discovered in Canadas Alberta Province in 1915, by the swashbuckling fossil hunter Barnum Brown, and initially assigned as a species of the nodosaur genus Palaeoscincus (ancient skink), a classification that fortunately never caught on. Naming issues aside, Edmontonia was a formidable dinosaur, with its bulky, low-slung body, armor plating along its back, andmost intimidatinglythe sharp spikes jutting out from its shoulders, which may have been used to deter predators or to fight other males for the right to mate (or both). Some paleontologists also believe Edmontonia was capable of producing honking sounds, which would truly have made it the SUV of nodosaurs. (By the way, Edmontosaurus and other nodosaurs lacked the tail clubs of classic armored dinosaurs like Ankylosaurus, which may or may not have made them more vulnerable to predation by tyrannosaurs and raptors.)

Intro to missions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Intro to missions - Essay Example The paper also explains in detail the meaning of Missions and shows how the theme of Missions is the main focus of Missiology. Before we delve into the main areas of Missiology, it is important to look at the distinction between two important Missiology terminologies. The first terminology is the term mission. The term mission (singular) is used in reference to God’s mission in the world, or in other words God’s desire of reconciling all human beings to him (Rogers, 27). Missions (plural) on the other hand refers to the human participation in God’s work of reconciling the human beings to him. As we have said in the introduction, the main aim of Missiology is to prepare the prospective missionaries for the challenging and very important work of missionary. For the missionaries to succeed in their mission work, they should be adequately prepared to face the challenges of mission work. The preparation requires that, first; the missionaries should be well grounded in Theology. This is because as the work of any missionary involves living the Gospel in a radical way and helping the other people to know God and to give their lives to God, the missionaries should be well grounded in Theology. To be effective and successful in their work therefore, the missionaries should understand well the main aim and goal of mission work. This therefore means that the preparation of future missionaries should involve studying salvation history. According to the Bible, especially the book of Genesis, we learn that the main reason why God created human beings is to have a mutually satisfying relationship with the human beings (Rogers, 13). That is why even after man sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, God did not abandon man but He initiated the process of reconciling man back to him. Salvation history is all about this process of God reconciling humanity back to

Change project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Change project - Essay Example It is in this regard that this essay is written to present pertinent changes in organizational processes or systems to adjust to the requirements of efficiency in assuring compliance to attendance protocols of a Security Company. At a Security Company in the country, attendance is being monitored by a system of logging in and out utilizing time cards that allow you to punch in and out and are needed as a basis for salary payments. In addition, an access card is used to enter buildings. The problem is many personnel are punching other employees out when they already left hours earlier. Personnel are punching other colleagues in when they never came to work. This is an on going issue and there really is no way to detect it. This system is prone to loopholes and dishonesty because as peers develop teambuilding, employees belonging in the same department or team are susceptible to connivance in relation to attendance and payment requirements. It was initially established that change is a necessary component in an organization in order to respond to inefficiencies, conflicts and changes in the environment. It was precisely identified that in this particular Security Company, an immediate innovative response to their problem in the system of tracking down and monitoring attendance of personnel is eminent. According to Martires & Fule (2000) â€Å"change, no matter how elegant it appears to be on paper, becomes effective only when it results in people and group actually improving their collective performance†. Lewin (1951) in his book on Frontiers in Group Dynamics identified three steps in the process of change, to wit: (1) unfreezing; (2) changing; and (3) refreezing. The unfreezing stage is the initial step involving awareness and recognition of the need to change certain aspects in the current situation. The changing stage involves the introduction and application of the new patterns of behavior