University Admission Process in Chile Essay Example for Free

University Admission Process in Chile Essay Learning implies having had access to it, counting with quality books and teachers and being in an enviroment where culture is important. Therefore, what PSU does is to prevent poor students -who have abilities but did not have acces to knowledge-, from developping a professional course of high standards. In addition, PSU does not accomplish its main task, which is selecting the more qualified students to go to traditional universities. Because it does not messures abilities, nor skills. Just training. The ones who are good at memorizing and trained themselves correctly can have a high score. There are schools (normally private schools) that dedicate exclusive time to prepare their students for this exam, leaving behind other important subjects. This situation leads us to a third negative characteristic of our university admission process. In Chile exists the business of something similar to pre-colleges. Here, the ones who can afford these classes are taught the mechanism of PSU. And in concequence, they are the more prepared to take the exam than the ones who were not able to pay for extra lessons. ALTERNATIVE ADMISSION PROCESSES. One of the main achievements of last year’s strike in our university was the posibility of having an alternative admission process, apart from PSU. Senior year students from schools with low budget can be matriculated at University of Concepcion with only de minimum PSU score this university requires (475 or 500) and having had at least a 5 in their high school grades average. There is a quota of 56 students in 49 courses. Medicine, Law, Astronomy, Sociology, Psicology, History Teaching, among others. Another admission process in Chile is the pre-college system. It is found in several universities in the country. (de Santiago, Cardenal Silva Henriquez, Alberto Hurtado, Tecnologica Metropolitana, Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educacion y Catolica del Norte) In University of Santiago, this programme started in 2007 with the support of UNESCO (united nacions. Educational, scientific and cultural organization). This system allowes students with the best grade averages of low budget schools, be matriculated at this university. No PSU score required. After selecting the students, they take classes of Spanish, Maths and Cultural Management for five months. If the sudents attend all lessons, they get matriculated in college at the University of Santiago with a full scholarship. And afterwards, they are able to study a professional course at this university. CONCLUSION As we said before, our current university admission process helps to increase our social differences and discriminates students from low economic stratums. Thus, we realised the solutions we suggest will be useless unless there is a deep structural change in our educational system, and if we look further, a change in our society. However, we hope these alternatives get massively increased in the near future. This way, the university access will be improved for the ones who really want to study regardless of their economic condition. So what we -common citizens students and teachers- must do, is get informed and communicate others about the problems that bother us. And take advantage of oportunities like last years strike to accomplish our aims and demands.

Pulmonary Edema Lungs

Pulmonary Edema Lungs Outline of pulmonary edema: Pulmonary edema is the inflammation of the lungs that occurs due to the excessive accumulation of fluids in the lungs (alveoli) which results in poor exchange of gases which can cause dyspnea and finally respiratory and cardiac failure. Symptoms: The common symptoms of pulmonary edema include Dyspnea i.e. difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath, noisy and labored respirations rales, blood in cough, restlessness, anxiety, palor (paleness of skin). Diagnosis: It can be diagnosed by physical examination and knowing the patients medical history. By checking the wheezing sounds that are whistling or musical sound that can be heard without a stethoscope and inspiratory crackling sound that can be heard at the end of deep breath with the help of stethoscope and the characteristic third sound of the heart which can be seen in the cases of cardiogenic pulmonary edema patients. Apart from those general blood tests like liver enzymes, electrolytes, complete blood count etc. is done than a final confirmation is made by the X-ray of the lungs. Pulmonary Edema is a disease that affects the heart finally and begins in the lungs. Due to the inadequate pumping of the left ventricle, fluid accumulates in the spaces outside the blood vessels in the tissues of the lungs. It leads to a complication of heart disorders, sometimes acting as the first sign of coronary heart disease, and most commonly associated with congestive heart failure. It can be chronic or develop suddenly and quickly become life threatening. As large amounts of fluid suddenly shift from the pulmonary blood vessels to the lungs then pulmonary edema becomes life-threatening. When the heart begins to fail, the veins going through the lungs build up pressure and in turn the lungs pressure begins to rise which results in the building up of fluid being pushed into the alveoli. This fluid interrupts our normal oxygen flow through the lungs. Results and symptoms of pulmonary edema: Pulmonary edema occurs due to excessive accumulation of fluids and foam into the alveoli of the lungs when the pulmonary blood vessels are engorged. It can often be associated with congestive heart failure. It begins primarily with the building up of fluids in the microscopic alveoli of the lungs causing poor respiratory exchange resulting in Dyspnea with noisy and labored respirations. Rales which are powdery or gravelly sounds can be heard with stethoscope and some patients even cough up blood-tinged sputum. It occurs when the heart becomes damaged or weakened; as a result unable to pump blood to all the parts of the body, typically beginning with the left heart failure as a consequence of the damaged left ventricle which leads to backing up of the blood first in the pulmonary vessels and finally in systemic vessels. As a consequence blood fluids are forced into the body tissues due to increased pressure in the vessels causing a swelling known as edema. If it occurs in the alveoli of the lungs it is termed as pulmonary edema. Finally it can lead to congestive heart failure. Shortness of breath; Difficulty in breathing: Diseases like pulmonary edema leads to shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing which is known as Dyspnea which occurs due to poor respiratory exchange in the lungs. It causes labored and noisy respirations often associated with powdery or gravely sounds known as rales when checked with the stethoscope. Dyspnea is not a primary illness but a condition brought about by a number of medical, traumatic and environmental causes. It can be related to Lung diseases, heart conditions, allergic reactions, CO poisoning, etc. In most cases it occurs when a disease has caused some kind of direct interference with either the flow of air into and out of the lungs or with the exchange of gases within the lungs. In typical dyspnea, as in the case of asthma the problem causing interference originates in the lungs itself. Dyspnea can be classified into acute dyspnea with sudden onset can be caused by anaphylactic shock, cardiac arrhythmias trauma, etc. and chronic dyspnea which can be caused by Asthma, Bronchitis, COPD, Neuromuscular disorders, etc. Air hunger or feeling of drowning, Grunting of gurgling sounds with breathing, Wheezing As a sign of congestive heart failure the patient would wish to remain in a seated or semi-reclined position which allows less labored respiration. The patient should be kept calm to conserve body heat. These oxygen hungry patients will accept oxygen therapy without difficulty. In severe lung diseases like an Asthma attack, the small bronchioles becomes narrower due to the contraction of the smooth muscles that make up the airway apart from the overproduction of thick mucus leading to the restriction of airflow. The airflow is restricted in mainly in one direction such as, during inhalation, the expansion of lungs exerts an outward force resulting in the increase in the diameter of the airway, allowing air to flow into the lungs. During exhalation the opposite occurs resulting in the trapping of the stale air into the lungs which requires forceful exhalation of air by the patient, producing the characteristic wheezing sound associated with asthma. Wheezing sounds are whistling or musical sounds that can be heard without a stethoscope. Gurgling is caused often due to a foreign object, or blood and other fluids in the trachea. It is believed that cardiac murmurs are associated with the possibility of heart failure which is not correct as in about 50 % of the heart failure cases there is no murmur observed. Still a cardiologist should take note seriously if any murmur is present in the patient. In the diagnosis of heart failure Gallop rhythm (one can imagine the sounds of hooves of horse smoothly running at full speed) is very typical and significant. SOB with lying down, you may need to sleep with you head propped: The affects of the body position of a person sometimes gives an idea about the underlying disorder causing dyspnea. For example in platypnea, that is dyspnea while sitting gives indications of a liver disease. The worse type of Dyspnea is when the patient is lying down and suffering from shortness of breath, which is associated with heart disease or paralysis of the diaphragm. It is called as orthopnea. Another type of dyspnea is PND (Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea) which occurs during sleep forcing the patient to wake up gasping for breath; usually relieving the patient if he / she sit up or stands. It may indicate the dysfunctioning of the left ventricle of the heart, narrowing of the mitral valve or hypertension. If a patient is suffering from orthopnea he sleeps with the head propped up. Cough: It is an annoying symptom which can occur as a result of many causes such as pulmonary edema, tuberculosis, Bronchitis, Asthma, etc. Anxiety: Factors like excessive worry, nervousness, instability, nausea, etc. are the major symptoms of anxiety. Restlessness: It can be caused by a number of factors such as anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, hyperactivity, etc. Excessive sweating: Sweating is due to the presence of sweat glands under our skin, which is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system of our body and whenever our body temperature rises sweating is stimulated. Thus, it controls the body temperature. Emotional stress also stimulates sweating. Palor or pale coloration or cyanosis of the parts will also take place during any respiratory or cardiac attack. Sympathetic over stimulation leads to symptoms like palor, sweating, and tachycardia during heart failure. Additional symptoms with progression of the disease: Nasal flaring: It is an indication of breathing difficulty caused by the enlargement of the nostril opening during breathing; as a result the total airway resistance is reduced. Inability to speak: The patient may not be able to speak due to pulmonary obstruction or cardiac failure. Decrease in levels of awareness: the level of awareness or consciousness of the patient will also go down during any respiratory or cardiac attack.

Toray Textiles Into Mansfield :: Trade Textiles Consumerism Essays

Toray Textiles Into Mansfield Case Study of - What is Toray? - Why Mansfield? - How does it benefit local community? - The multiplier effect. - Factors involving the choice of a work site Toray Textiles - Key facts : - Established in Japan in 1926. - Owns over 60 branch plants - Asia, North America, Europe, making company name recognised worldwide. - Plants include: Italian artificial suede manufacturer, French carbon fibre manufacturer. - Sales offices located in Milan and Frankfurt. Why Britain? - Close link with Marks & Spencer - provides a good product outlet and can supply new designs at short notice. - Turnover expected to be over 80 million pounds from new plant in Mansfield. - Japan has become too expensive as a manufacturing base for a product so technically unadvanced. - E.C. rules state that, unless 60% of any product is made in E.C. by E.C. registered employees, then the product is subject to import duty in the form of money or commission, or by limiting the amount of the product sold (tariffs/quotas). - Productivity higher than in Japan and U.S.A. - Automation higher than in Japan and U.S.A. - Less training required. - High unemployment rates. - Longer working week. - No minimum wage or legal paid holiday. Why Mansfield? - Mainline inter-city rail link to London and Birmingham making big cities more accessible - products can be sent for sale more easily. - Accessible to the M1 and U.K motorway networks - access to buyers and channel ports - easier imports and exports. - High unemployment - not only will vacancies be filled but there is competition - workers could accept lower wages. - Nottingham is nearby - worldwide reputation for textiles. - High water table in area - vast quantities required for bleaching and dyeing. - Unemployed miners well qualified in safety practices - an area upon which Toray places great importance. - Potential to set up and expand onto a green field site - lower costs. How does it benefit local community? - Low unemployment. - Higher prestige for area - more publicity. - Tourism - created by publicity - brings in money etc. - Helps relieve pressures on council after large numbers of redundancies from the flop in the mining trade. How does it benefit the U.K.? - Net benefit of 50 million pounds to U.K balance of trade. - Has seen a revival in textile manufacturing. - Has prevented the need to import fabric from abroad. Multiplier effect: - New employees have more money to spend, creating work in tertiary

John Locke :: Empiricists, Empiricism

Property cannot be made secure by natural right alone, and for the better securing of their properties men have entered into civil society. The will of the body politic, when formed, is determined by the will of the majority, and of a bare majority if there be no different express agreement. For this Locke does not give any reason but the necessity of the case; it is certain that much worse ones have been given. As a matter of fact, we now know that a majority vote has not been generally recognized in archaic societies; the difficulty of obtaining nominal unanimity was overcome (as in special cases it still has to be) by various methods, including varying elements of force and fiction. This does not apply to the original agreement to form a society, which is assumed to be unanimous, and includes only the actual parties to it. Any one who stands out may go his ways and provide for himself elsewhere. It would seem that the community is entitled to enforce his departure; it is certain, on Locke's principles, that it has not the right to detain him against his will. Could he agree to stay in an inferior capacity like that of a resident alien? But it is needless to pursue the auxiliary fictions which might be devised. A body politic, then, is formed by consent; the essential term of the agreement is that every member gives up his natural judicial and executive power to the community (not, as Hobbes maintains, to an irresponsible sovereign); and this consent is renewed, tacitly if not expressly, in the person of every new member; for one cannot accept the benefit of a settled government except on those terms on which it is offered. Locke is bold to assert that 'a child is born a subject of no country or government,' and may choose his allegiance for himself at the age of discretion: this is another opinion which no modern lawyer

Last Samurai Review Essay

 « The last samurai  » is a compelling story of warfare, duty, and honour. It opens up in 1876 San Francisco; Tom Cruise plays the role of Nathan Algren, a former Captain whose participation to the military campaigns against the native Indians has left him scared with nightmares and remorse leaving alcohol as his only remedy. After being fired from the Winchester rifle company, he is recruited by Omura (Masato Harada) adviser of a weak-willed emperor, along with his former commanding officer whom he utmostly despises, Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) to train a conscript army to suppress the Samurai rebellion, who seem to threat the â€Å"modernization† of Japan. He once again finds himself having to wipe yet other tribal rebels. Algren is then captured by the forces of the legendary Kasumoto (Ken Watanabe) when he comes to realise he seems to have a spiritual affinity to them, soon adopting the Bushido code (The way of the warrior) and ends up fighting along side with them a gainst his former troupes. As Algren spends his time in captivity, observing the people, watching them devote themselves to what they do, he starts to stop drinking and to shape up, and starts to be in harmony with himself after long years of self-loathing and remorse. He is eventually taught how to wield a sword like a true samurai, along with the Bushido code. Algren receives Yoda-like wisdom from Katsumoto â€Å" may the strength of the samurai be with you always† As time goes by, he starts to learn the Japanese language and is no longer seen as an enemy, when Katsumoto returns Algren’s personal belongings; he says â€Å"When I took these, you were my enemy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Algren is later faced with the difficult choice of going back to America, or staying to fight along side Katsumoto and face an almost certain death which he ends up choosing. He then along side the samurai go off to a last final battle as ‘savages with bows and arrows’ against the new western Japan with new riffl es and notably the Howitzers. This vividly recalls the guerrilla techniques of ‘Braveheart’ The Director Edward Zwick overcomes the problem of the language barrier ingeniously by having Katsumoto be a student of English preventing the movie from always being subtitled. Zick manages in an effective way in bridging the gap between today and the 1870 with great success. Edward Zwick may be one of the most underrated filmmakers within Hollywood. â€Å"The last samurai† is amazing to look at, with astonishingly beautiful landscape and scenery. The battle sequences in particular are very effective well captured, the editor (Steven Rosenblum) does not employ too many cuts making it clear and therefore much stronger. Hans Zimmer (Music composer) does an excellent job with the music enhancing the mood without it becoming too unbearable. If there was something to reproach to â€Å"the last samurai† it would be that the story is not of the most orginal, resembling strongly to Edward Zwicks fromer movie Glory, and Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, but â€Å"The last samurai’ is never the less a rousing tale that combines adventure with emotional effectiveness and differentiates itself from other movies with the astonishing good acting of both Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. Tom cruise has never shown such emotional depth, he is so fercociously present as a character. Every emotion, even every thought can be read across his face. He truly gives life to Algren, he truly looks genuinely stricken by his past, haunted even. Although Tom Cruise is â€Å"The Last Samurai† undeniable star and main character, Ken Watanabe’s performance is even more memorable, persuasive, and above all breathtaking. Watanabe channels Mifune so forcefully that’s its hard, even impossible seeing anyone else then him to do a better job as Katsumoto. He brings out everything we could expect from a great leader: strength, courage, patience, the ability to dominate a fight, and most importantly, honour. Watanabe’s work dominates and outstands Cruise’s. The beautiful, graceful and discreet Taka (played by Koyoki) plays the husband of one if the man Cruise kills and eventually have the love of Cruise and vice versa. The strong Ujio (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a fierce warrior who objects to Katsumoto’s will of keeping Algren alive. Simon Graham (Timothy Spall) is a British photojournalist who speaks somewhat Japanese. Finally Colonel Bagley ( Tony Goldwyn) who also fits his role like a T. â€Å"The last samurai† is a movie you can watch from two important aspects; the story, or People can choose to look at â€Å"The last Samurai† from two different aspects You can watch â€Å"the last samurai† in two different ways. Either you can choose to ignore the messages or the story’s true meaning, concentrating only on the small imperfections, or you can choose to watch the movie’s story depth, admire the gorgeous landscape and scenery, the breathtaking characters, thrilling battles, and the beautiful moral values through the sacrifice of Samurai’s for â€Å"what seems to have become a forgotten word: Honour†. â€Å"The last Samurai† reminds us all of what true honour devotion and duty truly are through a truly inspiring movie.

We Are Blessed to Have Trees & Plants

This poem is written by Ruskin Bond. In this poem the poet shares the thoughts of his grandmother who was of the opinion that the house that has trees around is blessed. For this purpose the poet planted a tree which is six months old and is growing fast. He believes that in six years time the tree would grow and give shade so that his house will also be blessed. I think the world and its inhabitants are blessed to have trees and plants. Trees are important, valuable and necessary to our very existence. It's not too hard to believe that, without trees we humans would not exist on this beautiful planet. In fact, some claim can be made that our mother's and father's ancestors climbed trees – another debate for another site. Still, trees are essential to life as we know it and are the ground troops on an environmental frontline. Our existing forest and the trees we plant work in tandem to make a better world. Below are the reasons why trees are important for us. Trees Produce Oxygen Let's face it; we could not exist as we do if there were no trees. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. What many people don't realize is the forest also acts as a giant filter that cleans the air we breathe. Trees Clean the Soil The term phytoremediation is a fancy word for the absorption of dangerous chemicals and other pollutants that have entered the soil. Trees can either store harmful pollutants or actually change the pollutant into less harmful forms. Trees filter sewage and farm chemicals, reduce the effects of animal wastes, clean roadside spills and clean water runoff into streams. Trees Control Noise Pollution Trees muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stone walls. Trees, planted at strategic points in a neighborhood or around your house, can abate major noises from freeways and airports. Trees Slow Storm Water Runoff Flash flooding can be dramatically reduced by a forest or by planting trees. One Colorado blue spruce, either planted or growing wild, can intercept more than 1000 gallons of water annually when fully grown. Underground water-holding aquifers are recharged with this slowing down of water runoff. Trees Are Carbon Sinks To produce its food, a tree absorbs and locks away carbon dioxide in the wood, roots and leaves. Carbon dioxide is a global warming suspect. A forest is a carbon storage area or a â€Å"sink† that can lock up as much carbon as it produces. This locking-up process â€Å"stores† carbon as wood and not as an available â€Å"greenhouse† gas. Trees Clean the Air Trees help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing such pollutants as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Trees remove this air pollution by lowering air temperature, through respiration, and by retaining particulates. Trees Shade and Cool Shade resulting in cooling is what a tree is best known for. Shade from trees reduces the need for air conditioning in summer. In winter, trees break the force of winter winds, lowering heating costs. Studies have shown that parts of cities without cooling shade from trees can literally be â€Å"heat islands† with temperatures as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit higher than surrounding areas. Trees Act as Windbreaks During windy and cold seasons, trees located on the windward side act as windbreaks. A windbreak can lower home heating bills up to 30% and have a significant effect on reducing snow drifts. A reduction in wind can also reduce the drying effect on soil and vegetation behind the windbreak and help keep precious topsoil in place. Trees Fight Soil Erosion Erosion control has always started with tree and grass planting projects. Tree roots bind the soil and their leaves break the force of wind and rain on soil. Trees fight soil erosion, conserve rainwater and reduce water runoff and sediment deposit after storms.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 17

â€Å"Should I put up Lorelei Biljan's posters now? Or wait until after E. J. Putnam's gone?† I looked up from the invoices on my desk. I'd just reread the same line of numbers about five times without comprehending any of it, and I was having only a little better luck parsing Tammi's question. I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"Why†¦would we wait?† She shrugged. â€Å"Dunno. Just seems kind of rude to be advertising one author during another one's signing.† My mind moved slowly, probably because only 5 percent of it was actually here at the bookstore. The rest of my brainpower attempted to muddle through the disaster that was my life. â€Å"Um†¦no, it doesn't matter. Put them both up. They're only a week apart, and we want Biljan to get a fair shot at publicity too. Besides, I don't think authors really get worked up over competition like that. They're pretty low-key.† Tammi ran a hand through her short red hair. â€Å"I don't know. They're famous and artistic. Seems like that's a bad combination. Temperamental and stuff. Not all writers can be like Seth. In fact, I bet when he gets angry enough about something, he could really let someone have it.† â€Å"Anything else?† I asked, a sharp note of dismissal in my voice. â€Å"Otherwise, just put up all the posters, okay?† She gave me a startled look and left the office. When the door closed, I put my head down on the desk and groaned. Tammi, in her blissful adolescent na §?te, had no idea how close to home she had hit. Like her, I too believed Seth could display a lot of anger if given enough cause. Like, say, his girlfriend cheating on him. True, Bastien had been right in saying Seth and I had loose definitions of â€Å"cheating,† but even I knew what did and did not qualify. There was no gray area here. No mutability. I had fucked up hard-core. I'd known it too, lying there in that unholy union with Bastien. After my sleepless night, I'd left him around dawn and took a cab back to Queen Anne, my body still aching. I hadn't wanted to talk to him. He'd slept so heavily, he hadn't heard me leave. No guilt weighed him down. But me? My cup of guilt was runnething over. Not only that, I still had to make the next decision in this mess: to tell or not to tell? That was what had really bothered me all day at work. The past was over; I could only worry about it for so long. My attention now focused on how to proceed with the future. Fortunately, Seth had worked from home today, which helped a little. He and I eventually had plans to meet up in the evening, but until that happened, I still had time to come up with something. Anything. Yet when I walked home at the end of my shift, I was no closer to an answer than I had been at the beginning of the day. Miserable, I pulled up a chair at my kitchen table and sat down with pen and paper. Aubrey jumped up on the table's flat surface and lay down to watch me, half of her sprawling on the page. I slid her off and made the following list: DONT TELL SETH Pros: status quo resumes, he won't be upset Cons: my own gnawing guilt, totally blowing the honesty thing I considered the list for a moment, surprised that neither the pro nor con side had more items. It was just that simple. Moving farther down the paper, I wrote up the reciprocal list. TELL SETH Pros: right thing to do Cons: admitting I'm an idiot, painfully emotional blowout, inevitable breakup, a literal eternity of heart-wrenching sorrow and regret I held the pen and looked back and forth between both lists. â€Å"This isn't really clearing things up, Aubrey.† In an effort to relieve my frustration, I hurled the pen somewhere into my living room. She watched it sail off with interest and then darted off to confirm the kill. â€Å"What do you need to tell Seth?† â€Å"Jesus!† I yelled, practically jumping ten feet in the air. Carter had appeared out of nowhere and now stood beside the table, looking casual and laconic. He wore a black T-shirt over a gray thermal shirt and the same jeans I swear he'd had on for the last couple decades. â€Å"Don't do that, okay? Knocking isn't a lost art.† â€Å"Sorry.† He pulled a chair out and straddled it, so his long arms draped lazily over the back. Flipping his stringy blond hair out of the way, he gestured toward my list. â€Å"Didn't mean to interrupt.† â€Å"You're not,† I muttered, crumpling up the paper. I tossed that into the living room too, so Aubrey could have more to hunt. â€Å"Anything you want to talk about?† he offered. I hesitated. Of all the people I knew, only Carter had been a steadfast believer in Seth and me having a serious relationship. He was the only one who hadn't treated it as a joke. In some ways, that might have made him a good confidante, yet it also disqualified him. I could not confess to the one person who had believed in me just how seriously I had messed things up in a weak moment. â€Å"No,† I said brusquely. â€Å"But I assume you have something to talk about.† He eyed me a moment, like he might push me on what I clearly held back, but then he let the matter go. â€Å"I have something for you.† He extended a balled fist. When he opened it, I found a small pouch lying on his palm. I picked it up and stroked the material. I had no idea what it was, but the cloth's smooth texture felt like a flower petal. I started to open it. â€Å"Don't,† he warned. His commanding tone instantly made me stop. â€Å"You'll break the spell.† â€Å"What spell?† â€Å"The one that masks what's inside the pouch. And the one that masks your immortal signature. â€Å" I nodded with understanding. I might not know what to do with my own love life, but immortal conspiracies I could follow. â€Å"To hide me and this from Alec's supplier.† The angel nodded in return. I held up the pouch and waggled it at him. â€Å"So do I get to know what's in there?† â€Å"It's a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, not from a reluctance to tell me but to search for the right word. â€Å"It's a dart, I guess. Or maybe†¦like, an arrowhead. But that sounds weird. Nah, let's call it a dart. It's only about an inch long. A dart that looks like a small wooden arrowhead.† â€Å"Um. Okay. Got it. And what do I do with this darting arrowhead thing?† â€Å"You pierce the other immortal's heart with it.† â€Å"Whoa. Like†¦staking a vampire?† â€Å"Uh, not entirely. You'll sort of have to see when the time comes. The key is to move fast. As soon as you open the pouch, he'll know what you are and what's in there. You don't want to give him time to react because it won't be pretty if he does. Act fast, and don't second-guess yourself.† â€Å"How is a small piece of wood going to solve all our problems?† â€Å"It's special wood,† he replied with a grin. â€Å"Oh, yeah, that explains everything.† â€Å"Are you close to meeting him?† â€Å"Terribly close, actually. I probably could have met him yesterday if I'd wanted. Alec was very keen on introducing us.† Carter frowned, turning this over in his mind. â€Å"Hmm. Odd.† â€Å"Should I be worried?† â€Å"No more worried than you already should be at the thought of attacking an immortal.† â€Å"But I'll be fine if I just act fast and don't overthink it, huh?† â€Å"Right. I imagine that's pretty common for you anyway.† â€Å"Anything else I should know?† â€Å"Well†¦let's see. Yeah. One thing. Don't actually do it until there's provocation.† â€Å"What?† I stared. â€Å"Being a bastard who pushes addictive substances that destroy mortals isn't provocation enough?† â€Å"Oddly, no. You have to be threatened in some way.† Annoyed, I tossed the pouch onto the table. This was so typical of Carter and Jerome. A bizarrely complex scheme with ridiculous nuances and loopholes. â€Å"Threatened? How can he threaten me? He can't unless†¦wait, he's not an immortal who could kill me, is he?† â€Å"No, of course not. But he could make things very†¦uncomfortable for you. Anyway, there's a lot of ways to threaten a person. If he hurts you†¦or you feel vulnerable†¦like he could abuse his power over you, then that'll work. He's a stronger immortal than you. Preying on you – especially when you belong to Jerome, so to speak – is a big no-no. You would be justified in protecting yourself. But, if you attack wantonly, you'll get in trouble from the powers that be for targeting other immortals. You'll also get us in trouble for arming you.† â€Å"This sounds kind of like entrapment.† â€Å"That's an ugly word. Let's just keep it in terms of self-defense.† â€Å"So, you think things are going to get rough enough that I'll actually need self-defense?† He hesitated. â€Å"I don't know. I just don't know.† â€Å"Yeah, but then, if this guy's perfectly nice and just sells me a stash of ambrosia, I can't do anything? We've wasted the trip?† â€Å"Like I said, I don't know. Really. But honestly†¦if they're making it this easy to find him, I have to think something weird is going on. Just be careful, okay?† His face was all seriousness now. â€Å"You're smart. You can pull this off.† â€Å"And I don't suppose, at any point in this, you're going to tell me who this guy actually is?† â€Å"I believe ignorance is bliss.† I threw my hands up, not knowing what else to say. Carter traded a few more jokes with me and then rose to go. Hesitating, he gave me a curious look. â€Å"You sure you don't want to talk? You've obviously got something bugging you. â€Å" â€Å"I do. But I've got to deal with it on my own.† â€Å"Fair enough. See ya.† An eyeblink later, the angel disappeared. Seth showed up about an hour later, a little blue paint smudged on his face. â€Å"Terry and Andrea are painting the kitchen now.† I smiled at him, swallowing all the churning emotions within me. â€Å"How can you get so messy when you don't even do the painting?† I found a washcloth and dabbed at his face in a fruitless effort to clean him up. Standing so close, I suddenly had a flashback to last night. His hands stroking my breasts. Feeling him inside of me, filling me up. Our bodies moving together. His lips parting slightly when he came. â€Å"It won't come off,† I said abruptly, jerking away. â€Å"Oh. Okay.† I stayed moody and silent for the rest of the night, stiff and distant at any sort of touching. Seth picked up on the vibe right away and let me have my space. We walked a few blocks down the street to a theater that only showed Oscar nominees and artsy, independent films. We saw one of the latter, and I have to admit, it did take my mind off my love life, if only for two hours. Sitting at an Italian restaurant afterward, I let him draw me into a discussion of the film's merits. It amazed me that my mouth could keep up with the conversation while the rest of me was in an entirely different world. Over and over, I replayed what had happened last night – and not just the sex part. I analyzed everything, the events that had led up to it. Why had I done it? What had made me give in? Had it really been an altruistic attempt to fix Seth and me by removing the temptation? Had it been an aching desire to take comfort in Bastien? Or, most likely, had it been something selfish on my part? A burning desire to touch what I wasn't supposed to have – not because it might help our relationship, but because I just wanted to do it. I had wanted that pleasure. I had craved his body and simply gave in to the hedonism I longed for. I was a creature of hell, after all. I had observed before that we weren't exactly known for our self-control. Yet none of that changed the fact that it had happened. It had happened, and I had to do something about it. Or†¦did I? Seth sat across from me, looking happy and content as we talked. Ignorance really is bliss sometimes. I thought back to the lists. If he never found out, the truth couldn't hurt him. We could go on as we had. The only problem would be that I knew the truth. I had to live with this betrayal, not only of our physical relationship but also of our attempts at honesty and openness. One more entry on the list of dark and nasty secrets I already kept. â€Å"You with me, Thetis?† he asked suddenly. â€Å"Huh?† He gave me a small, sweet smile and moved his hand over to hold mine. I squeezed it back. â€Å"You look like you're miles away. â€Å" I gave him a half-smile in return. Apparently I wasn't as subtle as I thought. I looked at him, studying those beloved features, and shook my head. I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell him. Not yet. â€Å"Just tired,† I lied. We shared a dish of gelato and then returned to my apartment. We had just set up the Scrabble board when I felt immortal signatures approaching. I groaned, not wanting to deal with this. â€Å"Hail, hail, the gang's all here.† Seth looked puzzled until we heard the knock at the door. I opened it, letting in Hugh, Peter, Cody, and Bastien. â€Å"You are alive,† said Peter cheerfully, smothering me in a hug. â€Å"We tried calling you tonight.† â€Å"And I've been trying to get a hold of you all day,† added Bastien pointedly. I was perfectly aware that he had called me many times. I had purposely not answered my phone. â€Å"Sorry,† I said to all of them. â€Å"Hey, Seth,† said Cody, clapping the writer on the back. The vampire and the rest of the immortals spread themselves out around my living room like they lived there. I gave their giggling and careless behavior a withering glance. â€Å"You guys been barhopping?† â€Å"Yup,† said Hugh with pride. â€Å"You – both of you – could have joined us.† â€Å"Fortunately, the night is still young,† declared Bastien. He strolled around the living room, arching an appalled eyebrow at the Scrabble board. â€Å"When you didn't answer, we decided to come issue an invitation in person.† â€Å"We're going to go shoot pool,† explained Cody happily. â€Å"Over at that place in Belltown. You guys should come along.† He gave Seth a conspiratorial grin. â€Å"Georgina's a wicked pool player.† â€Å"Thetis is good at everything,† Seth murmured automatically. I could tell by his body language he wasn't comfortable with a bunch of drunken immortals in the room. I also knew he didn't want to go out. â€Å"Sorry, guys,† I told them. â€Å"We've already been out. We're staying in.† This earned snide remarks and groans of disapproval. â€Å"Oh come on,† begged Hugh, trying to get Aubrey's attention with a cat toy on a string. She didn't fall for it and hissed at him instead. â€Å"We always get better service when you go with us.† â€Å"Besides,† said Bastien nastily. â€Å"It doesn't look you're doing anything else exciting. You should be grateful we came along. We're giving you something. Something you couldn't otherwise get.† I remained calm, but I think the others picked up on the sudden tension in the air. â€Å"Sorry,† I repeated. â€Å"We're staying in. You guys can hang out for a little bit, but then I've got to kick you out. We're doing our own thing. â€Å" â€Å"I wasn't aware you guys did anything at all,† muttered Bastien in a voice only I heard. Maybe the vampires too, with their superhuman hearing. â€Å"You got anything to drink?† asked Peter, gently nudging me toward being a good hostess. I was still locked in a battle of wills and eye contact with the incubus. â€Å"Yeah, I just bought a six-pack of Smirnoff Ice.† â€Å"Oh,† said Cody. â€Å"Score.† He and Hugh raided my refrigerator, passing out bottles of prissy malted beverage to everyone except Seth and me. We abstained. Lounging around, conversation on silly topics soon ensued, although Bastien, Seth, and I did not participate. Seth stayed quiet because he always stayed quiet in such settings. Bastien and I stayed quiet because we were pissed off at each other. I excused myself for the restroom and found Bastien waiting outside the door for me when I finished. â€Å"Alcohol runs right through you, huh?† I asked, pushing past him. He blocked my way, backing me up against the wall. â€Å"What the hell's wrong with you?† he demanded in a low voice. â€Å"Nothing. Let me go.† â€Å"Bullshit. I left you like a hundred messages. You're avoiding me.† â€Å"So? It's my prerogative. Just like that song.† He snorted. â€Å"Let me guess. You're having some sort of melodramatic moral crisis over what happened last night. That's so typical of you lately.† â€Å"Don't talk to me about last night. You shouldn't have done what you did.† â€Å"Is houldn't have? My God, Fleur ,don't act like you're the victim here. Nobody forced you. You more than consented. In fact, I daresay you enjoyed it.† â€Å"It was a mistake.† â€Å"And so avoiding me is going to fix it? Don't delude yourself. It wasn't a mistake. It was good for you. I helped you. I gave you something you would have never gotten otherwise. You'll remember it for the rest of your life.† â€Å"Gee,† I said, dripping sarcasm. â€Å"How kind of you. Because that's really all there was to it, wasn't there? You only did it to help me. Nothing more. You certainly didn't do it just because you could. Because I was ‘beautiful and I was wonderful and you wanted me.' â€Å" â€Å"Listen to me – â€Å" â€Å"No. You listen to me. If I want to avoid you, let me avoid you. Don't show up at my house drunk and try to force your way into a dialogue. It makes you more of an asshole than you'd be otherwise. I don't want to talk to you. Not anytime soon. Maybe not ever.† â€Å"Forever's a long time.† He leaned closer, one hand on my arm. â€Å"Don't you think you're overreacting to one fuck? Besides, you can't cut me off. You've got to help me with Dana.† â€Å"No,† I declared icily. â€Å"I do not. You're on your own with that. And if you get sent to Guam, then it's your own fucking fault. Maybe it'll give you some time to think about your relations with women outside of business.† â€Å"Damn it – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina?† We both turned and saw Seth standing in the hallway. Bastien and I were close – too close – but not romantically close. Anyone with half a brain could tell we were locked in a dispute. Our postures radiated it, as did our expressions. The grip Bastien held on my arm was not friendly. â€Å"Are you okay?† Seth asked carefully. His words came out low and measured, but I saw something unfamiliar in his expression. Not anger, but something else kindling in his eyes. He had told me once he chose his battles carefully, and I wondered then what he would do if he thought the incubus was a real threat to me. â€Å"We're fine,† I said. I broke from Bastien's grasp, and he didn't fight it. â€Å"Yes,† he agreed with a cold smile. â€Å"We're fine.† He walked past me but stopped when he was even with Seth. â€Å"You should be flattered,† Bastien told him. â€Å"Most women invoke God during sex, but Fleur yells your name. One would have thought you were a deity, considering how many times she paid homage to you last night.† He continued on to the living room, and I didn't even stick around to see Seth's reaction. I stormed after Bastien. â€Å"Get out,† I told him. I looked over at the other immortals. â€Å"All of you, get out now.† Peter, Cody, and Hugh stared at me in astonishment. I'd kicked them out a number of times, but none of them had ever heard me use this voice on them. Consequently, they heeded it. They scrambled out the door in under a minute, Bastien shooting me a dark glance as he left. When they were gone, I took a deep breath and turned to Seth. Anger and despair boiled inside of me. â€Å"Let me guess. You want to know what he meant.† His face was unreadable. â€Å"Honestly, I don't know.† He suddenly sounded tired. â€Å"I don't know if I want to.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I'll tell you anyway.† The words tore at me while coming out, but I really didn't want to hold onto the secret anymore. Not only because Bastien had given it away but also because I knew I wasn't going to be able to stand having it fester inside of me. It hurt too much. Talking to the incubus had made me realize that. So while I didn't mention the pictures, I told Seth everything else. Everything. When I finished, he didn't say anything. He stared at some nonexistent spot in the air, face blank once more. After a couple of minutes of aching silence, he finally turned back to me. â€Å"So. How was I?†