Circles, Chapter 1.4

Circles

Chapter 1.4

Maze of Madness

The Imperial soldiers spread out across the courtyard. Small groups of them went to each hall. They carried swords and pistols. Thomas could see students pulling up protection shields. He could sense other students calling magick to offensive spells.

"This is going to get ugly if no one does anything," Derry said.

"Those fools!" Jasone said. "Don't they realize this Circle can tear them apart?" He draw enough power to throw lightning, but Derry and Alissa threw a protection shield around him.

"Idiot," Derry snapped at Jasone. "That dirigible has cannons and bombs and who knows what else! They'll slaughter us."

Jasone's magick strained against the shield, but Alissa held it steady with almost no effort.

"Derry's right," Glemma said, her face sharper and her voice more focused than Thomas had ever seen. "The Mages might be able to stand up to it if they were prepared, but most of us would die." She looked to the east and raised her hand. "And I can sense at least two more are coming."

Thomas didn't know any Aspirant who could perceive the weather and winds better than Glemma.

"Two more?" Alissa asked. "Why two more? That's enough to kill us several times over..." Her voice trailed away.

Derry, Alissa, and Glemma locked stares. Thomas couldn't follow what they were thinking, and Jasone still strove against the shield currently holding him.

"That's got to be it," Derry said. "We've got to get out of here now!"

The three pushed Thomas into the common room. Alissa dropped the shield on Jasone who fell to the floor with a yelp.

"Pack as quick you can!" Derry said. "Any food, waterskins, warm clothing, weapons. Alissa, bring your healing kit."

"No!" Thomas shouted. "What's going on?" He reached out and flooded the room with magick. Alissa attempted to shield him, but his rage allowed him to top her power. "What's going on? You three know something."

Glemma stepped toward him. "Mage Argent has been secretly organizing a rebellion against the Empire. Several of the other Circles have allied with him. The Imperials must have found out. They'll destroy this Circle, torture us for information, then kill us."

Thomas's head swum. He felt like he had fallen into a bard's tale. He dropped his magick and slumped into a chair. "How do you know this?"

Glemma looked all of them. "Because I was part of it."

Alissa breathed a cry of surprise. Derry didn't move.

"Argent recruited me when I came to this Circle," Glemma said. "And because you're connected with me, they're never going to believe you weren't part of it. If we don't get away right now, we'll be tortured without mercy and killed like vermin."

"Traitors!" Jasone shouted. He stood in the entrance of the balcony, magickal currents swirling around him. "Traitors! You won't take me down with you!"

He blazed power into the room.

The room exploded.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All right reserved. No copying without prior express written permission.

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Anniversary of my birth

It's my birthday! And I'm giving myself the day off. See you tomorrow!

Circles, Chapter 1.3

(Author's Note: I realized I made a mistake on my approach to Circles. I had chosen the First Person viewpoint, but have realized that I need to use Third Person because the story is larger than I realized. It's always a joy when the Story takes hold and leads you to new unexplored places. The first three entries will be converted to Third Person soon, but here's today's entry. Enjoy! Oh, tomorrow is my birthday, and I may give myself off. We'll see. But if so, Circles will return Sunday. One last thing: our viewpoint character is Thomas, who's been talking to you himself until now.)

Circles
Chapter 1.3
Maze of Madness


Thomas would have questioned Alissa and Derry further, demanding answers to the questions they had raised even though he knew they had no answers. His world had shifted, and he felt like he teetered on the edge of abyss. But movement caught his eye.

"Look!" Thomas said, pointing below.

Mage Argent ran across the courtyard, his black robes billowing behind him. Mages White and Verdant ran after him.

"What the gods?" Derry said.

A low rumble filled the air. Alissa jerked her head to look to the sky.

"It can't be," she breathed. "What would they..." She bit her lip.

"What's happening?" Thomas asked, his voice quivering despite his best efforts to steady it.

The three Mages below reached the Testing building. Argent stopped and talked to the other two Mages, but Thomas couldn't make out the words.

The rumbling grew louder.

Argent clasped hands with White. He looked at Verdant for a moment and then swept her into an embrace and kiss that would have delighted all the Aspirants who had privately talked about the possibility of a romance between the Head Mage and his Second.

A silver streak flashed through the air and buried itself in the courtyard, throwing bricks and dirt into the air. Aspirants and Mages ran out of the halls and gaped at the huge metal spike that had embedded itself in the ground. Thomas's gaze followed the chain that was attached to the spike that led to the lowering clouds.

Argent entered the Testing building. Verdant watched him go. She spoke to White. They turned to face the metal spike. Other Mages joined them: Red, Cinnamon, Sandollar, Blanc, Rose, and Oak.

But Forrest, Violet, and Midnight stood across the courtyard from the other Mages. A protection shield shimmered around them. Forrest stood in front of the other two.

"What's going on?" Jasonne ran out onto the balcony and nearly knocked Derry over the edge. Thomas grabbed Derry's shoulder.

"They're coming!" Glemma shouted. "They're coming!" She stepped out and looked to the sky. A vast shadow descended steadily toward the Circle.

"You know nothing," Glemma shouted. "Nothing! No matter what they ask, you know nothing! It's our only chance!"

Thomas gripped the iron railing. "Nothing about what? What? WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

The rumbling shook the building. A bright light stabbed from the sky and focused on Verdant and the Mages gathered around her.

The clouds parted, rolling away as if the gods descended to earth.

A huge cylinder hanging in the air suddenly lit up, revealing a crossed dragon crest. The rumbling began to wane as the four engines to its sides powered down. Lines dropped from it, and men in blue and gold battle-gear slid down.

"It's an Imperial dirigible," Glemma said. "Gods help us all. Gods help us all."

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying in any way without express prior written permission by the author and publisher.

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Circles, Chapter 1.2

Circles
Chapter 1.2
Maze of Madness

"It can't be true," I said again.

"It is," said Derry. He stood in the doorway. "I broke into the Archives."

"We did," Alissa said.

Derry reached out his hand, and Alissa took it.

I gaped at them. No Aspirant was allowed in the Archives. It was expressly forbidden, and two people who had done so would be Tested with me.

And because I was so shocked -- at least that's what I'm going to say -- it took me another few moments to register they were holding hands and what that implied.

"It's forbidden for Aspirants--" I started, but stopped. They knew the Strictures. They both gave me a humoring look.

"Yes, but few of us keep it," Derry said. "Perhaps we should, but rather than distracting from our Writtens, we found it helped us."

"We're both strong in different Writtens," Alissa said.

"Does everyone ... know about the tenth?" I asked, stopping myself from asking if every other Aspirant had a companion while I did not. And besides, I wasn't completely oblivious. I would have noticed. Wouldn't I?

"No," Derry said. "Just Alissa and I and a few others. And now you."

"Why tell me?" I asked.

"Because the more of us know, the more chances we have of the information spreading," Alissa said. "There have to be Journeymen who realize the attrition rate is higher than we had been told."

"Do the Mages know?" I asked, but as soon as I said it, I realized how stupid it was. "Of course, they do. They could have to."

"We think they're sending in quintets to give us a better chance to survive," Derry said.

"Why don't they stop the Testing?" I asked. "Find out what's going wrong before more of us die."

Derry looked at Alissa. "We don't know. Obviously, the Empire insists on the Testing."

"But whether or not that is the reason the Mages allow this to continue..." Alissa spread her hands.

"The Empire has always distrusted the Mages," Derry said. "And Emperor Tanalos is open about it. Like magick, apparently there is only so much political power available. The Emperor doesn't want to share."

"Then why doesn't he order his armies to kill us?" I asked. People think Mages are invulnerable, but they are not. A knife in the back, a poisoned cup of soup, a carefully shot arrow, a concubine with venomed lips ... all those and more had been used in the past to remove a Mage who sought the Blackened Throne of the Empire. And Aspirants and Journeymen died like other men. We would inflict much damage and kill many troops, but we would die.

"I don't know," Derry said. "This game is beyond me. Perhaps he only wants to keep our numbers down. Mages are useful for many things."

"I don't think it's the Emperor," Alissa said. "How could he interfere with the Testing? How could anyone? The Empire may be the reason the Testing continues, but I cannot see how they could manipulate the Testing when even the Mages cannot do that."

The sun had set while we talked, and I shivered in the rapidly cooling air. In another month, the snows would sweep down from the Glori Mountains. I suddenly realized I might not be alive when that happened. And I shared a sudden terrible thought.

"Perhaps the Mages want the Testing to continue for their own reasons," I said slowly. "Perhaps it is in their best interests if we don't survive."

From the looks on their faces, I realized Derry and Alissa had already thought of this. I shivered again, but it wasn't from the cold.

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying of any kind without express prior written permission.

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Circles, Chapter 1.1

Circles
Chapter 1.1
Maze of Madness


Alissa pulled out her pipe and packed it with derva leaves. She called up a flame and lit it.

"I don't know how you stand that stuff," I said, pulling enough power to create a wind to blow the smoke away from me.

She shrugged. "Reminds me of home."

I reminded myself again to never visit Nola Scrone. Bad enough that her home was mostly swamp, but if everyone smoked derva, it would stink to the heavens.

"Why do you think the Mages are sending groups of five?" Alissa asked.

"Because we have 50 Aspirants," I said glibly. "Makes 10 groups."

She snorted. "Answers like that are what makes Mage White dislike you so much."

I disliked the Geomapper as much as he disliked me.

I shrugged. "In three days, it won't matter."

Then she looked at the small Testing building. "I suppose not." She blow out three perfect smoke rings. Despite myself I was impressed. She hadn't used magick.

"Why does the Empire want us dead?" she asked. "It's different in the swamps. Witches are revered. We heal people. We call the fish. We clean the water."

I had great difficulty imagining any of the Mages doing such menial tasks. I certainly wouldn't. Or would I? I hadn't thought much about what I would do if I survived the Testing. I would probably be employed by a noble or merchant. That's the lot of most survivors.

"It's not a matter of wanting us dead," I said slowly. "They want us controlled." It had been explained to me by my father when my magick first manifested itself. "Magick is a finite resource. Too many mages drawing on it leaves too little for anyone to use. So it makes sense to winnow out the weak and stupid."

She shook her head, her charms tinkling. "I don't believe that. In the swamp, the magick is mighty. It's a torrent."

"Because you have fewer mages and more wildlife," I said. "Life generates magick."

"I know that," she said impatiently. "But magick is powerful here, too. I think it's not that we have fewer mages, but we simply have more life. Your cities are so ... lifeless. Other than humans, of course."

"Well, maybe," I said, not willing to argue but disagreeing. "But there are political reasons, too. And it's good for the Mages. We get paid more for our services."

"Do you repeat back everything they tell you?" Alissa asked. "Have you never really thought about it? In three days, we will be Tested. And even in groups of five, most or all of us won't survive."

"A fourth of us--"

"Bah," she sneered. "The numbers are closer to one tenth."

I turned to her. "That's not right."

"Yes, it is," she said. "I've been here four years. I counted the number of Aspirants who survived each year. One in ten became a Journeyman."

"Perhaps they were poor groups."

"Four years in a row?" She arched an eyebrow. "You truly could believe that? What about eight years in a row?"

"Eight?"

She puffed on her pipe for a few moments.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Her face lost all expression.

"My sister Lelisa didn't return from Testing," she said finally. "She died the year before I came here. But she also keep track of those who survived."

I leaned against the iron railing. My stomach clenched. One in ten. The Mages never spoke of the odds of surviving the Testing, but I had heard that a fourth survived for most of my life.

"It's not only Mongarth," she said. "The other Circles are the same."

"It can't have always been like that," I said. "People would have noticed."

"The Mages keep it quiet," she said. "And it hasn't always been like that." She stepped over close to me. "My sister broke into the Archives."

"Gods," I breathed. Only Mages were allowed into the library Archives.

Alissa conjured a protection shield around us.

"She found out that almost everyone survived the Testing in times past. It's only been in the past two hundred years that Aspirants began to die."

"That can't be right!" I said. "It can't be."

Alissa dropped the shield and moved away from me. "It was in her last letter. She sent it to me the day before her Testing. She never returned from the Maze."

"What are you saying?" I asked. "What does this mean?"

"I don't know," said Alissa. "But let me tell you a terrible thing. The Mages don't know, either." She shivered. "Something is killing off Aspirants, and they can't do anything to stop it."

Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without express written permission.

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Circles, Chapter 1.0

Circles

Chapter 1.0

Maze of Madness

"I'm not going to do this," I said, throwing down the overshirt.

Jasone looked at me. As always, his mouth twisted as if he couldn't imagine how stupid I was.

Alissa frowned at us both. Not that I cared what a swamp witch thought.

"Please," Glemma sighed, pushing her long blonde braids away from her face. "Must we go through this again?" She stomped over to me and waved her finger in my face. "We have to wear matching overshirts for the Test. We voted. You lost. We wear Jasone's dragon."

"I'm not going to do it," I said again, although I knew I would have to. I hated the smug expression on Jasone's face just like I hated his rich family, his noble line, his perfect scores in Written, and his athletic skills. Why he got grouped with us remained a mystery. The only redeeming value about it was that he hated being with us as much as we hated him being there.

"I don't like the dragon, either," Alissa said.

Glemma rounded on her. "You voted for it! It's too late now to change your mind."

Alissa shrugged. "Not changing my mind. I didn't like it when I voted for it. But at least it's real."

"The Phoenix is -- was real," I said.

"No proof of that," Alissa said. "None." She stepped over to her desk. "And Mamaboy there wouldn't have paid for any other design."

Jasone scowled at her. "I told you not to call me that."

"Yes, I know," Alissa said, looking unconcerned.

With My Othereyes, I saw magick build briefly in Jasone before he thought better of it. Alissa's home might be the backward swamps of Nola Scrone, but she was easily his match.

"I get so tired of all of you," Glemma said with an exasperated sigh. "Why my parents sent me to this godsforsaken Circle is beyond me!"

"Because they're poor and can't afford better," Jasone said bluntly.

Glemma glared at him. "Then why did you get sent here ... Mamababy?"

Light flared around Jasone. He might be daunted by Alissa, but Glemma didn't carry the swamp witch's power.

"That's enough," Derry, the fifth member of our happy quintet, said quietly. He looked up from his book. "We will be Tested tomorrow. Perhaps we shouldn't waste magick."

Jasone sneered, but he turned away. While Alissa may have held more sheer raw power, Derry wielded his with a careful competence that intimidated everyone. If we had a leader, the unhappy role fell to Derry. But even his skills couldn't forge a unit out of the misfits in this room.

"I don't understand," Alissa said. "Why?"

She left the rest of her question unsaid. We had certainly discussed it endlessly over the past three weeks, ever since Mage Argent announced Aspirants would be Tested in groups. He gave no explanations for this change that upended more than hundred generations of tradition. Not that anyone asked him for one. Circle Mongarth be the poorest Circle in the Empire, but everyone feared Mage Argent. No one understood why he choose this backward Circle when any of the richer ones were his for the taking. People whispered the death of his wife had driven him insane years ago. Perhaps so. Argent didn't share his mind with other Mages and certainly not with Aspirants.

"What difference does it make?" Jasone said abruptly. "When we're dead, the reasons won't matter." He left the main room and entered his room, slamming the door behind him.

"It's to give us a better chance of surviving," Glemma said. "Five of us are better than one of us. That's why they did it. That's what my father says. And he should know." She frowned when none of us agreed. "I'm going to bed."

She stomped into her room.

Derry returned to reading his book. Alissa rose and walked out onto the little balcony. I followed her, not seeking her company, but not ready to go my little room.

In the crisp air, I looked out over the huge circular courtyard. Like all the Circles, Mongarth's buildings were arranged around the courtyard like spokes of a wheel. Three dorms for the Aspirants, one of which was empty due to the rotten roof; the dining hall; two buildings where we were schooled in the Written Ways; a stable; a guest house reserved for use by nobles; the gym; the library; and the two halls that housed the Mages. Flaking paint and weathered wood revealed the shabby condition of the Mongarth in general, but the Mages insisted we keep the courtyard tidy, replacing the paving bricks as necessary and trimming the grass back.

One more small building squatted to our left, but I chose to not look there. We would enter it in three days, and unless the gods smiled on us, we would die.

(Copyright 2011 by Stephen B. Bagley. All rights reserved. No copying without prior express written permission.)  

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No jokes

Dear God,

My car died tonight. It nearly bought me home to see You by first dying in front of an oncoming truck. I'm only here because the driver swerved madly at the last minute. I think he was swearing. Forgive him for that. It was a close call, and I'm sure he was as scared as I was.

The car limped home, and now it squats in my garage. My roomie and I changed out the fuel filter. I hoped this simple fix would be enough, but it didn't help. The car needs a mechanic, and I don't know how I'm going to pay for it. Probably borrow the money from a friend. Or put it on a stinking credit card. I don't know what else to do.

I need the car for job interviews and running errands and all that other stuff that we have to do because America has never been pedestrian friendly and my town is no different. But when I think about what a mechanic will charge, I just want to cry.

Yeah, cry. I feel beat up tonight, Lord. The never-ending job search, the worries about bills, my health problems, the problems of my family and friends, the state of the nation, the sorrows of the world, it's all too much tonight. I'd like to run away, but I know that doesn't work. I'd like to hide, but problems will find the hiders. No jokes tonight because I can't find anything funny right now.

This is an open letter to You because I don't know how to carry on. I mean, I will, because that's what I do. I pick myself up, I figure out a plan, I blunder on, trusting that You will keep me from the hideous mistakes if I let You.

When I was a child, sometimes I'd fall asleep at church, curled up on a pew, my head on my mother's purse. I remember how peaceful it was to let the preacher's words flow over me and feel Your presence around me. How I miss that. How I miss the comfort of Your peace.

Of course, I know You're still there. Even tonight when I can't feel You. Tonight when I feel beaten, I know You're there.

If it's not too needy of me, I have a favor to ask for tonight. I wish I could feel Your comfort and peace. Tomorrow, the problems will be there, but tonight, I want to feel Your presence around me. I want to go asleep in Your arms of comfort.

Anyway, that's me for tonight. Thank you for my many blessings. Forgive me my many failings. I pray this in Your name.

Amen and much love,

Stephen

Words to the Future

In 1959, mathematician-philosopher Bertrand Russell had two things he wanted to say to people of the future. He's worth listening to.



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Starboard

Starboard refers to the right side of a ship (or airplane) when you're facing the bow (front). Another bit of knowledge that you probably won't use unless you go on a cruise. Still, it feels like a handy thing to know.

Here's almost my complete store of nautical knowledge.

Starboard: the right side of a ship or airplane when you're facing the bow (front)
Bow: the front of a ship
Stern: the rear of a ship
Port: the left side of a ship or airplane when you're facing the bow
Knot: one nautical mile per hour (about 1.15 miles per hour)

And that's about it. I've only been on a boat a couple of times (loved it) and have never been on the ocean or even seen it.

There's something terribly romantic about sailing. The idea of gliding over the dark blue depths heading toward the place where the sky touches the sea. I want to do it before I die. I hope I do.

Talk to you tomorrow.

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Headache

I have a monstrous headache tonight, so I'm not posting. Going to bed and hope the darkness helps stop the pounding in my head.

If my head doesn't explode, I will return tomorrow same blog time, same blog channel.

Talk to you then.

Sideways

Author Holly Lisle has a marvelous course titled "How to Think Sideways." It teaches writers how to go sideways around obstacles in their life and their writing. I recommend it, but it's aimed squarely at writers. If you're not a writer, you might not get much out of it, but you would get the idea of going sideways.

If you can't go forward and you can't back up, maybe you can go sideways. I don't what that means in all instances, but in publishing, it might mean self-publishing or ebooks or serialization of novels by email. In life, it can mean surprising people.

People have a tendency to pigeonhole other people around them. We categorize people, and sometimes we don't like it when they climb out of the convenient hole we've placed them in.

I'm climbing out of the hole. I don't know what I will be, but it's going to be better than this.

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Down

My energy level remains down, but I think it's getting better. I'm taking my Vitamin D supplements, getting at least 15 minutes of sun a day, drinking a cup of Vitamin D fortified milk a day, taking my iron supplements, attempting to eat dark green leafy veggies once a day, having lean red meat when I can, and so on. I'm following the doctor's orders, I am.

Slowly oh so slowly, I'm regaining my zip. I hope it returns. I used to be a blur. But some days it's hard to even drag myself out of bed. Fewer days now. I'm hoping the doctor knows how to fix me.

I still have a lot of things I want to do in my life. I don't want to spend the rest of it in bed or in a barely aware stupor. I'm getting healhier. My blood sugar is slowly responding to the exercise and diet.

I miss the days when I could just down a tall glass of caffeine enriched Dr Pepper, tho.

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Up

Been swimming in my pool lately. Well, mostly floating. I like to let the water carry my weight as I stare up into the sky. Lately we haven't had many clouds, but when they're there, I like to watch them.

My favorite time to swim is right at dusk. Then I watch the sky darken and the stars show up. If there's a small breeze to rustle the leaves on the trees, then it's perfect. I float motionless on the dark water.

Of course, I live in a small town so it's never completely dark. But it feels like I'm on a lake. I let thoughts flow through me and over me and sometimes they drift on up to wander around in the endless sky.

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Vegetable

I have developed an unhealthy addiction to Brussels sprouts. I crave them at times. I stream them in the microwave with a dash of garlic powder, a pad of butter, and a spoonful of water. I cook them until they are just soft. They melt in my mouth.

I didn't use to like them. Avoided them and wouldn't eat them. I don't know why that changed. I don't know why I bought the first bag that changed my mind.

Oh, another way they are good is to cut them into slices and saute them in olive oil with minced garlic and mushrooms. No, seriously, fancy restaurants serve them in this fashion. And they are good.

But somehow I bought that first bag and cooked them and now I love them. I can't explain it, and other people don't understand it. Me, neither. It's quite odd. Strange. Creepy even.

But let me tell something that's even more ominous: The other day, I had sauteed liver.

I liked it.

Help!

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Mineral

I've always found it curious that gold is worth so much. Yes, it's useful in various electronic capacities and medical and scientific research. It's bright, it's shiny, it's malleable, but when you think of all the people who have been murdered, enslaved, tortured, maimed, and downtrodden for it, it's not worth it.

But it is shiny. And heavy. And it seems most cultures valued it as soon as they found it. As early as 560 B.C. gold coins were minted in what is now known as Turkey. And until the early 1900's, gold coins were legal tinder in many countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

There are other metals rarer or easier to form into jewelry or more expensive, but something about gold and the power it has over men overshadows all other metals.

And despite all the pain, blood, and violence connected with the mining and trading of gold -- let's be honest -- wouldn't you like to have several bars to sell?

Yeah, me too.

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Animal

Been paying more attention to paranormal romances lately. Not thinking about writing one -- the field seems to be full, and I have nothing new to add -- but they are showing up on best seller lists a lot. Besides the over-used vampires, there are werewolves, weretigers, werecoyotes, weredolphins, werehorses, wereeagles, werewhales, werefoxes, werebears, etc. A lot of writers are pursuing the animal in their work.

Some of this, I think, is because we all have this idea about how golden things were in the past before nasty technology came along and spoiled the earth and sky and took us away from the earth. Some of this is because a curse -- for whatever reason -- is romantic. Nothing like forbidden love or doomed love to make the tears start to flow.

And maybe it's because we look at the headlines and see men acting like savages -- killers, rapists, terrorists, dictators, politicians -- and it's easy to believe that a beast still lurks within us. Only love can soothe the savage beast, right?

Well, it can try, but sometimes you need a stake or a silver bullet or whatever kills a weretiger who intends on having tasty you for lunch.

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Spirit

I have friends that believe in ghosts. I don't, which you know if you've read this blog for any time. I've never had an unexplained occurrence in my life. Not that I doubt my friends or think they're lying when they tell of their experiences. I just think -- know -- that there is a rational explanation.

I've always found this rational part of me ... to be annoying. I always look for the guy behind the curtain. I think my early experiences with stage magic totally and thoroughly changed my outlook. There was always a trick behind a miracle. I could admire the cleverness of the trick, even be baffled by the trick, but never believed in the magic.

I think I would be a happier person if I could let a little unreason into my life. If I could believe in Bigfoot, UFOs, ghosts, magic, stone circles, anything out of the ordinary. But my feet stay firmly planted in the mud.

This doesn't mean I don't believe in God. I do believe in God. I believe because I've chosen to believe. There is a fundamental difference between choosing to believe and believing as part of your nature. I've always wanted the latter while only experiencing the former. I've always had that rational part of me that stood off and observed and muttered, "How interesting" in a quiet voice.

The world is too much with me, it seems. And while I'd like to be different, what I am, I am. What are you?

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Fire

I actually cooked today. I haven't been doing that. It's been too hot to even think about heating up the house with the stove. I've been microwaving everything. But today I made stove top lasagna, and it required the stove. Sure heated up the kitchen.

Heat seems to the theme right now. Everything is getting drier. Trees, grass, brush, all would only take a careless match to turn into a raging wildfire. We need rain and a good amount of it.

On Facebook, some people have planned an event where folks will pray for rain all together. I'm thinking we shouldn't wait for the event, but start praying now. We should also water carefully, clear brush and trash away from our houses, not burn trash or other items in an uncovered fire, don't shoot off any more fireworks, etc. Prevention is better than fighting a fire. While I believe in prayer, I also believe in doing our part and being sensible about things.

Anyway, tomorrow is another Monday. Another beginning to the work week. I hope you're all doing well. I'm staying busy.

Talk to you tomorrow.

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Earth

Today I bend down to tie my shoelace, and I could feel the heat emanating from the earth. The sun is cooking the soil. Right now, it's warm and moist, but if this summer continues, eventually the earth will bake hard as a rock.

Reminds me of the theory that a nuclear reaction at the center of the earth is what drives volcanic action as well as generating the magnetic field that surrounds our planet. No one knows for certain, although the theory does make sense. There's certainly enough pressure and heat down there to generate such a reaction.

And in Africa, a nuclear reaction took place over thousands of years because of the right combination of elements and pressure. A natural nuclear power plant, although no one used it as far we know. Maybe those pesky ancient aliens did. They get blamed for a lot.

Anyway, talk to you tomorrow.

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Water

Having to water my flowers almost daily due to the heat. Also, my pool needs water every two or three days. It's amazing how much evaporates into the atmosphere.

I remember reading an article that said all water -- except those particles that escape into space -- that has ever been on the planet still exists on the planet. The problem for us is having enough usable water. Potable water is becoming more scarce on parts of the planet. I live in an area that is so far untouched by water shortages. And until this summer, we have had plenty of rain.

But a hot, dry summer makes you wonder about the climate and about what it would mean if the water was polluted beyond our ability to clean.

I also read that while the wars now are about oil, the wars in the future will be about water. On days like this, I wonder if that's true.

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Air

Because the main air conditioning unit for my house is old and worn, it barely keeps the house cool during a regular summer. This summer with its super high temps has just about defeated it. About four years ago, I bought a window unit for my bedroom, which really made a difference in my room at night. Sadly enough, the window unit died today.

We immediately went to Wal-Mart in hopes that they weren't sold out, which they often are when temps are this high. They had one left, and fortunately it was small enough to fit my window. The new unit is busy cooling my bedroom even as I write this.

Makes you wonder about all those who went before us and were able to endure these temps without any artificial aid. Sturdy bunch of people, weren't they?

Have a great -- and I hope -- cool night! Talk to you tomorrow.

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