Public Transport Systems and Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Public Transport Systems and Pollution - Essay Example Due to the interference with national balance, production of different raw materials that are used in the manufacturing industry are affected, which consequently constraints the industry. The issue of pollution, which is global and not regional is evident in all states across the globe, although some have taken significant steps to address the menace. This essay will deeply examine the issue of pollution laying special focus on the effects of pollution on the on human health and environment, fish stocks, forestry sectors of the economy. This essay will also discuss the relationship between public transport systems and pollution as well as focus on the cost of climate change. Air pollution has led to various adverse effects to forestry department and the industries in the sector. Pollutants that are known to cause much harm to trees are oxidants, fluorides, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile hydrocarbons (Gifford, 2006, p. 60). Oxidants react with the sunlight to produce toxins such as peroxyl acetyl nitrate (PAN) and ozone that are harmful to the trees. Ozone is commonly found in the upper strata of the atmosphere but, is considered to be highly harmful once found near the ground. High levels of these greenhouse gases easily damage trees and can easily wipe out an entire forest, which poses a threat to the industries in the field. Pollutants resulting from sulfur dioxide arise as a result of burning oil or coal to produce energy. They are also formed during the extraction of ores and when manufacturing products. Other manmade chemicals such as herbicide, pesticides, and fertilizers do detriment trees. Public transport systems have contributed to air pollution in a great way. Fuels used by the current means of transportation emit harmful chemicals once combusted with carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide being very common. Mining undertakings are similarly key players in the issue of pollution.  

Re- write a Silent Movie- Blue Angel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Re- write a Silent Movie- Blue Angel - Essay Example The woman imitates Lola’s shape on the poster by posing in a similar way. The main character is Emil Jannings who is referred to as Professor Rath in the film but commonly abbreviated as Prof. Rath. The audience first encounters him through a shot at the door that bears his common abbreviation. Professor Rath is preparing the lesson for a class presentation. The pupils quickly run to class in a Helter skelter after the bell rings. The professor appears to concentrate on preparing for a lesson while the caretaker who is in charge of the house reminds him of his breakfast. She then goes about her daily chores of cleaning the house. After taking his breakfast, the Professor leaves and begins to call his pet. Surprisingly, the bird does not respond and this forces him to check on it only to find that it is dead. These events bring a situation that is a little confusing because while the death of the bird appears to sadden the Professor, the housekeeper picks the bird and discards it into an open boiler. When doing this, she only mentions that the bird stopped singing sometimes back. This means that she was aware that the bird was dead but was not interested in checking its condition. The Professor, however, ignores her and continues taking his breakfast. The film moves to the next level by introducing the Professor’s class. ... He picks the professor’s lecture guide and changes it to read ‘Professor Garbage’. This appears to be very simple because in German, the boy only needs to add the prefix ‘un’ to the Professor’s sir name. The boy proceeds to draw a funny picture of Professor Rath and only stops after the pencil breaks. These things happen in class because the Professor has not arrived. It is at this moment that he appears to be resuming classes. The pealing of a big clock that looks like a cuckoo follows this scene. The film treats the audience to an ironical situation where the clock together with a bird perched on it moves from end to end round the clock as it clicks. The events capturing the attention of the audience break immediately one of the pupils screams at others to be on the lookout and watch for the old man. This is in reference to the Professor. The pupils quickly take their respective seats as Professor Rath instructs them to sit down and have thei r notebooks ready for the lesson. When the Professor blows his nose after using his handkerchief after taking his seat, he discovers that pupils have defaced his notebook. After carrying out a thorough search of the culprit from amongst his pupils, he identifies Angst, the most naughty of all his pupils. The Professor does not take into consideration that Angst may not have committed the offense but instructs him to rub the added prefix. Coincidentally, Angst is an apt character in a play by Rolf Muller, an original script where the author of Blue Angel picked his theme. The Professor begins his lesson by discussing an excerpt from Hamlet, the third Act in the first scene. This line is a famous soliloquy by Shakespeare. The Professor

Critiqueexhibition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critiqueexhibition - Essay Example Overall, the exhibition proved to be a pleasant display: very pleasing to the eyes and deserving of the audience's awe. The "Stylized Sculpture" exhibition does not use plaques or other writings to describe the works of art displayed. Rather, they have carefully placed black and white photographs of the fashions to show the true art form found within the garments; then mannequins are used to display the fashions near the photos. The surrounding walls are blank from text, colors, or other pictures. In their stead, the audience is given a brochure to explain each piece of art and fashion. These brochures include information about the fashion - such as the designer - as well as a detailed description of the accompanying work of art. The fashions appear in order of their design, from 1983 to 2007. The use of lighting on the mannequins helps emphasize the lines and forms of the fashions as displayed by Sugimoto's photographs. This brilliant use of lighting and lack of distracting materials made this exhibit unique and attention grabbing. My attention was drawn to exactly what the artist wished me to see: the form and sculptural essence apparent in Japanese fashions. The lighting used for this exhibition was carefully placed both to make the photographs easy to view and to enhance the shadows and forms of the fashions on the mannequins.

The Unknown Citizen Explication Essay Example for Free

The Unknown Citizen Explication Essay Several conflicts are dramatized in The Unknown Citizen, the most prominent being: conformity of the middle class, government manipulation, and the loss of individualism to the standards of an average citizen. The speaker of this poem is non-traditional as the poem is, in fact, an inscription on a â€Å"marble monument erected by the State. † The inscription is dedicated to a â€Å"JS/07 M 378†Ã¢â‚¬â€presumably, â€Å"The Unknown Citizen,† although this term only appears in the title. The Unknown Citizen is essentially an elegy, a lament for the dead, written by either a government official or a strong believer in the government. This becomes clear through the speaker’s repeated use of possession, such as in line 12, â€Å"†¦our Social Psychology workers found†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"Our researchers into public opinion are content†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (22). These references establish the poem’s criticism of government manipulation and very closely mirror the same notions within the novel 1984. The speaker offers insight into just how severe this government infiltration is, mentioning an active â€Å"Bureau of Statistics† (1), a â€Å"Health-card† administered to all citizens (17), and personal information drawn from â€Å"†¦reports on his conduct†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3). Another conflict that arises within the poem is that of a dominating middle class. The author defines the â€Å"Modern Man†Ã¢â‚¬â€which is also capitalized to represent a distinct faction—as one who possesses all the â€Å"necessities,† including: â€Å"a phonograph, a radio, a car, and a Frigidaire† (21). The poem becomes almost satirical here. The speaker continues, â€Å"He was married and added five children to the population†¦the right number for a parent of his generation† (25-26). The poet outlines society and the government’s idea of the ideal middle class modern man, however, with much irony. Regardless, with this elegy, the author intends to praise the life of the unknown citizen, but succeeds only in detailing the fact that his life was undisruptive and that he closely followed the expectations of a rigid society. Among his â€Å"praises,† for example: â€Å"When there was peace, he was for peace: when there was war, he went† (24). In this, it becomes clear to the reader that you do not want to be an average citizen; you do not want this to be your elegy. Some critics argue this, however, as Auden stating that there is nothing disgraceful in being unknown. The poem is, above all, a satire of the way conformity hinders the individual and leaves ridiculous and solely external distinctions between human beings. Auden presents an allegory in The Unknown Citizen that begins even before the poem itself. The phrase â€Å"Unknown Citizen† appears only once—in the title. This term is an immediate allusion to and parody of the â€Å"Unknown Soldier,† especially considering the details of who the poem is dedicated to and the fact that it is found on a marble monument, much like those one might expect to see in Washington, D. C. here the United States is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The â€Å"Unknown Solider† is a soldier who cannot be recognized after being found in battle. This sometimes-controversial idea can be interpreted to mean that many people die as unknowns because they lived uninfluential lives. Aside from this large allegory, the poem uses only a few rhetorical devices. In line four, for example, â€Å"†¦in the modern sense of an old-fashioned word, he was a saint† is quite an exaggeration because being â€Å"one against whom there was no official complaint† is hardly saintly (2). Another example, in line 20, is â€Å"†¦had everything necessary to the Modern Man. † If this were not an exaggeration, it would be extremely disturbing to agree that all one needs are the classic symbols of a squeaky-clean 1930s home: a car, a radio, and a refrigerator. This 1930s theme continues in two particular allusions. In line eight, it is written that the citizen was employed by â€Å"Fudge Motors, Inc. † which closely resembles the automobile giant of both then and now, Ford Motors, Inc. , but is, through â€Å"fudge,† slightly more appealing. Next, in line 18, are mentions of the groups â€Å"Producers Research† and â€Å"High-Grade Living† which are likely allusions to Consumer Reports and Good Housekeeping, respectively. Both U. S. publications are tokens of a middle class, â€Å"perfect† society. The Unknown Citizen consists of both patterned meter and rhyme, however, both are inconsistent. The meter is loosely anapestic, meaning that each metrical foot consists of two unstressed beats followed by a stressed beat. Line one is an example of such: â€Å"He was found by the Bureau of Statistics to be. † Other anapestic lines are scattered throughout the poem. The rhyme scheme begins as ABAB and then, in line 9, proceeds for some time in rhyming couplets. These patterns are occasionally broken, however. Consistent or not, this rhyme does create a sort of melodious sound while reading. Some lines even resemble the simplistic and song-like style of nursery rhymes. For example: â€Å"Yet he wasn’t a scab or odd in his views/ For his Union reports that he paid his dues† (9-10). This type of sound is rather merry and is a stark contrast to the less-than-celebratory subject matter, which is yet another development of irony. The poem, because of how it rhymes, is also highly particular, almost robotic or even â€Å"perfect,† which parallels to the citizen’s â€Å"perfect† life. Auden completes the poem masterfully by leaving two questions on the monument— questions that any reader would beg after such an elegy. The speaker asks â€Å"Was he free? Was he happy? † and is immediately defensive upon answering, an obvious tone shift. Although the speaker insists that â€Å"had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard† (29), it is impossible to trust a government that erects expensive marble statues in honor of nothing more than numbers, statistics, and the status quo.

Trapped Characters in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men :: Steinbeck Of Mice and Men Essays

In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses stereotypes and discrimination to convey a message of how the characters feel.   A lot of the stereotypes and clichà ©s are just common beliefs of the times, but a few are situational. To quote a quite distinguished reader, "Characters are ‘trapped’- either by what others think of them, or by their situation." A lot of the character’s feelings about themselves and what others think of them will lead to loneliness. Crooks is a character who is mistreated   in many ways because he is black. Crooks is the stable buck of the barn.   It’s not certain whether Crooks is his name, or his nickname, but we know he got kicked in the back by a horse and had a crooked back ever since.   Nevertheless he gets yelled at by the boss every time something’s wrong. " ‘The boss gives him hell when he’s mad.   But the stable buck don’t give a damn about that,’ " says Candy, p.32.   Crooks also isn’t allowed in the bunk houses because people say   he stinks. Crooks talks with Lennie in the book, "Crooks laughed again. ‘A guy can talk to you an’ be sure you won’t go blabbin’." p.78. This most likely makes Crooks feel not wanted at all, Which roots to loneliness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lennie is not so much stereotyped, but rather trapped because of his size.   Because Lennie is so big, Curley thinks he has to prove something by beating up Lennie.   Lennie gets on Curley’s bad side when he didn’t do anything wrong.   Lennie is then forced to fight.   " ‘I don’t want no trouble,’ he said plaintively. ‘Don’t let him sock me, George.’ " p.32.   This is not an everyday discrimination like racism.   It’s one of those circumstantial incidents that was described in quote in the introduction.   This is an excellent example of how John Steinbeck uses extraordinary circumstances to create appeal and realism to the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Curley’s wife is probably the most loathed on the ranch.   Because of   the way she looks and acts, people think she is easy, or a   "tart".   " ‘Jesus, what a tramp,’ he said. ‘So that’s what Curley picks for a wife.’ " said George, p.35.   She just wants someone to talk to.

Is a good one

History Some can argue that the war has been going on since world war 2, when Stalin wanted the farm land In Ukraine and he had found many ways of obtaining their land such as: starving the Ukrainian people of food till they died or gave up their land or they Just killed the villagers, since then there have been many disputes between Russia and Ukraine. Russia has always felt that they had a certain cultural connection with Ukraine because when the Russian empire rose as a great empire its capital was in present day Ukraine. So It Is understandable that some of the Ukrainian people are ad at the Russians.But the more recent conflict which Is still going on started because the east side of Ukraine (which Is the Russian speaking side, many of whom had voted for Hancock) think that Ukraine should not join the European union and protested Hancock removal. So then Russian leaders decided that they should intervene for the sake of Russian speaking Ukrainians, too the west side of Ukraine i t seems like the Russian leaders are ignoring the valid reasons that Hancock was removed for. Some believe that Russian president Vladimir Putting Is using this conflict s a distraction from Russia slaking economy.Escalation Now there was a lot of increase in the violence when people started protesting against Russia. Between February 18 and 20, 103 people were killed and 1419 injured. The vast majority of Russians believe the Ukrainian military shot downplays Airlines flight MI 7, a new poll has shown, underlining how differently the tragedy has been presented in Russia than in the west. Crimean status referendum 2014 was a referendum on the status of Crimea held on March 16, 2014, by the legislature of Autonomous Republic of Crimea as well as by he local government of Soapstone, both subdivisions of Ukraine at the time.The referendum asked the people of Crimea whether they wanted to join Russia as a federal subject, or if they wanted to restore the 1992 Crimean constitution and Cr ime's status as a part of Ukraine. Presently Russia and Ukraine are trying to avoid a big war. So In the conflict life cycle, It Is between escalation and desolation and they are trying to avoid a deadlock. Deadlock but Russia is expecting a peace treaty. Some 70% of the Russian troops believed to have been in Ukraine have withdrawn back across the border, Ukrainian President Petrol Apprehension said, according to the national news agency Cruciform. This is another hope that peaceful initiatives have a good perspective,† Apprehension is quoted as saying during a Cabinet meeting in Kiev on Wednesday. The remarks came several days into a shaky ceasefire deal between Ukrainian forces and pro- Russia rebels, signed last Friday after nearly five months of fighting in eastern Ukraine. The Presidents of Russia and Ukraine are â€Å"broadly satisfied† with the status of the ceasefire, a Kremlin aide said Wednesday. Russian's president has said he is hoping for a peace deal betw een Ukraine and pro- Russian rebels by Friday.Vladimir Putting urged both sides to stop military action in eastern Ukraine, adding that his views and those of his Ukrainian counterpart were very close. We can say that the conflict is De escalating from escalation. Insisting that Russia is in no way a negotiating party in the Ukrainian conflict, Vladimir Putting is nevertheless certain that it is Moscow proposals that are going to advance both sides to peace. Mr. Putting plan is short and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Take, for example, a point on moving Ukrainian troops away from positions from which towns and cities can be shelled.Taken to an extreme, this could mean rewinding the situation on the ground to a point several weeks ago before Ukrainian advances. Just two weeks ago the discussions centered around when, and not if, the rebels would have to move out of Donates and Alumna's. But Moscow plan will allow them to strengthen their control over the two regional cente rs and other areas. Mr. Putting has often seemed unwilling to negotiate from a position of weakness and the reversals of the past few days illustrate this perfectly. Now it's Petrol Apprehension who has to choose whether to accept something which clearly protects Sieve's enemies in astern Ukraine.Ukrainian government troops say they have repelled an attack by pro-Russian rebels on Donates airport. De escalation THE war in eastern Ukraine has quieted, for now. Its disparate factions have as much reason to keep fighting as to put away their guns. But a ceasefire signed on September 5th in Minsk is so far mostly holding. Ukrainian president, Petrol Apprehension, does not want to fight an unnamable war against Russia, which is the situation he would have been in had he pressed on with Sieve's â€Å"anti-terrorist operation† in the east. His Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putting, is happy to seeDonates and Alumna's turn into breakaway territories that can serve as instruments agai nst Kiev. Russian prime minister Dimity Maddened has said the country will honor all its agreements with the European Union and Ukraine, but will trigger â€Å"protective measures† if a trade pact between the two comes into force early. The Nun and the end of 201 5 in a concession to Russia The Ukraine ceasefire might collapse any day. But if it sticks and the war ends here, it poses the question: who won? In military terms, the answer looks clear: Russian leader Vladimir Putting. In March, the Russian army seized Crimea.Last week, it routed Ukrainian forces in east Ukraine. Ukrainian president Petrol Apprehension asked EX. and Nato leaders for weapons. They said â€Å"there is no military solution to the conflict†. But Putting showed there is – several thousand Russian infantry, fighting as formed units, supported by tanks and artillery. The Russian invasion and the lack of Western support is why Ukraine signed the â€Å"Minsk protocol† – a 12-poi nt peace plan – last Friday (5 September). So what if Putting won Crimea and bits of Donates and Alumna's – he lost the rest of Ukraine. Right? Russian's attack has seen pro-Western feeling soar in the rest of the country.Polls now say Ukrainians want to Join Nato. They also say pro-Western parties will sweep pro- Russia MSP out of parliament in upcoming elections. It depicts the crisis in Putting own macho terms. The truth is that everybody lost. EX. civilians (IMHO), 2,600 Ukrainians, and who knows how many Russians lost their lives. Ukraine lost territory. The EX. and Nato lost credibility. But Putting will go down in history as the biggest loser: He lost the chance to make Russia, one of the world's richest nations in terms of natural resources and culture, and Russian's neighborhood into a decent place to live.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 20

I thought about it for half a heartbeat, and even that was too long. There was no question what my decision could be. Seth and I were bound together. Even if it had been for Jerome's convenience, Seth had found my soul across the incredible reaches of the dream world. Seth and I had found each other, life after life, and continually fallen in love. Even if we didn't consciously remember each other, some inner part of ourselves had connected. I remembered Roman's words. Over and over, you find each other and lose each other, you bicker and fight, throw it all away on mistrust and lack of communication. Are you going to let that continue? No, the cycle was going to end. On my terms. These lives we'd lived . . . the pain we'd suffered . . . it wouldn't be for nothing. It didn't matter if Seth hated me and never wanted to see me again. I wouldn't abandon him – not now, not ever. â€Å"No deal,† I said to Roman. â€Å"Seth and I are doing this together, whether he knows it or not.† Roman didn't try to talk me out of it. He simply said, â€Å"You understand what's at stake?† â€Å"I do.† If we failed here, I wouldn't just lose my soul. I would also be looking forward to an eternity in Hell's service, with superiors none-too-pleased that I'd shaken up the status quo. I didn't doubt that there was some article or clause somewhere that said I couldn't be penalized for this, but as I'd noted before, Hell had plenty of ways of punishing people off the record. The Las Vegas position would probably no longer exist, forcing me to relocate to some truly terrible location. Hannibal called the court back to order, and Roman relayed my decision. Hannibal clicked his tongue disapprovingly. â€Å"Risking it all for the new car, eh? Well, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it falls in your hands now. You've heard the evidence – and lack thereof. Do you believe there is enough ‘proof' to support the petitioner's case? Should both contracts – that these individuals willingly signed – be invalidated?† So much for justice being blind. The jury cast votes anonymously, which I found interesting. It was a small nod toward impartiality, theoretically providing protection to those who voted against their side's best interests. From what both Roman and Marcel had told me, I could see it happening among the angels. But did it ever happen with demons? Even if they knew the right or wrong of a situation, their ultimate goal was to accrue souls for Hell. Would any of them be moved by a case enough to go with their conscience? Was it possible that some spark of goodness could still endure in the darkness of this place? Judging from the quick way everyone scrawled their responses on the pieces of paper given, it didn't look like it. There was no hesitation. The demons wore cocky, self-assured expressions. Angels and demons came from the same stock, but I'd been told that once they spent enough time in Hell, that angelic nature was eroded away. These demons weren't going to lose any sleep about what became of my soul. The votes were collected by the bailiff. He sorted them into two suspiciously similarly sized piles and handed them to the judge. Hannibal did a quick count and nodded to himself before addressing us. A new stillness fell over the room. â€Å"Here we go,† murmured Roman. â€Å"The jury has spoken,† said Hannibal. â€Å"Six to six. We have a tie.† There was a collective exhalation in the room, and then the tension ramped back up as everyone waited for the next step. I shouldn't have been surprised by the tie, but some part of me had been hoping maybe, just maybe, a wayward demon would've voted in my favor. I had my answer. There was no spark of goodness here. It couldn't survive in Hell. â€Å"In accordance with article . . . fuck, I don't know . . . article something-or-other, we'll be going to a tiebreaker vote,† said Hannibal. The bailiff returned with an ornate vase, which he handed to the judge. Hannibal dumped out the contents, revealing a white marble and a black marble. â€Å"In this case, it really is as simple as black and white. If the black one's drawn, a demon casts the deciding vote. If it's white, an angel will.† He paused, looking bemused. â€Å"That's so cliched. I don't suppose we could switch the colors around? Just this once? No? Okay, let's get on with it.† He scanned the jury and pointed to an angel with curly red hair and long-lashed blue eyes. â€Å"You. You'll do the draw.† She nodded her acceptance and approached the bench gracefully. Again, another attempt at justice. If Hannibal had drawn the marbles, I would have been suspicious of the outcome. The fairness of the matter was future solidified when he made her swear to draw fairly, without using her powers to advantage. â€Å"I swear,† she said, placing the marbles in the vase. She shook them up and reached her hand in, casting a brief and – unless I was mistaken – sympathetic look at me. Her hand emerged, closed in a fist. When she opened it, no one could see the marble right away, but her face told the story. â€Å"Shit,† said Roman. The angel's palm revealed a black marble. She handed it to the judge who made no pretense at hiding his joy. He thanked her as she returned to her seat and then held the marble up for all the room to see. There was a murmur of excitement among the demons, delighted at having won the gamble he'd laid before us. I had a moment of regret, but only a small one. I could've walked away from here with my soul and life intact. I could've never brought this up and continued my life as a succubus undisturbed, living out the dream scenario in Las Vegas. Instead, I'd risked everything for the chance to free myself and Seth. And I'd lost for both of us. Had it been worth it? Yes. † ‘Fate' has spoken,† said Hannibal, still admiring the marble. â€Å"Per the rules, the decision now falls to a thirteenth juror, who will be randomly selected from a pool of Hell's illustrious servants. Doris?† Doris began clicking away at her laptop. After a few moments, she gave a nod toward the bailiff. He walked toward the back exit, presumably to escort in the thirteenth juror. My heart felt heavy and leaden, and I was startled when Roman again placed his hand on mine. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"I should have fought harder. Or pushed you to take the deal – â€Å" I squeezed his hand back. â€Å"No. You were perfect. The only thing you shouldn't have done was get involved with this mess.† It was impossible to believe, but whatever fate awaited me after my suit was denied wouldn't be half as bad as his. He gave me a playful smile. â€Å"What, and miss the chance to laugh in the face of Heaven and Hell? Besides, there's no way I could leave you to – â€Å" The courtroom had given way to chatter when the bailiff left, and now silence resumed upon his return. Whatever sentiments Roman had been about to say were lost, as he joined me in looking back to see the demon who would cast the last condemning vote on me. When I did, I had to do a double take. It was Yasmine. I almost didn't recognize her. It had been a year since I'd seen her, a year since I'd watched her fall from grace, transforming from an angel to a demon. Yasmine had committed a number of grave sins as an angel, starting when she'd fallen in love. That alone was forbidden for her kind, but it had gone one step further – she'd fallen for a nephilim named Vincent. Vince was a great guy, but like Roman, the standard reaction from angels and demons alike had been prompt destruction. One angel had finally acted on that impulse, and Yasmine had rushed to defend Vince – killing the other angel in the process. And with that, she had been condemned to Hell. I had seen it. It had been terrible. One angel's death, another's fall. It had all gone down the night Nyx had been found and recaptured. Vince and I had been in the cross fire of it. I'd done what I could for him, but there was nothing I could do to stop Heaven's punishment. Before leaving town, Vince had told me that it didn't matter what I thought I knew about Yasmine. He'd said that once she had spent enough time in Hell and around other demons, she'd become like them. It was what happened to all of them, how someone like Carter could become someone like Jerome. I hadn't believed it at the time but could understand it better after being surrounded in the despair and wrongness of this place. And when I studied her now, I could see it had happened to her too. I remembered a smiling, laughing young woman with sparkling dark eyes and shining black hair. The hair and eyes were ostensibly the same, but there was no light or laughter in them. Her eyes seemed fathomless, dark and cold as she stared straight ahead and walked to the front of the courtroom. She was wearing a gauzy black dress, reminding me of some Goth courtesan, and her long, flowing hair blended into the silken fabric. Even if I'd never met her or known her history, I would have instantly identified her as a demon. Just like the others in the room, there was something in the way she looked and carried herself. I was about to be condemned by someone who had once been my friend. Yasmine reached the front of the courtroom and was gestured toward the witnesses' table. She sat down, gazing around the room with an unreadable expression. â€Å"You've been following the trial?† asked Judge Hannibal. â€Å"Yes,† she said, in a voice as expressionless as her face. How she'd been watching, I couldn't say. With Hell, it could've been closed-circuit TV or a magic mirror for all I knew. â€Å"And you understand your duty?† asked Hannibal. â€Å"Yes,† she replied. Hannibal was trying to maintain some semblance of formality and procedure, but the self-satisfied smirk on his face was kind of negating that. He was too goddamned pleased with himself and this turn of events. â€Å"Cast your vote then, based on the evidence and arguments you've witnessed. If you believe the two contracts are both sound and have not contradicted each other, then cast your vote against the petitioner.† When silence followed, Roman spoke up. â€Å"And if she thinks the two contracts aren't valid?† â€Å"Yes, yes.† Hannibal made a dismissive gesture, annoyed at this obvious waste of his time. â€Å"If you believe the contracts do contradict each other, then cast your vote for the petitioner.† Yasmine was given a piece of paper and pen, just like the other jurors. And just like the others, she wasted no time in writing her vote, her markings swift and certain. When she finished, she looked up serenely, no change in her expression, no sign that we'd ever once known each other. As terrible as I felt about my own fate, I couldn't help but feel nearly as bad for what Hell had done to someone as good and kind as her. No, I thought. Not just Hell. Really, Heaven was just as guilty. What kind of group could advocate goodness and not allow its members to love? Hannibal took the paper from her with a flourish and held it out before him to read. â€Å"In accordance with the laws of this court, and the infallible Kingdom of Hell, the jury finds – † There was a pause, and the next part came out as a question. â€Å"In favor of the petitioner?† A spark of goodness in the darkness. . . . For a moment, nothing happened. The courtroom was silent, frozen in time. Then, several things happened right on top of each other. From behind me, I heard Jerome say, â€Å"Shit.† Yasmine winked at me. Roman hugged me. Hannibal reread the slip of paper, looked at Yasmine, and then swallowed before speaking. â€Å"Both contracts are declared invalid, null and void.† Most of the room was on its feet, voices raised in fury. I had no time to process what they were saying, though, because I was disintegrating away. â€Å"No, not yet!† I exclaimed. I reached desperately for Roman, whose arms had been around me, but couldn't get ahold of him anymore. I was becoming nothing, a will-o'-the-wisp, unable to grasp anything of substance. I tried, though. I tried to grab him and take him with me because there was no way I could leave him here, not in the midst of a bunch of demons pissed off over having just lost two souls. I even tried to say his name, but it didn't work. I had no mouth, no voice anymore. I was leaving this place, and he was staying. The last thing I saw was his sea green eyes regarding me with both happiness and sorrow. I thought I heard him saying something about â€Å"a far, far greater thing,† and then I perceived nothing. I would have screamed in fury if I could have, but I was gone. I was nothing. Only darkness.