Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare the heroes Gilgamesh and Rama - Essay Example First, Gilgamesh is a sacred king in the ancient Babylonian kingdom who greatly possesses the trait of â€Å"two-thirds divine† (Mitchell 10). By virtue of his god-like character, the Babylonian people fear and follow the absolute monarchy practiced by Gilgamesh, the demigod of the bygone civilization. Like Gilgamesh, Rama is a divine king in the age-old India who greatly ruled his devoted subjects with â€Å"universal or social conscience† (qtd. in Leeming, Madden, and Marlan 803). Second, Gilgamesh and Rama have sameness with respect to their journeys in finding their missions in life and/or love. On the one hand, Gilgamesh travels to varied and tortuous places in order to find the person who â€Å"can tell him how to escape death† (Mitchell 1). After his friend’s death, Gilgamesh journeys into the terra incognita which he, consequently, â€Å"suffered all and accomplished all† (qtd. in Mitchell 9). On the other hand, Rama travels to the land of h is mortal enemy in order to rescue his beloved Sita. On this way, Rama constantly remembers in the need to avoid the â€Å"sense enemies’ lust, ire and greed† (Das 69). And third, both epic heroes greatly share tragedy (Gupta 23). The tragedy of Gilgamesh lies in his failure to attain immortality while Rama’s tragedy lies in the unfaithfulness of his beloved. Both stories of Gilgamesh and Rama are, by and large, shaped by their cultures and societies.

Compare and contrast the views of human nature, the state, and war of Essay

Compare and contrast the views of human nature, the state, and war of the following thinkers Thucydides & Waltz - Essay Example However, what makes Waltz different from Thucydides is the fact that Waltz realizes that this explanation was not adequate. He points out that it is mankind, which creates communities, regimes and other parameters, which defines its existence. As a result, he is of opinion that the second source of conflict is determined by the internal character of the state in which he/ she lives, namely the public beliefs and practices, opinions and expectations, political systems and institutions of government, that frame human behavior. Waltz does not stop here but goes further. He argues that if the structure of the state and its system of governance shapes human behavior, then the structure of the international system must also shape state behavior. Thus his concept of neorealism shuns essentialist beliefs that human nature does not explain international politics, rather rests in aconstant state of amorphous decentralized latency, which arises from mutual lack of trust and everytime the state develops technological and warfare power, which he calls offensive orovertly aggressive so as to create too much of international felling of insecurity, so much so that they are motivated to seize that power and check it to a normal condition. International politics is different than domestic politics, though, because no entity possesses a legal monopoly on the use of force. The countries of the world inhabit a self-help system, competing freely and independently to secure their own interests and promote their national secur ity. There is no global structure capable of preventing one state from attacking another. This is the third source of conflict--a condition of anarchy that does not make war inevitable, only possible. Waltz argued that states must be prepared to use military force if necessary to protect them. No one else will do it for them. Considering these three sources of conflict, the concept of whether man, the state, or the international system is paramount becomes problematized. Interestingly, Waltz argues that we need to consider all three. Waltz argues that the world exists in a state of perpetual international anarchy. Waltz distinguishes the anarchy of the international environment from the order of the domestic one. In the domestic realm, all actors may appeal to, and be compelled by, a central authority - 'the state' or 'the government' - but in the international realm, no such source of order exists. Hence in Waltz's account, states must behave in a self-help way, acting freely unles s or until other actors restrict or limit their ability to do so. Like most neorealists, Waltz accepts that globalization is posing new challenges to states, but he does not believe states are being replaced, because no other non-state actor can equal the capabilities of the state. Waltz has suggested that globalization is a fad of the 1990s and if anything the role of the state has expanded its functions in response to global transformations. Along with some other theorists, he has argued that the United States has some characteristics of an empire. In 1979 Waltz incorrectly predicted that the Cold War order would continue well into the next century. This wrong prediction, however, does not represent an anomaly in Waltz's theory since it aims to explain continuities rather than change in international system. Waltz's theory, as he explicitly makes clear in "Theory of International Politics", is not a theory of foreign policy and does not attempt to predict or explain specific

Labour Laws in India

Labour Laws in India INTRODUCTION Labor law is also known as the Employment Law. The Indian Constitution provides basis of laws to regulate the employment in India. These laws are collectively known as the Labor Laws or the Industrial Laws. In other words it is the â€Å"body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations†. These set of laws provide the basis for any sort of interaction or mediation between the employers and the trade unions. It defines the legal boundary of the rights of both the employers and the employees at the workplace. The labor laws widely cover the following: a. Industrial Relations b. Health and Safety at Work Place c. The standards which the employers should adhere to which includes but is not limited to holidays, leaves, dismissals, minimum wage and the like. This study is primarily based on the Industrial Relation aspect of the Labor Laws. If we look into the history of labor laws we see that the need to formulate labor laws arose because of the employees demanding better working conditions and the simultaneous demands by the employers to restrict the powers of the employees in the organization. The employers feared that the trade unions may transcend the industrial disputes and gain unsolicited political powers. The ILO or the International Labor Organization was the first official body to deal with these problems. It was established as an agency of the League of Nations following the Treaty of Versailles, which was an indication of the end of the World War I. Now we focus on the Industrial Relation aspect of the Labor Laws. Industrial Relations, as the name suggests primarily deals with the employees and the management which result directly or indirectly from the employer-employee relationship. It particularly deals with the relationship between the organization and a group of workers generally known as the Trade Unions. It pertains to the study of free collective bargaining, trade unionism, and the labor-management relationships. As per the Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 Industrial Relations can be defined as the relation between employer and employees, employees and employees and employees and trade unions. Labor relations can be realized at any level of the work place like the shop floor, regional level or at the national level. Few characteristics of Industrial Relations: a. It is non-existent if the parties involved i.e. trade union and the employer are absent. b. It may include both conflict and co-operations. c. It may cover important environmental issues like a country’s technology prowess, socio-political environment, economic environment etc. d. It incorporates the laws made by the government to govern the employer-employee relationship, awards of courts, and the interference patterns of the judiciary on the labor-management relations regulations. In reality the concepts involved in Industrial Relations come from a wide variety of fields ranging from disciplines like humanities, social sciences, behavioral sciences, laws etc. Industrial Relations in India: In the pre-1991 era the conflicts and disputes in the organization were addressed through excessive labor legislations. The laws were protective in nature and covered all the aspects of the workplace like layoffs, wage issues, incentives etc. In due course of time it was realized that these laws were protective in nature and that they led to organizational inefficiency. With the advent of globalization the protective nature of these laws proved inadequate for the Indian industry to remain competitive as it was very rigid and did not allow the Indian manufacturers to compete in the global market. Post liberalization the laws favored the industrialists and they began schemes like employee reduction and the voluntary retirement schemes. Thus we can distinctively notice that globalization brought some symbolic changes in the Industrial Relations in India. They may be summed up briefly as follows: a. Decentralization the collective bargaining in almost all the sectors. b. During an expansionary phase of the economy there is a shortage of able managers and skilled labor. c. The number of unions has increased significantly but their influence has diminished. d. In the banking sector, for example, some unions are putting up a united front. e. Internal Unions are being pushed by employers which essentially imply that no external affiliation is being sought for. f. Training and skill development are seen as an important part of work place. Aim of Industrial Relations: The major aim of Industrial Relations is to safeguard the interest of the labors and the employees as a whole by a sense of mutual agreement and understanding between the two parties. It helps to reduce conflicts and strife between the parties for a harmonious existence of the Indian industry. It also ensures that a high level of productivity is ensured. They also help to reduce the strikes, lock-outs and other forms of blockades by facilitating mutual understanding and consent. The Industrial Relations policies also ensure that an environment of Industrial Democracy is maintained for the benefit of the industry and the country as a whole. More government control in order to regulate the sectors which are at loss so that public interest at large can be safeguarded. Socializations or rationalization of industries by making the state a major employer in itself. Ill Effects of Poor Industrial Relations: Poor industrial relations policies hinder the normal functioning of the industry thereby affecting the entire economy as a whole. It may be noted that the direct loss to a particular plant may not be huge due a conflict but the cumulative loss to the economy is enormous. If we do not have a robust policy in place then there would be rigidity to change in this dynamic situation. As a matter of fact every employee works not only to earn but also to satisfy his egoistic and social needs. Poor industrial relations policies take a heavy toll on human behavior in terms of tension. Thus proper policies need to be in place to maintain cordiality and avoid social tension. Contract Labor in India: An employee is called a contract laborer when he is hired through a contractor. They can be termed as indirect employees who are essentially hired, supervised and paid by a contractor. The contractor is paid in turn by the establishment who needs these contract laborers. However, contract laborers must not be employed when the work is perennial and will continue on a daily basis, when the work is enough to employ full time workers. The Contract Labor (Regulation and Abolition) Act came into being in 1970 and the Contract Labor Central Rules came into effect in the year 1971. The main objectives of these laws were to regulate the employment of Contract Laborers and to provide for its abolition under certain circumstances. The law lays certain rules and regulations with regard to hiring of contract labor, their wages, working conditions etc. As per the guidelines the law is applicable to any industry which engages more than 20 workers on a contract basis. The steps involved in hiring the contract labor are: Enquiry Offers Comparative Statement Negotiation Award the Contract The Act also has provisions that define certain amenities that need to be provided to the contract laborers. These may be the establishment of canteens, rest room arrangements, sufficient drinking water facilities, and first aid. It is to be noted that these amenities are made obligatory by the Act. If the contractor fails to pay the wages to the workers the Principal Employer is liable to make the payment. The system of contract labor has allowed firms tremendous flexibility to choose what is in their best interests. If it were not present companies would have to go for technological restructuring which in turn would mean less number of permanent employees. The Trade Unions however opposed this act as this meant reduction in permanent employment. Also, as the contract laborers belong to the weaker sections of the society they may be deprived of the benefits. The amount of time consumed in coordinating with the contractors and the sub-contractors would also be much more as compared to the regular employment.

Redistibution of Wealth Essay -- essays research papers

Redistribution Of Wealth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  October 1929 the United States of America went into a state of great depression. Millions of Americans lost their jobs, their homes and went deeply in debt. The reasons for the great depression were the over production of goods, higher tariffs, over speculation of the stock market, unregulated banking and the misdistribution of wealth. The president of the time Franklin Delano Roosevelt enacted a solution called The New Deal. This plan included emergency measures for industrial recovery, agricultural recovery and short-term emergency relief of the jobless. Huey Long a senator from Louisiana was the biggest opposition to Roosevelt. Long proposed taxing the rich to give to the poor. The government should not use its taxing power to redistribute the wealth in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Huey Long’s plan of reform bordered on socialism. He proposed that every family have the reasonable comforts of life up to 5,000,000 dollars. All family fortunes should be between 1,500,000 and 5,000,000. The yearly income should be no less then 2,000. Long wanted to regulate working hours, and provide pensions for people over 60. Huey planned on paying the veterans of wars and provide equal and free education. Finally Huey Long wanted to raise the revenue and tax on the top inheritance. â€Å"Share Our Wealth by soaking in the rich, he would make every man a king.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first reason that the governm...

Liberty in the history of America Essay

Liberty is defined as the manner in which one or groups of people or organism are let free from oppression, starvation, slavery or disturbance of what ever kind. However, there are different definitions and perspectives of the term as used by different personalities, communities, and groups of people. In the history of America, liberty has been used differently to express different ideas. If you tethered a cow on a green pastureland to feed you would be surprised at it when it feeds a little then starts to stretch away from the green pasture. If it is untied, it begins to feed just around the same spot. It wants to be free. There is good pasture. Why is it that the cow can not just feed and wait to be driven home in the evening? If a toddler was given an interesting play toy and left in a locked room with plenty of light, it would stop playing and start to fight its way out of the locked room. Why would it begin to cry and stop playing yet it is not tethered, it is not sick or uncomfortable? We must look for freedom even when we are not pressed down so hard. In fact, liberty according to Lincoln’s observation in 1864 is a term that is used to refer to different things or terms when used by different groups of people. Lincoln emphasizes that liberty means differently in the South as well as in the North. He says that though liberty is the same word for all, it has different implications for different persons and regions. In other wards, the meaning of the term liberty is depends on the context within which it is used by the speaker. This essay focuses on the different perspectives of the term liberty as used by different personalities, at different situations, and at different times or seasons. The North, for example, has its own understanding of the term victory. More so, Douglass differs with Lincoln, in the opinion of what liberty is. On the other hand, the factory owner and the planter have different definitions of the term liberty. Douglass feels that freedom from slavery would be best known as liberty. He came up with a new idea on what slavery entailed. Although in most cases slavery was only associated with offering services in cotton farms of in America, Douglass felt that it was wide spread to as far as the rice farms in South Carolina. He also talks of slavery being exercised in the household services offered to the elites of Boston. In addition to this, Douglass feels humiliated by lack of freedom in the carting services in Manhattan as a means of transportation of goods. He calls this slavery. He is disappointed by the manner in which Black Americans were mistreated, how the freed slaves were mishandled along the streets as well as the interaction of the white reformers, slaves and freed blacks. At this point in life, Douglass decided to recapture the drama of their fighting interaction with a focus on the black Americans, some of whom he recaptured dramatic experiences as they fought for republican slogans fulfillment. Douglass wrote very moving stories on slavery and liberty thus describing what freedom would have meant to the enslaved. In his text entitled, ‘Death or Liberty,’ Douglass highlights the plight of African American Slaves and the experiences with their masters. For example, Qouk Walker, a freedom fighter and a slave who is said to have taken his master to the court. Jones who was enslaved at Delaware house and had to purchase liberty, is also described as a freedom fighter by Douglass. For sure slavery is inhuman since some of the slaves lost there lives due to ignorance of the masters, some were mistreated and had poor health besides working so hard. Some slaves went through a revolutionary act in order to buy their freedom. Although the revolution was a good way to demand for freedom, Douglass argues that the plotters had little or no courage to pursue it as effectively as to gain the liberty they wanted. However, it is undisputed that the activists in the Northern States got their freedom through the battle. Nevertheless, they would not have found equality. It was a matter of death or liberty. Freedom from slavery had to be obtained through a revolution in America. Liberty, according to Abraham Lincoln, is defined differently from the north. Eric Foner says that civil war in America was a source of freedom blessings. Thus the civil war was paramount. â€Å"Civil war resulted in a new birth in freedom,† remarked Lincoln. The United States fight for independence in the civil war is seen to have been very necessary since it resulted in new forms of liberty. Liberty is not only found in the lack of enslavement but also in politics, economics and civil strives in America. Independence Declaration in America underscores the most fundamental human right of Americans. More so, the constitution publicizes its rationale in securing the good fortune of freedom. In fact, President Roosevelt declared that the United States of America fight for the Civil War was not to be taken for granted since it brought with itself different forms of freedom. To emphasize on liberty, the president said that America’s liberty is symbolized by liberty caps, the legal â€Å"statutes of liberty,† and the liberty poles. In Americas expression of freedom they burnet draft cards, escaped from slavery, exercising the voting rights, as well as the burn of stamps. In this way Roosevelt expressed contentment in the four kinds of freedom achieved by the end of Civil War. To confirm the result of the war as a source of freedom, Bunch Ralph authored a text in the year 1940 stating that all persons within the streets of U. S were aware of the fact that America was well known as â€Å"land of the Free. † The term liberty in America did not stop growing after the civil war. It has been growing and changing with the history of the country. Freedom will be used in economic terms as freedom of economy where there is a misconception of the freedom to the access to fire arms by different individual and anti-government militia who claim to be oppressed in different ways. They argue that the right to own arms should be prioritized. According to modifications of the of the 1776 modern America’s â€Å"Declaration of Independence† some economic freedoms have been expressed. Today, Freedom from different forms of taxation, United Nations membership by the U. S. , welfare declarations and regulation of economies, encompasses freedom. Globalization is a form of economic freedom which comes along with heated debates over who to trades with who and how? In reality, freedom has changed from just the mere decline of the civil wars’ blessings to economic and political terminology. That is why Lincoln thinks that freedom in the North is different from freedom in the South. Yes, the â€Å"new birth of freedom† as described by Lincoln defines the widening of freedom contents. Freedom in the South meant independence towards governance of self, assurance of property security and economic independence for more valuable and innovative opportunities. The freedom from slavery was one of the main intentions of the participation in the civil war by the Southern Whites. Majority of the Southern Whites strangled for independence in order to eliminate slavery since they felt that slavery had been used as a means of getting freedom. Although many where fighting to end slavery, Thomas Jefferson owning more than 100 slaves authored a text on â€Å"the inalienable right to liberty. † In one way or the other he was right since the ownership of slaves meant security and prosperity in economic status of an individual during the 19th century. Unfortunately, one would ask, whether the slaves were not entitled to freedom of movement and self expression and individual security. In addition, it was easy then to ask, whoever was entitled to freedom and what the meaning of freedom was. The Northern Whites on the other hand fought for the security of Union as one way of gaining liberty. This entailed the ending of slavery for liberty to prevail. Lincoln further evoked the masses in the Northern by telling them that freeing slaves would be like freeing the free. The 1862 December was the Emancipation Proclamation Congress, in which Lincoln was moved to stir up the understanding of freedom in terms of freeing slaves. The termination of slavery would help to free the whole society, the rich and the poor. It was emphasized that freedom of the United States Whites would signify freedom to the entire globe. With reference to Lincoln, the term liberty provoked different understanding of from different personalities. He said, â€Å"†¦but using the same word we do not mean the same thing. † This was an observation he made in 1864. According to his observation, he states that in the North, freedom is a term used to refer to personal ability to enjoy the fruit of his sweat. The motive in the Northern residents was to work for good product and enjoying it. While in the south the move towards freedom referred to the ability to become a master and enjoy the result of other persons work. The advocated for slavery. This was against the principles of work as per Lincoln’s understanding. Lincoln feels that it slavery reflects theft of some kind since slavery stole other person’s of their hard work. The master enjoys the fruit of slaves’ hard work. Furthermore, it is from the First World War that the rights of voting are granted to women who attained the age of 18 year. The 1865 Union’s victory evoked the debates on nationality of Americans. Victory meant national norm. The redefinition of who an American citizen was became of paramount importance to incorporate different races of America as citizens. The fight for citizenship and voting rights as well as property ownership soon became a source of freedom to the enslaved. Union victory became symbolic of war freedom in terms of empowerment and equal opportunity to all American citizens. As mentioned earlier in this text that Douglass felt that freedom came only if the Black American was fully freed from slavery. He insisted that unless the black American had the right to vote then he was not free. The black American was allowed to vote. Nonetheless, by1890’s the South scraped off their voting rights thus emancipation of the Africa Americans. Liberty as defined by the Southern Planter class, did not allow African Americans on the choice to work on plantations. After the civil war most Southern Whites expected to continue with plantation farming at the expense of African American’s freedom. This meant that African Americans would only receive some form of wages for the labor they offered. Conversely, they were not free to choose on whether or not to work in the plantations. By 1865, Freedom had not yet come to the former slaves in the South even after the end of slavery. Freedom to the Black was confined within limited boundaries which meant advanced slavery. In this context, a planter wrote that beside a man being free, they may lack independence, which implied that African Americans needed not be given the right to vote nor the ownership of land. It was later on discovered that the African American slaves’ freedom implied freedom from forced labor. The reconstruction of 1865- 1866, came up with a rules and regulations governing their freedom limits. The African American former slaves were forced to sign labor contracts and start working on the plantations in the South. This was a rule under the president Johnson who as a result was impeached for the violation of human rights. The question on citizenship was so disturbing that even in the 1940s it was not easy for Asians to gain citizenship by naturalization although their children born in America automatically became citizens. There was still lack of freedom for American residents. Racial discrimination resulted from the barriers of citizenship. While Southern economy was based on agriculture, the northern economy was based on industrialization. Many factories were growing fast and making enormous profits in the North where freedom was experienced in transport systems. There was freedom of economy with factories making maximum profits. Unfortunately, that the immigrants of America within the cities especially in the factories worked under stressful and dangerous working conditions. Although some factory owner created habitable places for their workers most of them failed to acknowledge the need for hospitable working and living conditions for their workers. There was need for freedom from poor working conditions. Factory owners needed to be reminded on the need for clean working conditions. The cotton gin increased production at the expense of slave labor. Women fell victims of enslavement and needed to be freed. There was great desire to broaden freedom quotations for African Americans in the U. S factories. Despite the constant strive to gain liberty in different perspectives; White Americans have sluggishly accepted the African and Asian American as equals. It has take centuries to even have African American be recognized as people who need equal constitutional rights. Nevertheless, the situation is changing with modernity to extend of electing a Black American president as recently Barrack Obama was. Non whites have had to fight uncontrollably to gain that position. Numerous reconstruction presidential reconstruction amendments have been put in place in the fight for liberty. Women were termed as unequal; men took a superior position in all domains of learning and economics as well as politics. In conclusion, there are different definitions of the term freedom depending on the region or the speaker. Lincoln discussed freedom in the South as economical in which masters had power over their servants. The servants were basically slaves. He also described freedom in the North as one that set slaves free from all aspects of forced labor, taxation any form of mistreatment. The planter also describes freedom as the one in which a freed slave would only need to get some wages but have no choice of whether or not to work in the whites plantations. It was mandatory for the slave to work for the master in order to ensure freedom of the Southern masters in terms of economic development. Finally citizenship and freedom of the union victory were form of freedom for the U. S residents. However, it is undisputed that most of the early African Americans bought their way to freedom and citizenship through slavery or even participating successfully in the civil war. Some African American had to take part in revolution in the fight for freedom. We still have to reexamine the meaning of freedom in more fields in the U. S where there is discrimination and racial prejudice. References Donald & Herbert D. (1995). Lincoln. New York: Simon and Schuster Eric J. (1993). To wake the Nations: Race in the Making of American Literature. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Eric F. (1995). Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men: The Ideology Of the Republication Party Before Civil War. New York: Oxford University Press. Herman B. (2000). A New Birth of Freedom: The Republican Party and Freedmen’s Rights, 1861-1866. New York: Fordham University Press. Neely M. E. (1991). The Fate of Liberty: Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties. New York: Oxford University Press. Paul C. N. (1971). The Sacred Trust: American Nationality 1798-1898. New York: Oxford University Press.

The Host Chapter 59: Remembered

The beginning would feel like the end. I'd been warned. But this time the end was a greater surprise than it had ever been. Greater than any end I'd remembered in nine lives. Greater than jumping down an elevator shaft. I had expected no more memories, no more thoughts. What end was this? The sun is setting-the colors are all rosy, and they make me think of my friend†¦ what would her name be here? Something about†¦ ruffles? Ruffles and more ruffles. She was a beautiful Flower. The flowers here are so lifeless and boring. They smell wonderful, though. Smells are the best part of this place. Footsteps behind me. Has Cloud Spinner followed me again? I don't need a jacket. It's warm here-finally!-and I want to feel the air on my skin. I won't look at her. Maybe she'll think I can't hear and she'll go home. She is so careful with me, but I'm almost grown now. She can't mother me forever. â€Å"Excuse me?† someone says, and I don't know the voice. I turn to look at her, and I don't know the face, either. She's pretty. The face in the memory jerked me back to myself. That was my face! But I didn't remember this†¦ â€Å"Hi,† I say. â€Å"Hello. My name is Melanie.† She smiles at me. â€Å"I'm new in town and†¦ I think I'm lost.† â€Å"Oh! Where are you trying to go? I'll take you. Our car is just back -â€Å" â€Å"No, it's not far. I was going for a walk, but now I can't find my way back to Becker Street.† She's a new neighbor-how nice. I love new friends. â€Å"You're very close,† I tell her. â€Å"It's just around the second corner up that way, but you can cut right through this little alley here. It takes you straight there.† â€Å"Could you show me? I'm sorry, what's your name?† â€Å"Of course! Come with me. I'm Petals Open to the Moon, but my family mostly calls me Pet. Where are you from, Melanie?† She laughs. â€Å"Do you mean San Diego or the Singing World, Pet?† â€Å"Either one.† I laugh, too. I like her smile. â€Å"There are two Bats on this street. They live in that yellow house with the pine trees.† â€Å"I'll have to say hello,† she murmurs, but her voice has changed, tensed. She's looking into the dusky alley as though she's expecting to see something. And there is something there. Two people, a man and a boy. The boy drags his hand through his long black hair like he's nervous. Maybe he is worried because he's lost, too. His pretty eyes are wide and excited. The man is very still. Jamie. Jared. My heart thumped, but the feeling was peculiar, wrong. Too small and†¦ fluttery. â€Å"These are my friends, Pet,† Melanie tells me. â€Å"Oh! Oh, hello.† I stretch my hand out to the man-he's the closest. He reaches for my hand, and his grip is so strong. He yanks me forward, right up to his body. I don't understand. This feels wrong. I don't like it. My heart beats faster, and I'm afraid. I've never been scared like this before. I don't understand. His hand swings toward my face, and I gasp. I suck in the mist that comes from his hand. A silver cloud that tastes like raspberries. â€Å"Wha -† I want to ask, but I can't see them anymore. I can't see anything†¦ There was no more. â€Å"Wanda? Can you hear me, Wanda?† a familiar voice asked. That wasn't the right name†¦ was it? My ears didn't react to it, but something did. Wasn't I Petals Open to the Moon? Pet? Was that it? That didn't feel right, either. My heart beat faster, an echo of the fear in my memory. A vision of a woman with white-and-red-streaked hair and kind green eyes filled my head. Where was my mother? But†¦ she wasn't my mother, was she? A sound, a low voice that echoed around me. â€Å"Wanda. Come back. We aren't letting you go.† The voice was familiar, and it was also not. It sounded like†¦ me? Where was Petals Open to the Moon? I couldn't find her. Just a thousand empty memories. A house full of pictures but no inhabitants. â€Å"Use the Awake,† a voice said. I didn't recognize this one. Something brushed my face, light as the touch of fog. I knew that scent. It was the smell of grapefruit. I took a deeper breath, and my mind suddenly cleared. I could feel that I was lying down†¦ but this felt wrong, too. There wasn't†¦ enough of me. I felt shrunken. My hands were warmer than the rest of me, and that was because they were being held. Held in big hands, hands that swallowed them right up. It smelled odd-stuffy and a little moldy. I remembered the smell†¦ but surely I'd never smelled it before in my life. I saw nothing but dull red-the insides of my eyelids. I wanted to open them, so I went searching for the right muscles to do that. â€Å"Wanderer? We're all waiting for you, honey. Open your eyes.† This voice, this warm breath against my ear, was even more familiar. A strange feeling tickled through my veins at the sound. A feeling I'd never, ever felt before. The sound made my breath catch and my fingers tremble. I wanted to see the face that went with that voice. A color washed through my mind-a color that called to me from a faraway life-a brilliant, glowing blue. The whole universe was bright blue†¦ And finally I knew my name. Yes, that was right. Wanderer. I was Wanderer. Wanda, too. I remembered that now. A light touch on my face-a warm pressure on my lips, on my eyelids. Ah, that's where they were. I could make them blink now that I'd found them. â€Å"She's waking up!† someone crowed excitedly. Jamie. Jamie was here. My heart gave another fluttery little thump. It took a moment for my eyes to focus. The blue that stabbed my eyes was all wrong-too pale, too washed out. It wasn't the blue I wanted. A hand touched my face. â€Å"Wanderer?† I looked to the sound. The movement of my head on my neck felt so odd. It didn't feel like it used to, but at the same time it felt the way it had always felt. My searching eyes found the blue I'd been looking for. Sapphire, snow, and midnight. â€Å"Ian? Ian, where am I?† The sound of the voice coming out of my throat frightened me. So high and trilling. Familiar, but not mine. â€Å"Who am I?† â€Å"You're you,† Ian told me. â€Å"And you're right where you belong.† I pulled one of my hands free from the giant's hand that held it. I meant to touch my face, but someone's hand reached toward me, and I froze. The reaching hand also froze above me. I tried to move my hand again, to protect myself, but that moved the hand above me. I started shaking, and the hand trembled. Oh. I opened and closed the hand, looking at it carefully. Was this my hand, this tiny thing? It was a child's hand, except for the long pink-and-white nails, filed into perfect, smooth curves. The skin was fair, with a strange silvery cast to it and, entirely incongruous, a scattering of golden freckles. It was the odd combination of silver and gold that brought the image back: I could see a face in my head, reflected in a mirror. The setting of the memory threw me off for a moment because I wasn't used to so much civilization-at the same time, I knew nothing but civilization. A pretty dresser with all kinds of frilly and delicate things on top of it. A profusion of dainty glass bottles containing the scents I loved-I loved? Or she loved?-so much. A potted orchid. A set of silver combs. The big round mirror was framed in a wreath of metal roses. The face in the mirror was roundish, too, not quite oval. Small. The skin on the face had the same silver undertone-silver like moonlight-as the hand did, with another handful of the golden freckles across the bridge of the nose. Wide gray eyes, the silver of the soul shimmering faintly behind the soft color, framed by tangled golden lashes. Pale pink lips, full and almost round, like a baby's. Small, even white teeth behind them. A dimple in the chin. And everywhere, everywhere, golden, waving hair that stood away from my face in a bright halo and fell below where the mirror showed. My face or her face? It was the perfect face for a Night Flower. Like an exact translation from Flower to human. â€Å"Where is she?† my high, reedy voice demanded. â€Å"Where is Pet?† Her absence frightened me. I'd never seen a more defenseless creature than this half-child with her moonlight face and sunlight hair. â€Å"She's right here,† Doc assured me. â€Å"Tanked and ready to go. We thought you could tell us the best place to send her.† I looked toward his voice. When I saw him standing in the sunlight, a lit cryotank in his hands, a rush of memories from my former life came back to me. â€Å"Doc!† I gasped in the tiny, fragile voice. â€Å"Doc, you promised! You gave me your oath, Eustace! Why? Why did you break your word?† A dim recollection of misery and pain touched me. This body had never felt such agony before. It shied away from the sting. â€Å"Even an honest man sometimes caves to duress, Wanda.† â€Å"Duress,† another terribly familiar voice scoffed. â€Å"I'd say a knife to the throat counts as duress, Jared.† â€Å"You knew I wouldn't really use it.† â€Å"That I did not. You were quite persuasive.† â€Å"A knife?† My body trembled. â€Å"Shh, it's all okay,† Ian murmured. His breath blew strands of golden hair across my face, and I brushed them away-a routine gesture. â€Å"Did you really think you could leave us that way? Wanda!† He sighed, but the sigh was joyful. Ian was happy. This insight made my worry suddenly much lighter, easier to bear. â€Å"I told you I didn't want to be a parasite,† I whispered. â€Å"Let me through,† my old voice ordered. And then I could see my face, the strong one, with the sun-brown skin, the straight black line of the eyebrows over the almond-shaped, hazel eyes, the high, sharp cheekbones†¦ See it backward, not as a reflection, the way I'd always seen it before. â€Å"Listen up, Wanda. I know exactly what you don't want to be. But we're human, and we're selfish, and we don't always do the right thing. We aren't going to let you go. Deal with it.† The way she spoke, the cadence and the tone, not the voice, brought back all the silent conversations, the voice in my head, my sister. â€Å"Mel? Mel, you're okay!† She smiled then and leaned over to hug my shoulders. She was bigger than I remembered being. â€Å"Of course I am. Wasn't that the point of all the drama? And you're going to be fine, too. We weren't stupid about it. We didn't just grab the first body we saw.† â€Å"Let me tell her, let me!† Jamie shoved in beside Mel. It was getting very crowded around the cot. It rocked, unstable. I took his hand and squeezed it. My hands felt so feeble. Could he even feel the pressure? â€Å"Jamie!† â€Å"Hey, Wanda! This is cool, isn't it? You're smaller than me now!† He grinned, triumphant. â€Å"But still older. I'm almost -† And then I stopped, changing my sentence abruptly. â€Å"My birthday is in two weeks.† I might have been disoriented and confused, but I wasn't stupid. Melanie's experiences had not gone to waste; I had learned from them. Ian was every bit as honorable as Jared, and I was not going to go through the frustration Melanie had. So I lied, giving myself an extra year. â€Å"I'll be eighteen.† From the corner of my eye, I saw Melanie and Ian stiffen in surprise. This body looked much younger than her true age, hovering on the edge of seventeen. It was this little deception, this preemptive claiming of my partner, that made me realize I was staying here. That I would be with Ian and the rest of my family. My throat thickened, felt oddly swollen. Jamie patted my face, calling my attention back. I was surprised at how big his hand felt on my cheek. â€Å"They let me come on the raid to get you.† â€Å"I know,† I muttered. â€Å"I remember†¦ Well, Pet remembers seeing you there.† I glared at Mel, who shrugged. â€Å"We tried not to scare her,† Jamie said. â€Å"She's so†¦ kind of fragile-looking, you know? And nice, too. We picked her out together, but I got to decide! See, Mel said we had to get someone young-someone who had a bigger percentage of life as a soul or something. But not too young, because she knew you wouldn't want to be a child. And then Jared liked this face, because he said no one could ever dis†¦ distrust it. You don't look dangerous at all. You look the opposite of dangerous. Jared said anyone who sees you would just naturally want to protect you, right, Jared? But then I got the final say, because I was looking for someone who looked like you. And I thought this looked like you. Because she sort of looks like an angel, and you're good like that. And real pretty. I knew you would be pretty.† Jamie smiled hugely. â€Å"Ian didn't come. He just sat here with you-he said he didn't care what you looked like. He wouldn't let anyone else put a finger on your tank at all, not even me or Mel. But Doc let me watch this time. It was way cool, Wanda. I don't know why you wouldn't let me watch before. They wouldn't let me help, though. Ian wouldn't let anyone touch you but him.† Ian squeezed my hand and leaned in to whisper through all the hair. His voice was so low that I was the only one who could hear. â€Å"I held you in my hand, Wanderer. And you were so beautiful.† My eyes got all wet, and I had to sniff. â€Å"You like it, don't you?† Jamie asked, his voice worried now. â€Å"You're not mad? There's nobody in there with you, is there?† â€Å"I'm not mad, exactly,† I whispered. â€Å"And I-I can't find anybody else. Just Pet's memories. Pet's been in here since†¦ I can't remember when she wasn't here. I can't remember any other name.† â€Å"You're not a parasite,† Melanie said firmly, touching my hair, pulling up a strand and letting the gold slide between her fingers. â€Å"This body didn't belong to Pet, but there's nobody else to claim it. We waited to make sure, Wanda. We tried to wake her up almost as long as we tried with Jodi.† â€Å"Jodi? What happened to Jodi?† I chirped, my little voice going higher, like a bird's, with anxiety. I struggled to get up, and Ian pulled me-it took no effort, no strength to move my tiny new body-into a sitting position with his arm supporting me. I could see all the faces then. Doc, no more tears in his eyes. Jeb, peeking around Doc, his expression satisfied and burning with curiosity at the same time. Next, a woman I didn't recognize for a second because her face was more animated than I'd ever seen it, and I hadn't seen it much anyway-Mandy, the former Healer. Closer to me, Jamie, with his bright, excited smile, Melanie beside him, and Jared behind her, his hands around her waist. I knew that his hands would never feel right unless they were touching her body-my body!-now. That he would keep her as close as he could forever, hating any inch that came between them. This caused me a fierce, aching pain. The delicate heart in my thin chest shuddered. It had never been broken before, and it didn't understand this memory. It made me sorry to realize that I still loved Jared. I wasn't free of that, wasn't free of jealousy for the body he loved. My glance flickered back to Mel. I saw the rueful twist of the mouth that used to be mine, and knew she understood. I continued quickly around the cluster of faces circling my bed, while Doc, after a pause, answered my question. Trudy and Geoffrey, Heath, Paige and Andy. Brandt, even†¦ â€Å"Jodi didn't respond. We kept trying as long as we could.† Was Jodi gone, then? I wondered, my inexperienced heart throbbing. I was giving the poor frail thing such a rough awakening. Heidi and Lily, Lily smiling a pained little smile-none the less sincere for the pain†¦ â€Å"We were able to keep her hydrated, but we had no way to feed her. We were worried about atrophy-her muscles, her brain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  While my new heart ached harder than it had ever ached-ached for a woman I'd never known-my eyes continued around the circle and then froze. Jodi, clinging to Kyle's side, stared back at me. She smiled tentatively, and suddenly I recognized her. â€Å"Sunny!† â€Å"I got to stay,† she said, not quite smug but almost. â€Å"Just like you.† She glanced at Kyle's face-which was more stoic than I was used to seeing it-and her voice turned sad. â€Å"I'm trying, though. I am looking for her. I will keep looking.† â€Å"Kyle had us put Sunny back when it looked like we would lose Jodi,† Doc continued quietly. I stared at Sunny and Kyle for a moment, stunned, and then finished the circle. Ian was watching me with a strange combination of joy and nervousness. His face was higher than it should have been, bigger than it used to be. But his eyes were still the blue I remembered. The anchor that held me to this planet. â€Å"You okay in there?† he asked. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know,† I admitted. â€Å"This feels very†¦ weird. Every bit as weird as switching species. So much weirder than I would have thought. I†¦ I don't know.† My heart fluttered again, looking into those eyes, and this was no memory of another lifetime's love. My mouth felt dry, and my stomach quivered. The place where his arm touched my back felt more alive than the rest of my body. â€Å"You don't mind staying here too much, do you, Wanda? Do you think that maybe you could tolerate it?† he murmured. Jamie squeezed my hand. Melanie put hers on top of his, then smiled when Jared added his to the pile. Trudy patted my foot. Geoffrey, Heath, Heidi, Andy, Paige, Brandt, and even Lily were beaming at me. Kyle had shuffled closer, a grin spreading across his face. Sunny's smile was the smile of a coconspirator. How much No Pain had Doc given me? Everything was glowing. Ian brushed the cloud of golden hair back from my face and laid his hand on my cheek. His hand was so big just the palm covered from my jaw to my forehead; the contact sent a jolt of electricity through my silvery skin. It tingled after that first jolt, and the pit of my stomach tingled along with it. I could feel a warm flush pinking my cheeks. My heart had never been broken before, but it had also never flown. It made me shy; I had a hard time finding my voice. â€Å"I suppose I could do that,† I whispered. â€Å"If it makes you happy.† â€Å"That's not good enough, actually,† Ian disagreed. â€Å"It has to make you happy, too.† I could only meet his gaze for a few seconds at a time; the shyness, so new and confusing to me, had my eyes dropping to my lap again and again. â€Å"I†¦ think it might,† I agreed. â€Å"I think it might make me very, very happy.† Happy and sad, elated and miserable, secure and afraid, loved and denied, patient and angry, peaceful and wild, complete and empty†¦ all of it. I would feel everything. It would all be mine. Ian coaxed my face up until I looked him in the eyes, my cheeks flushing darker. â€Å"Then you will stay.† He kissed me, right in front of everyone, but I forgot the audience quickly. This was easy and right, no division, no confusion, no objection, just Ian and me, the molten rock moving through this new body, melding it into the pact. â€Å"I will stay,† I agreed. And my tenth life began.