Finances Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Finances - Essay Example These subsidiary companies are engaged in a wide range of business activities. The main ones are primary insurance and reinsurance business. Over the years it has acquired a myriad of subsidiaries engaged in diverse business operations like utilities and energy (MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company), manufacturing-service-retailing (Marmon group), wholesale distribution & logistics (McLane), jewelry (Ben Bridge Chain), carpets (Shaw Industries), bricks & boots (Justin Industries). The insurance (both primary and reinsurance) business is through more than sixty national and overseas enterprises. Berkshire being primarily in insurance business in effect means that the premium for undertaking risk generates cash which is available for investment when the opportunity knocks. The reputation of Mr. Buffet has been built over the years is due to the fact that he has been consistent in picking winning opportunities by and large. This translates into the fact that almost of the business acquisitions turn out to be profit making ones, which in turn swell the coffers of Berkshire to be ready to invest. Contrary to expectations and common belief, Berkshire does not invest by only trading in stock i.e., picking stock at low price and selling, but also by investing in the businesses and earning through their operations. â€Å"For some sellers Berkshire is a refuge, a place to land when, say, some members of a family that controls a private company want cash and others wish to keep running the business. To the latter Buffett promises independence and respect and then--barring some irreconcilable problem that just has to be dealt with--delivers on the commitment. "We dont have any MBAs running around telling these people what to do," Buffett says. "And God knows I wouldnt know what to tell them." To public companies that may also have a family reason for selling, or that just want to escape the cold world of regrettable stock prices, unrealistic quarterly demands, and

French Revolution (1789) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

French Revolution (1789) - Essay Example lic and in 1793 executed the king. The formation of the National assembly, a body of people who were picked out of the middle classes, was an important development during the year of 1792. This led to an understanding on part of both the king and the bourgeoisie of the power of a collective, which strengthened the foundations of the goal to come out of political and social upheaval. According to a scholar, David Sibalis, the formation of the National Assembly represented an attempt on the part of the Parisian middle classes to â€Å"provide themselves with some minimal economic security through their own efforts.†3 Many of these efforts were frustrated by later events of the Revolution but the events of 1789 displayed a passion and fervor on the part of the Parisian middle classes to rise above their petty divisions and fight for the causes of equality that the French Revolution stands for, even today. The fight was also against what Barry M. Shapiro, a researcher, refers to a s an â€Å"irrational and inhumane judicial system†4 that refused to fix every subject of the state equally. According to a historian Eric Hobsbawn, the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 reflected the third estate’s passion and enthusiasm.5 Disgruntled soldiers joined the movement rioters who sought to storm the Bastille. Although the Bastille was a prison, it was also an armory, which the revolutionaries needed to continue their movement. It was also intended as a warning to the higher powers of Paris. The demand of the public for a constitutional monarchy that would lead to the formation of a republic had gained momentum in Paris and the middle classes saw in this idea the promise of a better future. The storming of the Bastille assumes greater implications once one takes these factors of the storming into regard. The storming of the battle, the, becomes a symbolic attack on the tyranny that the nobles and the king practiced upon the citizens of France. Accor ding to a historian, Richard Burton, the Bastille formed a â€Å"nexus of fears and phobias whose hold over the eighteenth century Parisian mind is not to be doubted.†6 It is this tenacious hold that the act of the storming of the Bastille sought to loosen, consciously or unconsciously. Paris being the capital of the country, not only was aware of the nature of the exploitation that was happening, but Parisians were also the first to be affected by the mismanagement of the economy. They possessed the ability, due to their proximity to the centers of power, to analyses and understand the causes of the miserable conditions of their existence, as they existed in 1789. These conditions reached a peak when the Bastille was stormed. This action in itself, shorn of it symbolic significance, appears a trivial one since there weren’t any important people in the Bastille who could have been harmed. As a prison of the French government, however, the Bastille had turned into a sym bol of the tyranny that caused great misery to the lives of the French people. The

Is the current welfare system a problem Essay Example for Free

Is the current welfare system a problem Essay Poverty and inequality has always been the problem that confronts the many leaders of different nations. It was a long weary issue yet unfaltering. The many times we can behold it, the many times will I yell the grievances of the poor and the deprived. Hierarchy of classes occurs since time immemorial. The Biblical times even have account for that, but the most disgusting is the continuous perpetuation of the situation, the despicable and unfathomable exploitation of the poor by the elites and the growing wealth disparity. How many times did proposals were made and yet proposals remain as it is, it never attempt to address the basic needy of the poor. People grew weary and tired in of hoping that all their ails were to be address accordingly, but it was always a fancy illusion. When somebody toils for subsistence, the state always exploits him, his vulnerable soul. Heavy taxes and the cost of living were surging. How can he find fulfillment in a society, which he lives thereby/ it’s all useless. Even justice was at all naught. It favors those who live in luxury and never was fashioned to the marginal population. In every corners of the world, anvil is laid for the rich, and never for the poor. Sometimes, you cannot blame for their wrongdoings, for their transgression on the lives of others. The society pushes them to do so, and apparently, their body reacts. Even the figures published by the government were all falsely done. In a broader perspective poverty does not alleviate, it even upsurge. We need not to dig deeper on the and establish a methodology to measure a single family their capability or incapability to sustain their family to come up to a conclusive grounds that they are really belongs to the poverty line. It is more then enough to see their famished predisposition. But famish must be understood not on its context only. Everybody feels famish at times, anyway. Famish co-exist with duration. The longevity of being coiled to starvation is not a natural process of life. It is a disease inflicted by the society’s unsophisticated individuals. Thus, it is problems that need to be resolve before it’s too late to mend it. Enough for the hullabaloo’s of many politicians who intermittently exhibit their philanthropist being, because as quoted and which I have absorb the lot â€Å"those that are lavish in words are niggard in deeds†, it is undoubtedly true. We cannot deny the fact that we are inclined to let things bend over us, to satisfy our tiny whims or our desire to shower ourselves with gold. But let this not blind us. In the far end, we will become the victim of our addiction. For if we let the hurricane whirls on our surrounding and we keep still, we will sink in the center and drown out to death. The powerless and aimless vast number and keeps on expanding poverty-stricken families will one day, gain their leverage to unite in numbers and fight the oppressors of the world, to oust them in power and to establish a society devoid of injustices and inequality. The rise of modernism aggravated the plight of the poor; you cannot blame them to raise a couple of counter reactions against the elites; their rights and privileges were deprived and naturally, they were determined to assert it. Why should we wait for ‘Nature’s vendetta’ to come when we can make tiny reparations and adjustments to give what is due for our brothers and sisters. This about it, tomorrow will never become brighter, while the remnants of injustices are alive. Yet, we are looking forward to a brighter future. Let’s then mark an end to widening poverty line in our own tiny ways.

Orthodontic Anchorage Unit Research Study

Orthodontic Anchorage Unit Research Study Chapter 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS A three-dimensional bone block model (Figure 2) integrated with a miniscrew was constructed with a computer-aided design program (SolidWorks; Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Concord, Mass) to simulate a miniscrew implanted in bone as an orthodontic anchorage unit. Figure 2. Three dimensional bone block model with screw embedded. The bone block, consisting of cortical and cancellous bone, was constructed with dimensions of 20 mm. in length and width, and 15 mm. in height for evaluation. [1] The cortical bone thickness, elastic moduli, Poisson’s ratio, shear moduli and density of the edentulous maxillary and mandibular alveolar bone as shown on Table 2 was based on the studies of Dechow et al.[2] and Schwartz-Dabney and Dechow[3], respectively; and the dentate specimen based on the study of Peterson et al. [4] These were taken from specific locations of the edentulous maxillary and mandibular alveolar bone as shown in Figure 3. Since cancellous bone density was found to have little or no consequence to results obtained by previous studies[5], a fixed value will be set with elastic moduli of 1.3 GPa, Poisson’s ratio of 0.3, shear moduli of 2.0 and density 0.5g/cm3. Figure 3. Location from which cortical bone specimens were removed from the edentulous crania by Dechow et al.[6] and the edentulous mandibles by Schwartz-Dabney and Dechow[7] The miniscrew geometry was based on the MONDEAL system (MONDEAL Medical Systems, Muhlheim, Germany): ie, the screw thread profile was an isosceles triangle 0.4 mm in height and 0.16 mm along the base.[8] The thread pitch was 1.0 mm. These thread dimensions were fixed in all screw designs in this study. The miniscrew will be assumed to be homogeneous, isotropic and linearly elastic titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) with elastic modulus of 114 GPa, Poisson’s ratio or 0.34 and Yield strength of 880MPa.[9] Table 2. Material properties of maxillary[10] and mandibular[11] alveloar cortical bone. The model was meshed automatically with 10-node tetrahedral solid elements. The interface between the cortex and the cancellous bone was assumed to be fully bonded; i.e., the elements were continuous, sharing the same nodes along the interface. A node-to-node contact condition was given on the interface between the miniscrew and the bone block to imitate a stage without osseointegration.[13] The static load along the x-axis was applied to the head of the miniscrew and perpendicular to its long axis to simulate the orthodontic force. For the nodes located on the 5 exterior surfaces of the bone block, all but the superior surface where the miniscrew entered was constrained in all degrees of freedom to simulate the boundary condition. The nodal solution of the von Mises stress in the bone and the displacement of the miniscrew were calculated for each model with the finite element analysis program.[14] To determine the loading effect, the maxillary and mandibular bone blocks will be subjected to four force magnitudes (1, 2, 4 and 6 N) and three force directions (60o , 90o and 120o) to mimic various clinical conditions. A force direction of 90o was the force perpendicular to the long axis of the miniscrew and parallel to the bone surface.[15] 2 N is the reported clinically safe limit for immediate loading.[16] The loads will be applied at the level of the eye of the screw meant for tying ligatures in a clinical situation.[17] To determine the screw size effect, three screw (outer) diameters (1.5, 2.0 and 2.3 mm.) and five screw length (7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 mm.). The screw length will be measured including the screw head, which had a 2 mm. height for all screw models. To simulate soft tissue thickness, various screw depths (screw length in the bone block) will be modelled.[18] For each screw length, the exposed screw length of 3, 4, 5 mm. will be measured. The von Mises stress and the displacement was determined for the different screw length, diameter and exposed screw length was subjected to the different force magnitude and direction. For every bone specimen there was 540 different scenarios. The stress distribution was then observed for the screws that exhibited the highest stress for each bone specimen and for each force direction. Chapter 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary of Findings There is no direct relationship between stress and displacement established. The pattern of the von Mises stress of miniscrews embedded on different bones are similiar with only minor differences. Whereas the maxillary edentulous specimens showing more displacement compared to its mandibular counterpart. Though the highest stress and highest displacement can be observed in 6 N of force at 90o direction at 5 mm. exposed length and the lowest stress and lowest displacement can be observed in 1 N of force at 1200 direction at 3 mm. exposed length. The stress is concentrated on the cortical bone irrespective of the screw length and the exposed screw length. It is more intensified at 5 mm exposed screw length because the moment of arm becomes longer, and lighter at 3 mm exposed length because the moment arm becomes shorter. The cortical bone acts as the fulcrum of the force. All miniscrews embedded in mandibular edentulous specimens were able to establish primary stability except for 2 scenarios in MDE4. 12-13% of miniscrews embedded on maxillary edentulous specimen were not able to establish primary stability. Majority of these occurred with screw diameter of 1.5 mm. (78 85%), exposed screw length of 5 mm. (61 72%), force magnitude of 6 N. (62 – 68 %), and force angle of 900 (40 45%). Conclusion Based on the data gathered, it is found that placement of orthodontic miniscrew on edentulous alveolar bone on both the maxilla and mandible is possible. The use of miniscrew with diameter of 2mm or wider embedding it on attached gingiva of 2mm or thinner, loading it with force 2 N or lower at an angle 60 or 1200 could increase chances of establishing primary stability. Recommendations The proponent of this research would like to recommend the implementation of a Randomized Controlled Trial based on the results of this study. This would ensure the evidence-based practice of the miniscrew anchorage. References [1] T. C. Liu and others, Finite Element Analysis of Miniscrew Implants Used for Orthodontic Anchorage, Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop, 141 (2012). [2] P. C. Dechow, Q. Wang, and J. Peterson, Edentulation Alters Material Properties of Cortical Bone in the Human Craniofacial Skeleton: Functional Implications for Craniofacial Structure in Primate Evolution, The Anatomical Records: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 293 (2010). [3] C. L. Schwartz-Dabney and P. C. Dechow, Edentulation Alters Material Properties of Cortical Bone in the Human Mandible, J Dent Res, 81 (2002). [4] J. Peterson, Q. Wang, and P. C. Dechow, Material Properties of the Dentate Maxilla, Anat Rec A Discov Mol Cell Evol Biol, 288 (2006). [5] A. Gracco and others, Numerical/Experimental Analysis of the Stress Field around Miniscrews for Orthodontic Anchorage, Eur J Orthod, 31 (2009). [6] Dechow, Wang, and Peterson. [7] Schwartz-Dabney and Dechow. [8] Liu and others [9] Gerhard Welsch, R. Boyer, and E.W. Collings, Materials Properties Handbook: Titanium Alloys, (Asm International, 1994). [10] Dechow, Wang, and Peterson. [11] Schwartz-Dabney and Dechow. [12] Peterson, Wang, and Dechow. [13] Liu and others [14] Ibid. [15] Ibid. [16] A. G. Crismani and others, Miniscrews in Orthodontic Treatment: Review and Analysis of Published Clinical Trials, Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop, 137 (2010). [17] S. Singh and others, Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis of Strength, Stability, and Stress Distribution in Orthodontic Anchorage: A Conical, Self-Drilling Miniscrew Implant System, Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop, 141 (2012). [18] Liu and others

Napoleon :: History, The French Revolution

Napoleon only upholds the ideals of the French Revolution because he wanted to secure and strengthen his own power. During his rise to power, Napoleon adhered to the ideals dutifully. In his speech to his troops, Napoleon said, â€Å"We are waging war as generous enemies, and we wish only to crush the tyrants who enslave [the Italian people]† (Document 1). He tells them to be respectful of other countries, to give them rights they have the right to enjoy. This follows Locke’s enlightenment ideas, that everyone has inherent rights that cannot be taken away. Being an supporter of equal rights, he gained popularity with the French people. Over time, Napoleon used these ideals to increase and solidify his power. Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques Louis David (Document 4) correctly illustrates Napoleon’s France. In this painting, Napoleon, dressed in breeches and a fancy army uniform rides on a horse, holding the reins loosely but firmly, looking majestic. The horse is strong from the apparent muscles in its legs. At a closer look, the horse’s eyes are too wide and wild and its mouth is gaping open. The horse symbolized France as whole at the time period, when everything was chaotic, with beheadings everyday and constant fears of invasion. Napoleon kept France under absolute control but still allowed enough freedoms to the people. France was a republic in name only. During this time period, the French people were ensured equality, as long as they abided by the law, the Napoleonic Code (Document 9), which unified the legal system of France under one set of laws. Meritocracy was instilled and schools were established to educate people, since in Napoleon’s France people acquired jobs based on their skill and not family connections. Food prices were stabilized so that everyone could afford to eat. By establishing a strong centralized authority, Napoleon brought order to France. He began censoring newspapers and had the Secret Police keep tabs on people. Both of these actions were direct violations of the enlightenment and Declaration of the Rights of Man, which stated, people had the right to freedom of speech, press, and religion, and could not be silenced for these views. The hypocrisy of his actions are seen once again, when Napoleon crowns himself Emperor. By doing so, he is saying that his power to rule is derived from god. The Napoleonic Catechism proclaimed, â€Å"[Napoleon had become] anointed of the Lord†¦those lacking in their duty to our emperor†¦resisting the order established by God himself† (Document 11).

Hamlet as Antihero in Shakespeares Hamlet :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet as Antihero      Ã‚  Ã‚  By literary definition, an antihero is the "hero" of the play or novel, but has negative attributes that separate him or her from the classic hero such as Superman. Such negative aspects may include a violent nature, use of coarse language, or self-serving interests which may inadvertently depict the protagonist as a hero since the result of serving those interests may be the betterment of society or an environment. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet, is depicted as an antihero.    One factor contributing to Hamlet’s status as antihero is that he draws sympathy, as well as admiration, from the reader since Hamlet feels the pain of losing his father along with the burden and obstacles in avenging his murder.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Act four places a special emphasis on Hamlet's intelligence. In scene two, Hamlet is very insolent and rude towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with such phrases as,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "That I can keep your counsel and not, mine own. Beside, to be demanded of a sponge, what replication should be made by the son of a king" (IV, ii, 12-14)? The reference to the sponge reflects the fact that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are easily ordered by the king and do not have minds of their own. Hamlet does not like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern since they are servants of the Claudius, Hamlet's mortal enemy. The reader does not like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern either which causes the reader to side with Hamlet.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another incident of Hamlet's high intelligence is shown when he Hamlet tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, "I am glad of it: a knavish sleeps in a foolish ear" (IV, i, 24-25).   This statement leaves Rosencrantz and Guildenstern more or less confused.    Hamlet is clearly more clever than the two of them combined and is able to toy with them. Hamlet has an excellent command of the language and because of it, can use words to the point that those around him will not understand and may label him as crazy.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet shows another example of his cleverness, this time towards Claudius, when he says, "I see a cherub that sees them. But, come; for England! Farewell, dear mother" (IV, iii, 49-50). The cherub, or the angel, gives Hamlet a sense of superiority over Claudius. Having an angel at one's side would be a definite sign of power, which is exactly what Hamlet tries to maintain over Claudius in their constant power struggle.

Fool Chapter 20

ACT IV As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods. They kill us for their sport. – King Lear, Act IV, Scene 1, Gloucester TWENTY A PRETTY LITTLE THING Drool and I slogged through the cold rain for a day, across hill and dale, over unpaved heath and roads that were little more than muddy wheel ruts. Drool affected a jaunty aspect, remarkable considering the dark doings he had just escaped, but a light spirit is the blessing of the idiot. He took to singing and splashing gaily through puddles as we traveled. I was deeply burdened by wit and awareness, so I found sulking and grumbling better suited my mood. I regretted that I hadn't stolen horses, acquired oilskin cloaks, found a fire-making kit, and murdered Edmund before we left. The latter, among many reasons, because I could not ride upon Drool's shoulders, as his back was still raw from Edmund's beatings. Bastard. I should say here, that after some days in the elements, the first I'd spent there since my time with Belette and the traveling mummer troupe many years ago, I determined that I am an indoor fool. My lean form does not fend off cold well, and it seems no better at shedding water. I fear I am too absorbent to be an outdoor fool. My singing voice turns raspy in the cold, my japes and jokes lose their subtlety when cast against the wind, and when my muscles are slowed by an unkind chill, even my juggling is shit. I am untempered for the tempest, unsuited for a storm – better fit for fireplace and featherbed. Oh, warm wine, warm heart, warm tart, where art thou? Poor, cold Pocket, a drowned and wretched rat is he. We traveled in the dark for miles before we smelled meat-smoke on the wind and spotted the orange light of an oil-skinned window in the distance. â€Å"Look, Pocket, a house,† said Drool. â€Å"We can sit by the fire and maybe have a warm supper.† â€Å"We've no money, lad, and nothing to trade them.† â€Å"We trade 'em a jest for our supper, like we done before.† â€Å"I can think of nothing amusing to do, Drool. Tumbling is out of the question, my fingers are too stiff to work Jones's talk string, and I'm too weary even for the simple telling of a tale.† â€Å"We could just ask them. They might be kind.† â€Å"That's a blustery bag of tempest toss, innit?† â€Å"They might,† insisted the oaf. â€Å"Bubble once give me a pie without I ever jested a thing. Just give it to me, out of the kindness of her heart.† â€Å"Fine. Fine. We shall prevail upon their kindness, but should that fail, prepare yourself to bash in their brains and take their supper by force.† â€Å"What if there's a lot of 'em? Ain't you going to help?† I shrugged and gestured to my fair form: â€Å"Small and weary, lad. Small and weary. If I'm too weak to perform a puppet show, I think the brain-bashing duties will, by necessity, fall upon you. Find a sturdy stick of firewood. There, there's a woodpile over there.† â€Å"I don't want to bash no brains,† said the stubborn nitwit. â€Å"Fine, here, take one of my daggers.† I handed him a knife. â€Å"Give a good dirking to anyone who requires it.† At that point the door opened and a wizened form stepped into the doorway and raised a storm lantern. â€Å"Who goes there?† â€Å"Beggin' pardon, sirrah,† said Drool. â€Å"We was wondering if you required a good dirking this evening?† â€Å"Give that to me.† I snatched the dagger away from the git and fitted it into the sheath at my back. â€Å"Sorry, sir, the Natural jests out of turn. We are looking for some shelter from the storm and perhaps a hot meal. We've only bread and a little cheese, but we will share it for the shelter.† â€Å"We are fools,† said Drool. â€Å"Shut up, Drool, he can see that by my kit and your empty gaze.† â€Å"Come in, Pocket of Dog Snogging,† said the bent figure. â€Å"Mind your head on the doorjamb, Drool.† â€Å"We're buggered,† said I, pushing Drool through the door ahead of me. Witches three. Parsley, Sage, and Rosemary. Oh no, not in the Great Birnam Wood where they are generally kept, where one might fairly expect to encounter them, but here in a warm cabin off the road between the Gloucestershire villages of Tossing Sod and Bongwater Crash? A flying house, perhaps? It's rumored that witches are afraid of such structures. â€Å"I thought you was an old man but you is an old woman,† said Drool to the hag who had let us in. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"No proof, please,† said I, afraid that one of the hags might confirm her gender by lifting her skirts. â€Å"The lad's suffered enough of late.† â€Å"Some stew,† said the crone Sage, the warty one. A small pot hung over the fire. â€Å"I've seen what you put in your stew.† â€Å"Stew, stew, true and blue,† said the tall witch, Parsley. â€Å"Yes, please,† said Drool. â€Å"It's not stew,† said I. â€Å"They call it stew because it rhymes with bloody blue, but it's not stew.† â€Å"No, it's stew,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Beef and carrots and the lot.† â€Å"Afraid it is,† said Sage. â€Å"Not bits of bat wing, eye of lecher, sweetbreads of newt, and the lot, then?† â€Å"A few onions,† said Parsley. â€Å"That's it? No magical powers? No apparitions? No curse? You appear out here in the middle of nowhere – nay, on the very fringe of the tick's knickers that sucks the ass of nowhere – and you've no agenda except to feed the Natural and me and give us a chance to chase the chill?† â€Å"Aye, that's about it,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Couldn't think of nothin' that rhymes with onions,† said Sage. â€Å"Aye, we were right fucked for spell casting once the onions went in,† said Parsley. â€Å"Truth be told, beef put us against the wall, didn't it?† said Rosemary. â€Å"Yeah, fief, I suppose,† mused Sage, rolling her good eye toward the ceiling. â€Å"And teef, although strictly speaking, that ain't a proper rhyme.† â€Å"Right,† said Parsley. â€Å"No telling what kind of dodgy apparition you'll conjure you cock up the rhyme like that. Fief. Teeth. Pathetic, really.† â€Å"Stew, please,† said Drool. I let the crones feed us. The stew was hot and rich and mercifully devoid of amphibian and corpse bits. We broke out the last of the bread Curan had given us and shared it with the witches, who produced a jug of fortified wine and poured it for all. I warmed both inside and out, and for the first time in what seemed days, my clothes and shoes were dry. â€Å"So, it's going well, then?† asked Sage, after we'd each had a couple of cups of wine. I counted out calamities on my digits: â€Å"Lear stripped of his knights, civil war between his daughters, France has invaded, Duke of Cornwall murdered, Earl of Gloucester blinded, but reunited with his son, who is a raving loony, the sisters enchanted and in love with the bastard Edmund – â€Å" â€Å"I shagged 'em proper,† added Drool. â€Å"Yes, Drool boffed them until both walked unsteady, and, let's see, Lear wanders across the moors to find sanctuary with the French at Dover.† Handfuls of happenings. â€Å"Lear suffers, then?† asked Parsley. â€Å"Greatly,† said I. â€Å"He's nothing left. A great height from which to fall, being king of the realm reduced to a wandering beggar, gnawed from the inside by regret for deeds he did long ago.† â€Å"You feel for him, then, Pocket?† asked Rosemary, the greenish, cat-toed witch. â€Å"He rescued me from a cruel master and brought me to live in his castle. It's hard to hold hatred with a full stomach and a warm hearth.† â€Å"Just so,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Have some more wine.† She poured some dark liquid into my cup. I sipped it. It tasted stronger, warmer than before. â€Å"We've a gift for you, Pocket.† Rosemary brought out a small leather box from behind her back and opened it. Inside were four tiny stone vials, two red and two black. â€Å"You'll be needing these.† â€Å"What are they?† My vision began to blur then. I could hear the witches' voices, and Drool snoring, but they seemed distant, as if down a tunnel. â€Å"Poison,† said the witch. That was the last I heard from her. The room was gone, and I found myself sitting in a tree near a quiet river and a stone bridge. It was autumn, I could tell, as the leaves were turning. Below me a girl of perhaps sixteen was washing clothes in a bucket on the riverbank. She was a tiny thing, and I would have thought her a child by her size, but her figure was quite womanly – perfectly proportioned, just a size smaller in scale than most. The girl looked up, as if she heard something. I followed her gaze down the road to a column of soldiers on horseback. Two knights rode at the head of the train, followed by perhaps a dozen others. They rode under my oak tree and paused their horses on the bridge. â€Å"Look at that,† said the heavier of the two knights, nodding toward the girl. I heard his voice as if it were in my own head. â€Å"Pretty little thing.† â€Å"Have her,† said the other. I knew the voice immediately, and with it I saw the face for who it was. Lear, younger, stronger, not nearly so grey, but Lear as sure as I'd ever seen him. The hawk nose, the crystal-blue eyes. It was him. â€Å"No,† said the younger man. â€Å"We need to make York by nightfall. We've no time to find an inn.† â€Å"Come here, girl,† called Lear. The girl came up the bank to the road, keeping her eyes to the ground. â€Å"Here!† barked Lear. The girl hurried across the bridge until she stood only a few feet from him. â€Å"Do you know who I am, girl?† â€Å"A gentleman, sir.† â€Å"A gentleman? I am your king, girl. I am Lear.† The girl fell to her knees and stopped breathing. â€Å"This is Canus, Duke of York, Prince of Wales, son of King Bladud, brother to King Lear, and he would have you.† â€Å"No, Lear,† said the brother. â€Å"This is madness.† The girl was trembling now. â€Å"You are brother to the king and you may have whom you want, when you want,† said Lear. He climbed off his horse. â€Å"Stand up, girl.† The girl did, but stiffly, as if she were bracing for a blow. Lear took her chin in his hand and lifted it. â€Å"You are a pretty thing. She's a pretty thing, Canus, and she is mine. I give her to you.† The king's brother's eyes were wide and there was hunger there, but he said, â€Å"No, we haven't time – â€Å" â€Å"Now!† boomed Lear. â€Å"You'll have her now!† With that Lear grabbed the front of the girl's frock and ripped it, exposing her breasts. When she tried to cover up he pulled her arms away. Then he held her and barked commands while his brother raped her on the wide stone rail of the bridge. When Canus had finished and fell breathless between her legs, Lear shouldered him aside then lifted the girl by the waist and threw her over the rail into the river. â€Å"Clean yourself!† he shouted. Then he patted his brother's shoulder. â€Å"There, she'll not haunt your dreams tonight. All subjects are property of the king, and mine to give, Canus. You may have any woman you want except one.† They mounted their horses and rode away. Lear hadn't even looked to see if she could swim. I couldn't move, I couldn't cry out. All during the attack on the girl I felt as if I'd been lashed to the tree. Now I watched her crawl naked from the river, her clothes in tatters behind her, and she curled into a ball on the riverbank and sobbed. Suddenly I was whisked out of the tree, like a feather on an errant wind, and I settled on the roof of a two-story house in a village. It was market day, and everyone was out, going from cart to cart, table to table, bargaining for meat and vegetables, pottery and tools. A girl stumbled down the street, a pretty little thing, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, with a tiny babe in arms. She stopped at every booth and showed them the babe, then the villagers would reward her with rude laughter and send her to the next booth. â€Å"He's a prince,† she said. â€Å"His father was a prince.† â€Å"Go away, girl. You're mad. No wonder no one will have you, tart.† â€Å"But he's a prince.† â€Å"He looks to be a drowned puppy, lass. You'll be lucky if he lives the week out.† From one end of the village to the other she was laughed at and scorned. One woman, who must have been the girl's mother, simply turned away and hid her face in shame. I floated overhead as the girl ran to the edge of town, across the bridge where she'd been raped, and up to a compound of stone buildings, one with a great soaring steeple. A church. She made her way to the wide double door, and there, she lay her baby on the steps. I recognized those doors, I'd seen them a thousand times. This was the entrance to the abbey at Dog Snogging. The girl ran away and I watched, as a few minutes later, the doors opened and a broad-shouldered nun bent and picked up the tiny, squalling baby. Mother Basil had found him. Suddenly I was at the river again, and the girl, that pretty little thing, stood on the wide stone rail of the bridge, crossed herself, and leapt in. She did not swim. The green water settled over her. My mother. When I awoke the witches were gathered around me like I was a sumptuous pie just out of the oven and they were ravenous pie whores. â€Å"So, you're a bastard then,† said Parsley. â€Å"And an orphan,† said Sage. â€Å"Both at once,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Surprised, then?† said Parsley. â€Å"Lear not quite the kind old codger you thought him, eh?† â€Å"A royal bastard, you are.† I gagged a bit, in response to the crones' collective breath, and sat up. â€Å"Would you back off you disgusting old cadavers!† â€Å"Well, strictly speakin', only Rosemary's a cadaver,† said the tall witch, Parsley. â€Å"You drugged me, put that nightmare vision in my head.† â€Å"Aye, we did drug you. But you was just looking through a window to the past. There was no vision except what happened.† â€Å"Got to see your dear mum, didn't you?† said Rosemary. â€Å"How lovely for you.† â€Å"I had to watch her raped and driven to suicide, you mad hag.† â€Å"You needed to know, little Pocket, before you went on to Dover.† â€Å"Dover? I'm not going to Dover. I have no desire to see Lear.† Even as I said it I felt fear run down my spine like the tip of a spike. Without Lear, I was no longer a fool. I had no purpose. I had no home. Still, after what he had done, I would have to find some other means to make my way. â€Å"I can rent out Drool for plowing fields and hoisting bales of wool and such. We'll make our way.† â€Å"Maybe he wants to go on to Dover.† I looked over to Drool, who I thought to still be asleep by the fire, but he was sitting there, staring at me wide-eyed, as if someone had frightened him and he'd forgotten how to talk. â€Å"You didn't give him the same potion you gave me, did you?† â€Å"It was in the wine,† said Sage. I went to the Natural and put my arm around his shoulder, or, as far around as I could reach, anyway. â€Å"Drool, lad, you're fine, lad.† I knew how horrified I had been, with my superior mind and understanding of the world. Poor Drool must have been terrified. â€Å"What did you wicked hags show him?† â€Å"He had a window on the past just like you.† The great oaf looked up at me then. â€Å"I was raised by wolfs,† said he. â€Å"Nothing can be done now, lad. Don't be sad. We've all things in our past we were better not remembering.† I glared at the witches. â€Å"I ain't sad,† Drool said, standing up. He had to stoop to avoid hitting his head on the roof beams. â€Å"My brother nipped at me 'cause I didn't have no fur, but he didn't have no hands, so I throwed him against a tree and he didn't get up.† â€Å"You're but a pathetic dimwit,† said I. â€Å"You can't be blamed.† â€Å"My mum only had eight teats, but after that there was only seven of us, so I got two. It were lovely.† He didn't really seem that bothered by the whole experience. â€Å"Tell me, Drool, have you always known you were raised by wolves?† â€Å"Aye. I want to go outside and have a wee on a tree, now, Pocket. You want to come?† â€Å"No, you go, love, I'm going to stay here and shout at the old ladies.† Once the Natural was gone I turned on them again. â€Å"I'm finished doing your bidding. Whatever politics you want to engineer I'll have no more part of it.† The crones laughed at me in chorus, then coughed until finally Rosemary, the greenish witch, calmed her breath with a sip of wine. â€Å"No, lad, nothing so sordid as politics, we're about vengeance pure and simple. We don't give a weasel's twat about politics and succession.† â€Å"But you're evil incarnate and in triplicate, aren't you?† said I, respectfully. One must give due. â€Å"Aye, evil is our trade, but not so deep a darkness as politics. Better business to dash a suckling babe's brains upon the bricks than to boil in that tawdry cauldron.† â€Å"Aye,† said Sage. â€Å"Breakfast, anyone?† She was stirring something in the cauldron, I assumed it was the leftover hallucination wine from the night before. â€Å"Well, revenge, then. I've no taste left for it.† â€Å"Not even for revenge on the bastard Edmund?† Edmund? What a storm of suffering that blackguard had loosed upon the world, but still, if I never had to see him again, couldn't I forget about his damage? â€Å"Edmund will find his just reward,† said I, not believing it for a second. â€Å"And Lear?† I was angry with the old man, but what revenge would I have on him now? He had lost all. And I had always known him to be cruel, but so long as his cruelty didn't extend to me, I was blind to it. â€Å"No, not even Lear.† â€Å"Fine, then, where will you go?† asked Sage. She pulled a ladle of steaming liquid from the pot and blew on it. â€Å"I'll take the Natural into Wales. We can call at castles until someone takes us in.† â€Å"Then you'll miss the Queen of France at Dover?† â€Å"Cordelia? I thought bloody fucking froggy King Jeff was at Dover. Cordelia is with him?† The hags cackled. â€Å"Oh no, King Jeff is in Burgundy. Queen Cordelia commands the French forces at Dover.† â€Å"Oh bugger,† said I. â€Å"You'll want to take them poisons we fixed for you,† said Rosemary. â€Å"Keep them on you at all times. A need for them will present itself.†