Saturday, February 29, 2020
Chalice Chapter 6
She had no idea what a Chalice was supposed to offer a Master who visited her at her home. There must be a tradition, a right thing, even perhaps a rule. But it was not an eventuality it had occurred to her she needed to prepare for. And perhaps there was no rule after all, because the Chalice should have lived at the House, at the House with the Master. ââ¬Å"Honey,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Will you offer me honey?â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course,â⬠she said, still wit-scattered. ââ¬Å"Anything ââ¬â anything I can offer you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Honey, please,â⬠he said politely, as if he were anyone ââ¬â as if he were one of her customers. She looked at him bemusedly. Which honey? Not the sleepy. The energetic? One of the ache-soothers? Which one? One of the ones she hadnââ¬â¢t figured out yet (maybe they were just to make dull bread or porridge taste wonderful)? ââ¬Å"Of course,â⬠she said, and went indoors, as much to hide her confusion from him ââ¬â but what did he see with his uncanny eyes? ââ¬â as to fetch the honey. She went to the shelf where she kept the jars in use, and put her hand out blindly, choosing by not choosing: and so her hand reached itself, and took down a jar. It was one of the mysterious ones: she knew neither what it was for nor what it was made of. It was an early-summer honey, and she could taste the yellow singers and the wild cherry, but there was something else in it as well. Perhaps itââ¬â¢s a confusion-tamer, she thought, and the choice is really for me. She took two spoons, which is what she would normally do for a friend ââ¬â or had done when she had had friends. But it was only as she picked up the second spoon that it occurred to her that this honey was also her secret favourite, and that she liked not knowing what was in it, and had silly fantasies about what it might be for, besides making dull bread or porridge taste wonderful. Would a Master eat honey straight out of the jar? She dithered a moment longer, and then made up a tray, with a half loaf of bread and a knife, and two cups, and a pitcher of water drawn that morning from the cottage well ââ¬â whose water now had the faintest sweet taste, as if a little honey were leaking into its source. He was sitting in one of the stone chairs when she came back outside again. She had noticed before that he rarely stood for long; she wondered if the Hardbutt family furniture was to him any improvement on standing, but he looked, she thought, almost relaxed. More relaxed, anyway, than he had ever been during all the gatherings she had stood Chalice to. She paused in her doorway to look at him a moment longer. Even when there was not the slightest breeze the hem of his cloak stirred faintly, as if in response to some intangible air. Or flame. As she watched he raised his hands and put his hood back, tipping his face up to the sun and closing his disturbing red eyes. Sheââ¬â¢d never seen him bare-headed before and in the strong sunlight she had confirmed what she had suspected since the first time she saw him at the front door of the House, when she had given him the cup of welcome: there was a peculiar, somehow indefinite quality to his features that was not only to do with blackness seen in shadow. The lines of his face seemed strangely mutable, as if they flickered, almost like flames. But she also saw that he had hair: black and straight, pulled back from his face, and tied at the nape of his neck with something she could not see, lost in the folds of the hood. The boy who had smiled at her and her mother as he trotted past on his pony had had curly brown hair. But many straight-haired people had curly hair as children. She had to kneel to move some books out of the way before she set the tray down on the wide low stone that served as an outdoor table. He opened his eyes again and looked at her. She risked looking at him for longer than a glance. She could not discern pupil from iris ââ¬â if perhaps a third-level priest of Fire still has ordinary irises and pupils ââ¬â which were as lightlessly black as his skin. What should have been the whites of his eyes were red ââ¬â red as fire ââ¬â red as the embers that will set flaming anything that touches them. Reddened eyes in ordinary humans look sore and sick; his looked uncanny and fathomlessly deep. What might he see with such eyes? As she had done the morning he healed her hand, she heard herself asking a question she had no intention of saying out loud: ââ¬Å"Do you see differently?â⬠ââ¬Å"With my red eyes?â⬠he said, equably enough, and blinked. His eyelids stayed closed a fraction longer than a usual blink, and when they opened again that sense of burning embers was even stronger, in a face that seemed itself to flicker slightly, like a hot fire burnt low. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m not sure. Itââ¬â¢s a gradual process, being taken by Fire. I still see the leaves of the trees as green, and a cloudless sky as blue. But I see heat, in a way I remember I did not, when Iâ⬠¦before I entered Fire.â⬠ââ¬Å"You see heat,â⬠she said, not understanding. ââ¬Å"You are warmer than the surrounding air,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"I see ââ¬â or read ââ¬â that. I read Ponty as a warm space too. A warm solid space ââ¬â a Ponty-shaped space. His heat outlines him, and insideâ⬠¦within that outline there is movement, swirls, billows, like a stream in wild country over a rough rocky bedâ⬠¦the movement of his life force. It moves clearly and strongly in him, like clear water. It is rarely so strong or so clear in humans. There is a rabbit in the brush over there; I see the curled and curling shape of its warmth, its body, behind the leaves, which screen it, I think, from your sight.â⬠He looked around. ââ¬Å"You can probably pick out the singing birds in your trees by tracing the sound; I can see the silent ones. I can see the ones invisible on their nests, and I can see how many eggs they sit on, for this late brooding. I can see where there is no life inside a shell, that it will not hatch.â⬠ââ¬Å"And the bees?â⬠she said, fascinated. ââ¬Å"Yes. The bees are tiny golden sparks, as of fire.â⬠ââ¬Å"Of honey.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes. Of honey. The hives glitter with the movement of the bees.â⬠ââ¬Å"I wish I could see them like that,â⬠she said wistfully. ââ¬Å"It must be very beautiful.â⬠He made no answer and ââ¬â again as she had done that morning before he had first asked her to stand by him ââ¬â she suddenly recalled to whom she spoke, and looked at him quickly, her mouth already open to apologise. But he was looking at her with what seemed to her was surprise. Her mouth stayed open, but no words came out. ââ¬Å"It is very beautiful,â⬠he said. She looked down, at her tray, at the little lopsided jar of glittering honey. ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t know much ââ¬â I donââ¬â¢t know as much as I should ââ¬â about Chalices,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Isnââ¬â¢t their usual susceptibility to water?â⬠ââ¬Å"Or wine,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"Occasionally beer or cider or perry. Perhaps once every other century a woman who is pregnant or nursing when the Chalice comes to her finds that she holds her Chalice in milk, but that is not considered lucky for the demesne. Occasionally in a demesne near the sea it has been brine. Iââ¬â¢ve read about the finding and naming of many Chalices now and Iââ¬â¢ve not read of another one whose gift was honey. Never honey. I suppose thatââ¬â¢s one of the reasons that it never occurred to me what was happening, in the beginning, afterâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She knew she was talking too much, but it seemed to pour out of her, like honey from a jar: it wasnââ¬â¢t only the overwhelmingness of her life that made it lonely; it was that she had no one to share with how enormously interesting it also was. ââ¬Å"And the coming is not usually soâ⬠¦melodramatic. That will have been the unsettled state of the demesne, I know, butâ⬠¦. You do get thing s like wells overflowing, but it was mead and honey everywhere here, and my goats were fountaining milk, and usually itââ¬â¢s not quite soâ⬠¦You know the Lady of the Ladywell was our first Chalice ââ¬â that was her house well originally ââ¬â her well overflowed, but all that happened, according to the records, is that it was the herald of a drought ending, and so very welcome. ââ¬Å"This demesne has usually had water Chalices ââ¬â maybe because of the willows. The last Chalice, the one who ââ¬â who diedâ⬠ââ¬â she glanced up at him briefly and away again ââ¬â ââ¬Å"she was a water Chalice. I think that may be part of whyâ⬠¦and part of why Iâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She had babbled on too much already, but she did not want to stop there. ââ¬Å"Thereââ¬â¢s a very old story about a blood Chalice. She must have had a horrible time. But she brought her demesne through a series of wars that destroyed the demesnes around her, according to the story, so maybe it was worth it to her. Iââ¬â¢ve never found any record of her, though, only the story. In the story her demesne is called Springleafturn, and there isnââ¬â¢t one.â⬠ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËPart of why,'â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Part of why she and my brother died?â⬠ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t know,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"I should not have mentioned it.â⬠ââ¬Å"You have the right to know how your predecessor died.â⬠ââ¬Å"I have the right to have been apprenticed to the Chalice I was to succeed! I have the right to have known I was her heir! You have the right to have lived here and supported your brother as Master and learnt what you needed to know as his acknowledged Heir! Our land has the right to be cared for by a Master and a Chalice who know what theyââ¬â¢re doing and ââ¬â and are able to do it!â⬠ââ¬Å"And Willowlands is in trouble because these rights were not honoured.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠she said wearily. ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠She did not say, And it is why two ââ¬â lame, faulty, unfit, what do you call a priest of Fire exiled from his Fire? What do you call a small woodskeeper suddenly ordered to be great? ââ¬â unsuitable, unready people were made Chalice and Master, and why they cannot make a damaged land whole. It is all wrong; and the frame, the pattern, the yoke that holds us all, is not yet broken, but it is breaking. ââ¬Å"Tell me why you said what you did. That being a water Chalice was part of why they died.â⬠She was silent a moment. At last she said, ââ¬Å"They died of fire and wine. I ââ¬â I guess ââ¬â and it is only a guess ââ¬â she might have shaped the way better if she had had more strength for wine. Willowlands has always been very ââ¬â â⬠She tried to think of an adjective that would fit. The only ones that came to her were ââ¬Å"pureâ⬠or ââ¬Å"cleanâ⬠or ââ¬Å"clearâ⬠or ââ¬Å"simpleâ⬠and she could not say any of them to the brother of the man who had made it not so. There were other demesnes whose strength was not in clarity or purity, but she did not know how to make her own another of them, even to heal it. She thought, If the land chose me, then it cannot want to go that way. The only thing I have to offer is simplicity ââ¬â dumb, harassed simplicity. ââ¬Å"He was holding one of his ââ¬â parties ââ¬â I guess. Yes, he had begun them before he sent me away; indeed it was because of them that he did send me away, because I could, or would, not keep silence about them. No, no one has told me this, but it was the old pavilion that burnt, and it was there I know he held his first assemblies, because it suited his purposes. How can a Master and his Chalice be so insensible as to be overcome by fire, in their own demesne, unless they are drunk ââ¬â or drugged?â⬠Quickly she said, ââ¬Å"At least we did not lose the House.â⬠ââ¬Å"The House would not have borne such usage as his carouses were,â⬠he responded just as quickly. ââ¬Å"He had to hold them elsewhere. I am sorry the pavilion was not stronger.â⬠ââ¬Å"But ââ¬â â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"The ââ¬â the old magic, before the demesnes were made, the old magic still lives close under the earth there. You know this ââ¬â you must have felt it too. The pavilion was power to use, for good or ill, without rule.â⬠Another silence, while he looked at his hands. ââ¬Å"I apologise for the violence of my words. I did not ââ¬â do not ââ¬â hate my brother. The bitterness I feel is the bitterness of my own frustration ââ¬â my own lack of power to pull our land together again. Or rather, the power is still there, but it has been turned to, or into, Fire, and I cannot turn it back, however I try.â⬠Savagely he clapped his hands together, and when he opened them, a pillar of fire roared up from between them ââ¬â he closed them again and the fire disappeared. ââ¬Å"That is only a trick to frighten children, here. Here I cannot be sure, if I reach out to grasp a goblet, that I wonââ¬â¢t miss, and grab the air, or burn the hand of her who holds it out to me. It is the same when I reach for the earthlines. I miss, or do harm.â⬠ââ¬Å"You healed the burnt hand of the woman who held the goblet for you. It is not all tricks to frighten children,â⬠she said, hoping he had not seen that she had been frightened just now. ââ¬Å"I hear the earthlines too ââ¬â I not only must, as Chalice, but by being Chalice I cannot help it ââ¬â and I have felt no harm done lately.â⬠He raised his eyes and looked at her. ââ¬Å"Would you? Would you feel it? Could you say to yourself, ââ¬ËYes, here is a break ââ¬â a roughness, a troubling ââ¬â that was not here a sennight agoââ¬â¢?â⬠She returned his look and refused to look away. ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t know. That is what you are pressing me to say, is it not? I donââ¬â¢t know because I donââ¬â¢t know what the earthlines should feel like, should sound like ââ¬â what they would feel like if the land were settled and content ââ¬â whether their constant plaintive murmur would at last fall silent. I donââ¬â¢t know. It is only one of a thousand thousand things I donââ¬â¢t know. But I know the land lies quieter now than it did a year ago ââ¬â than it did six months ago. I know the earthlines lie softer than they did.â⬠He shifted his gaze away from her, as if looking through the woods to the House and then beyond, across the long leagues of the entire demesne. She sat staring at him, and was so far away in her thoughts that when he looked back at her she did not move her eyes quickly enough. ââ¬Å"What do you see?â⬠he said. Chalice Chapter 6 She had no idea what a Chalice was supposed to offer a Master who visited her at her home. There must be a tradition, a right thing, even perhaps a rule. But it was not an eventuality it had occurred to her she needed to prepare for. And perhaps there was no rule after all, because the Chalice should have lived at the House, at the House with the Master. ââ¬Å"Honey,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Will you offer me honey?â⬠ââ¬Å"Of course,â⬠she said, still wit-scattered. ââ¬Å"Anything ââ¬â anything I can offer you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Honey, please,â⬠he said politely, as if he were anyone ââ¬â as if he were one of her customers. She looked at him bemusedly. Which honey? Not the sleepy. The energetic? One of the ache-soothers? Which one? One of the ones she hadnââ¬â¢t figured out yet (maybe they were just to make dull bread or porridge taste wonderful)? ââ¬Å"Of course,â⬠she said, and went indoors, as much to hide her confusion from him ââ¬â but what did he see with his uncanny eyes? ââ¬â as to fetch the honey. She went to the shelf where she kept the jars in use, and put her hand out blindly, choosing by not choosing: and so her hand reached itself, and took down a jar. It was one of the mysterious ones: she knew neither what it was for nor what it was made of. It was an early-summer honey, and she could taste the yellow singers and the wild cherry, but there was something else in it as well. Perhaps itââ¬â¢s a confusion-tamer, she thought, and the choice is really for me. She took two spoons, which is what she would normally do for a friend ââ¬â or had done when she had had friends. But it was only as she picked up the second spoon that it occurred to her that this honey was also her secret favourite, and that she liked not knowing what was in it, and had silly fantasies about what it might be for, besides making dull bread or porridge taste wonderful. Would a Master eat honey straight out of the jar? She dithered a moment longer, and then made up a tray, with a half loaf of bread and a knife, and two cups, and a pitcher of water drawn that morning from the cottage well ââ¬â whose water now had the faintest sweet taste, as if a little honey were leaking into its source. He was sitting in one of the stone chairs when she came back outside again. She had noticed before that he rarely stood for long; she wondered if the Hardbutt family furniture was to him any improvement on standing, but he looked, she thought, almost relaxed. More relaxed, anyway, than he had ever been during all the gatherings she had stood Chalice to. She paused in her doorway to look at him a moment longer. Even when there was not the slightest breeze the hem of his cloak stirred faintly, as if in response to some intangible air. Or flame. As she watched he raised his hands and put his hood back, tipping his face up to the sun and closing his disturbing red eyes. Sheââ¬â¢d never seen him bare-headed before and in the strong sunlight she had confirmed what she had suspected since the first time she saw him at the front door of the House, when she had given him the cup of welcome: there was a peculiar, somehow indefinite quality to his features that was not only to do with blackness seen in shadow. The lines of his face seemed strangely mutable, as if they flickered, almost like flames. But she also saw that he had hair: black and straight, pulled back from his face, and tied at the nape of his neck with something she could not see, lost in the folds of the hood. The boy who had smiled at her and her mother as he trotted past on his pony had had curly brown hair. But many straight-haired people had curly hair as children. She had to kneel to move some books out of the way before she set the tray down on the wide low stone that served as an outdoor table. He opened his eyes again and looked at her. She risked looking at him for longer than a glance. She could not discern pupil from iris ââ¬â if perhaps a third-level priest of Fire still has ordinary irises and pupils ââ¬â which were as lightlessly black as his skin. What should have been the whites of his eyes were red ââ¬â red as fire ââ¬â red as the embers that will set flaming anything that touches them. Reddened eyes in ordinary humans look sore and sick; his looked uncanny and fathomlessly deep. What might he see with such eyes? As she had done the morning he healed her hand, she heard herself asking a question she had no intention of saying out loud: ââ¬Å"Do you see differently?â⬠ââ¬Å"With my red eyes?â⬠he said, equably enough, and blinked. His eyelids stayed closed a fraction longer than a usual blink, and when they opened again that sense of burning embers was even stronger, in a face that seemed itself to flicker slightly, like a hot fire burnt low. ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢m not sure. Itââ¬â¢s a gradual process, being taken by Fire. I still see the leaves of the trees as green, and a cloudless sky as blue. But I see heat, in a way I remember I did not, when Iâ⬠¦before I entered Fire.â⬠ââ¬Å"You see heat,â⬠she said, not understanding. ââ¬Å"You are warmer than the surrounding air,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"I see ââ¬â or read ââ¬â that. I read Ponty as a warm space too. A warm solid space ââ¬â a Ponty-shaped space. His heat outlines him, and insideâ⬠¦within that outline there is movement, swirls, billows, like a stream in wild country over a rough rocky bedâ⬠¦the movement of his life force. It moves clearly and strongly in him, like clear water. It is rarely so strong or so clear in humans. There is a rabbit in the brush over there; I see the curled and curling shape of its warmth, its body, behind the leaves, which screen it, I think, from your sight.â⬠He looked around. ââ¬Å"You can probably pick out the singing birds in your trees by tracing the sound; I can see the silent ones. I can see the ones invisible on their nests, and I can see how many eggs they sit on, for this late brooding. I can see where there is no life inside a shell, that it will not hatch.â⬠ââ¬Å"And the bees?â⬠she said, fascinated. ââ¬Å"Yes. The bees are tiny golden sparks, as of fire.â⬠ââ¬Å"Of honey.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes. Of honey. The hives glitter with the movement of the bees.â⬠ââ¬Å"I wish I could see them like that,â⬠she said wistfully. ââ¬Å"It must be very beautiful.â⬠He made no answer and ââ¬â again as she had done that morning before he had first asked her to stand by him ââ¬â she suddenly recalled to whom she spoke, and looked at him quickly, her mouth already open to apologise. But he was looking at her with what seemed to her was surprise. Her mouth stayed open, but no words came out. ââ¬Å"It is very beautiful,â⬠he said. She looked down, at her tray, at the little lopsided jar of glittering honey. ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t know much ââ¬â I donââ¬â¢t know as much as I should ââ¬â about Chalices,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Isnââ¬â¢t their usual susceptibility to water?â⬠ââ¬Å"Or wine,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"Occasionally beer or cider or perry. Perhaps once every other century a woman who is pregnant or nursing when the Chalice comes to her finds that she holds her Chalice in milk, but that is not considered lucky for the demesne. Occasionally in a demesne near the sea it has been brine. Iââ¬â¢ve read about the finding and naming of many Chalices now and Iââ¬â¢ve not read of another one whose gift was honey. Never honey. I suppose thatââ¬â¢s one of the reasons that it never occurred to me what was happening, in the beginning, afterâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She knew she was talking too much, but it seemed to pour out of her, like honey from a jar: it wasnââ¬â¢t only the overwhelmingness of her life that made it lonely; it was that she had no one to share with how enormously interesting it also was. ââ¬Å"And the coming is not usually soâ⬠¦melodramatic. That will have been the unsettled state of the demesne, I know, butâ⬠¦. You do get thing s like wells overflowing, but it was mead and honey everywhere here, and my goats were fountaining milk, and usually itââ¬â¢s not quite soâ⬠¦You know the Lady of the Ladywell was our first Chalice ââ¬â that was her house well originally ââ¬â her well overflowed, but all that happened, according to the records, is that it was the herald of a drought ending, and so very welcome. ââ¬Å"This demesne has usually had water Chalices ââ¬â maybe because of the willows. The last Chalice, the one who ââ¬â who diedâ⬠ââ¬â she glanced up at him briefly and away again ââ¬â ââ¬Å"she was a water Chalice. I think that may be part of whyâ⬠¦and part of why Iâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ She had babbled on too much already, but she did not want to stop there. ââ¬Å"Thereââ¬â¢s a very old story about a blood Chalice. She must have had a horrible time. But she brought her demesne through a series of wars that destroyed the demesnes around her, according to the story, so maybe it was worth it to her. Iââ¬â¢ve never found any record of her, though, only the story. In the story her demesne is called Springleafturn, and there isnââ¬â¢t one.â⬠ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËPart of why,'â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"Part of why she and my brother died?â⬠ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t know,â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"I should not have mentioned it.â⬠ââ¬Å"You have the right to know how your predecessor died.â⬠ââ¬Å"I have the right to have been apprenticed to the Chalice I was to succeed! I have the right to have known I was her heir! You have the right to have lived here and supported your brother as Master and learnt what you needed to know as his acknowledged Heir! Our land has the right to be cared for by a Master and a Chalice who know what theyââ¬â¢re doing and ââ¬â and are able to do it!â⬠ââ¬Å"And Willowlands is in trouble because these rights were not honoured.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠she said wearily. ââ¬Å"Yes.â⬠She did not say, And it is why two ââ¬â lame, faulty, unfit, what do you call a priest of Fire exiled from his Fire? What do you call a small woodskeeper suddenly ordered to be great? ââ¬â unsuitable, unready people were made Chalice and Master, and why they cannot make a damaged land whole. It is all wrong; and the frame, the pattern, the yoke that holds us all, is not yet broken, but it is breaking. ââ¬Å"Tell me why you said what you did. That being a water Chalice was part of why they died.â⬠She was silent a moment. At last she said, ââ¬Å"They died of fire and wine. I ââ¬â I guess ââ¬â and it is only a guess ââ¬â she might have shaped the way better if she had had more strength for wine. Willowlands has always been very ââ¬â â⬠She tried to think of an adjective that would fit. The only ones that came to her were ââ¬Å"pureâ⬠or ââ¬Å"cleanâ⬠or ââ¬Å"clearâ⬠or ââ¬Å"simpleâ⬠and she could not say any of them to the brother of the man who had made it not so. There were other demesnes whose strength was not in clarity or purity, but she did not know how to make her own another of them, even to heal it. She thought, If the land chose me, then it cannot want to go that way. The only thing I have to offer is simplicity ââ¬â dumb, harassed simplicity. ââ¬Å"He was holding one of his ââ¬â parties ââ¬â I guess. Yes, he had begun them before he sent me away; indeed it was because of them that he did send me away, because I could, or would, not keep silence about them. No, no one has told me this, but it was the old pavilion that burnt, and it was there I know he held his first assemblies, because it suited his purposes. How can a Master and his Chalice be so insensible as to be overcome by fire, in their own demesne, unless they are drunk ââ¬â or drugged?â⬠Quickly she said, ââ¬Å"At least we did not lose the House.â⬠ââ¬Å"The House would not have borne such usage as his carouses were,â⬠he responded just as quickly. ââ¬Å"He had to hold them elsewhere. I am sorry the pavilion was not stronger.â⬠ââ¬Å"But ââ¬â â⬠she said. ââ¬Å"The ââ¬â the old magic, before the demesnes were made, the old magic still lives close under the earth there. You know this ââ¬â you must have felt it too. The pavilion was power to use, for good or ill, without rule.â⬠Another silence, while he looked at his hands. ââ¬Å"I apologise for the violence of my words. I did not ââ¬â do not ââ¬â hate my brother. The bitterness I feel is the bitterness of my own frustration ââ¬â my own lack of power to pull our land together again. Or rather, the power is still there, but it has been turned to, or into, Fire, and I cannot turn it back, however I try.â⬠Savagely he clapped his hands together, and when he opened them, a pillar of fire roared up from between them ââ¬â he closed them again and the fire disappeared. ââ¬Å"That is only a trick to frighten children, here. Here I cannot be sure, if I reach out to grasp a goblet, that I wonââ¬â¢t miss, and grab the air, or burn the hand of her who holds it out to me. It is the same when I reach for the earthlines. I miss, or do harm.â⬠ââ¬Å"You healed the burnt hand of the woman who held the goblet for you. It is not all tricks to frighten children,â⬠she said, hoping he had not seen that she had been frightened just now. ââ¬Å"I hear the earthlines too ââ¬â I not only must, as Chalice, but by being Chalice I cannot help it ââ¬â and I have felt no harm done lately.â⬠He raised his eyes and looked at her. ââ¬Å"Would you? Would you feel it? Could you say to yourself, ââ¬ËYes, here is a break ââ¬â a roughness, a troubling ââ¬â that was not here a sennight agoââ¬â¢?â⬠She returned his look and refused to look away. ââ¬Å"I donââ¬â¢t know. That is what you are pressing me to say, is it not? I donââ¬â¢t know because I donââ¬â¢t know what the earthlines should feel like, should sound like ââ¬â what they would feel like if the land were settled and content ââ¬â whether their constant plaintive murmur would at last fall silent. I donââ¬â¢t know. It is only one of a thousand thousand things I donââ¬â¢t know. But I know the land lies quieter now than it did a year ago ââ¬â than it did six months ago. I know the earthlines lie softer than they did.â⬠He shifted his gaze away from her, as if looking through the woods to the House and then beyond, across the long leagues of the entire demesne. She sat staring at him, and was so far away in her thoughts that when he looked back at her she did not move her eyes quickly enough. ââ¬Å"What do you see?â⬠he said.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Managing Public and Private Organizations Research Paper
Managing Public and Private Organizations - Research Paper Example Most importantly, effective leadership significantly reduces power distances across people by building constructive relationship based on mutual respect and cross-cultural understanding. This motivates the workforce to work on common goals with greater sense of responsibility and accountability. Q2. Discuss the factors that influence individual behavior. (Chap 11) The major factors that influence individual behaviour are personal value system, cultural paradigms, self-efficacy and hierarchy of needs. Personal value system is important issue that serves as guideline for individual behaviour. The ethical considerations and moral code of actions influence and guide oneââ¬â¢s actions and general behaviour. In the era of rapid globalization, diversity has become a key issue and cultural paradigms have emerged as pertinent factors that not only give distinct identity to individuals but also provide them with unique cultural identities. Hierarchy of needs vis-a-vis physiological, social security, self-esteem and self-actualization, of individuals motivates them to change their behaviour and work towards achievement of their desired goals. Q3. Discuss how behavior management can be utilized to motivate employees. (Chap 11) Behaviour management is crucial psychological tool used within management funda that helps to streamline and encourage right attitude and behaviour across employees in an organization. Behaviour management relies on the code of conduct and in creating a facilitating environment of motivation and re-enforcement with regard to the various needs and requirements of the employees (Dessler, 2007). Thus, merit based performance, incentives, reward and punishment etc. become key ingredients of behaviour management within an organization. SMART goals comprising specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely, are set by individuals to achieve their short term and long term personal and professional goals. Q4. Describe the communication process and h ow barriers to communication can be overcome.à à (Chap 12) Effective communication facilitates in developing mutual respect and cross-cultural understanding that helps to resolve workplace conflicts and promote efficient, goal based teamwork to achieve organizational goals and objectives (Bateman & Snell, 2009). The major barrier to communication is the lack of cross-cultural values and psychological barriers like low self- esteem of people who may belong to diverse culture, race, colour and ethnicity. Understanding of cross-cultural values helps build strong relationship based on trust and mutual respect. Thus, overcoming the barriers of communication has emerged as powerful tool to develop cohesive work environment that motivates workforce to work for common goals collectively. Q5. Discuss how technology can be utilized to improve an organizationââ¬â¢s informal communication.à à (Chap 12) Technology has significantly redefined communication (Reynolds, 2010). The compute r, internet and other technological gizmos like smart phones have become important facilitators of communication. Through the use of electronic boards, email, video-conferencing etc. organizations promote informal communication across the workers. The electronic boards have become popular platforms for sharing information and solving queries. Encouraging workers for
Saturday, February 1, 2020
WGS final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
WGS final - Assignment Example As seen in the work of Kirk & Okazawa-Rey, as the women grow up, they are socialized into women and even given descriptions on how a perfect female body should look like and how they are anticipated to live up to this reality (121-162). The women in turn completely change their views on how their bodies look like, design new model of their look and even change their beliefs on their exact identity. With this in mind, it is expected that the women will take into account what their bodies are made for and even attempt to determine how their bodies will change as they develop from one stage to another (Kirk & Okazawa-Rey 121-162). This thought is shared by Serdar who indicates that, the media has continually shaped the female body image (1). In her opinion, the author is wary of the extent in which the society sets socio-cultural standards that the women are expected to follow in the course of their development (Serdar 1). With the media emphasizing on the ideal body type and image, it is evident that lots of women will struggle to meet that standards of beauty that are, to a great extent, unattainable. One can easily relate to the plight of the women that constantly struggle to identify themselves with the beauty models in their televisions sets in the form of fashion models, advertisement queens and presenters of renowned shows. The response by the women being discontented about their physical appearance can then be understood from the perspective of Serdar. The society in this case, can be termed as one of factors that result to gender inequalities in the society. As far as this case point is concerned, th e women are forced to lead their lives as per the society not as per their beliefs. Kirk & Okazawa-Rey explain how the concept of the female appearance has created a beauty business that makes profits of billions every year
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