Chemical Equilibrium And Ph Biology Essay

Chemical Equilibrium And Ph Biology Essay In a chemical process, chemical is a state in which cocentration of reactants and the concentration of products does not change overtime i.e when the forward reaction proceeds at the same rate as backward reaction and it exists in dynamic equilibrium. The laws of chemical equilibrium define the direction in which a chemical reaction will proceed, as well as the quantities of reactants and products that will remain after the reaction comes to an end. An understanding of chemical equilibrium and how it can manipulated is essential for anyone involved in Chemistry and its applications. The fundamental equation provides the basis for understanding chemical equilibrium. pH is Quantitative measure of stength of acidity and alkalinity of solution. When the concentration of H+ and OH- ions in aqueous solution are frequently very small numbers and there fore inconvenient to work with, Soren Sorensen in 1909 proposed a more practical measure called pH. It is defined as the negative of the hydrogen ion concentration. pH= -log[H+]. Acidic and basic are two extremes that describe a chemical property chemicals. Mixing acids and bases can cancel out or neutralize their extreme effects. A substance that is neither acidic nor basic is neutral. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The pH ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. A pH less than 7 is acidic. A pH greater than 7 is basic. HISTORY:- The concept of chemical equilibrium develop after Berthoket (1803) found that some chemical are reversible. For any reaction to be equilibrium, rate of forward reaction is equal rate of backward reaction, so at equilibrium nearly all the reactant are used up for to left it hardly any product formed from reactant. In 1864 Guldberg and waage showed experimentally that in chemical reactions an equillibrium is reached that can be approached from either direction. They were apparently the first to realize that there is a mathematical relation between the concentration of reactants and products at equillibrium. In 1877 van`t hoff suggested that in the equillibrium expressions the concentrationof each reactant should appear to the first power, corresponding with the stochiometric numbers in the balanced chemical equation. The concept of p[H] was first introduced by Soren Peder Lauritz Sorensen at the carlsberg laboratory in 1909 and revised to the modern pH in 1924 after it became apparent that electromotive force in cells depended on activity rather than concentration of hydrogen ions. TYPES OF EQUILLIBRIUM:- Physical equillibrium:- Equillibrium between two phases of the same substance is called Physical equillibrium because the changes that occur are physical processes. e.g; The vaporization of water in a closed container at a given temperature is an example of physical equilibrium. In this instance the number of H2O molecules leaving and the number of returning to the liquid phase are equal. H2O(l) = H2O(g) The study of physical equilibrium Yields useful information such as the equilibrium vapour pressure. If a reaction is:- aA + bB = cC + dD where a, b, c and d are the stoichiometric coefficients for the reacting species A, B, C , and D. For the reaction at a particular temperature K = (C)C (D)d (A)a (B)b where K is the equilibrium constant. This equation was formulated by cato Guldberg and Petr Wage in 1864. It is the mathematical expressions of their law of mass of action, which holds that for a reversible reaction at equilibrium and a constant temperature, a certain ratio of reactant and product concentration has a constant value K. and the equilibrium constant does depend on the volume, concentration, catalyst, pressure e.t.c. It only depends upon temperature. The equilibrium constant ,then, is defined by a quotient, the numerator of which is obtained by multiplying together the equilibrium concentration of the products, each raised to a power equal to its stoichiometric coefficient in the balanced equation denoted by Q. If Q If Q > K then reaction takes backward reaction. If Q = K then reaction is at equilibrium state. The magnitude of equilibrium constant tells whether the reaction favors the products or reactant. If K >> 1 , the equilibrium will lie to the right and favours the products. If K Homogeneous equillibrium:- The term homogeneous equilibrium applies to reactions in which all reacting species are in the same phase. E.g; An example of homogenous gas phase equilibrium is the dissociation of N2O4. N2O4 (g) = N2O4 (g) aA(g) = bB(g) then, Kc = (B)b/(A)a the concentrations of reactants and the products in gaseous reaction can also be expressed in terms of their partial pressures. At constant temperature the pressure P of gas is directly related to the concentrations in mol/ L of the gas. i.e; P =(n/V)RT. And the expressions can be given by Kp = PbB/PaA where Pa and P b are the partial pressure of A and B. After substiuting these relations in to the expressions, we get [Kp=Kc(RT)b-a] If b-a is equal to zero, then reaction is at equilibrium. If b-a > 0 , then backward reaction is favourable. If b-a Heterogeneous equilibrium:- A heterogeneous equilibrium results from a reversible reaction and products that are in different phases. e.g; when calcium carbonate is heated in a closed vessel, the following equilibrium is attained. CaCO3(S = CaO(S) + CO2 If a reaction aA(S) + bB(s) = cC(s) + dD(g), the concentration of a solid , like it`s density , is an intensive property and does not depend on how much of the substance is present. In thermodynamics , the activity of pure solid us 1. Thus yhe concentration terms for A,B and C are unity. So, Kc = [D]d Similarly , the activity of a pure liquid is also 1. Thus if a reactant or a product is a liquid, we can`t omit in the equilibrium constant expressions. Also we can express the equilibrium constant as Kp = P(D)d . Factor Affecting Equilibrium:- Chemical equilibrium represents a balance between forward and reverse reactions. In most cases, this balance is quit delicate. Change in experimental condition may disturb the balance and shift the equilibrium position so that variable can be controlled experimentally are concentration, pressure, volume and temperature. Effect of change of temperature:- A change in concentration, pressure, or volume may alter the equilibrium position , that is, the relative amounts of reactants and products but it dose not change the value of equilibrium constant .Only a change in temperature can alter the equilibrium constant. At equilibrium at a certain temperature, the heat effect is zero because there is no net reaction .If we treat heat as though it were a chemical reagent, than a rise in temperature adds heat to the system and a drop in a temperature removes heat from the system .As with a change in any other parameter ,(concentration, pressure, or volume), the system shift to reduce the effect of the change. Therefore, a temperature increase favours the endothermic direction (from left to right of the equilibrium equation ) and a temperature decrease favours the exothermic direction. In summary, a temperature increase favours an exothermic direction and a temperature decrease favours the exothermic reaction. The effect of changing temperature on an equilibrium constant is given by the van t Hoff equation d ln K/ d T = H/RT2 Thus, for exothermic reactions, (ΆH is negative) K decreases with an increase in temperature, but, for endothermic reactions, (ΆH is positive) K increases with an increase temperature. An alternative formulation is d ln K/ d(1/T) = H/R At first sight this appears to offer a means of obtaining the standard molar enthalpy of the reaction by studying the variation of K with temperature. Effect of change of pressure and volume:- Change in pressure ordinarily do not effect the concentration of the reacting species in condensed phases(say, in an aqueous solution) because liquids and solids are virtually in compressible. On the other hand, concentration of gases are greatly affected by change in pressure. The greater the pressure, the smaller the volume, and vice versa. Note, too, that the term (n/V) is the concentration of the gas in mol/L, and it varies directly with pressure. In general an increase in pressure (decrease in volume) favours the net reaction that decreases the total numbers of moles of gases (the reverse reaction, in this case), and a decrease in pressure (increase in volume) favours the net reaction that increases the total numbers of moles of gases(here the forward reaction).For reaction in which there is no change in the numbers of moles of gases, a pressure (or volume)change has no effect on the position of equilibrium. Effect of catalyst at equilibrium :- Catalyst does not affect the the equilibrium constant. And it can not shift the equilibrium positon. Catalyst only enhance the rate of reaction to reach the equilibrium position. Effect of concentration of reactant:- Effect of concentration change the position of equilibrium. If we increase the concentration of the products shifts the equilibrium to left, and decreasing the concentration of the product shifts the equilibrium to right. These results are just predicted by Le Chatelier principle. Le chatelier principle:- If an external stress is applied to a system at equilibrium, the system adjusts in such a way that the stress is partially off set as the system reaches a new equilibrium position. pH -A MEASURE OF ACIDITY. Because the concentrations of H+ and OH- in aqueous solution are frequently very small numbers and therefore inconvenient to work with, Soren Sorensen in 1909 proposed a more practical measure called pH. The pH of a solution is defined as the negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration in (mol/L): pH = -log [H3O+] or pH = -log [H+] The negative logarithm gives us a positive number for Ph, which otherwise would be negative due to small value of [H+]. Furthermore the term [H+] permits only to the numerical part of the expression for hydrogen ion concentration, for we cant take the logarithm of units. Thus, like the equilibrium constant, the pH of a solution is a dimensionless quantity. Acidic solutions: pH is less than 7.00. Basic solutions: pH is more than 7.00. Neutral solutions: pH is equal to 7.00. Notice that pH increases as [H+] decreases. For real solutions, activity usually differs from concentrations, sometimes appreciably. Knowing the solute concentration, there are reliable ways based on thermodynamics for estimating its activity, but the details are beyond the scope of text. Keep in mind, therefore, that the measured pH of a solution is usually mot same as that , because the concentration of the H+ ion in molarity is not numerically equal to its activity value. Although we will continue to use concentration in our discussion, it is important to know that this approach will give us only an approximation Of the chemical process that actually take place in solution phase. In the laboratory, pH of a solution is measured with a pH meter. List of some pH of a number of common fluid, the pH of a body fluid varies greatly, depending on location and function. The low pH (high acidity) of gastric juices facilitates digestion whereas a higher pH of blood is necessary for transport of oxygen. APPLICATION OF pH:- A pH indicator is substances that change colour around a particular pH. It is weak acid or weak base and the colour changes occur around 1pH unit either side of its acid dissociatian constant. For.ex. Naturaly occuring indicator litmus is red in acid solution and blue in alkaline solution. REFRENCES:- P.W. Atkins, Physical Chemistry, third edition, Oxford University Press, 1985. F.van Zeggeren and S.N Steery,the computation of chemical equilibrium,1920. W.R.Smith and R.W.Mission,chemical equilibrium Analysis. RAYMOND CHANG, Williams college.

Stakeholder Influence in Strategy Decisions

Stakeholder Influence in Strategy Decisions Devising a strategy should be a product of logical and external analysis, yet often appears to be a product of the power of stakeholders. Discuss using recent business examples. Johnson and Scholes (2002) p10 define strategy as â€Å"the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieves advantage for the organisation through its configuration of resources within a changing environment and to fulfil stakeholder expectations.† A strategic plan is therefore large scale future oriented activities that allow interaction with the competitive environment in order to achieve company objectives. It follows that strategic management is the process whereby a strategy is formulated, evaluated, and continuously improved. Strategic planning flows from the definition of an organisation’s vision, mission and objectives and subsequent environmental scanning, to understand the organisation’s strategic position with respect to the macro external environment, its industry, competitors, internal resources, competencies and expectations and influence of stakeholders. (Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert, 1995) This initial process establishes a basis for strategic choice by means of a match of identified strengths to opportunities. The translation of strategic choice into action is then implemented across all levels of the organisation through programmes, resources, technologies, and performance management structures. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002 and Davis, 2005) This essay focuses on the strategic position of the organisation in the context of its environment, its strategic capability, and stakeholder expectations. The purpose of an environmental scan is to develop a list of diverse variables from an uncertain and complex world to offer actionable responses and in so doing allow a structured framework for defensive or offensive actions. There are a variety of available analysis tools such as a PESTEL framework from a macro-environmental level, Porter’s Five Forces framework at an industry level, strategic groupings within an industry and individual market analysis. The results can then be applied in a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to determine strategic choice. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) PESTEL is an acronym representing the key forces that exist or are emerging in the external environment and suggests how they will, or might impact on future strategy and resources.   These comprise Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) Changes in these forces and their interaction affect the types of products and services offered and impact on suppliers and distributors to the organisation. An example of political and legal forces in setting the climate for business, are the tax harmonisation processes in the European Union (EU) which have caused many multinational firms, including John Deere and Cargill, to relocate their head offices to Switzerland, a non EU member to avoid tax costs. Consequentially, the global competitive ratings for the Netherlands, Germany and other home countries of these firms plunged whilst the rating for Switzerland has surged. (Davis, 2005) The use of PESTEL in isolation and a mer e listing of possible influences without an understanding of the combined impact of a number of these forces could lead to inaction with respect to countering threats or pursuing opportunities to the detriment of the business. The combined effect of the factors can be understood by identifying structural drivers of change that affect the structure of an industry sector or market. These include an increasing convergence of markets as customer needs and wants become similar (eg standardisation of strategy textbooks across international higher education institutions), maximising cost advantages achieved through economies of scale by centralised production in low cost, labour efficient countries such as India and China, or the differential impact of the factors dependant on industry type. (eg Pharmaceutical sales to an aging population in a first world country) (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) This reinforces the need to regard strategy formulation as an interactive multidisciplinary process requiring creative thinking. Porter suggests that industry selection and analysis is a vital component of strategic planning. An industry is â€Å"a group of firms producing products that are close substitutes for one another.† (Johnson and Scholes, 2002, p110) Competitive forces within an industry can be analysed in the contexts of the sources of competition, the dynamics of that competition and strategic groupings. Although criticised as being too generic in nature, Porter’s Five Forces framework is useful in addressing key interacting forces affecting a strategic business unit with a distinct market for goods or services within an industry. Porter referred to these forces as the microenvironment so as to contrast it with the more general term, macro environment. They consist of those forces close to an organisation that affect its ability to serve its customers and make a profit. A change in any of the forces normally requires a company to re-assess the marketplace. (Porter, 1996) An example is that of the mobile phone network industry where the barrier to entry by new competitors is the huge entry cost associated with 3G broadband licenses. The purchasing power of buyers is high with a significant range of choices between networks and the power of suppliers increasing through alliances such as that of Casio and Hitachi in 2003. (Davis, 2005) The threat of substitute products is increasing as Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) convergence with phones and voice-over-internet technology emerges with the potential to bypass the network operators. Competitive rivalry between firms with similar products is high with a broad range of products on offer to the consumer. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) The concept of strategic grouping addresses the criticism of Porter’s model where an industry is considered to be too generic to provide a basis for understanding the competitive environment by applying the Five Forces framework. Johnson and Scholes, 2002, p122 define strategic groups as â€Å"organisations within an industry with similar strategic characteristics following similar strategies or competing on similar bases.† These firms are not homogeneous within the industry and follow strategies common to the group, but different to firms in other groups in the same industry. An example is a pharmaceutical manufacturer with a unique medication product protected by patent serving a common market using a similar strategy. (Davis, 2005) Understanding the competitive environment together with current and potential customer needs and wants will determine the success or failure of an organisation. Porter suggests that there are two generic strategies: cost or differentiation. Marketing segmentation identifies similarities and differences between individual and customer groups based on geographic, demographic lifestyle and benefit segmentation. An appreciation of customer values in a market segment and matching needs against the organisation’s capacity to meet those needs, is a critical aspect of determining strategic capability. (Pitt, 1997) The emergence of global firms suggests that traditional models are limited in application and that there is a need for the development of a broader integrative international strategic business model framework. (Ricart et al, 2004) Strategic capability involves the identification and evaluation of an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses in the functional areas of the business in the context of the external environment analyses. It is typically recorded in a SWOT framework. It represents an understanding of customer’s perceptions of value, the critical success factors through which that value is realised and unique competencies, processes, and technology to achieve competitive advantage. (Hussey, 2002.) The core competencies of the organisation are the unique capabilities that are critical success factors in achieving competitive advantage and hence key to the delivery of customer value. They form the foundation for differentiation and for increasing perceived customer benefits. Competencies must evolve as the needs and wants of customers change and a focus on developing critical competencies that affect market position, share and power is key. (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994) A useful model to analyse an organisation’s core competencies that underpin its competitive advantage is Porter’s Value Chain Analysis. This attempts an understanding of how the organisation creates customer value by examining the contributions of various activities within the business to that value. An organisation’s value chain is normally part of a broader value system that represents a set of inter-organisational linkages and relationships to create the product or service. It separates prima ry and support activities through which that value is generated. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) Porter argues that competitive strategy is about being different, and focussing on those activities that deliver a unique mix of value and doing them better than competitors. (Porter, 1996) The structured and systematic process of analysing the external and internal environment described thus far is carried out by a consultative process with stakeholders and should present a sound basis for establishing the foundation for the organisation’s strategy formulation. However, the impact of stakeholders and the complex role that people play from a political and cultural perspective should be taken into account. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) Davis, 2005, suggests that stakeholders are individuals or groups with an interest in the success of an organisation to deliver intended results and on whom the organisation itself depends. Donaldson and Preston, 1995, p64, argue that this general statement is too wide should be qualified to â€Å"be those persons or groups with a legitimate interest in procedure and / or substantive aspects of corporate activity.† Walsh, 2005, suggests that too broad a definition creates a situation whereby managers function in order benefit a stakeholder group or act as a continuous conduit to stakeholders. Stakeholders may include employees, unions, customers, financial institutions, suppliers, shareholders etc depending on the accepted definition. The definition of stakeholder is therefore important to the organisation because it impacts on the strategic plan formulation. The relationship between stakeholders and the organisation encompasses the field of stakeholder management that ranges in complexity from stakeholder mapping through to stakeholder collaboration and social capital. The corporate governance structure of the organisation and the regulatory framework within which it operates should determine who the organisation serves and how the purpose and direction of the organisation is determined. This includes the management of the capacity of a stakeholder to influence the organisation as well as accountability issues in the formal structure. This is typically structured through a separation of ownership and management at main board level, balanced by non-executive directors and a non executive chairperson. Internal or organisational stakeholders may blur this line through the inappropriate use of power and politics. Society in turn creates expectations of the organisation in terms of ethics and within a cultural context that need to be congruen t with that of the organisation. (Donald and Preston, 1995) The organisational field approach suggests that networks of related organisations develop which share common assumptions, values, and processes that may incorporate common organisational views on stakeholders. Under this scenario, relationship with stakeholders are taken for granted leading to legitimised strategies shaped by expectations being accepted without a structured strategic planning process occurring. (Walsh, 2005) A stakeholder map is a tool that inventories and categorises a companys stakeholders, shows their inter-relationships, expectations, and power. It illustrates the approaches that the organisation can follow to achieve its business objectives while winning support from its stakeholders. It raises the dilemma of ethics in that stakeholder management through such a strategy can be subverted to the detriment of the organisation. (Johnson and Scholes, 2002) The Enron debacle is manifestation of both this dilemma and the organisational field phenomenon which allowed the failure of corporate governance structures when unethical conduct was accepted in the areas of finance and management by organisational stakeholders. The Enron case was one of the largest bankruptcy cases in US history. In 2001, it was the fifth largest company on the Fortune 500 with revenues of USD 100 billion, 19,000 employees, and rated the â€Å"most admired company† six years in a row by Fortune magazine. (Culp an and Trussell, 2005) The basic premise of Enron’s strategy was to create markets for goods and services traditionally transacted through complex distribution channels. It leveraged off its competitive advantage of delivering services efficiently and stretching it’s competency through added risk management features. The high growth phase of the organisation during the 1990’s and changed business strategy and corporate culture of Enron was driven by top management. In the process, Enron appeared innovative and profitable to the extent that the traditional agency relationship underpinning the firm as a nexus of contracts between the shareholders (principals) and the management as agents were left unchecked, which in turn impacted negatively on the broader spectrum of stakeholders. (Donald and Preston, 1995 and Culpan and Trussell, 2005) An ostensibly well structured, high profile corporation within the highly regulated environment of a security exchange, audited by a major audit firm was bought down by unethical conduct of its senior executive team with possible collusion by external stakeholders. The ultimate test of how well a strategy has been thought out is at implementation level and the controls around that implementation. Unless a strategy can be executed effectively with appropriate checks and balances then it will almost certainly fall short in achieving objectives. This means that strategy has to be linked to the organisation’s objectives, mission, operations, and measurable outcomes within a corporate governance framework that meets the needs of the stakeholders. The evolution of the Kaplan and Norton’s Balanced Scorecard to incorporate financial, customer, learning and growth, and internal process metrics evaluated against the vision and strategic objectives of the organisation provide one such strategic management control methodology across the organisation. (Kaplan and Norton, 1996 and Kaplan and Norton, 2001) In conclusion, this essay has examined the formal process of strategy development and given examples of tools from the literature to systematically evaluate the external and internal environments of the organisation. It has sought to demonstrate that organisations are facing dynamic and rapidly evolving forces that influence its strategic direction. This is especially true with the emergence of globalisation and intensively competitive world markets. The eventual choice of a strategic direction for an organisation is a function of the values and expectations of a broad range of stakeholders which influence strategic decision making through political power over the organisation within a cultural and ethical context. It is the control through governance structures, and ongoing measurement of the strategic implementation process that will determine the successful outcome of the strategy and concomitant success of the organisation. References Cuplan, R. and Trussel, J. (2005) â€Å"Applying the Agency and Stakeholder Theories to the Enron Debacle.† Business and Society Review. Volume 110, 1. Davis, F. R. (2005) Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall. Donaldson, T. and Preston, L. E. (1995) â€Å"The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence and Implications.† Academy of Management Review. Volume 20, 1. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C. K. (1994) Competing for the Future. Boston, Harvard Business School Press. Hussey, D. (Jan–Feb 2002) â€Å"Company Analysis: Determining Strategic Capability.† Strategic Change. Johnson, G. and Scholes, K. (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy Sixth Edition. London, Prentice Hall. Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. (1996) The Balanced Scorecard. Boston, Harvard Business School Press. Kaplan, R. S. and Norton, D. P. (2001) â€Å"Transforming the Balanced Scorecard from Performance Management to Strategic Management.† Accounting Horizons. Volume 15, 1. Pitt, L. (1997) Marketing for Managers: A Practical Approach. Cape Town, Juta Ltd. Porter, M. (November – December 1996) â€Å"What is Strategy?† Harvard Business Review. Ricart, E. J. et al. (2004) â€Å"New Frontiers in International Strategy.† Journal of International Business Studies. Volume 35, 3. Stoner, J. Freeman, E. and Gilbert, D. (1995) Management Sixth Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Walsh, J. P. (2005) â€Å"Taking Stock of Stakeholder Management.† Academy of Management Review. Volume 30, 2.

Initial List of Intriguing cultural differences. There are no toilet seat covers in LondonPeople walk much faster here :: Anthropology

Initial List of Intriguing cultural differences. There are no toilet seat covers in LondonPeople walk much faster here. There are no toilet seat covers in London people walk much faster here crossing the streets is extremely dangerous. People on the tube won’t acknowledge your presence everyone is an aggressive driver young children take the tube alone to school and back if you talk on the tube you receive dirty looks. In the first week or so I found some of my observations to be quite odd, and wondered how people were able to live with conditions such as these. As some time has passed I realized Londoners are used to way the things work here, and even after a few short weeks I became to understand, and in most cases appreciate them as well. The only exception would be the toilet seat covers, which I miss much more than California. Londoners tend to be very busy, especially during the week, and that is easily shown by their brisk walking pace. Theirannoyance is displayed everytime you can see them stuck behind peoplewalking slow and blocking their path. Crossing the streets is an adventure everytime, but after you know and respect the danger involved then it is not as dangerous as it first seems as long as you are cautious. Londoners on the tube will almost always completely everyone else and avoid eye contact at all costs. It is very hard to drive in London unless you are familiar with it. In some place the lack of traffic signs could make a defensive driver take an hour for a drive that should only take minutes. I was shocked when I saw young children taking the tube and walking the streets of London alone. I live in a very quiet small affluent town back home and children are seldomly seen crossing the street without an adult present. I have been nearly hit by cars/motorcycles a few times since I’ve been in London, so it concerns me that children who tend to have less of a sense of mortality than adults could be given such an enormous amount of responsibilty. Although I will never be completely comfortable with the notion of children having so much responsibil ity for their own safety in such a dangerous place, I understand they are quite familiar with the dangers involved and take the neccessary precautions. From the reactions of the surrounding people you would come to believe talking on the tube is a very serious crime.

Enders Game Essay -- Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card When the novel starts Ender Wiggin is a six-year-old genius. He has a brother, Peter, and a sister, Valentine, whom is the only person Ender truly loves. Ender is the third born in the Wiggin family, which is rare, because the limited amount of children per family is two. The government had been running a Battle School in space to train young boys and girls to become military commanders to fight against the buggers, aliens who had invaded Earth in the First and Second Invasions. Peter and Valentine had both been tried out for the Battle School, but Peter was too ruthless and Valentine was too soft towards the enemy. They both failed to go to the Battle school. But, the government wanted Ender. They wanted the death threatening genes that Peter had and the merciful and loving genes that Valentine had. They hoped that Ender would make the perfect military commander. So, The government had Ender born and they put a monitor on the back of his neck to watch his every move to see if he ha d what it took to get into Battle School. The monitor protected Ender from Peter and kids at school because if anything got out of hand the officers would stop it to help Ender. They took the monitor off. Peter and the kids at school could finally get to bully Ender without getting caught. Peter quickly took advantage of the monitor being off to bully Ender around. If it weren’t for his loving sister, Valentine, Peter would have killed Ender. The kids at school had formed at gang to jump Ender after school one day. The leader was a boy named Stilson. They were a little bigger than Ender was and they out-numbered him too. Ender knew they were gonna hurt him and keep hurting him for the rest of the school year, so Ender decided to make this the first and last fight. Ender won the fight by ruthless blows to Stilson when he was down. Afterwards Ender cried for what he had done because he didn’t like hurting people, he didn’t like being Peter. Colonel Graff came back to get Ender. It had turned out they wanted to see how Ender could handle himself without the monitor and he had done it perfectly. Colonel Graff took Ender to Battle School. Graff had isolated him from the other boys in his launch group by stating that Ender was the best of them, so Ender had no choice but to be the best in the group to make them like him. After a while, Ender m... ...ut from the queen’s perspective. He opened and closed his eyes again seeing new images of himself putting the egg into a cool place, a dark place, but with water, so she wasn’t dry so that certain reactions could take place within the egg. Ender realized the queen bugger found him through the ansible followed it and dwelt in my mind. They came to know Ender by his nightmares. Ender picked up the egg and thought to himself that he was going to take the egg from world to world looking for the right place to hatch her so she can awake in safety. Ender picked a spot far from the castle tower for the new colony and wrote a novel from the queen’s perspective stating how sorry she was and that they killed us because they couldn’t communicate and Ender signed after the novel as â€Å"Speaker for the Dead†. He sent the book to earth through the nets and the book was published quietly. After a while almost everyone on earth had read it. Ender began to grow happy on the bugger planet and decided he had lived with pain and suffering all his life he can’t be happy now so he and Valentine boarded a starship and went from planet to planet searching for the right place to hatch the queen bugger.

Science, Technology, and Morality as Perceived in Mary Shelleys Franke

  Ã‚   In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley challenges the motives and ethical uncertainties of the scientific developments of her time. This critique has become increasingly relevant as modern scientists endeavor into previously unimagined realms of the natural world through the use of cloning and genetic engineering. Through careful analysis, we can see how the novel illustrates both the potential dangers of these exploits and the irony of the conflicts between science and creationism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prior to the birth of the story, Mary Shelley had begun to learn of advancements and speculation in the scientific world of the early nineteenth century; in Frankenstein's introduction, editor M. K. Joseph asserts that "Mary Shelley wrote in the infancy of modern science, when its enormous possibilities were just beginning to be seen" (xii). Interest in electricity, premature concepts of evolution, and other post-Enlightenment developments seized the attention of Mary and her lover, English writer Percy Shelley. Scientific news and rumors provided as numerous topics for discussion between the Shelleys and their peers: "Many and long were the conversations between Byron and [Percy] Shelley . . . various philosophical doctrines were discussed, and among others the principle of life, and whether there was any probability of its ever being discovered and communicated," wrote Shelley in her 1831 introduction.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marylin Butler, in her article "The first Frankenstein   and Radical Science," describes how William Lawrence, a physician, lecturer, and friend to the Shelleys, may have had a profound influence on the Shelleys' perceptions and opinions of science. Butler reports how Lawrence was a passionate student of "materialist science," a re... ...ngman York Press, 1992. Garber, Frederick. The Autonomy of the Self from Richardson to Huysmans. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982. Kass, Leon R.   Toward a More Natural Science.  Ã‚   New York: The Free Press, 1985. Levine, George. The Endurance of Frankenstein. Los Angeles: Moers, 1974. Nelkin, Dorothy.   "Genetics, God, and Sacred DNA."   Society May/June 1996: 22-25. Patterson, Arthur Paul. A Frankenstein Study. http://www.watershed.winnipeg.mb.ca/Frankenstein.html Shelley, Mary.   Frankenstein.   Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980. Smith, Christopher. Frankenstein as Prometheus. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankCS.html Spark, Muriel. Mary Shelly. New York: Dutton, 1987. Williams, Bill. On Shelley's Use of Nature Imagery. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankWJW.html Science, Technology, and Morality as Perceived in Mary Shelley's Franke   Ã‚   In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley challenges the motives and ethical uncertainties of the scientific developments of her time. This critique has become increasingly relevant as modern scientists endeavor into previously unimagined realms of the natural world through the use of cloning and genetic engineering. Through careful analysis, we can see how the novel illustrates both the potential dangers of these exploits and the irony of the conflicts between science and creationism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prior to the birth of the story, Mary Shelley had begun to learn of advancements and speculation in the scientific world of the early nineteenth century; in Frankenstein's introduction, editor M. K. Joseph asserts that "Mary Shelley wrote in the infancy of modern science, when its enormous possibilities were just beginning to be seen" (xii). Interest in electricity, premature concepts of evolution, and other post-Enlightenment developments seized the attention of Mary and her lover, English writer Percy Shelley. Scientific news and rumors provided as numerous topics for discussion between the Shelleys and their peers: "Many and long were the conversations between Byron and [Percy] Shelley . . . various philosophical doctrines were discussed, and among others the principle of life, and whether there was any probability of its ever being discovered and communicated," wrote Shelley in her 1831 introduction.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marylin Butler, in her article "The first Frankenstein   and Radical Science," describes how William Lawrence, a physician, lecturer, and friend to the Shelleys, may have had a profound influence on the Shelleys' perceptions and opinions of science. Butler reports how Lawrence was a passionate student of "materialist science," a re... ...ngman York Press, 1992. Garber, Frederick. The Autonomy of the Self from Richardson to Huysmans. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982. Kass, Leon R.   Toward a More Natural Science.  Ã‚   New York: The Free Press, 1985. Levine, George. The Endurance of Frankenstein. Los Angeles: Moers, 1974. Nelkin, Dorothy.   "Genetics, God, and Sacred DNA."   Society May/June 1996: 22-25. Patterson, Arthur Paul. A Frankenstein Study. http://www.watershed.winnipeg.mb.ca/Frankenstein.html Shelley, Mary.   Frankenstein.   Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980. Smith, Christopher. Frankenstein as Prometheus. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankCS.html Spark, Muriel. Mary Shelly. New York: Dutton, 1987. Williams, Bill. On Shelley's Use of Nature Imagery. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankWJW.html

Sex Discrimination at Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart stores, the world’s biggest retailer, owns more than 4,000 stores, including 1,475discount stores 1750 Wal-Mart Supercenter combination discount and grocery stores and 540 Sam’s Club Warehouse stores. With close to two million employees worldwide, Wal-Mart is the biggest employment provider in the world. In this paper I am going to discuss; 1. What financial impact could the lawsuit potentially have on Wal-Mart? 2. What are the major moral complaints of the females suing Wal-Mart? Are these moral complaints are justified? Why? . What, if anything, should Wal-Mart do to correct these discrepancies? Should the company institute an â€Å"affirmative action† promotion program for female employees? If so, what should this program look like? 4. Do women deserve to win their lawsuit? Though Wal-Mart suffered lots of lawsuits which included child-labor, illegal immigrant workers, failure to pay over time charges the recent and major law suit they are facing now is the discrimination against female employees in promotions, pay, management training and job assignments.It was, therefore, a noteworthy event in June 2004 when a federal judge expanded a lawsuit filed by six California women to a class action. The case has now mushroomed to cover 1. 6 million women Wal-Mart workers, employed nationwide since 1988, making it, by far, the largest class action in U. S. history. What financial impact do you think lawsuit could potentially have on Wal-Mart? We all know, Wal-Mart is the biggest or largest retail store in the world. Naturally, their earning and employees are also more compared to other corporate.The lawsuit against the company was not the company needed when they were facing other legal issues such as the child labor and employment of illegal immigrants. The lawsuit was filed by six women who say women were treated lower than the male even if they acquired equal posts, qualification and experience. The news already reached every househo ld, street and public place thus bringing the name of the company down. This could have a huge impact on the company’s earnings and here we are not saying in terms of hundreds or thousands of dollars we mean millions and billions of dollars. Some of the impact could occur in the following forms: ?The six women who filed the case against Wal-Mart are not only asking the company pay for the unfair deed but also asking them to pay back and compensate for all 1. 6 female employees against whom Wal-Mart discriminated. This would cost the company a fortune because these 1. 6 female workers were entitled to promotions, salary increment, trainings and other such things. To compensate or reimburse that much amount for that much workers would surely have a huge and major impact on the company’s financial position. ?The other way how this lawsuit could affect the company’s financial position would be through the transaction or sales.Since major part of the shoppers constit utes women, after hearing what Wal-Mart has done and how women are treated at Wal-Mart they would certainly feel insecure and ripped off. They would turn their backs and look for a better place to shop. This would lead to a fall in sales and increase in competition. ?Other thing is the reputation and goodwill of the company. The lawsuit already has brought the name of the company down and on top of that if the company fails to win the case, then the company would suffer a huge fall of share in the market.They would even have to close most of the stores and start all over again which would be impossible looking at the current market situation and all the competition worldwide. ?And not to forget the turnover of workers or employees. Reaching this news of discrimination I personally believe that most of the women employees will quit their job, even those who did not experience the situation. So interviewing, selecting or recruiting those new employees would cost Wal-Mart another milli on. Moreover, those new employees would have no experience and would commit lots of errors.Training them would again add to the cost. What are the major moral complaints of the females suing Wal-Mart? Do you believe these moral complaints are justified? Why? The major moral complaints of females suing Wal-Mart in the case basically cover the discrimination against female employees. To point out what constitutes those complaints: ? Difference in the promotion scheme between male and female employees ? The lower payment of wages and salaries to female employees even they were at same level with male employees ? Unequal distribution of management training among the male and female employees ?Male allotted a better job assignment compared to women even they were equally qualified, ranked and experienced. Yes, I believe these complaints are justifiable because we can see from every point that women were not treated fairly and equally. It wasn’t that women lacked in anything or tha t they were unwilling to work, it was because they were woman. We can very well compete with men and in some cases may even prove better than them but it is act like this what is pulling the power of women down. The six women who sued Wal-Mart didn’t sue for nothing; they had physical proof and evidences of the discrimination laid upon them.Some of the evidences were found in the employees’ records where by Richard Drogin, a statistical expert found out that employees atWal-Mart were divided into two main groups, hourly employees who occupied the lower levels and salaried managers who occupied the higher levels. Compensation increases from one level tithe next. In 2001, salaried managers made about $50,000 a year while hourly employees made$18,000. Drogin found out that not only 65% of hourly employees were women but also 33% of salaried managers constituted women.So at both the point women earned less than man. When we also look upon the experience level, an average w oman was far more experienced than an average man because women worked or stuck there for longer than men. Women despite having other responsibilities like raising a kid or managing the home, they dedicate more where they work that is why they have less turnover rates. So this adds up to another reason why the lawsuit was appropriate or justifiable. It is strange but true; the performance rating of an average woman was much higher than of an average man.Drogin found out that be it in a cashier’s place, a manager’s place or a sales associate’s place women performed better than men. However women were paid about 5% to15% times less than men and on top of that fewer women got promoted to the next rank that too in a very long time whereas a man would get promoted within the speculated time or even less into the next post. Wal-Mart was fined $188,000 by the California Fair Employment and Housing Commission for violating California state law when it refused to reinsta te a woman after she completed her maternity leave.In addition, Wal-Mart also offers a pitifully small amount of paid sick time for working women, and requires employees to be available for shifts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, making it extremely difficult for working mothers to schedule child care or take time off to care for a sick child. So the main point here is that at any angle or point we can see women were not treated fair and left to suffer. If women do not come together and fight for their rights when they have the opportunity then women will always remain a victim.Then there is no use shouting at the store or ourselves that we deserve more or we have earned it, it would be too late then. Besides the moral complaints by the female workers at Wal-Mart there were major issues involving the employees which were not noted earlier, some of the issues were: ? Wal-Mart pays low wages and appears to aggressively seek to keep wages down. On average, Wal-Mart workers earn an estima ted $8. 00/hour with a 32 hour work week. This equals $256 a week or $13,312 a year. The Federal poverty level for a family of threes $14,630. In contrast, union grocery workers earn on average 30% more. Charges have been made that older workers are laid off to bring in younger and cheaper employees. Some 40 lawsuits accuse Wal-Mart of a failure to pay overtime. ?It pulls wages and benefits down in other grocery stores. It lowers area standards. In some cases, it forces the closure of better paying firms. Business Week estimates for every Wal-Mart supercenter that opens, two other supermarkets will close. ?It pressures suppliers to make products more cheaply, putting pressure on wages, causing jobs to be moved overseas. Last year, it imported 12 billion in goods from China, 10% of US imports from that nation. Wal-Mart doesn’t produce new technology or innovations that improve the quality of life. It takes business from existing firms by offering the same merchandise cheaper. That’s all it does. So I believe it is not only justifiable but also rightful to file the lawsuit against such treatments. On top of that the evidences and statics are on the women’s side so therefore the lawsuit is 100% justifiable. What, if anything, do you think Wal-Mart should do to correct these discrepancies? Should the company institute an â€Å"affirmative action† promotion program for female employees?If so, what should this program be like? The problem was caused by the company, Wal-Mart so definitely they have to find a solution and try to correct their mistakes. They have already started working on the problem. Some of the initiatives they have taken are: ? They had posted â€Å"anti-discrimination† posters all over ? Women were allotted more responsibilities and representation in areas they were evaluated ? Women could enter salaried management jobs without having to relocate their homes. But since such initiatives were not firmly implemented some of them were forgone with the passage of time.Some of initiatives Wal-Mart could think of or adopt are: 1) Work Discrimination I am talking about the actual work or labor work. Women at Wal-Mart seem to be working at par with men but still they are not paid at par. To compensate for the women’s losses they could reduce their work time or they could allocate women to areas where minimum energy is required. For example they could work at displaying of items, as a cashier, and such places where not much of hard labor is required. 2) Facility such as Day Care Wal-Mart is one of the biggest retail all over the world and they have lots of property they own.If they established some Day care center for their employees especially the female employees then those employees who have kids can drop their kids in those center and work care free in the store. The center could be near the store and they could also charge some amount as charge but this could not only benefit the workers but also the company for could avoid unnecessary absenteeism. An association called the Women’s Association can be formed in every retail store so that female employees can come together to discuss their issues and forward suggestions and feedback.Such programs do not have to disturb their normal work time, it could be conducted once in every month or whenever major issues arise. 4) Equal Respect At Wal-Mart’s women were mostly looked down and not given the respect they deserve. Adwoman may be somebody’s mother, wife or sister. Men at Wal-Mart fail to see that and they criticized women of their looks, their past, future and their purpose in life. So therefore women should be given respect and treated equally. Yes definitely the company should institute an â€Å"affirmative action† in order to promote program for the female employees.From my point of view, since the company is based in the United States they should associate their program with the Statue o f Liberty. That statue denotes the power of women and it signifies the right to freedom for all the U. S citizens. The title or the main theme of such program could be â€Å"Liberty for Women† . Whereby they could stress the freedom to speak, advance and employment especially for the female workers. They could relate women to some famous figure such as the Mother Teresa or simply their own mom. On this particular day they could give all the female employees a one day holiday and let them embrace themselves.The company should however grant monetary compensation for this day. This way women employee could proudly say they work at Wal-Mart and dedicate completely to their work and avoid complaining. Some of the points they could keep in mind while pursuing such program could be as follows: ? The right and responsibilities of women ?The importance of women ?The success of women till now ?The potential and ability of women ?The sacrifices women make in every aspect of life Referen ces Wal-Mart Class Action Gender Discrimination Case Holds,(2012), Myron Curry, retrieved from http://www. usiness-marketing. com/store/article-walmart. html Are Women Discriminated Against at Wal-Mart? , (2012), Dan Ackman, retrieved from http://www. forbes. com/2004/06/23/cx_da_0623topnews. html Wal-Mart, pay your fair share,(2006), Randy Joseph, retrieved from http://www. seattlepi. com/local/opinion/article/Wal-Mart-pay-your-fair-share-1194522. php Female Wal-Mart Employees File New Bias Case, (2011), Andrew Martin, retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2011/10/28/business/women-file-new-class-action-bias-case-against-wal-mart. html? _r=0

Last Sacrifice Chapter Thirty-one

I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE who had come to that startling conclusion. When the Moroi Court woke up several hours into our road trip, Lissa was also putting all the pieces together in her room as she prepared herself to give her pre-election speech. She'd thought of all the arguments I had, plus a few more–like how frantic Daniella had been that Adrian might be implicated with me, which would undoubtedly unravel a carefully laid out plan. There was also Daniella's offer of having her lawyer cousin, Damon Tarus, defend me. Would that have actually helped? Or would Damon have subtly worked to weaken my defense? Abe's uncouth involvement might have been a blessing. Lissa's heart pounded rapidly as she twisted her hair into a chignon. She preferred it down but thought for the coming event, she should put on a more dignified look. Her dress was matte ivory silk, long-sleeved and ruched, about knee length. Some might have thought wearing that color would make her look bridal, but when I saw her in the mirror, I knew no one would make that mistake. She looked luminous. Radiant. Queenly. â€Å"It can't be true,' she said, completing the look with pearl earrings that had belonged to her mother. She had shared her theory with Christian and Janine, who were with her now, and had half hoped they'd tell her she was crazy. They hadn't. â€Å"It makes sense,' said Christian, with none of his usual snark. â€Å"There's just no proof quite yet,' my mother said, ever practical. â€Å"Lots of circumstantial stuff.' â€Å"Aunt Tasha's checking with Ethan to see if Daniella was there the night of the murder,' said Christian. He made a slight face, still not happy about his aunt having a boyfriend. â€Å"Daniella wasn't on the official lists, but Aunt Tasha's worried some things might have been altered.' â€Å"That wouldn't surprise me. Even so, putting Daniella there at the right time builds the case but still isn't hard proof.' My mother should have been an attorney. She and Abe could have opened a law firm together. â€Å"It's as much proof as they've got for Rose!' exclaimed Lissa. â€Å"Aside from the stake,' Janine reminded her. â€Å"And people are more willing to believe sketchy evidence about Rose than Lady Daniella Ivashkov.' Lissa sighed, knowing it was all true. â€Å"If only Abe could talk to the Alchemists. We need what they know.' â€Å"He'll do it,' said my mother confidently. â€Å"It'll just take time.' â€Å"We don't have time!' The dramatic turn of events was giving spirit a nice chance to raise its ugly head, and like always, I tried to pull the darkness from Lissa. You'd think I would have learned my lesson after Victor, but well †¦ old habits died hard. They come first. ‘Marie Conta and Rufus Tarus are the only candidates left! If he wins, Daniella's going to have a lot of influence. We'll never prove Rose is innocent then.' Ariana failing the last test had come as a huge blow to everyone, smashing a future Lissa had thought was set in stone. Without Ariana, the outcome didn't look good. Marie Conta wasn't Lissa's favorite person, but Lissa felt she'd make a much better ruler than Rufus. Unfortunately, the Conta family had been quiet in politics in recent years, giving them fewer allies and friends. The numbers were leaning dangerously toward Rufus. It was frustrating. If we could get Jill there, Lissa could vote, and on a Council of twelve, even one vote would be powerful. â€Å"We have time,' my mom said calmly. â€Å"There'll be no vote today, not with the controversy you'll cause. And for every day the election is delayed, we have another chance to build our case. We're close. We can do it.' â€Å"We can't tell Adrian about this,' warned Lissa, moving toward the door. It was time to go. Christian's trademark smirk returned. â€Å"That,' he said, â€Å"is something we can all agree on.' The elaborate ballroom–yet again made a Council room for size reasons–looked like a rock concert. People were fighting for spots inside. Some, realizing that was futile, had camped outside the building, picnic style. Someone had thankfully had the brilliant idea to hook up a sound system with outdoor speakers so that those who didn't make it in could still hear the proceedings. Guardians moved through the crowds, trying to contain the chaos–particularly as the candidates arrived. Marie Conta had shown up just before Lissa, and even if she was the least-likely candidate, there were still roars and surges of excitement in the crowd. Guardians hastily–and roughly, if necessary–held the mob back so she could pass. That attention had to be scary, but Marie didn't show it. She walked proudly, smiling at supporters and non-supporters alike. Both Lissa and I recalled Christian's words: You're a queenly nominee. Act like it. You deserve this. You're the last Dragomir. A daughter of royalty. And that was exactly how she behaved. It was more than Christian's urging, too. Now that she'd passed all three tests, the gravity of the ancient procedure she was entering continued to grow. Lissa walked in, her head held high. I couldn't see her whole body, but I recognized the feel of her walk: graceful, stately. The crowd loved it, and it occurred to me that this group was particularly vocal because most weren't royal. Those gathered outside were ordinary Moroi, the ones who had come to truly love her. â€Å"Alexandra's heir!' â€Å"Bring back the dragon!' For some, it was simply enough to shout her name, adding on the titles of an old Russian folktale heroine who shared the same name: â€Å"Vasilisa the brave! Vasilisa the beautiful!' I knew no one would guess the fear she felt inside. She was that good. Christian and my mother, who had initially flanked her, fell back as one, letting Lissa walk a couple steps ahead. There was no question of Lissa's position and authority. She took each step with confidence, remembering that her grandfather had also walked this path. She tried to give the crowd a smile that was both dignified but genuine. It must have worked because they went even wilder. And when she paused to comment on a dragon banner a man had painted in support, the artist nearly passed out that someone like her would notice and compliment him. â€Å"This is unprecedented,' remarked my mom, once they'd safely made it inside. â€Å"There's never been this sort of turnout. There certainly wasn't during the last election.' â€Å"Why so great this time?' asked Lissa, who was trying to get her breathing under control. â€Å"Because there's so much sensation, between the murder and you muddling the law. That and †¦ well, the way you're winning the hearts of every non-royal out there. The dhampirs too. There's a dragon sign in one of our coffee rooms, you know. I even think some of the royals love you, though maybe it's just to spite whatever family they're feuding with. But seriously? If this were up to all of the people and not just the Council– and well, if it was a vote you were eligible for–I think you'd win.' Lissa grimaced but then reluctantly added, â€Å"Honestly? I think we should have popular votes for our leaders. Every Moroi should cast a vote, not just a handful of elite families.' â€Å"Careful there, princess,' teased Christian, putting his arm through hers. â€Å"That's the kind of talk that'll start another revolution. One at a time, okay?' The ballroom's crowd wasn't as crazy as the outside one had been–but was pretty close. The guardians were ready for the numbers this time and had made sure to keep strict control from the very beginning. They kept a tight count of how many were allowed in the room and stopped royal and non-royal squabbles. It was still intimidating, and Lissa reminded herself over and over that playing this role was helping me. For me, she would endure anything, even the fanfare. This time, fortunately, Lissa was swept up pretty quickly to the room's front, to where three chairs facing the crowd had been set up for the candidates. Rufus and Marie were already seated, speaking in low voices to a few select family members. Guardians stood around them. Lissa sat alone, of course, but nodded to nearby guards when Tasha approached. Tasha crouched beside Lissa, speaking low and keeping a wary eye on Rufus as he talked to someone. â€Å"Bad news. Well, depending on how you look at it. Ethan says Daniella was there that night. She and Tatiana met alone. He didn't realize it hadn't been put on the records. Someone else wrote those up on behalf of all the guards on duty, but he swears he saw Daniella himself.' Lissa winced. Secretly, she'd been hoping–praying, even–that she'd made a mistake, that surely Adrian's mother couldn't have done this. She gave a swift nod to show she understood. â€Å"I'm sorry,' said Tasha. â€Å"I know you liked her.' â€Å"I think I'm more worried about Adrian. I don't know how he'll take it.' â€Å"Hard,' said Tasha bluntly. After what she'd faced with Christian's parents, she knew better than anyone else what it was like to have family betray you. â€Å"But he'll make it through. And as soon as we can put all this evidence forward, we'll have Dimitri and Rose back.' Those words filled Lissa with hope, strengthening her. â€Å"I miss her so much,' she said. â€Å"I wish she was here already.' Tasha gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her shoulder. â€Å"Soon. They'll be back soon. Just get through this for now. You can do this. You can change everything.' Lissa wasn't so sure about that, but Tasha hurried off to join her â€Å"activist friends' and was replaced by–Daniella. She'd come to talk to Rufus, offering support and family love. Lissa couldn't bear to look at the older woman and felt even worse when Daniella spoke to her. â€Å"I'm not sure how you got involved with this, dear, but good luck.' Daniella's smile seemed sincere, but there was no question which candidate she supported. Her kindly expression turned to concern. â€Å"Have you seen Adrian? I thought for sure he'd be here. I know the guardians would let him in.' Excellent question. Lissa hadn't seen him in the last day or so. â€Å"I haven't. Maybe he's just running late. Doing his hair or something.' Hopefully not passed out somewhere. Daniella sighed. â€Å"I hope so.' She left, taking a seat in the audience. Once again, Adrian's father was running the session, and after several false starts, the room quieted. â€Å"In the last week,' Nathan began, speaking into a microphone, â€Å"many worthy candidates have taken the tests required to rule our people. Before us sit the final three: Rufus Tarus, Marie Conta, and Vasilisa Dragomir.' Nathan's tone sounded displeased over that last one, but thus far, the law would let her give her speech. After that, the law's inconsistency kicked in, and all hell would break loose. â€Å"These three have shown they have the ability to rule, and as their last act, before we vote, each will speak about their plans for our people.' Rufus was up first, delivering exactly the kind of speech I'd expected. He played on Moroi fears, promising extreme forms of protection–most of which involved dhampirs but didn't get into much detail. â€Å"Our safety must be our top priority,' he proclaimed. â€Å"At all costs. Will it be difficult? Yes. Will there be sacrifices? Yes. But aren't our children worth it? Don't we care about them?' Bringing children into it was just low, I decided. At least he'd left puppies out. He also used dirty politician tricks, slandering his rivals. Marie was mostly slammed for her family's lack of activity. Lissa, however, was a great target. He pushed her age, the danger of spirit, and the fact that her being there in the first place was a violation of the law. Marie's speech was much more thoughtful and detailed. She laid out very explicit plans on all sorts of issues, most of which were reasonable. I didn't agree with all she said, but she was clearly competent and didn't lower herself to mocking her competition. Unfortunately, she wasn't nearly as charismatic as Rufus, and it was a sad truth that that could make a big difference. Her monotone closing summed up not only her speech but also her personality. â€Å"Those are the reasons why I should be queen. I hope you enjoyed this talk and will vote for me when the time comes. Thank you.' She abruptly sat down. Lissa's turn came at last. Standing before her microphone, she suddenly saw the chalice's dream, where she'd faltered in front of the Council. But no, this was reality. She wouldn't fail. She would go forward. â€Å"We're a people at war,' she began, voice loud and clear. â€Å"We're constantly attacked–but not just by Strigoi. By one another. We're divided. We fight with one another. Family against family. Royal against non-royal. Moroi against dhampir. Of course the Strigoi are picking us off. They're at least united behind a goal: killing.' If I had been sitting there in that audience, I would have been leaning forward, mouth open. As it was, there were plenty of people there to do it for me. Her words were volatile. Shocking. And utterly captivating. â€Å"We are one people,' she continued. â€Å"Moroi and dhampir alike.' Yeah, that got some gasps too. â€Å"And while it's impossible for every single person to get their way, no one will get anything done if we don't come together and find ways to meet in the middle–even if it means making hard choices.' Then, extraordinarily, she explained how it could be done. True, she didn't have the time to give fine details on every single issue in our world, but she hit a lot of the big ones. And she managed to do it in a way that didn't offend anyone too badly. After all, she was right in saying not everyone could get their way. Still, she spoke about how the dhampirs were our best warriors–and would be better with a stronger voice. She spoke about how non-royals needed a greater voice too–but not at the cost of losing the exalted royal lines that defined our people. Finally, in addressing the issue of training Moroi to defend themselves, she did emphasize its importance–but not as something mandatory and not as the only method needing to be explored. Yes, she gave something to everyone and did it beautifully and charismatically. It was the kind of speech that could make people follow her anywhere. She concluded with, â€Å"We have always mixed the old with the new. We've kept magic alongside technology. We conduct these sessions with scrolls and–with these.' She smiled and tapped her microphone. â€Å"That's how we have survived. We hold onto our pasts and embrace our present. We take the best of it all and grow stronger. That's how we have survived. That's how we will survive.' Silence met her conclusion–and then the cheers began. I actually heard the roar from outside on the lawn before it started within. People I would have sworn supported others were practically in tears, and I hadn't forgotten that most of the people I had visuals on in this room were royal. Lissa herself wanted to burst into tears but instead took her due bravely. When she finely sat down, and the crowd quieted, Nathan resumed his role. â€Å"Well,' he said. â€Å"That was a very pretty speech, one we all enjoyed. But now, the time has come for the Council to vote on our next leader, and–by law–only two candidates stand ready for that position: Rufus Tarus and Marie Conta.' Two Moroi, one each from the Tarus and Conta families, came forward to join their respective candidates. Nathan's gaze fell on Lissa who had risen like the others but stood alone. â€Å"According to the election laws–laws set down since the beginning of time–each candidate must approach the Council, escorted by someone of their bloodline in order to show family strength and unity. Do you have any such person?' Lissa met his eyes unflinchingly. â€Å"No, Lord Ivashkov.' â€Å"Then I'm afraid your part in this game is over, Princess Dragomir.' He smiled. â€Å"You may sit down now.' Yup. That's when all hell broke loose. I'd always heard the expression, â€Å"And the crowd goes wild!' Now, I saw it in the flesh. Half the time, I couldn't even keep track of who was shouting or supporting what. People argued in clusters and one-on-one. A couple of Moroi in jeans challenged every well-dressed person they could find, operating under the irrational assumptions that anyone in nice clothes must be royal and that all royals hated Lissa. Their devotion to her was admirable. Creepy, but admirable. One group from the Tarus family stood face to face with a Conta group, looking prepared for either a gang fight or a dance-off. That was one of the most bizarre pairings of all since those two families were the only ones who should be in complete agreement on anything. On and on it went. People fought about whether Lissa should be eligible for the vote. They fought about having a session to change the law books right at that moment. Some fought over things I'd never even heard of before. A rush of guardians to the door made me think the outside crowd was trying to break in. My mother was among that defense, and I knew she'd been right: there'd be no vote today, not with this anarchy. They'd have to close the session and try again tomorrow. Lissa stared at the crowd, feeling numb and unable to keep up with all the activity. Her stomach twisted as something dawned on her. All this time, she'd sworn that she'd respect the dignity of the election tradition. Yet, it was because of her that things were now anything but dignified. It was all her fault. Then, her eyes fell on someone sitting in a back corner, far from the pandemonium. Ekaterina Zeklos. The old former queen caught Lissa's eye–and winked. I faded out of that room, not needing to see any more of the arguing. I returned to the car ride, a new thought in my head. Lissa's words burned in my soul. They had stirred my heart. And even if she'd given her speech as a decoy, there had been passion in them–ardent belief. If she had been eligible to be queen, she would have stood behind those words. And that's when I knew. She would be queen. I decided then and there that I would make it happen. We wouldn't bring Jill simply to give Lissa her Council vote. Jill would give Lissa the status that would allow Moroi to vote for her. And Lissa would win. Naturally, I kept these thoughts to myself. â€Å"That's a dangerous look,' said Dimitri, giving me a brief glance before returning his eyes to the road. â€Å"What look?' I asked innocently. â€Å"The one that says you just got some idea.' â€Å"I didn't just get an idea. I got a great idea.' Jokes like that used to make Jill laugh, but turning to look at her in the backseat showed me she didn't find much funny at all. â€Å"Hey, you okay?' I asked. Those jade eyes focused on me. â€Å"I'm not sure. A lot's kind of happened. And I don't really get what's going to happen next. I feel like †¦ like some kind of object that's going to be used in someone's master plan. Like a pawn.' A bit of guilt tugged at me. Victor had always used people as part of a game. Was I any different? No. I cared about Jill. â€Å"You're not an object or a pawn,' I told her. â€Å"But you're very, very important, and because of you, a lot of good things are going to happen.' â€Å"It won't be that simple though, will it?' She sounded wise beyond her years. â€Å"Things are going to get worse before they get better, aren't they?' I couldn't lie to her. â€Å"Yeah. But then you'll get to contact your mom †¦ and well, like I said, good things will happen. Guardians always say â€Å"They come first' when we're talking about Moroi. It's not exactly the same for you, but in doing this †¦ well †¦' She gave me a smile that didn't seem very happy. â€Å"Yeah, I get it. It's for the greater good, right?' Sonya had spent a lot of the ride working on a charm for me, using a silver bracelet we'd bought at a roadside gift shop. It was tacky-looking but made of real silver, which was what counted. When we were about a half hour from Greenston, she deemed it finished and handed it over. I slipped it on and looked at the others. â€Å"Well?' â€Å"I don't see anything,' said Sonya, â€Å"but then, I wouldn't.' Jill squinted. â€Å"You seem a little blurry †¦ like I just need to blink a few times.' â€Å"Same here,' said Dimitri. Sonya was pleased. â€Å"That's how it should look to people who know she's got a charm on. Hopefully, to the other guardians, she'll be wearing a different face.' It was a variation of what Lissa had made when we'd busted Victor out of prison. Only, this required less magic because Sonya only had to slightly alter my features and didn't need to obscure my race. She was also more practiced than Lissa. The restaurant I'd chosen in Greenston had long since closed when we rolled in at eleven thirty. The parking lot was nearly black, but I could make out a car in the back corner. Hopefully, it was Mikhail having gotten there early–and not a guardian hit squad. But when we parked nearby, I saw that it was indeed Mikhail who got out of the car– along with Adrian. He grinned when he saw me, pleased at the surprise. Really, I should have seen this coming when I'd told him to pass the message on to Mikhail. Adrian would have found a way to come along. My stomach rolled. No, no. Not this. I had no time to deal with my love life. Not now. I didn't even know what to say to Adrian. Fortunately, I wasn't given the chance to speak. Mikhail had come striding toward us with guardian efficiency, ready to find out what task I had in mind. He came to a screeching halt when he saw Sonya get out of our car. So did she. They both stood frozen, eyes wider than seemed physically possible. I knew then that the rest of us had ceased to exist, as had all our intrigue, missions, and †¦ well, the world. In that moment, only the two of them existed. Sonya gave a strangled cry and then ran forward. This jolted him awake, in time to wrap her in his arms as she threw herself against him. She started crying, and I could see tears on his face too. He brushed her hair back and cupped her cheeks, staring down at her and repeating over and over, â€Å"It's you †¦ it's you †¦ it's you †¦' Sonya tried to wipe her eyes, but it didn't do much good. â€Å"Mikhail–I'm sorry–I'm so sorry–‘ â€Å"It doesn't matter.' He kissed her and pulled back only enough to look into her eyes. â€Å"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters except that we're together again.' This made her cry harder. She buried her face against his chest, and his arms tightened more fiercely around her. The rest of us stood as frozen as the lovers had been earlier. It felt wrong witnessing this. It was too private; we shouldn't have been there. Yet †¦ at the same time, I just kept thinking that this was how I'd imagined my reunion with Dimitri would be when Lissa had restored him. Love. Forgiveness. Acceptance. Dimitri and I briefly locked eyes, and an uncanny sense told me he was recalling my words: You have to forgive yourself. If you can't, then you can't go on either. We can't. I glanced away from him, looking back at the happy couple so that he wouldn't see me tear up. God, I wanted what Mikhail and Sonya had. A happy ending. Forgiveness of the past. A bright future ahead. Jill sniffled beside me, and I put an arm around her. That small sound seemed to draw Mikhail back to our world. Still holding Sonya, he looked over at me. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you for this. Anything you need. Anything at all–‘ â€Å"Stop, stop,' I said, afraid I might choke up. I'd only just managed to blink away traitorous tears. â€Å"I'm glad †¦ glad to have done it, and well †¦ it wasn't really me at all.' â€Å"Still †¦' Mikhail looked down at Sonya who was smiling at him through her tears. â€Å"You've given me my world back.' â€Å"I'm so happy for you †¦ and I want you to have this, to just enjoy this right now. But I have a favor. One more favor.' Sonya and Mikhail exchanged glances in a knowing way. You never would have guessed they'd been apart for three years. She nodded, and he returned his gaze to me. â€Å"I figured that's why he brought me here.' He inclined his head toward Adrian. â€Å"I need you to get me into the hotel where the Alchemists are staying.' The small smile on Mikhail's face dropped. â€Å"Rose †¦ I can't get you into any place. You being this close to Court is dangerous enough.' I pulled the bracelet from my pocket. â€Å"I'll have a disguise. They won't know it's me. Is there a reason you'd have to see the Alchemists?' Sonya stayed in his arms, but his eyes were dark with thought. â€Å"They'll have guardians near their rooms. We could probably pass ourselves off as relief.' Dimitri nodded in agreement. â€Å"If it's too different from their scheduled shift change, it'll raise eyebrows †¦ but hopefully you'll have long enough to get in and find out what you need. The guardians are probably more worried about the Alchemists getting out than other guardians getting in.' â€Å"Absolutely,' said Mikhail. â€Å"So it's you and me, Rose?' â€Å"Yup,' I said. â€Å"The fewer, the better. Just enough to question Sydney and Ian. I guess everyone else waits here.' Sonya kissed his cheek. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere.' Adrian had strolled over by now and given Jill a light, brotherly punch in the arm. â€Å"And I'm going to stay and hear how on earth you got involved with this, Jailbait.' Jill mustered a smile for him. She had a pretty hardcore crush on him, and it was a sign of her stress that she didn't blush and go all weak-kneed. They started a conversation, and Dimitri gestured for me to follow him around the car, out of sight. â€Å"This is dangerous,' he said quietly. â€Å"If that charm fails, you probably aren't going to get out of that hotel.' There was an unspoken alive at the end of his words. â€Å"It won't fail. Sonya's good. Besides, if we're caught, maybe they'll bring me back to Court instead of killing me. Imagine how much that will slow the elections.' â€Å"Rose, I'm serious.' I caught hold of his hand. â€Å"I know, I know. This'll be easy. We should be in and out in under an hour, but if we aren't †¦' Man, I hated grim contingencies. â€Å"If we aren't, then send Adrian to Court with Jill, and you and Sonya hide out somewhere until †¦ I don't know.' â€Å"Don't worry about us,' he said. â€Å"You just be careful.' He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"Little dhampir, are you–‘ Adrian came strolling around the car, just in time to see that small kiss. I dropped my hand from Dimitri's. None of us said anything, but in that moment, Adrian's eyes †¦ well, I saw his whole world come crashing apart. I felt sicker than if a fleet of Strigoi were around. I felt worse than a Strigoi. Honor, I thought. For real: the guardians should have taught it. Because I hadn't learned it. â€Å"Let's hurry,' said Mikhail, walking over, oblivious to the drama that had just exploded beside him. â€Å"Sonya says you guys have a ticking clock at Court too.' I swallowed, dragging my eyes from Adrian. My heart twisted within my chest. â€Å"Yeah †¦' â€Å"Go,' said Dimitri. â€Å"Remember,' I murmured to him. â€Å"Talking to him is my responsibility. Not yours.' I followed Mikhail to his car, slipping on the charmed bracelet. Before getting inside, I cast a quick glance back. Jill and Sonya were speaking together, Dimitri stood alone, and Adrian was taking out a cigarette, his back to them all. â€Å"I suck,' I said dismally, as Mikhail started the car. It was ineloquent but pretty much summed up my feelings. He didn't respond, probably because it wasn't relevant to our task. Either that, or he was still too wrapped up in the renewal of his own love life. Lucky bastard. It didn't take long to reach the hotel. There were guardians around, covertly placed so as not to draw human attention. None of them stopped us as we walked inside. One even gave Mikhail a nod of recognition. They all looked at me like †¦ well, like they didn't recognize me. Which was good. With so many guardians helping at Court, new faces were to be expected, and mine didn't look like Rose Hathaway's. No one was concerned. â€Å"Which rooms are they in?' Mikhail asked a guardian who was standing in the lobby. â€Å"We're supposed to relieve that shift.' Mikhail's manner was perfectly self-assured, enough that the guardian–while a little surprised–seemed to think this must be okay. â€Å"Only two of you? There are four up there.' I saved us on that one. â€Å"They want more back at Court. Things are getting out of hand, so just two are being assigned here now.' â€Å"Probably all we need up there,' agreed the guardian. â€Å"Third floor.' â€Å"Quick thinking,' Mikhail told me in the elevator. â€Å"That was nothing. I've talked myself out of much worse.' The rooms were easy to spot because a guardian stood outside them. The rest are inside, I realized, wondering if that would be a problem. But, with that same authoritative attitude, Mikhail told the guy that he and the others had been recalled to Court. The guardian summoned his colleagues–one from each Alchemist's rooms, though we couldn't tell whose was whose–and they gave us a brief status report before leaving, including who was in which room. When they were gone, Mikhail looked to me. â€Å"Sydney,' I said. We'd been given key cards and walked right into Sydney's room. She sat cross- legged on her bed, reading a book and looking miserable. She sighed when she saw us. â€Å"Well, what is it now?' I took off the bracelet, letting my illusion vanish. There was no jaw dropping or raised eyebrows from Sydney. Just a knowing look. â€Å"I should have guessed. Are you here to free me?' There was a hopeful note in her voice. â€Å"Um, not exactly.' I hated that Sydney was going to get punished, but smuggling her out wasn't part of the plan now. â€Å"We need to talk to Ian, and it's probably best if you're there. He knows something important. Something we need.' That got the raised eyebrow. She pointed at the door. â€Å"They won't let us talk to each other.' â€Å"They aren't out there,' I said smugly. Sydney shook her head ruefully. â€Å"Rose, you really do scare me sometimes. Just not for the reasons I originally thought you would. Come on. He's next door, but you'll have a hard time getting him to talk.' â€Å"That's where you'll help,' I said, as we walked into the hall. I slipped the bracelet back on. â€Å"He's totally into you. He'll help if you ask.' As I'd guessed, Sydney was completely oblivious to Ian's crush. â€Å"What! He does not– ‘ She shut her mouth as we entered Ian's room. He was watching TV but jumped up when he saw us. â€Å"Sydney! Are you okay?' I shot her a meaningful look. She gave me a pained one in return and then turned her attention back to Ian. â€Å"They need your help with something. Some information.' He turned his gaze on us, and it immediately went colder. â€Å"We answered your questions a hundred times.' â€Å"Not all of them,' I said. â€Å"When you were at Court, you saw a picture on the table. Of a dead man. Who was it?' Ian's lips went into a straight line. â€Å"I don't know.' â€Å"I saw–er, that is, we know you recognized him,' I argued. â€Å"You reacted.' â€Å"I actually saw that too,' admitted Sydney. His tone turned pleading. â€Å"Come on, we don't need to help them anymore. This whole hotel-prison thing is bad enough. I'm sick of their games.' I didn't blame him, really, but we needed him too much. I glanced at Sydney beseechingly, telling her that only she could get us through this. She turned back to Ian. â€Å"What's the deal with the guy in the picture? Is it †¦ is it really horrible? Something secret?' He shrugged. â€Å"No. I just don't want to help them anymore. It's irrelevant.' â€Å"Will you do it for me?' she asked sweetly. â€Å"Please? It might help me get out of trouble.' Sydney was no master of flirting, but I think just the fact she came close to it astonished him. He hesitated for several moments, glanced at us and then back to her. She smiled at him. Ian caved. â€Å"I meant what I said. I don't know who he is. He was with a Moroi woman over in the St. Louis facility one day.' â€Å"Wait,' I said, derailed. â€Å"Moroi come to your places?' â€Å"Sometimes,' said Sydney. â€Å"Just like we came to yours. Some meetings happen in person. We don't usually hold your people prisoner, though.' â€Å"I think this guy was like her bodyguard or something,' Ian said. â€Å"She was the one there on business. He just followed and stayed quiet.' â€Å"A Moroi bodyguard?' â€Å"Not uncommon for those that can't get guardians,' said Mikhail. â€Å"Abe Mazur is proof of that. He's got his own army.' â€Å"I think of them more as a mafia.' My joke aside, I was getting confused. Despite the widespread disdain about learning to fight, sometimes Moroi did have to hire Moroi security because they just couldn't obtain a guardian. Someone like Daniella Ivashkov wouldn't have that problem. In fact, I was pretty sure she'd be entitled to two guardians if she stepped outside protective borders–and she'd made it clear she didn't think Moroi should fight. Why would she travel with Moroi protection when she could have better trained guardians? It made no sense. Still †¦ if you'd killed a queen, you probably did all sorts of unorthodox things. They didn't have to make sense. â€Å"Who was she?' I asked. â€Å"The woman?' â€Å"I didn't know her either,' said Ian. â€Å"I just passed them while they were on their way to something. A meeting, maybe.' â€Å"Do you remember what she looked like?' Something. We needed something. This was on the verge of falling apart, but if Ian could identify Daniella, we might just be set. â€Å"Sure,' he said. â€Å"She's easy to remember.' The ensuing silence irritated me. â€Å"So?' I asked. â€Å"What did she look like?' He told me. The description was not what I had expected.