Is racism ancient history in our days Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Is racism ancient history in our days - Essay Example Thesis At the beginning of the 21st century, racism is a major social problem affected modern American society which takes its roots in ancient history of the nation. The American nation is especially heterogeneous in terms of religion, nationality, ethnicity, class language, and, of course, race. But prevailing American values emphasize the values of equality of opportunity, fair play, and individualism. While there is some evidence to justify current attitudes, in fact there is better evidence to suggest that race relations in America are still a major source of stress and social tension (Wachtel 23). Another black perspective argues that race in America has become less salient than class. This assessment, if true, would suggest that black-white relations are much better than they have ever been before in America. Race is another factor which influences the distribution of economic and social resources in America. It is important to note that recent years the understanding of race has been changed, because as a collective sentiment, race needs to be upheld and reaffirmed. Modern theories of race suggest that concept of race is more a cultural p henomenon than a economic one. Community of culture and unity of meaning are the main sources that allow the construction and experience of race (Wachtel 78) In modern society, racism complements, but it does not replace, individual prejudice and discrimination. J. Strausbaugh in Black like You: Black Face, White Face indicates that institutional racism is much more widespread than individual racism. Yet, most educational programs against racism are aimed almost exclusively against individual racism. Following Strausbaugh "disrespectful stereotypes are acceptable from people who looks like you, but it is racism when a member of another race finds humor in it" (12). In modern society, racism can exist to some degree regardless of what else is going on in society. Institutional racism, however, cannot thrive without constant replenishment of new personnel who are able to accept the human cost of racist policies without challenging their legitimacy. People who are victimized by racism may combat it most readily by organizing and changing public policies. Altering public policies solely by changing personal opinions of racists is a hopeless, endless endeavor. To a significant extent, racism bears a relationship to sexism, antisemitism, and extreme nationalism. The essence of modern racism is violations of equal human worth which are involved in racism as well as in sexism, anti-semitism, and extreme nationalism. Today, racial prejudices and ideologies rationalize widespread white discrimination against people of color (Strausbaugh 82). This view of a white-dominated America is not popular among most white analysts and commentators in the twenty-first century. More popular is the belief that African Americans and other people of color have made great progress, so much so that white racism is no longer a major barrier in most of their lives. Indeed, few whites are aware of how important racism is to their own feelings, beliefs, thinking, and actions (Thernstrom 20). The extensive use of litigation and legislation in American racial affairs determines the salience of the law. Leading personalities, landmark court rulings and laws, the heritage of legalized segregation and discrimination, bias in the administration of justice and contemporary

Microscopes and telescopes. Our center of reality etc Essay

Microscopes and telescopes. Our center of reality etc - Essay Example Astronomers believe the reverse process will see the end of the world come to pass in the foreseeable future. With the present powerful microscopes and telescopes, space specialists have observed approaching stars that are believed to be the cause of the expected collapse of the universe (Burns, 162). The universe will undergo an ouroboros-like cycle since all scientific evidence hint an inevitable end by a â€Å"black hole† activity, which human beings cannot avert. In order to understand the concept of the black hole well, it is wise to have a detailed comprehension of evolution of the cosmos. This evolution is described satisfactorily by three theories explaining the origin of the universe; the Steady State Theory, the Big Bang Theory and the Pulsating Theory. Gammow and Le Maitre’s Big Bang Theory claims that the matter of the entire universe was once contained in a very hot and dense fireball. About 20 billion years back, a big bang occurred which marked the creati on of the universe. The matter from the 10^12 Kelvin hot fireball was accelerated in all directions, recollected and formed the stars and planets. Several galaxies that have been observed came from this process (Raine & Thomas, 92). The Steady State Theory developed by Fred Hoyle, Gold and Bondi claims new galaxies are created all the time in the outer space to take place of galaxies that cross their boundaries into the universe observable by the powerful telescopes of earth astronomers. As a result, the steady state of the universe is never disturbed. According to Pulsating theory, the universe contracts and expands alternately. As per the theory, the universe is currently undergoing an expansion. It postulates that the expansion will end and reverse processes of contraction begin. A disturbing contradiction to the common knowledge researchers have had about the universe has cropped up. The conventional ideas of evolution of the cosmos of interchanging expansion and contraction are challenged by current surveys by Type IA supernovas (Taylor, 74). Results of the survey have evidence that the cosmos will expand forever, without chances of contraction. What aggravates matters of eternal expansion is that the universe is expanding at an accelerated pace. The accelerated expansion is caused by an array of â€Å"antigravity† forces. The survey found out that about three-quarters of energy from the Big Bang Theory resides in the space, and not in form of matter. Having excess energy in the vacuum causes external pressures that accelerate expansion of the cosmos. Therefore, 70% of the universe energy is in the form of vacuum in the space, 25% is stored in black matter and the other 5% in the form of actual matter including galaxies, stars, protons and planets (Rau, 43). With this trend of evolution of the cosmos, the chief worry for astronomers is; what if the vacuum dumps all the energy it stores? Will there be another â€Å"Big Bang Theory† situation? Is the vacuum energy constant or is it changing with time? As these worries remain unsolved, the Black Hole reality hits cosmos existence. NASA telescopes have observed stars that are 10 times bigger than the sun in the outer galaxy approach the universe human beings occupy. It is speculated that the star of extremely large mass will collapse into a small ball. A â€Å"singularity†

Anatomy and Pathophysiology of Gout and Lupus

Anatomy and Pathophysiology of Gout and Lupus Introduction Gout is an acute inflammatory arthritis with the potency to fully destroy the integrity of the joint leading to severe disability. It is termed as a true crystal deposition disease caused by formation of monosodium urate crystals in joints and other tissues. It is the common cause of inflammatory arthritis that has increased in prevalence in recent decades (Roddy and Doherty 2010). Gout normally results from the interaction of genetic, constitutional and environmental risk factors. It is more common in men and strongly age related. Both acute arthritis and chronic arthropathy (tophaceous gout) are considered under the rubric of gout (Mikuls and Saag 2006; Roddy et al. 2007). In a broader term, it can be defined as combination of events involving an increase in the serum urate concentration, acute arthritic attacks with monosodium urate monohydrate crystals demonstrable in synovial fluid leukocytes, and tophi which usually occurs in and around joints of the extremities. These physio-c hemical changes either occur separately or in combination (Terkeltaub 2003; Shai et al. 2010). Gouty arthritis accounts for millions of outpatient visits annually and the prevalence is rising. It affects 1-2% of adults in developed countries, where it is the most common inflammatory arthritis in men. Epidemiological data are consistent with a rise in prevalence of gout. Rates of gout have approximately doubled between 1990 and 2010. A number of factors have been found to influence rates of gout, including age, race, and the season of the year. In men over the age of 30 and women over the age of 50, prevalence is 2% (Eggebeen 2007). Anatomy and Pathophysiology Gouty arthritis is one of the most painful rheumatic diseases and its incidence increases promptly with advancing age. In 75% of the patients, gouty arthritis initially strikes a single joint which is most commonly the big toe. In women gout develop in increasing numbers after menopause eventually at an incidence rate equal to that of men (Hootman and Helmick 2006). In elderly patients, an occurrence of gout is usually less spectacular than in middle age and often implies an upper extremity poly or mono articular presentation rather than the classic mono articular lower extremity picture commonly displayed by middle-aged men. In older patients, gout can be more likely the clinical picture of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis (Cassetta and Gorevic 2004). Gouty arthritis can be classified into four stages depending upon level of severity namely; (i) Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia: In this stage, a person has elevated blood uric acid levels but no other symptoms and therefore requires no treatment. (ii) Acute Gouty Arthritis: In this stage, hyperuricemia leads to deposition of uric acid crystals in joint spaces, leading to gouty attacks (iii) Interval / Intercritical: This is the stage between acute gouty attacks with no symptoms and (iv) Chronic Tophaceous Gout: where the disease leads to permanent damage (Bhansing et al. 2010). Pathogenesis of gouty arthritis is critically influenced by sodium urate crystals and inflammatory processes they induce (Wise and Agudelo 1996). An inefficient renal urate excretion which leads to the elevated levels of uric acid above the saturation point for urate crystal formation is a major determinant of the disease. Purine catabolism leads to the formation of metabolic by-product, uric acid. In most mammals like higher primates, many birds and some reptiles, the urate oxidase (uricase) enzyme converts uric acid (relatively insoluble) to allantoin (highly soluble), leading to very low serum uric acid levels. A series of parallel mutations in the genes of uricase in the Miocene period results in the production of the dysfunctional form of uricase that leads to accumulation of relatively higher level of insoluble uric acid and subsequently the development of gouty arthritis (Liote and Ea 2006; Eggebeen 2007). Degradation of purines results in the endogenous production of uric aci d that usually contributes about two-thirds of the body urate pool, the remainder being originated by dietry intake. Of the uric acid formed daily, about 70% is excreted through the kidney while the rest is eliminated into the biliary tract and then converted to allantoin by colonic bacterial uricase. Therefore, in the vast majority gouty patients, hyperuricaemia occurs from reduced efficiency of renal urate clearance (Laubscher et al. 2009; Terkeltaub 2010). Development of the acute and chronic inflammatory gout is facilitated with the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in joints. while MSU crystals were first identified as the aetiological agent of gout in the eighteenth century and more recently as a danger signal released from dying cells, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying MSU-induced inflammation (Martinon et al. 2006). For crystal formation n occurrence of gout, the ionic product of sodium and uric acid must be at or above the saturation level at which MSU crystals can form. Uric acid is a weak acid of pKa 5.75 and, it exists mainly in the ionized form as urate at physiological pH of 7.40. MSU has limited solubility under physiological conditions and the saturation level in plasma at a pH of 7.40 is 6.8 mg/dl (408 ÂÂ µmol/l) and when the plasma concentration exceeds this level, crystals may form in the joints and tissues (Terkeltaub 2010). MSU crystals preferentially form within cartilage and fibrous tissues, where they are relatively safer from contact with inflammatory mediators and may dwell for years without causing any defects. However, if shed from these sites of origin into the joint space or bursa, they are highly phlogistic particles that are immediately phagocytosed by monocytes and macrophages, stimulating the NALP3 inflammasome, triggering the release of IL-1 and other cytokines and a subsequent infiltration of neutrophils. Here the white cells release a package of inflammatory mediator substances which, in addition to destroying the crystals, also damage the surrounding tissues (Martinon et al. 2006). This acute inflammation defines the symptoms of an acute flare such as pain, swelling and redness and is typically self-limiting. Continual deposition of large numbers of MSU crystals may also heading out the joint damage through mechanical effects on cartilage and bone (pressure erosion), and probably low-gr ade inflammation. However, these more chronic crystal-tissue interactions still remain elusive and in need of further investigations (VanItallie 2010). Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Introduction Lupus is an autoimmune disease which leads to both acute and chronic inflammation of various tissues of the human body. Lupus can be classified into different form depending upon the target tissues and organ system. Defined as Type III hypersensitivity reaction, people with lupus produce abnormal antibodies in their blood that target tissues within their own body rather than foreign infectious agents. Because the antibodies and accompanying cells of inflammation can affect tissues anywhere in the body, lupus has the potential to affect a variety of areas such as heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. When internal organs are involved, the condition is referred to as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The disease may be mild or severe and life-threatening (Wallace 2010). The prevalence of lupus ranges from approximately 40 cases per 100,000 persons among Northern Europeans to more than 200 per 100,000 persons among blacks (Johnson et al. 1995). In the United States, the number of patients with lupus exceeds 250,000. The life expectancy of such patients has improved from an approximate 4-year survival rate of 50% in the 1950s to a 15-year survival rate of 80% today (Merrell and Shulman 1955; Abu-Shakra et al. 1995). Even so, a patient in whom lupus is diagnosed at 20 years of age still has a 1 in 6 chance of dying by 35 years of age, most often from lupus or infection. Later, myocardial infarction and stroke become important causes of death (Cervera et al. 2003). Anatomy and Pathophysiology SLE is an inflammatory and multi-systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by an uncontrolled auto-reactivity of B and T lymphocytes. This results in the production of auto antibodies (auto-Abs) against self-directed antigens and causes tissue destruction (Cuchacovich and Gedalia 2009). Pathogenesis of SLE is a multi-factorial event and the exact mechanism of disease development and progression is still unclear. Multiple factors are known to be associated with the development of the disease such as genetic, racial, hormonal, and environmental factors. Defects in apoptosis are one of the proposed mechanisms involved in patho-physiological events of SLE. Imbalance in apoptotic machinery leads to the production of auto-antibodies. These antibodies lack the ability to differentiate between pathogenic and normal host cells and cause increase cell death and abnormalities in immune tolerance (Andrade et al. 2000; Rahman and Isenberg 2008). It is believed that all the major components of immune system are involved in SLE progression at various levels. Mostly proteins present in cell nucleus are targeted by the immune system. The likely environmental triggers for SLE include ultraviolet light, drugs, and viruses. These stimuli cause the destruction of cells and expose their DNA, histones, and other proteins, particularly parts of the cell nucleus. It is observed that in patients suffering from SLE, there is increased cell death in monocytes and keratinocytes and hyper expression of Fas protein by B and T cells of the immune system. Tingibl e body macrophages (TBMs) are large phagocytic cells present in the germinal centers of secondary lymph nodes. They express CD68 protein. These cells normally engulf B cells which have undergone apoptosis after somatic hypermutation. In some patients with SLE, significantly fewer TBMs can be found, and these cells rarely contain material from apoptotic B cells. Also, uningested apoptotic nuclei can be found outside of TBMs. This material may present a threat to the tolerization of B cells and T cells (Gaipl et al. 2006). Monocytes isolated from whole blood of SLE sufferers show reduced expression of CD44 surface molecules involved in the uptake of apoptotic cells. Most of the monocytes and tingible body macrophages (TBM), which are found in the germinal centres of lymph nodes, even show a definitely different morphology; they are smaller or scarce and die earlier. Serum components like complement factors, CRP, and some glycoproteins are, furthermore, decisively important for an efficiently operating phagocytosis. With SLE, these components are often missing, diminished, or inefficient. References Abu-Shakra M, Urowitz MB, Gladman DD, Gough J (1995) Mortality studies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Results from a single center. II. Predictor variables for mortality. J Rheumatol 22:1265-1270 Andrade F, Casciola-Rosen L, Rosen A (2000) Apoptosis in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clinical implications. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 26:215-227, v Bhansing KJ, van Bon L, Janssen M, Radstake TR (2010) Gout: a clinical syndrome illustrated and discussed. Neth J Med 68:352-359 Cassetta M, Gorevic PD (2004) Crystal arthritis. Gout and pseudogout in the geriatric patient. Geriatrics 59:25-30; quiz 31 Cervera R et al. (2003) Morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus during a 10-year period: a comparison of early and late manifestations in a cohort of 1,000 patients. Medicine (Baltimore) 82:299-308 doi: 10.1097/01.md.0000091181.93122.55 Cuchacovich R, Gedalia A (2009) Pathophysiology and clinical spectrum of infections in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 35:75-93 doi: S0889-857X(09)00004-0 [pii] 10.1016/j.rdc.2009.03.003 Eggebeen AT (2007) Gout: an update. Am Fam Physician 76:801-808 Gaipl US et al. (2006) Clearance of apoptotic cells in human SLE. Curr Dir Autoimmun 9:173-187 doi: 10.1159/000090781 [pii]Â   10.1159/000090781 Hootman JM, Helmick CG (2006) Projections of US prevalence of arthritis and associated activity limitations. Arthritis Rheum 54:226-229 doi: 10.1002/art.21562 Johnson AE, Gordon C, Palmer RG, Bacon PA (1995) The prevalence and incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Birmingham, England. Relationship to ethnicity and country of birth. Arthritis Rheum 38:551-558 Laubscher T, Dumont Z, Regier L, Jensen B (2009) Taking the stress out of managing gout. Can Fam Physician 55:1209-1212 doi: 55/12/1209 [pii] Liote F, Ea HK (2006) Gout: update on some pathogenic and clinical aspects. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 32:295-311, vi doi: S0889-857X(06)00024-X [pii] 10.1016/j.rdc.2006.03.001 Martinon F, Petrilli V, Mayor A, Tardivel A, Tschopp J (2006) Gout-associated uric acid crystals activate the NALP3 inflammasome. Nature 440:237-241 doi: nature04516 [pii] 10.1038/nature04516 Merrell M, Shulman LE (1955) Determination of prognosis in chronic disease, illustrated by systemic lupus erythematosus. J Chronic Dis 1:12-32 Mikuls TR, Saag KG (2006) New insights into gout epidemiology. Curr Opin Rheumatol 18:199-203 doi: 10.1097/01.bor.0000209435.89720.7c 00002281-200603000-00014 [pii] Rahman A, Isenberg DA (2008) Systemic lupus erythematosus. N Engl J Med 358:929-939 doi: 358/9/929 [pii] 10.1056/NEJMra071297 Roddy E, Doherty M (2010) Gout. Epidemiology of gout. Arthritis Res Ther 12:223 doi: ar3199 [pii] 10.1186/ar3199 Roddy E, Zhang W, Doherty M (2007) The changing epidemiology of gout. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol 3:443-449 doi: ncprheum0556 [pii] 10.1038/ncprheum0556 Shai A, Rimar D, Rozenbaum M, Wolfovitz E, Rosner I (2010) Gout in young migrant Filipino women in Israel: a changing epidemiology. Case reports and review of the literature. Rheumatol Int 30:1685-1687 doi: 10.1007/s00296-009-1198-7 Terkeltaub R (2010) Update on gout: new therapeutic strategies and options. Nat Rev Rheumatol 6:30-38 doi: nrrheum.2009.236 [pii] 10.1038/nrrheum.2009.236 Terkeltaub RA (2003) Gout. New England Journal of Medicine 349:1647-1655 doi: doi:10.1056/NEJMcp030733 VanItallie TB (2010) Gout: epitome of painful arthritis. Metabolism 59 Suppl 1:S32-36 doi: S0026-0495(10)00229-5 [pii] 10.1016/j.metabol.2010.07.009 Wallace DJ (2010) Advances in drug therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus. BMC Med 8:77 doi: 1741-7015-8-77 [pii] 10.1186/1741-7015-8-77 Wise CM, Agudelo CA (1996) Gouty arthritis and uric acid metabolism. Curr Opin Rheumatol 8:248-254

Home vs. The Exotic in Shakespeares The Tempest Essays -- Shakespeare

Home vs. The Exotic in Shakespeare's The Tempest Home. Just the word conjures up feelings of familiarity and comfort, a place that is welcoming and memorable. Does home necessarily have to represent a place? Rather, can it encompass a multitude of feelings and objects that represent comfort and ease? The post-colonial novel often strives to strike a balance, whether it be uneven, between what is considered foreign and exotic and that which is homely and familiar. Post-colonial literature frequently is representative of the interplay between characters' experiences in an exotic environment versus those at home. With this interplay between home and the exotic comes a dynamic complexity that explores themes such as fears and desires, freedom, gender roles, and sexuality. With an overarching comparison between home and a foreign environment, the many layers of the meaning of post-coloniality can be filtered out and explored in depth. Shakespeare's play, The Tempest, serves as an excellent example of the interaction between the ideas of home and the exotic. These ideas are not only displayed in setting, but also represented by many of the main characters in the play. The study of this play can be considered a re-interpretation of a canonical text in light of post-colonial themes. The story is one of intrigue that explores the personalities of individual characters and their role in relation to what they consider as home and foreign. The characters that are most important in explaining these ends include Prospero, his daughter Miranda and Prospero's two servants, Ariel and Caliban. Each one has a set of separate experiences on the island that shape their ability to determine what they find comforting and homely and what is exoti... ...sa. This somewhat simple observation has resounding qualities in this post-colonial text as it blurs the defining line between home and the exotic. It can be concluded from these observations that the ideas of homeliness and exoticness are not necessarily balanced in the post-colonial text, but rather blurred so the definitions are defined with each other instead of against each other. Apparent from this play, the post-colonial text ties in the features of home and the exotic while incorporating various post-colonial themes. The Tempest, being considered a canonical text, has undergone re-interpretations in a post-colonial light to display varied themes central to texts written and referring to time periods during and after colonization. Through the character's experiences, the ideas of home and the exotic are exposed, revealing post-colonial meanings and ideas.

Using Cost Accounting Information to Enhance Firm’s Competitive Position and Performance

Cost Accounting in Theory The last two decades has seen a revolution in management accounting theory and practice due to the challenges of the competitive environment in the 1980s. Kaplan and Johnson (1987) identified the failings and obsolescence of existing cost and performance measurement systems, which led to the re-examination of traditional cost accounting and management control systems. Conventional financial and management accounting methods have developed primarily as a result of corporate legislation in the 1930s forcing companies to provide externally published financial accounts. Management accounting is primarily focused as a decision making tool for running a business, hence they require more flexibility. According to Kaplan, management accounts have become a subset of financial accounts and that they reflect more on the external rather than internal requirements of the company. Most of the managerial decision-making and control systems in use in the late 1980s were described by Johnson and Kaplan as stagnant. As a result, they went onto research in new accounting systems raising the profile of internal accounting systems by use of financial and non-financial measures. Although their work was at first seen as controversial, it is now considered of key importance for companies aiming to enhance their competitive position and performance. The purpose of cost accounting is to ascertain the costs of products and services. When properly implemented, the cost accounting function will provide necessary information for pricing decisions, identify the profitability of each product, service, or job, aid management in maximizing profits by detecting sources of wastages and excess capacity, and can influence management behaviour. In theory, cost accounting help managers make decisions to fulfill an organization’s goals. Cost Accounting in Practice However, according to a July 2003 study done by the Institute of Management Accountants and Ernst and Young, 98% of managers believe their cost data is distorted while almost 40% believe their cost data is significantly distorted. In practice, most companies still use the same cost accounting and management control systems that were developed decades ago in a competitive environment drastically different from today. In the many cases worked on throughout the semester in Accounting Planning & Control, for example Putz, Seligram Inc. and Zytec, there was an underlying problem of inaccurate costing information that failed management when making decisions. This was due to the traditional cost systems that these companies utilized despite the changing nature of their business environment. One of the main triggers that a company will need a new cost system is when changes occur in the organization and its environment. The article â€Å"You need a new cost system when†¦ † highlights the many signals in which a company needs to redesign or create a new cost system. This article proposes that a cost system must be up to date and functioning properly in order for the theory of cost accounting to be applied in practice. The problem with the state of the accounting profession is the skewed emphasis towards Financial Accounting, as identified by Kaplan. Financial Accounting is used to prepare financial statements for external users. These Financial Accounting reports are for outsiders to assess the business, but the reports focus on compliance with GAAP in broad totals and are not designed to support decision making. Despite this fact, 80% of organizations rely on the GAAP required Normal Costing method to provide management with reports (Sharman and Mackie 12). When management reports echo standard financial reports, management loses. These reports have no activity data and often require managers to prepare their own ad hoc reports when they require decision analysis. These financial reports are difficult to understand by non-accountants and do little to give managers the information they should have at their fingertips to run a company. The Management Accounting problem in this country does not seem to be as problematic in other countries. According to the Sharman and Vikas article in the December 2004 Strategic Finance German companies employ just as many Managerial Accountants as Financial Accountants; The U. S. employs one-tenth the number of practicing Management Accountants than the U. K. , Canada, and Germany. The weak emphasis on Management Accounting and providing information to managers to run a company is partly caused by the overwhelming requirements external parties place on corporations. Companies lose sight that the most important viewers of company feedback are people inside the company. State- of the Art Cost Accounting Information to Enhance Competitive Position Companies realizing the importance of internal reporting adopt state-of-the-art, or up to date cost accounting techniques, straying away from financial reporting and normal costing, in an attempt to accurately measure the costs of acquiring or using resources. This state-of-the- art cost accounting information enables management to add-value for the consumer, and to enhance their firm’s competitive position and performance. In order for a company to enhance their competitive position, they must have an effective competitive strategy. The competitive strategy describes how an organization will compete and the opportunities its managers should seek and pursue. There are two competitive strategies that companies can decide to implement: cost- leadership or product differentiation. When companies adopt the cost-leadership strategy, they decide to uphold a competitive advantage in the marketplace by providing the best value at the lowest price. When companies adopt the product differentiation strategy, they choose to uphold their competitive advantage by offering unique products or services at higher prices than their competitors. According to the confrontation strategy, competitive advantage is not sustainable. This is a realistic view of competition by recognizing that competitors will quickly bring out similar products and match price changes. The underlying argument of the confrontation strategy is that firms must compete in terms of the survival triplet. The survival triplet consists of three strategic dimensions that characterize a product: price/cost, quality, and functionality. These three dimensions are bounded by a minimum and maximum acceptable level which defines the survival zone. In order for firms to survive and remain competitive, firms must operate in their survival zone. With that being said, companies face continuous pressure to reduce the cost of the products or services they sell, or continuously improving the consumer’s perception of quality as related to their competitors. To successfully implement such strategies, managers must have state-of-the-art cost accounting information that will allow firms to adopt target costing to enhance their competitive position. Being that managers have little influence over pricing, (the central theme of economics states that prices are determined by supply and demand), management must monitor costs to receive desired profits. â€Å"Target costing is the allowable amount of cost that can be incurred on a product and still earn the required profit from that product† (Ansari, Bell, Klammer, Lawrence). The article â€Å"Target Costing† proposes that target costing is particularly important at the design stage, where â€Å"70-80 percent of the costs of a product are committed†. Hence, target costing is more than just a cost accounting technique; it is an integral part of the comprehensive management process that aids management in reducing the overall product’s life-cycle costs, helping an organization to survive in an increasingly competitive environment. Nonetheless, target costing is useful in pre-production as well as post production and has many advantages to allowing firms to uphold their competitive position. Target costing requires analysis on competitors’ products and the customer’s perception of their products, and uses this information to assess which particular customer segment of the market to target. This analysis done in target costing allows for companies to create products that adds value, in the eyes of the customer, while staying ahead of the competition by identifying areas of improvement based on the customers’ perceptions. Furthermore, target costing enhances a firm’s ability to uphold their competitive advantage. Target costing reinforces top-to-bottom commitment to process and product innovation and is aimed at identifying issues to be resolved, in order to sustain competitive advantage. Target costing helps to create a company’s competitive future with market-driven management for designing and manufacturing products to meet customer expectations and market price. Also, target costing identifies market opportunities that can be converted into real savings to achieve the best value rather than just simply the lowest cost. Target costing enhances competitive position in the ways aforementioned; however, without state-of-the-art cost accounting information, target costing is impossible to achieve. State-of-the-art Cost Accounting Information Enhancing Performance State-of-the-art cost accounting information can also enhance a firm’s performance in the marketplace. In measuring a firm’s performance, a state-of-the-art accounting technique was developed by Kaplan and Norton called the balanced scorecard. â€Å"The balanced scorecard translates an organization’s mission and strategy into a set of performance measures that provides the framework for implementing its strategy† (Hongren). The balanced scorecard uses financial and non-financial measures to evaluate short-run and long-run performance. Key strategic nonfinancial and operational indicators measure adjustments that a company is making for the long-run. For example, an improvement in quality, as measured by improvement in yields, signals a strong likelihood of higher sales and income in the future. By balancing the mix of financial and nonfinancial measures, the balanced scorecard brings management’s attention to short-run and long-run performance. In for profit companies, the main goal of the balanced scorecard is to improve a company’s financial performance. Non-financial measures simply serve as leading indicators for hard-to-measure long run financial goals. Kaplan and Norton developed four perspectives that firm’s should analyze to achieve performance levels that are necessary to meet customer needs, compete effectively, and achieve financial goal; the financial perspective, the customer perspective, the internal-business-process perspective, and the learning and growth perspective. The financial perspective focuses on increasing shareholder value. Measures of the financial perspective include ROI, ROCE, residual income, and EVA. By managing financial performance, managers are able to manage costs and unused capacity. This will enhance performance by increasing profitability of the firm. The customer perspective measures customer satisfaction and focuses on the importance of the customer on the business. This enhances performance by increasing the firm’s market share and overall customer satisfaction. This will enable firms to meet the future needs of customers and increase customer focus of sales on the organization. The internal-business process perspective focuses on the internal business processes that will meet the needs of customers. This area focuses on product design and innovation, improving efficiency and quality, and post-sales service. This perspective enhances performance by improving the customer-service process, identifying operational problems to improve quality, reducing delivery time, and improving manufacturing capabilities. The learning and growth perspective includes employee training, system capabilities, and employee motivation. Measures of learning and growth perspective include employee satisfaction, and employee training programs. This enhances performance by empowering the workforce, developing employee’s process skills, and enhancing system capabilities. By implementing an effective balanced scorecard, for-profit companies are able to motivate managers to take actions that result in improvements in financial performance. When financial and nonfinancial performance measures are properly linked, nonfinancial measures serve as indicators of lagging future financial performance. These indicators can aid management in improvements in future performance. Conclusion State-of-the-art cost accounting information allows for the implementation of modern cost accounting techniques. Such techniques include target costing and the balanced scorecard. Target costing enhances competitive position and uses state-of-the-art cost information to identify activities that do not add value to the customer. Without modern cost accounting information, there will not be a breakdown of activities and their respective costs to assist managers in analyzing non-value added activities. Target costing relies on state-of-the-art cost accounting information to identify these non-value added activities that managers will eliminate to reduce costs, and uphold their competitive position. The balanced scorecard uses state-of-the-art cost accounting information to motivate managerial behaviours and enhance performance. Managers’ rewards are based on the financial perspective, which metrics rely on cost accounting information. Analysis of operating income, a metric of the financial perspective, depends on modern cost account information that accurately separates material costs and conversion costs to identify spending variances and efficiency variances, which aid management in future financial performance. State-of-the-art cost accounting information enhances a firm’s competitive position as well as their performance in the future by allowing the implementation of modern techniques. Focusing on internal reporting, and not just financial reporting will allow companies to adopt continuous improvement in dynamic, highly competitive environments, through techniques such as target costing and the balanced scorecard. Works cited Sharman, Paul A. and Kurt Vikas. â€Å"Lessons from German Cost Accounting† Strategic Finance. 2004, December. 28-35. Cooper, Robin. You Need a New Cost System When†¦ † Harvard Business Review. 1989, January. 6 pages. Sharman, Paul and Brian Mackie â€Å"Grenzplankostenrechnung (GPK)† Notes from Institute of Management Accountants Annual Conference. www. imanet. org. 1-58. Ansari, Bell, Klammer, and Carol Lawrence. â€Å"Target Costing† Management Accounting, A Strategic Focus. McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. , 1997. Hongren, Datar, Foster, Rajan, and Christopher Ittner. Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis. Thirteenth edition. Pearson Education, Inc. New Jersey 2009. 462-485. Print

The Host Chapter 57: Completed

It was a small tribunal this time, not like the trial for Kyle's life. Ian brought only Jeb, Doc, and Jared. He knew without having to be told that Jamie must not be allowed anywhere near these proceedings. Melanie would have to give that goodbye for me. I couldn't face that, not with Jamie. I didn't care if it was cowardly of me. I wouldn't do it. Just one blue lamp, one dim circle of light on the stone floor. We sat on the edge of the ring of light; I was alone, the four men facing me. Jeb had even brought his gun-as if it were a gavel and would make this more official. The smell of sulfur brought back the painful days of my mourning; there were some memories that I would not regret losing when I was gone. â€Å"How is she?† I asked Doc urgently as they settled in, before they could get started. This tribunal was a waste of my small store of time. I was worried about more important things. â€Å"Which one?† he responded in a weary voice. I stared at him for a few seconds, and then my eyes grew wide. â€Å"Sunny's gone? Already?† â€Å"Kyle thought it was cruel to make her suffer longer. She was†¦ unhappy.† â€Å"I wish I could have said goodbye,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"And good luck. How is Jodi?† â€Å"No response yet.† â€Å"The Healer's body?† â€Å"Trudy took her away. I think they went to get her something to eat. They're working on finding a temporary name she likes, so we can call her something besides the body.† He smiled wryly. â€Å"She'll be fine. I'm sure she will,† I said, trying to believe the words. â€Å"And Jodi, too. It will all work out.† No one called me on my lies. They knew I was saying this for myself. Doc sighed. â€Å"I don't want to be away from Jodi long. She might need something.† â€Å"Right,† I agreed. â€Å"Let's get this over with.† The quicker the better. Because it didn't matter what was said here; Doc had agreed to my terms. And yet there was some stupid part of me that hoped†¦ hoped that there was a solution that would make everything perfect and let me stay with Ian and Mel with Jared in a way that absolutely no one would suffer for. Best to crush that impossible hope quickly. â€Å"Okay,† Jeb said. â€Å"Wanda, what's your side?† â€Å"I'm giving Melanie back.† Firm, short-no reasons to argue against. â€Å"Ian, what's yours?† â€Å"We need Wanda here.† Firm, short-he was copying me. Jeb nodded to himself. â€Å"That's a tricky one. Wanda, why should I agree with you?† â€Å"If it were you, you'd want your body back. You can't deny Melanie that.† â€Å"Ian?† Jeb asked. â€Å"We have to look at the greater good, Jeb. Wanda's already brought us more health and security than we've ever had. She's vital to the survival of our community-of the entire human race. One person can't stand in the way of that.† He's right. Nobody asked you. Jared spoke up. â€Å"Wanda, what does Mel say?† Ha, Mel said. I stared into Jared's eyes, and the strangest thing happened. All the melting and melding I had just been through was shoved aside, into the smallest part of my body, the little corner that I took up physically. The rest of me yearned toward Jared with the same desperate, half-crazed hunger I'd felt since the first time I'd seen him here. This body barely belonged to me or to Melanie-it belonged to him. There really wasn't room enough for the two of us in here. â€Å"Melanie wants her body back. She wants her life back.† Liar. Tell them the truth. No. â€Å"Liar,† Ian said. â€Å"I can see you arguing with her. I'll bet she agrees with me. She's a good person. She knows how much we need you.† â€Å"Mel knows everything I know. She'll be able to help you. And the Healer's host. She knows more than I ever did. You'll be fine. You were fine before I was here. You'll survive, just like before.† Jeb blew out a puff of air, frowning. â€Å"I don't know, Wanda. Ian's got a point.† I glared at the old man and saw that Jared was doing the same. I looked away from that standoff to level a grim glance at Doc. Doc met my eyes, and his face clenched with pain. He understood the reminder I was giving him. He'd promised. This tribunal didn't overrule that. Ian was watching Jared-he didn't see our silent exchange. â€Å"Jeb,† Jared protested. â€Å"There's only one decision here. You know that.† â€Å"Is there, kid? Seems to me there's a whole barrel of 'em.† â€Å"That's Melanie's body!† â€Å"And Wanda's, too.† Jared choked on his response and had to start over. â€Å"You can't leave Mel trapped in there-it's like murder, Jeb.† Ian leaned forward into the light, his face suddenly furious again. â€Å"And what is it that you're doing to Wanda, Jared? And the rest of us, if you take her away?† â€Å"You don't care about the rest of anybody! You just want to keep Wanda at Melanie's expense-nothing else matters to you.† â€Å"And you want to have Melanie at Wanda's expense-nothing else matters to you! So, with those things being equal, it comes down to what's best for everyone else.† â€Å"No! It comes down to what Melanie wants! That's her body!† They were both crouched halfway between sitting and standing now, their fists clenched and their faces twisted with rage. â€Å"Cool it, boys! Cool it right now,† Jeb ordered. â€Å"This is a tribunal, and we're going to stay calm and keep our heads. We've got to think about every side.† â€Å"Jeb -† Jared began. â€Å"Shut up.† Jeb chewed on his lip for a while. â€Å"Okay, here's how I see it. Wanda's right -â€Å" Ian lurched to his feet. â€Å"Hold it! Sit yourself back down. Let me finish.† Jeb waited until Ian, the tendons standing out in his taut neck, stiffly returned to a seated position. â€Å"Wanda is right,† Jeb said. â€Å"Mel needs her body back. But,† he added quickly when Ian tensed again, â€Å"but I don't agree with the rest, Wanda. I think we need you pretty bad, kid. We got Seekers out there lookin' for us, and you can talk right to 'em. The rest of us can't do that. You save lives. I got to think about the welfare of my household.† Jared spoke through his teeth. â€Å"So we get her another body. Obviously.† Doc's crumpled face lifted. Jeb's white caterpillar eyebrows touched his hairline. Ian's eyes widened and his lips pursed. He stared at me, considering†¦ â€Å"No! No!† I shook my head frantically. â€Å"Why not, Wanda?† Jeb asked. â€Å"Don't sound like a half-bad idea to me.† I swallowed and took a deep breath so my voice wouldn't turn hysterical. â€Å"Jeb. Listen to me carefully, Jeb. I am tired of being a parasite. Can you understand that? Do you think I want to go into another body and have this start all over again? Do I have to feel guilty forever for taking someone's life away from them? Do I have to have someone else hate me? I'm barely a soul anymore-I love you brutish humans too much. It's wrong for me to be here, and I hate feeling that.† I took another breath and spoke through the tears that were falling now. â€Å"And what if things change? What if you put me in some-one else, steal another life, and it goes wrong? What if that body pulls me after some other love, back to the souls? What if you can't trust me anymore? What if I betray you next time? I don't want to hurt you!† The first part was the pure and unadorned truth, but I was lying wildly through the second. I hoped they wouldn't hear that. It would help that the words were barely coherent, my tears turned to sobs. I would never hurt them. What had happened to me here was permanent, a part of the very atoms that made up my small body. But maybe, if I gave them a reason to fear me, they would more easily accept what had to be. And my lies worked, for once. I caught the worried glance Jared and Jeb exchanged. They hadn't thought of that-of my becoming untrustworthy, becoming a danger. Ian was already moving to put his arms around me. He dried my tears against his chest. â€Å"It's okay, honey. You don't have to be anyone else. Nothing's going to change.† â€Å"Hold on, Wanda,† Jeb said, his shrewd eyes suddenly sharper. â€Å"How does going to one of those other planets help you? You'll still be a parasite, kid.† Ian flinched around me at the harsh word. And I flinched also, because Jeb was too insightful, as always. They waited for my answer, all but Doc, who knew what the real answer was. The one I wouldn't give. I tried to say only true things. â€Å"It's different on other planets, Jeb. There isn't any resistance. And the hosts themselves are different. They aren't as individualized as humans, their emotions are so much milder. It doesn't feel like stealing a life. Not like it feels here. No one will hate me. And I'd be too far away to hurt you. You'd be safer†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The last part sounded too much like the lie it was, so I let my voice trail off. Jeb stared at me through narrowed eyes, and I looked away. I tried not to look at Doc, but I couldn't help one brief glance, to make sure he understood. His eyes locked on mine, clearly miserable, and I knew that he did. As I quickly lowered my gaze, I caught Jared staring at Doc. Had he seen the silent communication? Jeb sighed. â€Å"This is†¦ a pickle.† His face turned into a grimace as he concentrated on the dilemma. â€Å"Jeb -† Ian and Jared said together. They both stopped and scowled at each other. This was all just a waste of time, and I had only hours. Just a few more hours, I knew that for certain now. â€Å"Jeb,† I said softly, my voice barely audible over the spring's gushing murmur, and everyone turned to me. â€Å"You don't have to decide right now. Doc needs to check on Jodi, and I'd like to see her, too. Plus, I haven't eaten all day. Why don't you sleep on it? We can talk again tomorrow. We've got plenty of time to think about this.† Lies. Could they tell? â€Å"That's a good idea, Wanda. I think everyone here could use a breather. Go get some food, and we'll all sleep on it.† I was very careful not to look at Doc now, even when I spoke to him. â€Å"I'll be along to help with Jodi after I eat, Doc. See you later.† â€Å"Okay,† Doc said warily. Why couldn't he keep his tone casual? He was a human-he should have been a good liar. â€Å"Hungry?† Ian murmured, and I nodded. I let him help me up. He latched on to my hand, and I knew he would be keeping a tight hold on me now. That didn't worry me. He slept deeply, like Jamie. As we walked from the dark room, I could feel eyes on my back, but I wasn't sure whose. Just a few more things to do. Three, to be precise. Three last deeds to be completed. First, I ate. It wouldn't be nice to leave Mel with her body uncomfortable from hunger. Besides, the food was better since I'd been raiding. Something to look forward to rather than endure. I made Ian get the food and bring it to me while I hid in the field where half-grown sprouts of wheat replaced the corn. I told Ian the truth so that he would help me: I was avoiding Jamie. I didn't want Jamie frightened by this decision. It would be harder for him than for Jared or Ian-they each took one side. Jamie loved us both; he would be more evenly torn. Ian did not argue with me. We ate in silence, his arm tight around my waist. Second, I went to see Sunny and Jodi. I expected to see three glowing cryotanks on top of Doc's desk, and I was surprised that there were still just the two Healers, set in the center. Doc and Kyle hovered over the cot where Jodi lay inert. I walked quickly to them, about to demand to know where Sunny was, but when I got closer, I saw that Kyle had an occupied cryotank cradled in one arm. â€Å"You'll want to be gentle with that,† I murmured. Doc was touching Jodi's wrist, counting to himself. His lips pressed into a thin line when he heard my voice, and he had to begin over again. â€Å"Yeah, Doc told me that,† Kyle said, his gaze never leaving Jodi's face. A dark, matched set of bruises was forming under his eyes. Was his nose broken again? â€Å"I'm being careful. I just†¦ didn't want to leave her alone over there. She was so sad and so†¦ sweet.† â€Å"I'm sure she'd appreciate it, if she knew.† He nodded, still staring at Jodi. â€Å"Is there something I'm supposed to be doing here? Is there some way to help?† â€Å"Talk to her, say her name, talk about things she'll remember. Talk about Sunny, even. That helped with the Healer's host.† â€Å"Mandy,† Doc corrected. â€Å"She says it's not exactly right, but it's close.† â€Å"Mandy,† I repeated. Not that I would need to remember. â€Å"Where is she?† â€Å"With Trudy-that was a good call there. Trudy's exactly the right person. I think she's gotten her to sleep.† â€Å"That's good. Mandy will be okay.† â€Å"I hope so.† Doc smiled, but it didn't affect his gloomy expression much. â€Å"I've got lots of questions for her.† I looked at the small woman-it was still impossible to believe that she was older than the body I wore. Her face was slack and vacant. It frightened me a little-she'd been so vibrantly alive when Sunny was inside. Would Mel†¦? I'm still here. I know. You'll be fine. Like Lacey. She winced, and so did I. Never like Lacey. I touched Jodi's arm softly. She was much like Lacey in some ways. Olive skinned and black haired and tiny. They could almost be sisters, except that Jodi's sweet, wan face could never look so repellent. Kyle was tongue-tied, holding her hand. â€Å"Like this, Kyle,† I said. I brushed her arm again. â€Å"Jodi? Jodi, can you hear me? Kyle's waiting for you, Jodi. He got himself in a lot of trouble getting you here-everybody who knows him wants to beat him senseless.† I grinned wryly at the big man, and his lips curled up at the corners, though he didn't look up to see my smile. â€Å"Not that you're surprised to hear that,† Ian said beside me. â€Å"When hasn't that been the case, eh, Jodi? It's good to see you again, sweetheart. Though I wonder if you feel the same way. Must have been a nice break to get rid of this idiot for so long.† Kyle hadn't noticed his brother was there, attached like a vise to my hand, until Ian spoke. â€Å"You remember Ian, of course. Never has managed to catch up to me in anything, but he keeps trying. Hey, Ian,† Kyle added, never moving his eyes, â€Å"you got anything you want to say to me?† â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"I'm waiting for an apology.† â€Å"Keep waiting.† â€Å"Can you believe he kicked me in the face, Jodes? For no reason at all.† â€Å"Who needs an excuse, eh, Jodi?† It was oddly pleasant, the banter between the brothers. Jodi's presence kept it light and teasing. Gentle and funny. I would have woken up for this. If I were her, I would have been smiling already. â€Å"Keep it up, Kyle,† I murmured. â€Å"That's just right. She'll come around.† I wished I would get to meet her, to see what she was like. I could only picture Sunny's expressions. What would it be like for everyone here, meeting Melanie for the first time? Would it seem the same to them, as if there were no difference? Would they really grasp that I was gone, or would Melanie simply fill the role I had? Maybe they would find her entirely different. Maybe they would have to adjust to her all over again. Maybe she would fit in the way I never had. I pictured her, which was picturing me, the center of a crowd of friendly faces. Pictured us with Freedom in our arms and all the humans who had never trusted me smiling with welcome. Why did that bring tears to my eyes? Was I really so petty? No, Mel assured me. And they'll miss you-of course they will. All the best people here will feel your loss. She seemed to finally accept my decision. Not accept, she disagreed. I just can't see any way to stop you. And I can feel how close it is. I'm scared, too. Isn't that funny? I'm absolutely terrified. That makes two of us. â€Å"Wanda?† Kyle said. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Um†¦ why?† â€Å"For trying to kill you,† he said casually. â€Å"Guess I was wrong.† Ian gasped. â€Å"Please tell me you have some kind of recording device available, Doc.† â€Å"Nope. Sorry, Ian.† Ian shook his head. â€Å"This moment should be preserved. I never thought I'd live to see the day that Kyle O'Shea would admit to being wrong. C'mon, Jodi. That ought to shock you awake.† â€Å"Jodi, baby, don't you want to defend me? Tell Ian I never have been wrong before.† He chuckled. That was nice. It was nice to know that I'd earned Kyle's acceptance before I left. I hadn't expected that much. There was no more I could do here. There was no point in lingering. Jodi would either come back or she would not, but neither outcome would change my path now. So I proceeded to my third and final deed: I lied. I stepped away from the cot, took a deep breath, and stretched my arms. â€Å"I'm tired, Ian,† I said. Was it really a lie? It didn't sound so false. It had been a long, long day, this, my last day. I'd been up all night, I realized. I hadn't slept since that last raid; I must have been exhausted. Ian nodded. â€Å"I'll bet you are. Did you stay up with the Heal-with Mandy all night?† â€Å"Yeah.† I yawned. â€Å"Have a nice night, Doc,† Ian said, pulling me toward the exit. â€Å"Good luck, Kyle. We'll be back in the morning.† â€Å"Night, Kyle,† I murmured. â€Å"See you, Doc.† Doc glowered at me, but Ian's back was to him, and Kyle was staring at Jodi. I returned Doc's glare with a steady gaze. Ian walked with me through the black tunnel, saying nothing. I was glad he wasn't in the mood for conversation. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on it. My stomach was twisting and turning, wringing itself into strange contortions. I was done, all my tasks accomplished. I only had to wait a bit now and not fall asleep. Tired as I was, I didn't think that would be a problem. My heart was pounding like a fist hitting my ribs from the inside. No more stalling. It had to be tonight, and Mel knew that, too. What had happened today with Ian had shown me that. The longer I stayed, the more tears and arguments and fights I would cause. The better the chance that I or someone else would slip up and Jamie would find out the truth. Let Mel explain it after the fact. It would be better that way. Thanks so much, Mel thought; her words flowed fast, in a burst, her fear marring her sarcasm. Sorry. You don't mind too much? She sighed. How can I mind? I'd do anything you asked me to, Wanda. Take care of them for me. I would have done that anyway. Ian, too. If he'll let me. I've got a feeling he might not like me so much. Even if he won't let you. I'll do whatever I can for him, Wanda. I promise. Ian paused in the hall outside the red and gray doors to his room. He raised his eyebrows, and I nodded. Let him think I was still hiding from Jamie. That was true, too. Ian slid the red door aside, and I went straight to the mattress on the right. I balled up there, knotting my shaking hands in front of my hammering heart, trying to hide them behind my knees. Ian curled around me, holding me close to his chest. This would have been fine-I knew that he would end up sprawled out in all directions when he was really asleep-except that he could feel my trembling. â€Å"It's going to be fine, Wanda. I know we'll find a solution.† â€Å"I truly love you, Ian.† It was the only way I could tell him goodbye. The only way he would accept. I knew he would remember later and understand. â€Å"With my whole soul, I love you.† â€Å"I truly love you, too, my Wanderer.† He nuzzled his face against mine until he found my lips, then he kissed me, slow and gentle, the flow of molten rock swelling languidly in the dark at the center of the earth, until my shaking slowed. â€Å"Sleep, Wanda. Save it for tomorrow. It will keep for the night.† I nodded, moving my face against his, and sighed. Ian was tired, too. I didn't have to wait long. I stared at the ceiling-the stars had moved above the cracks here. I could see three of them now, where before there had been only two. I watched them wink and pulse across the blackness of space. They did not call to me. I had no desire to join them. One at a time, Ian's arms fell away from me. He flopped onto his back, muttering in his sleep. I didn't dare wait any longer; I wanted too badly to stay, to fall asleep with him and steal one more day. I moved cautiously, but he was in no danger of waking. His breathing was heavy and even. He wouldn't open his eyes till morning. I brushed his smooth forehead with my lips, then rose and slid out the door. It was not late, and the caves were not empty. I could hear voices bouncing around, strange echoes that might have been coming from anywhere. I didn't see anyone until I was in the big cave. Geoffrey, Heath, and Lily were on their way back from the kitchen. I kept my eyes down, though I was very glad to see Lily. In the brief glimpse I allowed myself, I could see that she was at least standing upright, her shoulders straight. Lily was tough. Like Mel. She'd make it, too. I hurried to the southern corridor, relieved when I was safe in the blackness there. Relieved and horrified. It was really over now. I'm so afraid, I whimpered. Before Mel could respond, a heavy hand dropped on my shoulder from the darkness. â€Å"Going somewhere?†