Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Romanticism Vs. Survival In Th :: essays research papers
An important theme in The Death of Artemio Cruz, by Calrlos Fuentes, was the comparison of romanticism and survival. This is shown through two important characters: Artemio Cruz, and his son Lorenzo. A romantic (Lorenzo) is a being that has ideals and fights for them. They know their goals and try to achieve them, while survivors have an only goal of keeping themselves alive. The survivors live through their choices and the romantics die as heroes, but each one complements the missing half of the other. Artemio Cruz is a typical survivor. He “knew how to fuck up other people and not get [himself] fucked over'; (PAGE 137). His choices allow him to survive and others to be killed. Although he lives through his choices, Fuentes shows through his interesting narrative device of expressing Cruz’s unconscious, thoughts and memories that he regrets and reflects upon while on his deathbed. When the second person narrator says that you “are going to live...You are going to be the meeting point, the universal order’s reason for being...Your body has a reason for being...Your life has a reason for being...You are, you will be, you were, the universe incarnate'; (PAGE 305), he is trying to show that everyone has a reason for living. Fuentes shows the reader why Artemio’s life is so important and why he believes that he is a model to the people. Artemio Cruz lives through his choices. He chooses to be a survivor, but each time he makes a choice, he leaves part of his romantic half behind since he saved himself instead of others. Instead of following his ideals, he follows his greed. He chooses to become rich and corrupt and to abandon his dreams, but he regrets doing a lot of those things because he killed many people in order to survive, including a part of himself. He said that he “could have died at Perales...with that soldier...I survived. You died'; (PAGE 236). After everything is passed, he stops to think about what he did wrong and regrets it, but at the time, he just cared about himself. When he went to war he met Regina and they started to have a relationship, but since he is a survivor, once again he saved himself. Regina got killed, but he didn’t. However, his son Lorenzo, has a completely different life story, but of the same importance.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Get the Highest Price When You Sell Your Existing Websites :: Sell Websites Buy Websites
Get the Highest Price When You Sell Your Existing Websites Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com It is very important not to be passive when selling your website. If you don't investigate potential buyers while they are investigating you, it will be impossible to get the best deal. While potential buyers are analyzing your website, you should analyze their website. You're looking for assessments of management's strengths: how the company will integrate your website into their current portfolio of websites. You should determine how well the company has handled previous website acquisitions, if any. It is in your best interest to visit as many websites as necessary and fully interview all top managers of previously acquired websites. When you receive several offers for your website, you must carefully analyze the future value of each proposed acquisition. Companies may offer you a combination of cash, debt, and registered or unregistered stock. You've got to assess the financial realities and future of each -- its capital base, cash flow, bank accounts, liquidity, stock value, or potential to go public -- to get a sense of how much the deal will ultimately be worth to you. When I sold the first website I developed, I accepted the offer made by a company which intended to go public soon after the acquisition of my website. This one detail increased the value of the deal substantially: the stock I received as part of the deal went public at $31.50 and was trading at around $74 only six months later. A competing offer made by a nonpublic company, offered me stock options, but I had serious questions about whether those would ever have any value, since the company might never go public. If you're trying to sell your website, you better make the sale your full-time job. Don’t be distracted by the day-to-day operation of your website or websites. Most of your time should be invested in researching your potential purchasers while tracking down figures and documentation for them and then negotiating terms.
State and Church Essay -- essays research papers fc
Christopher Columbus and Cabeza de Vaca were two known adventurers, one being an explorer and the other as a treasurer. Both men had great reputations, which led to positions of high status. Cabeza de Vaca became the treasurer on an expedition to explore the Gulf coast as a young nobleman and Christopher Columbus went on many expeditions to explore lands of treasure and jewels of all sorts. Both men explored in a time in which the lands were controlled by church and state and because of this, pressure of enormous amounts were placed on the shoulders of these men. The misfortunes these men encountered on their expeditions led them to choose a side in which they tried to disguise their true outcomes. Cabeza de Vaca and Christopher Columbus used the power the church possessed and embellished in the writings as a means to escape ridicule and or conviction from the state.      One can get a sense from the works of Cabeza de Vaca that he went through hardship when captured by the Indians. In addition you can a sense that he uses much imagery of his men being killed and picked off one by one because he knew that the state and church would read his writings. My opinion of chapter seven is very skeptical because I feel that Cabeza de Vaca wanted to show the state and church that life over in the New World was very troubling and full of challenges so great no man can bare. He embellishes his writings in purpose of being forgiven for the money and manpower spent on the expedition. In chapter seven Cabeza de Vaca shows in his writings how he was attacked numerous times, â€Å"The day following, others came against us from a town on the opposite side of the lake, and attacked us as the first had done, escaping in the same way,                                                        pg. 1 except one who was also slain†(pg. 130). He keeps showing the reader that he was attacked numerous times but yet the Indians escaped the same way as the first did. These accounts could show the church that Cabeza de Vaca was strong in his encounters with harsh conditions and that these experie... ...ed this statement with the hoping he will return to explore because he feels that the third voyage did not find riches and other valuable items.      Both men used the church to somewhat cover up the unsuccessful expeditions and voyages that occurred. I feel that the writings were intentional in the fact they were not only made to keep accounts but also to show the church that they are still skilled as before they left. They also write with a manner in which they want to be rewarded somehow for their findings or misfortunes they encountered in such harsh conditions.                                                        Pg. 4 Works Cited Columbus, Christopher. The Four Voyages of Columbus. Trans. J.M. Cohen      1969. Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar Nunez. Relation of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca. Trans.      Buckingham Smith. 1871.
International business management Essay
1. Regional integration Regional integration is a process in which states enter into a regional agreement in order to enhance regional cooperation through regional institutions and rules. The objectives of the agreement could range from economic to political to environmental, although it has typically taken the form of a political economy initiative where commercial interests have been the focus for achieving broader socio political and security objectives, as defined by national governments. Regional integration has been organized either via supranational institutional structures or through intergovernmental decision-making, or a combination of both. Past efforts at regional integration have often focused on removing barriers to free trade in the region, increasing the free movement of people, labour, goods, and capital across national borders, reducing the possibility of regional armed conflict (for example, through Confidence and Security-Building Measures), and adopting cohesive regional stances on policy issues, such as the environment, climate change and migration. 2. Internalization Internationalization is the process of acceptance of a set of norms and value established by people or groups which are influential to the individual through the process of socialization. John Finley Scott (1971) Also it can be defined as a process through which we come to identify parts of our culture as part of ourselves especially to norms and values. 3. Internalization process In international business management describes the process in which the firm gradually becomes involved in international business and enters foreign market whereby the discussions and decisions on development of the domestic market and international market are made. The term international usually refers to either an attitude of the firmtowards foreign activities or to tlie actual carrying out of activities abroad.*Of course there is a ciose relationship between attitudes and actuai behaviour.The attitudes are the basis for decisions to undertake international ventures and the experiences from international activities infiuence these attitudes. In the case descriptions we have to concentrate on those aspects of the internationalization that are easy to observe, that is the international activities. We consider, however, these attitudes as interesting and important and the discussion of the internationalization process is basically an account of the interaction between attitudes and actual behaviour 4. Expand Sales Companies sales are dependent on two factors: the consumers’ interest in their products or services and the consumers’ willingness and ability to buy them. The number of people and the amount of their purchasing power are higher for the world as a whole than for a single country, so companies may increase their sales by reaching international business. Ordinarily, higher sales means higher profits, assuming each unit sold has the same markup. For example, the Star Wars cost millions of dollars to produce, but as more people see the films, the average production cost per viewer decreases. So, increasing the sales will be major motive for a company’s expansion into international business. 5. Acquire Resources Manufacturers and distributors seek out products, services and components produced in foreign countries. They also look for foreign capital, technologies, and information they can use at home. Acquiring resources may enable a company to improve its product quality and differentiate itself from competitors in both cases, potentially increasing market share and profits. Although a company may initially use domestic resources to expand abroad, once the foreign operations are in place, the foreign earnings may the serve as resources for domestic operations. 6. Diversify Sources of Sales and Supplies To minimize swings in sales and profits, companies may seek out foreign markets to take advantage of business cycle recessions and expansions differences among countries. Sales decrease in a country that is in a recession and increase in one that is expanding economically. By obtaining supplies of the same product or component from different countries, companies may be able to avoid the full impact of price swings or shortages in any one country. 7. Minimize Competitive Risk Many companies enter into international business for defensive reasons. They want to counter advantages competitors might gain in foreign markets that, in turn, could hurt them domestically. For example company A and company B compete in the same domestic market. Company. A may fear that Company B will generate large profits from a foreign market if left alone to serve that market. Company B may then use those profits in various ways (such as additional advertising or development of improved products) to improve its competitive position in the domestic market. Companies harboring such a fear may enter foreign markets primarily to prevent a competitor from gaining advantages. 8. Controlling Expenses Every business wants to have low expenses; so some companies will therefore enter the global arena to minimize their costs. Companies will examine the resources they need and where they can get them at the lowest price. By searching outside of their own borders, companies hope to find more economical solutions to the production and manufacturing problems they have. Business might choose to take advantage of lower labor costs, they might move manufacturing plants closer to natural resources, invest in new and more efficient technology, or profit from another countries innovations or tax structures. For example a company that is located in Toronto that gets most of their resources from Japan might want to look into moving the company closer to Japan or they might have to look into finding a new place to get their resources. This is known as outsourcing, meaning that a company will obtain something by contracting it from another source. 9. Diversification In order to diversify a company’s product line they may choose to enter a specific international market. This will apply to both a large scale international business along with a small company. Companies have a foothold in a number of countries so they don’t have to depend on the economy of one country. Companies engaged in international business can protect their investments and their markets by dealing with countries in a variety of countries. A recession in one county won’t have a huge effect if business is doing well in another country. 10. Competitiveness Many companies expand globally for defensive reasons to protect themselves from competitors or potential competitors, or to gain advantage over them. In today’s business environment, even a small business is competing with international businesses. A neighbourhood video store is facing competition from a larger international company such as Blockbuster Video. A local store may have a limited selection because of its small size but it may be able to offer more personal service, a more specialized stock or even lower prices. On the other hand, local businesses may find if difficult to compete with the selection and price that multinational companies can offer. If their businesses are too threatened, they may find wider markets or merge with a larger, possibly international company. International Business Theories Analytical framework of International Business (IB) is built around the activities of MNEs enunciated by the process of internationalization (Kamwesara, 2010p.17). Before emergence of MNEs, Foreign trade and IB were regarded as synonymous and international trade doctrines based on labour cost differentials free trade guided the international transactions among trading partners. Several theories have been formulated which form the basis of international trade and FDI.
Deception Point Page 107
Rachel fell onto her back against the cockpit's rear wall. Half submerged in sloshing water, she stared straight up at the leaking dome, hovering over her like a giant skylight. Outside was only night†¦ and thousands of tons of ocean pressing down. Rachel willed herself to get up, but her body felt dead and heavy. Again her mind reeled backward in time to the icy grip of a frozen river. â€Å"Fight, Rachel!†her mother was shouting, reaching down to pull her out of the water. â€Å"Grab on!†Rachel closed her eyes. I'm sinking. Her skates felt like lead weights, dragging her down. She could see her mother lying spread-eagle on the ice to disperse her own weight, reaching out. â€Å"Kick, Rachel! Kick with your feet!†Rachel kicked as best as she could. Her body rose slightly in the icy hole. A spark of hope. Her mother grabbed on. â€Å"Yes!†her mother shouted. â€Å"Help me lift you! Kick with your feet!†With her mother pulling from above, Rachel used the last of her energy to kick with her skates. It was just enough, and her mother dragged Rachel up to safety. She dragged the soaking Rachel all the way to the snowy bank before collapsing in tears. Now, inside the growing humidity and heat of the sub, Rachel opened her eyes to the blackness around her. She heard her mother whispering from the grave, her voice clear even here in the sinking Triton. Kick with your feet. Rachel looked up at the dome overhead. Mustering the last of her courage, Rachel clambered up onto the cockpit chair, which was oriented almost horizontally now, like a dental chair. Lying on her back, Rachel bent her knees, pulled her legs back as far as she could, aimed her feet upward, and exploded forward. With a wild scream of desperation and force, she drove her feet into the center of the acrylic dome. Spikes of pain shot into her shins, sending her brain reeling. Her ears thundered suddenly, and she felt the pressure equalize with a violent rush. The seal on the left side of the dome gave way, and the huge lens partially dislodged, swinging open like a barn door. A torrent of water crashed into the sub and drove Rachel back into her chair. The ocean thundered in around her, swirling up under her back, lifting her now off the chair, tossing her upside down like a sock in a washing machine. Rachel groped blindly for something to hold on to, but she was spinning wildly. As the cockpit filled, she could feel the sub begin a rapid free fall for the bottom. Her body rammed upward in the cockpit, and she felt herself pinned. A rush of bubbles erupted around her, twisting her, dragging her to the left and upward. A flap of hard acrylic smashed into her hip. All at once she was free. Twisting and tumbling into the endless warmth and watery blackness, Rachel felt her lungs already aching for air. Get to the surface! She looked for light but saw nothing. Her world looked the same in all directions. Blackness. No gravity. No sense of up or down. In that terrifying instant, Rachel realized she had no idea which way to swim. Thousands of feet beneath her, the sinking Kiowa chopper crumpled beneath the relentlessly increasing pressure. The fifteen high-explosive, antitank AGM-114 Hellfire missiles still aboard strained against the compression, their copper liner cones and spring-detonation heads inching perilously inward. A hundred feet above the ocean floor, the powerful shaft of the megaplume grabbed the remains of the chopper and sucked it downward, hurling it against the red-hot crust of the magma dome. Like a box of matches igniting in series, the Hellfire missiles exploded, tearing a gaping hole through the top of the magma dome. Having surfaced for air, and then dove again in desperation, Michael Tolland was suspended fifteen feet underwater scanning the blackness when the Hellfire missiles exploded. The white flash billowed upward, illuminating an astonishing image-a freeze-frame he would remember forever. Rachel Sexton hung ten feet below him like a tangled marionette in the water. Beneath her, the Triton sub fell away fast, its dome hanging loose. The sharks in the area scattered for the open sea, clearly sensing the danger this area was about to unleash. Tolland's exhilaration at seeing Rachel out of the sub was instantly vanquished by the realization of what was about to follow. Memorizing her position as the light disappeared, Tolland dove hard, clawing his way toward her. Thousands of feet down, the shattered crust of the magma dome exploded apart, and the underwater volcano erupted, spewing twelve-hundred-degree-Celsius magma up into the sea. The scorching lava vaporized all the water it touched, sending a massive pillar of steam rocketing toward the surface up the central axis of the megaplume. Driven by the same kinematic properties of fluid dynamics that powered tornadoes, the steam's vertical transfer of energy was counterbalanced by an anticyclonic vorticity spiral that circled the shaft, carrying energy in the opposite direction. Spiraling around this column of rising gas, the ocean currents started intensifying, twisting downward. The fleeing steam created an enormous vacuum that sucked millions of gallons of seawater downward into contact with the magma. As the new water hit bottom, it too turned into steam and needed a way to escape, joining the growing column of exhaust steam and shooting upward, pulling more water in beneath it. As more water rushed in to take its place, the vortex intensified. The hydrothermal plume elongated, and the towering whirlpool grew stronger with every passing second, its upper rim moving steadily toward the surface. An oceanic black hole had just been born. Rachel felt like a child in a womb. Hot, wet darkness all engulfing her. Her thoughts were muddled in the inky warmth. Breathe. She fought the reflex. The flash of light she had seen could only have come from the surface, and yet it seemed so far away. An illusion. Get to the surface. Weakly, Rachel began swimming in the direction where she had seen the light. She saw more light now†¦ an eerie red glow in the distance. Daylight? She swam harder. A hand caught her by the ankle. Rachel half-screamed underwater, almost exhaling the last of her air. The hand pulled her backward, twisting her, pointing her back in the opposite direction. Rachel felt a familiar hand grasp hers. Michael Tolland was there, pulling her along with him the other way. Rachel's mind said he was taking her down. Her heart said he knew what he was doing. Kick with your feet, her mother's voice whispered. Rachel kicked as hard as she could. 130 Even as Tolland and Rachel broke the surface, he knew it was over. The magma dome erupted. As soon as the top of the vortex reached the surface, the giant underwater tornado would begin pulling everything down. Strangely, the world above the surface was not the quiet dawn he had left only moments ago. The noise was deafening. Wind slashed at him as if some kind of storm had hit while he was underwater. Tolland felt delirious from lack of oxygen. He tried to support Rachel in the water, but she was being pulled from his arms. The current! Tolland tried to hold on, but the invisible force pulled harder, threatening to tear her from him. Suddenly, his grip slipped, and Rachel's body slid through his arms-but upward. Bewildered, Tolland watched Rachel's body rise out of the water. Overhead, the Coast Guard Osprey tilt-rotor airplane hovered and winched Rachel in. Twenty minutes ago, the Coast Guard had gotten a report of an explosion out at sea. Having lost track of the Dolphin helicopter that was supposed to be in the area, they feared an accident. They typed the chopper's last known coordinates into their navigation system and hoped for the best. About a half mile from the illuminated Goya, they saw a field of burning wreckage drifting on the current. It looked like a speedboat. Nearby, a man was in the water, waving his arms wildly. They winched him in. He was stark naked-all except for one leg, which was covered with duct tape.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Online vs traditional classrooms Essay
Online classes and traditional classes are both great options for obtaining a college education. They have a common goal of helping students reach their educational goals. Either path the student decides to take has its positive and negative aspects. The three biggest areas to consider when making the decision between online or traditional classes are the expenses, convenience or ease of accessibility, and the communication between students and instructors. Both online and traditional classes offer students an education, which is very important part of being successful in life. Expense is one of the biggest aspects of both online classes and traditional classes that should be considered when continuing your education. Online classes cost considerably less in tuition when a student completes a degree that is only online. However, online classes require you to have access to a computer and the internet at all times. There is no housing included, such as a room in a dormitory, so the st udent has to pay rent or mortgage and all the utilities. Books are available in a hardback or e-book, which cost about the same. Traditional classes can have an extremely high tuition, especially if it is at a university instead of a community college. In a traditional classes the student either pays to live on campus in a dormitory, or you rent off campus. If the student lives off campus, you spend money on gas, driving back and forth to campus. The car then has to have more maintenance which in turn cost more money. Depending on the students financial situation cost should be considered when choosing between online or traditional classes.Online and traditional classes are very different when it comes to convenience or the ease of accessibility. Online classes have twenty-four hour availability. A student can schedule the school work needed around their personal life, whether it’s a job, family, or personal time. This convenience can make life easier to balance, or it can make things harder. If the student procrastinates they will get behind in their school work. The work load for online classes can be more spread out, and they have the option to take test inline as long as they are submitted by the due date. The online school system can offer instant feedback on a test because the computer grades it when you submit it. Online degrees can usually be completed in a shorter amount of time because the online classrooms can admit more students at one time. Students also have a chance to obtain a degree in a program that may not be available in a school in their area. Traditional classes offer the stability of a more structured schedule. In a traditional class you may have a larger work load because of homework due daily instead of weekly. In traditional classes attendance is mandatory which can be difficult for a student working a full time job, or having other matters they have to attend to. Accessibility is an important aspect a student should consider when choosing between the two types of classes. Whether in an online or traditional classes, communication between the student and instructor is important. Online classes require students to communicate with the instructor and other students by e-mail or in an online forum. In order to be successful the student has to have working knowledge of a comp uter and know how to search for answers. When a student has to ask a question they may not be able to get the answer quickly, which may cause them to fall behind. Having to rely on e-mails to communicate doesn’t give the student a chance to have personal contact. When a student is confused or having a hard time the personal contact with an instructor can be the best way to get help. Students also have more interaction with other students in a traditional classroom which teaches better communication skills.A college degree can be obtained by taking traditional or online classes. Some students take a combination of both to get the degree. Students have to consider their lifestyles and personalities when considering what type of classes to take. Some important things to look at when deciding what kind of classes to take are expense, convenience, and communication. Since every student is different there really isn’t an easy answer, both offers great ways to continue somebodies education.
Succubus Blues CHAPTER 5
â€Å"For someone who just orchestrated a murder, you're kind of overreacting.†Overreacting? In the last twenty-four hours, I'd had to endure virgins, scary vampires, murder, accusation, and humiliation in front of my favorite author. I really didn't think coming home to a quiet apartment was too much to ask for. Instead, I found three interlopers. Three interlopers who were also my friends, mind you, but that didn't change the principle of the matter. Naturally, none of them understood why I was so upset. â€Å"You're invading my privacy! And I didn't murder anybody. Why does everyone keep thinking that?†â€Å"Because you said yourself you were going to,†explained Hugh. The imp sprawled on my love seat, his relaxed posture indicating I might actually be the one in his home. â€Å"I heard it from Jerome.†Across from him, our friend Cody offered me a friendly smile. He was exceptionally young for a vampire and reminded me of the kid brother I'd never had. â€Å"Don't worry. He had it coming. We stand by you all the way.†â€Å"But I didn't – â€Å" â€Å"Is that our illustrious hostess I hear?†called Peter from the bathroom. A moment later, he appeared in the hallway. â€Å"You look pretty snazzy for a criminal mastermind.†â€Å"I'm not – †My words died on my lips as I caught sight of him. For a moment, all thoughts of murder and apartment intrusion blanked out of my mind. â€Å"For God's sake, Peter. What happened to your hair?†He self-consciously ran a hand over the sharp, half-inch spikes covering his head. I couldn't even imagine how much styling product it must have taken to defy the laws of physics like that. Worse, the tips of the spikes were white-blond, standing out boldly against his normally dark hair color. â€Å"Someone I work with helped me with it.†â€Å"Someone who hates you?†Peter scowled. â€Å"You are the most uncharming succubus I've ever met.†â€Å"I think the spikes really, um, emphasize the shape of your eyebrows,†offered Cody diplomatically. â€Å"They just take†¦ some getting used to.†I shook my head. I liked Peter and Cody. They were the only vampires I'd ever been friends with, but that didn't make them any less trying. Between Peter's assorted neuroses and Cody's dogged optimism, I sometimes felt like the straight man – er, woman – on a sitcom. â€Å"A lot of getting used to,†I muttered, pulling up a bar-stool from my kitchen. â€Å"You're one to talk,†returned Peter. â€Å"You and your wings and whip getup.†My mouth dropped, and I turned an incredulous look on Hugh. He hastily shut the Victoria's Secret catalog he'd been leafing through. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"You said you weren't going to tell! You sealed your lips and everything!†â€Å"I, uh†¦ it just sort of slipped out.†â€Å"Did you really have horns?†asked Peter. â€Å"All right, that's it. I want you all out of here now.†I pointed at the door. â€Å"I've been through enough today without you three adding to it.†â€Å"You haven't even told us about taking the contract out on Duane.†Cody's puppy-dog eyes looked at me pleadingly. â€Å"We're dying to know.†â€Å"Well, Duane's the one who technically did the dying,†pointed out Peter in an undertone. â€Å"Watch the snide comments,†warned Hugh. â€Å"You might be next.†I half expected steam to pour from my ears. â€Å"For the last time, I did not kill Duane! Jerome believes me, okay?†Cody looked thoughtful. â€Å"But you did threaten him†¦Ã¢â‚¬ â€Å"Yes. And from what I recall, so have all of you at some time or another. This is just a coincidence. I didn't have anything to do with it, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Something suddenly occurred to me. â€Å"Why does everyone keep saying things like ‘arranged his death' or ‘got someone to murder him'? Why aren't you saying that I did it myself?†â€Å"Wait†¦ you just said you didn't.†Peter rolled his eyes at Cody before facing me, the older vampire's expression turning serious. Of course, â€Å"serious†means all sorts of things when paired with a hairstyle like his. â€Å"No one's saying you did it because you couldn't have.†â€Å"Especially in those shoes.†Hugh nodded toward my heels. â€Å"I appreciate your complete lack of faith in my abilities, but isn't it possible I could have, I don't know, taken him by surprise? Hypothetically, I mean.†Peter smiled. â€Å"It wouldn't have mattered. Lesser immortals can't kill one another.†Seeing my astonished look, he added, â€Å"How can you not know that? After living as long as you have?†Teasing laced his words. There had always been an unspoken mystery between Peter and me concerning which of us was the oldest of the mortals-turned-immortals in our little circle. Neither of us would openly admit our age, so we'd never really determined who had the most centuries. One night, after a bottle of tequila, we'd started playing a â€Å"Do you remember when†¦Ã¢â‚¬ sort of game. We'd only gotten back as far as the Industrial Revolution before passing out. â€Å"Because no one's ever tried to kill me. So what, are you saying all those turf wars vampires have are for nothing?†â€Å"Well, not for nothing,†he said. â€Å"We inflict some pretty terrific damage, believe me. But no, no one ever dies. With all the territory disputes, there'd be very few of us left if we could kill each other.†I stayed silent, turning this revelation over in my head. â€Å"Then how do – †I suddenly remembered what Jerome had told me. â€Å"They get killed by vampire hunters.†Peter nodded. â€Å"What's the deal with them?†I asked. â€Å"Jerome wouldn't elaborate.†Hugh was equally interested. â€Å"You mean like that one girl on TV? The hot blonde?†â€Å"This is going to be a long night.†Peter gave us both scathing looks. â€Å"You all need some serious Vampires 101. I don't suppose you're going to offer us anything to drink, Georgina?†I waved an impatient hand toward the kitchen. â€Å"Get whatever you want. I want to know about vampire hunters.†Peter sauntered out of my living room, yelping when he nearly tripped over one of the many stacks of books I had sitting around. I made a mental note to buy a new bookshelf. Scowling, he surveyed my nearly empty refrigerator with disapproval. â€Å"You really need to work on your hosting skills.†â€Å"Peter – â€Å" â€Å"Now, I keep hearing stories about that other succubus†¦ the one in Missoula. What's her name again?†â€Å"Donna,†offered Hugh. â€Å"Yeah, Donna. She throws great parties, I hear. Gets them catered. Invites everyone.†â€Å"If you guys want to party with all ten people in Montana, then you're welcome to move there. Now stop wasting time.†Ignoring me, Peter eyed the red carnations I'd bought the other night. I'd put them in a vase near the kitchen sink. â€Å"Who sent you flowers?†â€Å"No one.†â€Å"You sent yourself flowers?†asked Cody, his voice quaking with sympathy. â€Å"No, I just bought them. It's not the same. I didn't – look. Why are we talking about this when there's an alleged vampire killer on the loose? Are you two in danger?†Peter finally opted for water but tossed beers to Hugh and Cody. â€Å"Nope.†â€Å"We aren't?†Cody seemed surprised to learn this. His scant years as a vampire practically made him a baby compared to the rest of us. Peter was teaching him â€Å"the trade,†so to speak. â€Å"Vampire hunters are simply special mortals born with the ability to inflict real damage to vampires. Mortals in general can't touch us, of course. Don't ask me how or why this all works; there's no system as far as I can tell. Most so-called vampire hunters go through life without even realizing they have this talent. The ones who do sometimes decide to make a career out of it. They pop up like this from time to time, picking off the occasional vampire, making a general nuisance of themselves until some enterprising vampire or demon takes them out.†â€Å"‘Nuisance'?†asked Cody incredulously. â€Å"Even after Duane? Aren't you the least bit worried about this person coming after you? After us?†â€Å"No,†said Peter. â€Å"I am not.†I shared Cody's confusion. â€Å"Why not?†â€Å"Because this person, whoever he or she is, is a total amateur.†Peter glanced over at Hugh and me. â€Å"What did Jerome say about Duane's death?†Deciding I needed a drink myself, I raided my kitchen liquor cabinet and made a vodka gimlet. â€Å"He wanted to know if I did it.†Peter made a dismissive gesture. â€Å"No, about how he died.†Hugh frowned, apparently trying to piece together the logic afoot. â€Å"He said that Duane had been found dead – with a stake through his heart.†â€Å"There. You see?†Peter looked at us expectantly. We all looked back, baffled. â€Å"I don't get it,†I finally said. Peter sighed, again looking utterly put out. â€Å"If you are a mortal who has the semidivine ability to kill a vampire, it doesn't fucking matter how you do it. You can use a gun, a knife, a candlestick, or whatever. The stake through the heart thing is hearsay. If a normal mortal does it to a vampire, it won't do a damned thing except really piss the vampire off. We only hear about it when a vampire hunter does it, so it carries some special superstitious lure, when really, it's only like that egg thing on the equinoxes.†â€Å"What?†Hugh looked totally lost. I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"I actually know what he's talking about, as scary as that is to admit. There's this urban myth that eggs balance on their ends during the equinoxes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the truth is, you'd get the same results any time of the year. People only try it on the equinoxes, however, so that's all anyone notices.†I glanced over at Peter. â€Å"Your point is that a vampire hunter could kill a vampire in any number of ways, but because the stake gets all the attention, that's what has become the accepted method of†¦ ‘revocation of immortality.' â€Å" â€Å"In people's minds,†he corrected. â€Å"In reality, it's a pain in the ass to drive a stake through someone's heart. A lot easier to shoot them.†â€Å"And so you think this hunter is an amateur because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Cody trailed off, obviously unconvinced by the compelling egg analogy. â€Å"Because any vampire hunter worth his or her snuff knows that and wouldn't use a stake. This person's a total newbie.†â€Å"First,†I advised Peter, â€Å"don't say ‘worth his snuff.' That expression's out-of-style and makes you sound dated. Second, maybe this hunter was just trying to be old-school or something. And even if this person is a ‘newbie,' does it really matter since they managed to take out Duane?†Peter shrugged. â€Å"He was an arrogant asshole. Vampires can sense vampire hunters at close range. Combined with this one's inexperience, Duane should have never been taken. He was stupid.†I opened my mouth to counter this. I would be among the first to agree that Duane had indeed been both arrogant and an asshole, but stupid he was not. Immortals could not live as long as we did and see as many things as we did without gleaning substantial know-how and street smarts. We grew up quickly, so to speak. Another question moved to the forefront of my reasoning. â€Å"Can these hunters hurt other immortals? Or just vampires?†â€Å"Only vampires, as far as I know.†Something didn't add up here between Peter's comments and Jerome's. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was bothering me exactly, so I kept my misgivings to myself as the others chatted on. The vampire hunter topic soon became passe, once they'd decided – with some disappointment – I hadn't contracted anybody. Cody and Hugh also seemed content to buy Peter's theory that an amateur hunter posed no real threat. â€Å"Be careful, you two,†I warned the vampires when they were getting ready to leave. â€Å"Newbie or no, Duane is still dead.†â€Å"Yes, Mom,†answered Peter disinterestedly, putting on his coat. I gave Cody a sharp look, and he squirmed a bit. He was easier to manipulate than his mentor. â€Å"I'll be careful, Georgina.†â€Å"Call me if anything weird happens.†He nodded, earning an eye roll from Peter. â€Å"Come on,†said the older vampire. â€Å"Let's get some dinner.†I had to smile at that. While vampires getting dinner might have frightened most people, I knew better. Peter and Cody both hated hunting human victims. They did it on occasion but rarely killed when they did. Most of their sustenance came from extra-rare butcher shop purchases. Like me, they were half- assingtheir infernal jobs. â€Å"Hugh,†I said sharply as he was about to follow the vampires out. â€Å"A word, please.†The vampires gave Hugh sympathetic looks before leaving. The imp grimaced, closing the door and facing me. â€Å"Hugh, I gave you that key for emergencies – â€Å" â€Å"Vampire murder doesn't constitute an emergency?†â€Å"I'm serious! It's bad enough Jerome and Carter can teleport in here without you deciding to open up my home to God and the world.†â€Å"I don't think God was invited tonight.†â€Å"And then, you went and told them about the demon-girl outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ â€Å"Oh come on,†he protested. â€Å"That was too good to keep to myself. Besides, they're our friends. What's it matter?†â€Å"It matters because you said you weren't going to tell,†I growled. â€Å"What kind of friend are you? Especially after I helped you out last night?†â€Å"Christ, Georgina. I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd take it so personally.†I ran a hand through my hair. â€Å"It's not just that. It's†¦ I don't know. It's this whole business with Duane. I was thinking about what Jerome told me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Hugh waited, giving me time to gather my thoughts, sensing I was about to unleash something. My mind pondered the night's unfolding as I studied the imp's large shape beside me. He could be as silly as the vampires sometimes; I didn't know if I could speak seriously to him. â€Å"Hugh†¦ how do you know if a demon is lying?†There was a pause, then he emitted a soft laugh, recognizing the old joke. â€Å"His lips are moving.†We leaned against my counter, and he studied me from his greater height. â€Å"Why? Do you think Jerome's lying to us?†â€Å"Yes, I do.†Another pause followed. â€Å"Tell me then.†â€Å"Jerome told me to be careful, said I could be mistaken for a vampire.†â€Å"He told me the same thing.†â€Å"But Peter said vampire hunters can't kill us.†â€Å"You ever had a stake driven through your heart? It might not kill you, but I bet you wouldn't like it.†â€Å"Fair enough. But Jerome claimed vampire hunters find other vampires by following their prey. That's bullshit. Cody and Peter are the exception. You know how most vampires are – they don't hang out with other vampires. Following one generally won't lead to another.†â€Å"Yeah, but he said this one was a newbie.†â€Å"Jerome didn't say that. That was Peter's theory based on the stake.†Hugh gave a conciliatory grunt. â€Å"Okay. So what do you think is going on?†â€Å"I don't know. I just know these stories are contradicting each other. And Carter seemed awfully involved, like he was in on some secret with Jerome. Why should Carter even care? His side should technically approve of someone picking off our people.†â€Å"He's an angel. Isn't he supposed to love everyone, even the damned? Especially when said damned are his drinking buddies.†â€Å"I don't know. There's more here than we're being told†¦ and Jerome seemed so adamant about me being careful. You too, apparently.†He stayed quiet a few moments before finally saying, â€Å"You're a pretty girl, Georgina.†I started. So much for serious talk. â€Å"Did you drink more than that beer?†â€Å"I forget, though,†he continued, ignoring my question, â€Å"that you're also a smart one. I work around shallow women so much – suburban housewives wanting smoother skin and bigger breasts – who have no other concerns but their appearances. It's easy to get caught up in the stereotypes and forget that you have a brain in there too, behind your beautiful face. You see things differently than the rest of us – more clearly, I guess. Sort of a bigger picture kind of thinking. Maybe it's your age – no offense.†â€Å"You did drink too much. Besides, I'm not smart enough to figure out what Jerome isn't telling us unless†¦ there aren't really succubus or imp hunters out there, are there?†â€Å"Have you ever heard of one?†â€Å"No.†â€Å"Neither have I. But I have heard of vampire hunters – independent of pop culture.†Hugh reached for his cigarettes and changed his mind, remembering I didn't like smoking in my apartment. â€Å"I don't think anyone's going to put a stake through us anytime soon, if that's what's bothering you.†â€Å"But you do agree we're being left out of the loop?†â€Å"What else do you expect from Jerome?†â€Å"I think†¦ I think I'm going to go see Erik.†â€Å"Is he still alive?†â€Å"Last I knew.†â€Å"That's a good idea. He knows more about us than we do.†â€Å"I'll let you know what I find out.†â€Å"Nah. I think I'd rather stay ignorant.†â€Å"Fine. Where are you off to now?†â€Å"I've got to go put in some after-hours time with one of the new secretaries, if you catch my meaning.†He grinned, dare I say, impishly. â€Å"Twenty years old, with breasts that defy gravity. I should know. I helped install them.†I couldn't help but laugh, despite the grim atmosphere. Hugh, like the rest of us, had a day job when not furthering the cause of evil and chaos. In his case, the line between occupations was a little thin: he was a plastic surgeon. â€Å"I can't compete with that.†â€Å"Not true. Science can't duplicate your breasts.†â€Å"Praise from a true connoisseur. Have fun.†â€Å"I will. Watch your back, sweetie.†â€Å"You too.†He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and left. I stood there, alone at last, staring idly at my door and wondering what all this meant. Jerome's warning probably had been overkill, I decided. As Hugh had said, no one had ever heard of imp or succubus hunters. Still, I clicked my deadbolt and fastened the chain on my door before going to bed. Immortal I might be, but reckless I was not. Well, at least not when it counted.
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