Twilight 17. THE GAME

17. THE GAME It was just beginning to drizzle when Edward turned onto my street. Up until that moment, I'd had no doubt that he'd be staying with me while I spent a few interim hours in the real world. And then I saw the black car, a weathered Ford, parked in Charlie's driveway – and heard Edward mutter something unintelligible in a low, harsh voice. Leaning away from the rain under the shallow front porch, Jacob Black stood behind his father's wheelchair. Billy's face was impassive as stone as Edward parked my truck against the curb. Jacob stared down, his expression mortified. Edward's low voice was furious. â€Å"This is crossing the line.† â€Å"He came to warn Charlie?† I guessed, more horrified than angry. Edward just nodded, answering Billy's gaze through the rain with narrowed eyes. I felt weak with relief that Charlie wasn't home yet. â€Å"Let me deal with this,† I suggested. Edward's black glare made me anxious. To my surprise, he agreed. â€Å"That's probably best. Be careful, though. The child has no idea.† I bridled a little at the word child. â€Å"Jacob is not that much younger than I am,† I reminded him. He looked at me then, his anger abruptly fading. â€Å"Oh, I know,† he assured me with a grin. I sighed and put my hand on the door handle. â€Å"Get them inside,† he instructed, â€Å"so I can leave. I'll be back around dusk.† â€Å"Do you want my truck?† I offered, meanwhile wondering how I would explain its absence to Charlie. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"I could walk home faster than this truck moves.† â€Å"You don't have to leave,† I said wistfully. He smiled at my glum expression. â€Å"Actually, I do. After you get rid of them† – he threw a dark glance in the Blacks' direction – â€Å"you still have to prepare Charlie to meet your new boyfriend.† He grinned widely, showing all of his teeth. I groaned. â€Å"Thanks a lot.† He smiled the crooked smile that I loved. â€Å"I'll be back soon,† he promised. His eyes flickered back to the porch, and then he leaned in to swiftly kiss me just under the edge of my jaw. My heart lurched frantically, and I, too, glanced toward the porch. Billy's face was no longer impassive, and his hands clutched at the armrests of his chair. â€Å"Soon,† I stressed as I opened the door and stepped out into the rain. I could feel his eyes on my back as I half-ran through the light sprinkle toward the porch. â€Å"Hey, Billy. Hi, Jacob.† I greeted them as cheerfully as I could manage. â€Å"Charlie's gone for the day – I hope you haven't been waiting long.† â€Å"Not long,† Billy said in a subdued tone. His black eyes were piercing. â€Å"I just wanted to bring this up.† He indicated a brown paper sack resting in his lap. â€Å"Thanks,† I said, though I had no idea what it could be. â€Å"Why don't you come in for a minute and dry off?† I pretended to be oblivious to his intense scrutiny as I unlocked the door, and waved them in ahead of me. â€Å"Here, let me take that,† I offered, turning to shut the door. I allowed myself one last glance at Edward. He was waiting, perfectly still, his eyes solemn. â€Å"You'll want to put it in the fridge,† Billy noted as he handed me the package. â€Å"It's some of Harry Clearwater's homemade fish fry – Charlie's favorite. The fridge keeps it drier.† He shrugged. â€Å"Thanks,† I repeated, but with feeling this time. â€Å"I was running out of new ways to fix fish, and he's bound to bring home more tonight.† â€Å"Fishing again?† Billy asked with a subtle gleam in his eye. â€Å"Down at the usual spot? Maybe I'll run by and see him.† â€Å"No,† I quickly lied, my face going hard. â€Å"He was headed someplace new†¦ but I have no idea where.† He took in my changed expression, and it made him thoughtful. â€Å"Jake,† he said, still appraising me. â€Å"Why don't you go get that new picture of Rebecca out of the car? I'll leave that for Charlie, too.† â€Å"Where is it?† Jacob asked, his voice morose. I glanced at him, but he was staring at the floor, his eyebrows pulling together. â€Å"I think I saw it in the trunk,† Billy said. â€Å"You may have to dig for it.† Jacob slouched back out into the rain. Billy and I faced each other in silence. After a few seconds, the quiet started to feel awkward, so I turned and headed to the kitchen. I could hear his wet wheels squeak against the linoleum as he followed. I shoved the bag onto the crowded top shelf of the fridge, and spun around to confront him. His deeply lined face was unreadable. â€Å"Charlie won't be back for a long time.† My voice was almost rude. He nodded in agreement, but said nothing. â€Å"Thanks again for the fish fry,† I hinted. He continued nodding. I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. He seemed to sense that I had given up on small talk. â€Å"Bella,† he said, and then he hesitated. I waited. â€Å"Bella,† he said again, â€Å"Charlie is one of my best friends.† â€Å"Yes.† He spoke each word carefully in his rumbling voice. â€Å"I noticed you've been spending time with one of the Cullens.† â€Å"Yes,† I repeated curtly. His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Maybe it's none of my business, but I don't think that is such a good idea.† â€Å"You're right,† I agreed. â€Å"It is none of your business.† He raised his graying eyebrows at my tone. â€Å"You probably don't know this, but the Cullen family has an unpleasant reputation on the reservation.† â€Å"Actually, I did know that,† I informed him in a hard voice. This surprised him. â€Å"But that reputation couldn't be deserved, could it? Because the Cullens never set foot on the reservation, do they?† I could see that my less than subtle reminder of the agreement that both bound and protected his tribe pulled him up short. â€Å"That's true,† he acceded, his eyes guarded. â€Å"You seem†¦ well informed about the Cullens. More informed than I expected.† I stared him down. â€Å"Maybe even better informed than you are.† He pursed his thick lips as he considered that. â€Å"Maybe.† he allowed, but his eyes were shrewd. â€Å"Is Charlie as well informed?† He had found the weak chink in my armor. â€Å"Charlie likes the Cullens a lot,† I hedged. He clearly understood my evasion. His expression was unhappy, but unsurprised. â€Å"It's not my business,† he said. â€Å"But it may be Charlie's.† â€Å"Though it would be my business, again, whether or not I think that it's Charlie's business, right?† I wondered if he even understood my confused question as I struggled not to say anything compromising. But he seemed to. He thought about it while the rain picked up against the roof, the only sound breaking the silence. â€Å"Yes,† he finally surrendered. â€Å"I guess that's your business, too.† I sighed with relief. â€Å"Thanks, Billy.† â€Å"Just think about what you're doing, Bella,† he urged. â€Å"Okay,† I agreed quickly. He frowned. â€Å"What I meant to say was, don't do what you're doing.† I looked into his eyes, filled with nothing but concern for me, and there was nothing I could say. Just then the front door banged loudly, and I jumped at the sound. â€Å"There's no picture anywhere in that car.† Jacob's complaining voice reached us before he did. The shoulders of his shirt were stained with the rain, his hair dripping, when he rounded the corner. â€Å"Hmm,† Billy grunted, suddenly detached, spinning his chair around to face his son. â€Å"I guess I left it at home.† Jacob rolled his eyes dramatically. â€Å"Great.† â€Å"Well, Bella, tell Charlie† – Billy paused before continuing – â€Å"that we stopped by, I mean.† â€Å"I will,† I muttered. Jacob was surprised. â€Å"Are we leaving already?† â€Å"Charlie's gonna be out late,† Billy explained as he rolled himself past Jacob. â€Å"Oh.† Jacob looked disappointed. â€Å"Well, I guess I'll see you later, then, Bella.† â€Å"Sure,† I agreed. â€Å"Take care,† Billy warned me. I didn't answer. Jacob helped his father out the door. I waved briefly, glancing swiftly toward my now-empty truck, and then shut the door before they were gone. I stood in the hallway for a minute, listening to the sound of their car as it backed out and drove away. I stayed where I was, waiting for the irritation and anxiety to subside. When the tension eventually faded a bit, I headed upstairs to change out of my dressy clothes. I tried on a couple of different tops, not sure what to expect tonight. As I concentrated on what was coming, what had just passed became insignificant. Now that I was removed from Jasper's and Edward's influence, I began to make up for not being terrified before. I gave up quickly on choosing an outfit – throwing on an old flannel shirt and jeans – knowing I would be in my raincoat all night anyway. The phone rang and I sprinted downstairs to get it. There was only one voice I wanted to hear; anything else would be a disappointment. But I knew that if he wanted to talk to me, he'd probably just materialize in my room. â€Å"Hello?† I asked, breathless. â€Å"Bella? It's me,† Jessica said. â€Å"Oh, hey, Jess.† I scrambled for a moment to come back down to reality. It felt like months rather than days since I'd spoken to Jess. â€Å"How was the dance?† â€Å"It was so much fun!† Jessica gushed. Needing no more invitation than that, she launched into a minute-by-minute account of the previous night. I mmm'd and ahh'd at the right places, but it wasn't easy to concentrate. Jessica, Mike, the dance, the school – they all seemed strangely irrelevant at the moment. My eyes kept flashing to the window, trying to judge the degree of light behind the heavy clouds. â€Å"Did you hear what I said, Bella?† Jess asked, irritated. â€Å"I'm sorry, what?† â€Å"I said, Mike kissed me! Can you believe it?† â€Å"That's wonderful, Jess,† I said. â€Å"So what did you do yesterday?† Jessica challenged, still sounding bothered by my lack of attention. Or maybe she was upset because I hadn't asked for details. â€Å"Nothing, really. I just hung around outside to enjoy the sun.† I heard Charlie's car in the garage. â€Å"Did you ever hear anything more from Edward Cullen?† The front door slammed and I could hear Charlie banging around under the stairs, putting his tackle away. â€Å"Um.† I hesitated, not sure what my story was anymore. â€Å"Hi there, kiddo!† Charlie called as he walked into the kitchen. I waved at him. Jess heard his voice. â€Å"Oh, your dad's there. Never mind – we'll talk tomorrow. See you in Trig.† â€Å"See ya, Jess.† I hung up the phone. â€Å"Hey, Dad,† I said. He was scrubbing his hands in the sink. â€Å"Where's the fish?† â€Å"I put it out in the freezer.† â€Å"I'll go grab a few pieces before they freeze – Billy dropped off some of Harry Clearwater's fish fry this afternoon.† I worked to sound enthusiastic. â€Å"He did?† Charlie's eyes lit up. â€Å"That's my favorite.† Charlie cleaned up while I got dinner ready. It didn't take long till we were sitting at the table, eating in silence. Charlie was enjoying his food. I was wondering desperately how to fulfill my assignment, struggling to think of a way to broach the subject. â€Å"What did you do with yourself today?† he asked, snapping me out of my reverie. â€Å"Well, this afternoon I just hung out around the house†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Only the very recent part of this afternoon, actually. I tried to keep my voice upbeat, but my stomach was hollow. â€Å"And this morning I was over at the Cullens'.† Charlie dropped his fork. â€Å"Dr. Cullen's place?† he asked in astonishment. I pretended not to notice his reaction. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"What were you doing there?† He hadn't picked his fork back up. â€Å"Well, I sort of have a date with Edward Cullen tonight, and he wanted to introduce me to his parents†¦ Dad?† It appeared that Charlie was having an aneurysm. â€Å"Dad, are you all right?† â€Å"You are going out with Edward Cullen?† he thundered. Uh-oh. â€Å"I thought you liked the Cullens.† â€Å"He's too old for you,† he ranted. â€Å"We're both juniors,† I corrected, though he was more right than he dreamed. â€Å"Wait†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"Which one is Edwin?† â€Å"Edward is the youngest, the one with the reddish brown hair.† The beautiful one, the godlike one†¦ â€Å"Oh, well, that's† – he struggled – â€Å"better, I guess. I don't like the look of that big one. I'm sure he's a nice boy and all, but he looks too†¦ mature for you. Is this Edwin your boyfriend?† â€Å"It's Edward, Dad.† â€Å"Is he?† â€Å"Sort of, I guess.† â€Å"You said last night that you weren't interested in any of the boys in town.† But he picked up his fork again, so I could see the worst was over. â€Å"Well, Edward doesn't live in town, Dad.† He gave me a disparaging look as he chewed. â€Å"And, anyways,† I continued, â€Å"it's kind of at an early stage, you know. Don't embarrass me with all the boyfriend talk, okay?† â€Å"When is he coming over?† â€Å"He'll be here in a few minutes.† â€Å"Where is he taking you?† I groaned loudly. â€Å"I hope you're getting the Spanish Inquisition out of your system now. We're going to play baseball with his family.† His face puckered, and then he finally chuckled. â€Å"You're playing baseball?† â€Å"Well, I'll probably watch most of the time.† â€Å"You must really like this guy,† he observed suspiciously. I sighed and rolled my eyes for his benefit. I heard the roar of an engine pull up in front of the house. I jumped up and started cleaning my dishes. â€Å"Leave the dishes, I can do them tonight. You baby me too much.† The doorbell rang, and Charlie stalked off to answer it. I was half a step behind him. I hadn't realized how hard it was pouring outside. Edward stood in the halo of the porch light, looking like a male model in an advertisement for raincoats. â€Å"Come on in, Edward.† I breathed a sigh of relief when Charlie got his name right. â€Å"Thanks, Chief Swan,† Edward said in a respectful voice. â€Å"Go ahead and call me Charlie. Here, I'll take your jacket.† â€Å"Thanks, sir.† â€Å"Have a seat there, Edward.† I grimaced. Edward sat down fluidly in the only chair, forcing me to sit next to Chief Swan on the sofa. I quickly shot him a dirty look. He winked behind Charlie's back. â€Å"So I hear you're getting my girl to watch baseball.† Only in Washington would the fact that it was raining buckets have no bearing at all on the playing of outdoor sports. â€Å"Yes, sir, that's the plan.† He didn't look surprised that I'd told my father the truth. He might have been listening, though. â€Å"Well, more power to you, I guess.† Charlie laughed, and Edward joined in. â€Å"Okay.† I stood up. â€Å"Enough humor at my expense. Let's go.† I walked back to the hall and pulled on my jacket. They followed. â€Å"Not too late, Bell.† â€Å"Don't worry, Charlie, I'll have her home early,† Edward promised. â€Å"You take care of my girl, all right?† I groaned, but they ignored me. â€Å"She'll be safe with me, I promise, sir.† Charlie couldn't doubt Edward's sincerity, it rang in every word. I stalked out. They both laughed, and Edward followed me. I stopped dead on the porch. There, behind my truck, was a monster Jeep. Its tires were higher than my waist. There were metal guards over the headlights and tail-lights, and four large spotlights attached to the crash bar. The hardtop was shiny red. Charlie let out a low whistle. â€Å"Wear your seat belts,† he choked out. Edward followed me around to my side and opened the door. I gauged the distance to the seat and prepared to jump for it. He sighed, and then lifted me in with one hand. I hoped Charlie didn't notice. As he went around to the driver's side, at a normal, human pace, I tried to put on my seat belt. But there were too many buckles. â€Å"What's all this?† I asked when he opened the door. â€Å"It's an off-roading harness.† â€Å"Uh-oh.† I tried to find the right places for all the buckles to fit, but it wasn't going too quickly. He sighed again and reached over to help me. I was glad that the rain was too heavy to see Charlie clearly on the porch. That meant he couldn't see how Edward's hands lingered at my neck, brushed along my collarbones. I gave up trying to help him and focused on not hyperventilating. Edward turned the key and the engine roared to life. We pulled away from the house. â€Å"This is a†¦ um†¦ big Jeep you have.† â€Å"It's Emmett's. I didn't think you'd want to run the whole way.† â€Å"Where do you keep this thing?† â€Å"We remodeled one of the outbuildings into a garage.† â€Å"Aren't you going to put on your seat belt?† He threw me a disbelieving look. Then something sunk in. â€Å"Run the whole way? As in, we're still going to run part of the way?† My voice edged up a few octaves. He grinned tightly. â€Å"You're not going to run.† â€Å"I'm going to be sick.† â€Å"Keep your eyes closed, you'll be fine.† I bit my lip, fighting the panic. He leaned over to kiss the top of my head, and then groaned. I looked at him, puzzled. â€Å"You smell so good in the rain,† he explained. â€Å"In a good way, or in a bad way?† I asked cautiously. He sighed. â€Å"Both, always both.† I don't know how he found his way in the gloom and downpour, but he somehow found a side road that was less of a road and more of a mountain path. For a long while conversation was impossible, because I was bouncing up and down on the seat like a jackhammer. He seemed to enjoy the ride, though, smiling hugely the whole way. And then we came to the end of the road; the trees formed green walls on three sides of the Jeep. The rain was a mere drizzle, slowing every second, the sky brighter through the clouds. â€Å"Sorry, Bella, we have to go on foot from here.† â€Å"You know what? I'll just wait here.† â€Å"What happened to all your courage? You were extraordinary this morning.† â€Å"I haven't forgotten the last time yet.† Could it have been only yesterday? He was around to my side of the car in a blur. He started unbuckling me. â€Å"I'll get those, you go on ahead,† I protested. â€Å"Hmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he mused as he quickly finished. â€Å"It seems I'm going to have to tamper with your memory.† Before I could react, he pulled me from the Jeep and set my feet on the ground. It was barely misting now; Alice was going to be right. â€Å"Tamper with my memory?† I asked nervously. â€Å"Something like that.† He was watching me intently, carefully, but there was humor deep in his eyes. He placed his hands against the Jeep on either side of my head and leaned forward, forcing me to press back against the door. He leaned in even closer, his face inches from mine. I had no room to escape. â€Å"Now,† he breathed, and just his smell disturbed my thought processes, â€Å"what exactly are you worrying about?† â€Å"Well, um, hitting a tree -† I gulped â€Å"- and dying. And then getting sick.† He fought back a smile. Then he bent his head down and touched his cold lips softly to the hollow at the base of my throat. â€Å"Are you still worried now?† he murmured against my skin. â€Å"Yes.† I struggled to concentrate. â€Å"About hitting trees and getting sick.† His nose drew a line up the skin of my throat to the point of my chin. His cold breath tickled my skin. â€Å"And now?† His lips whispered against my jaw. â€Å"Trees,† I gasped. â€Å"Motion sickness.† He lifted his face to kiss my eyelids. â€Å"Bella, you don't really think I would hit a tree, do you?† â€Å"No, but I might.† There was no confidence in my voice. He smelled an easy victory. He kissed slowly down my cheek, stopping just at the corner of my mouth. â€Å"Would I let a tree hurt you?† His lips barely brushed against my trembling lower lip. â€Å"No,† I breathed. I knew there was a second part to my brilliant defense, but I couldn't quite call it back. â€Å"You see,† he said, his lips moving against mine. â€Å"There's nothing to be afraid of, is there?† â€Å"No,† I sighed, giving up. Then he took my face in his hands almost roughly, and kissed me in earnest, his unyielding lips moving against mine. There really was no excuse for my behavior. Obviously I knew better by now. And yet I couldn't seem to stop from reacting exactly as I had the first time. Instead of keeping safely motionless, my arms reached up to twine tightly around his neck, and I was suddenly welded to his stone figure. I sighed, and my lips parted. He staggered back, breaking my grip effortlessly. â€Å"Damn it, Bella!† he broke off, gasping. â€Å"You'll be the death of me, I swear you will.† I leaned over, bracing my hands against my knees for support. â€Å"You're indestructible,† I mumbled, trying to catch my breath. â€Å"I might have believed that before I met you. Now let's get out of here before I do something really stupid,† he growled. He threw me across his back as he had before, and I could see the extra effort it took for him to be as gentle as he was. I locked my legs around his waist and secured my arms in a choke hold around his neck. â€Å"Don't forget to close your eyes,† he warned severely. I quickly tucked my face into his shoulder blade, under my own arm, and squeezed my eyes shut. And I could hardly tell we were moving. I could feel him gliding along beneath me, but he could have been strolling down the sidewalk, the movement was so smooth. I was tempted to peek, just to see if he was really flying through the forest like before, but I resisted. It wasn't worth that awful dizziness. I contented myself with listening to his breath come and go evenly. I wasn't quite sure we had stopped until he reached back and touched my hair. â€Å"It's over, Bella.† I dared to open my eyes, and, sure enough, we were at a standstill. I stiffly unlocked my stranglehold on his body and slipped to the ground, landing on my backside. â€Å"Oh!† I huffed as I hit the wet ground. He stared at me incredulously, evidently not sure whether he was still too mad to find me funny. But my bewildered expression pushed him over the edge, and he broke into a roar of laughter. I picked myself up, ignoring him as I brushed the mud and bracken off the back of my jacket. That only made him laugh harder. Annoyed, I began to stride off into the forest. I felt his arm around my waist. â€Å"Where are you going, Bella?† â€Å"To watch a baseball game. You don't seem to be interested in playing anymore, but I'm sure the others will have fun without you.† â€Å"You're going the wrong way.† I turned around without looking at him, and stalked off in the opposite direction. He caught me again. â€Å"Don't be mad, I couldn't help myself. You should have seen your face.† He chuckled before he could stop himself. â€Å"Oh, you're the only one who's allowed to get mad?† I asked, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"I wasn't mad at you.† â€Å"‘Bella, you'll be the death of me'?† I quoted sourly. â€Å"That was simply a statement of fact.† I tried to turn away from him again, but he held me fast. â€Å"You were mad,† I insisted. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But you just said -â€Å" â€Å"That I wasn't mad at you. Can't you see that, Bella?† He was suddenly intense, all trace of teasing gone. â€Å"Don't you understand?† â€Å"See what?† I demanded, confused by his sudden mood swing as much as his words. â€Å"I'm never angry with you – how could I be? Brave, trusting†¦ warm as you are.† â€Å"Then why?† I whispered, remembering the black moods that pulled him away from me, that I'd always interpreted as well-justified frustration – frustration at my weakness, my slowness, my unruly human reactions†¦ He put his hands carefully on both sides of my face. â€Å"I infuriate myself,† he said gently. â€Å"The way I can't seem to keep from putting you in danger. My very existence puts you at risk. Sometimes I truly hate myself. I should be stronger, I should be able to -â€Å" I placed my hand over his mouth. â€Å"Don't.† He took my hand, moving it from his lips, but holding it to his face. â€Å"I love you,† he said. â€Å"It's a poor excuse for what I'm doing, but it's still true.† It was the first time he'd said he loved me – in so many words. He might not realize it, but I certainly did. â€Å"Now, please try to behave yourself,† he continued, and he bent to softly brush his lips against mine. I held properly still. Then I sighed. â€Å"You promised Chief Swan that you would have me home early, remember? We'd better get going.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† He smiled wistfully and released all of me but one hand. He led me a few feet through the tall, wet ferns and draping moss, around a massive hemlock tree, and we were there, on the edge of an enormous open field in the lap of the Olympic peaks. It was twice the size of any baseball stadium. I could see the others all there; Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie, sitting on a bare outcropping of rock, were the closest to us, maybe a hundred yards away. Much farther out I could see Jasper and Alice, at least a quarter of a mile apart, appearing to throw something back and forth, but I never saw any ball. It looked like Carlisle was marking bases, but could they really be that far apart? When we came into view, the three on the rocks rose. Esme started toward us. Emmett followed after a long look at Rosalie's back; Rosalie had risen gracefully and strode off toward the field without a glance in our direction. My stomach quivered uneasily in response. â€Å"Was that you we heard, Edward?† Esme asked as she approached. â€Å"It sounded like a bear choking,† Emmett clarified. I smiled hesitantly at Esme. â€Å"That was him.† â€Å"Bella was being unintentionally funny,† Edward explained, quickly settling the score. Alice had left her position and was running, or dancing, toward us. She hurtled to a fluid stop at our feet. â€Å"It's time,† she announced. As soon as she spoke, a deep rumble of thunder shook the forest beyond us, and then crashed westward toward town. â€Å"Eerie, isn't it?† Emmett said with easy familiarity, winking at me. â€Å"Let's go.† Alice reached for Emmett's hand and they darted toward the oversized field; she ran like a gazelle. He was nearly as graceful and just as fast – yet Emmett could never be compared to a gazelle. â€Å"Are you ready for some ball?† Edward asked, his eyes eager, bright. I tried to sound appropriately enthusiastic. â€Å"Go team!† He snickered and, after mussing my hair, bounded off after the other two. His run was more aggressive, a cheetah rather than a gazelle, and he quickly overtook them. The grace and power took my breath away. â€Å"Shall we go down?† Esme asked in her soft, melodic voice, and I realized I was staring openmouthed after him. I quickly reassembled my expression and nodded. Esme kept a few feet between us, and I wondered if she was still being careful not to frighten me. She matched her stride to mine without seeming impatient at the pace. â€Å"You don't play with them?† I asked shyly. â€Å"No, I prefer to referee – I like keeping them honest,† she explained. â€Å"Do they like to cheat, then?† â€Å"Oh yes – you should hear the arguments they get into! Actually, I hope you don't, you would think they were raised by a pack of wolves.† â€Å"You sound like my mom,† I laughed, surprised. She laughed, too. â€Å"Well, I do think of them as my children in most ways. I never could get over my mothering instincts – did Edward tell you I had lost a child?† â€Å"No,† I murmured, stunned, scrambling to understand what lifetime she was remembering. â€Å"Yes, my first and only baby. He died just a few days after he was born, the poor tiny thing,† she sighed. â€Å"It broke my heart – that's why I jumped off the cliff, you know,† she added matter-of-factly. â€Å"Edward just said you f-fell,† I stammered. â€Å"Always the gentleman.† She smiled. â€Å"Edward was the first of my new sons. I've always thought of him that way, even though he's older than I, in one way at least.† She smiled at me warmly. â€Å"That's why I'm so happy that he's found you, dear.† The endearment sounded very natural on her lips. â€Å"He's been the odd man out for far too long; it's hurt me to see him alone.† â€Å"You don't mind, then?† I asked, hesitant again. â€Å"That I'm†¦ all wrong for him?† â€Å"No.† She was thoughtful. â€Å"You're what he wants. It will work out, somehow,† she said, though her forehead creased with worry. Another peal of thunder began. Esme stopped then; apparently, we'd reached the edge of the field. It looked as if they had formed teams. Edward was far out in left field, Carlisle stood between the first and second bases, and Alice held the ball, positioned on the spot that must be the pitcher's mound. Emmett was swinging an aluminum bat; it whistled almost untraceably through the air. I waited for him to approach home plate, but then I realized, as he took his stance, that he was already there – farther from the pitcher's mound than I would have thought possible. Jasper stood several feet behind him, catching for the other team. Of course, none of them had gloves. â€Å"All right,† Esme called in a clear voice, which I knew even Edward would hear, as far out as he was. â€Å"Batter up.† Alice stood straight, deceptively motionless. Her style seemed to be stealth rather than an intimidating windup. She held the ball in both hands at her waist, and then, like the strike of a cobra, her right hand flicked out and the ball smacked into Jasper's hand. â€Å"Was that a strike?† I whispered to Esme. â€Å"If they don't hit it, it's a strike,† she told me. Jasper hurled the ball back to Alice's waiting hand. She permitted herself a brief grin. And then her hand spun out again. This time the bat somehow made it around in time to smash into the invisible ball. The crack of impact was shattering, thunderous; it echoed off the mountains – I immediately understood the necessity of the thunderstorm. The ball shot like a meteor above the field, flying deep into the surrounding forest. â€Å"Home run,† I murmured. â€Å"Wait,† Esme cautioned, listening intently, one hand raised. Emmett was a blur around the bases, Carlisle shadowing him. I realized Edward was missing. â€Å"Out!† Esme cried in a clear voice. I stared in disbelief as Edward sprang from the fringe of the trees, ball in his upraised hand, his wide grin visible even to me. â€Å"Emmett hits the hardest,† Esme explained, â€Å"but Edward runs the fastest.† The inning continued before my incredulous eyes. It was impossible to keep up with the speed at which the ball flew, the rate at which their bodies raced around the field. I learned the other reason they waited for a thunderstorm to play when Jasper, trying to avoid Edward's infallible fielding, hit a ground ball toward Carlisle. Carlisle ran into the ball, and then raced Jasper to first base. When they collided, the sound was like the crash of two massive falling boulders. I jumped up in concern, but they were somehow unscathed. â€Å"Safe,† Esme called in a calm voice. Emmett's team was up by one – Rosalie managed to flit around the bases after tagging up on one of Emmett's long flies – when Edward caught the third out. He sprinted to my side, sparkling with excitement. â€Å"What do you think?† he asked. â€Å"One thing's for sure, I'll never be able to sit through dull old Major League Baseball again.† â€Å"And it sounds like you did so much of that before,† he laughed. â€Å"I am a little disappointed,† I teased. â€Å"Why?† he asked, puzzled. â€Å"Well, it would be nice if I could find just one thing you didn't do better than everyone else on the planet.† He flashed his special crooked smile, leaving me breathless. â€Å"I'm up,† he said, heading for the plate. He played intelligently, keeping the ball low, out of the reach of Rosalie's always-ready hand in the outfield, gaining two bases like lightning before Emmett could get the ball back in play. Carlisle knocked one so far out of the field – with a boom that hurt my ears – that he and Edward both made it in. Alice slapped them dainty high fives. The score constantly changed as the game continued, and they razzed each other like any street ballplayers as they took turns with the lead. Occasionally Esme would call them to order. The thunder rumbled on, but we stayed dry, as Alice had predicted. Carlisle was up to bat, Edward catching, when Alice suddenly gasped. My eyes were on Edward, as usual, and I saw his head snap up to look at her. Their eyes met and something flowed between them in an instant. He was at my side before the others could ask Alice what was wrong. â€Å"Alice?† Esme's voice was tense. â€Å"I didn't see – I couldn't tell,† she whispered. All the others were gathered by this time. â€Å"What is it, Alice?† Carlisle asked with the calm voice of authority. â€Å"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before,† she murmured. Jasper leaned over her, his posture protective. â€Å"What changed?† he asked. â€Å"They heard us playing, and it changed their path,† she said, contrite, as if she felt responsible for whatever had frightened her. Seven pairs of quick eyes flashed to my face and away. â€Å"How soon?† Carlisle said, turning toward Edward. A look of intense concentration crossed his face. â€Å"Less than five minutes. They're running – they want to play.† He scowled. â€Å"Can you make it?† Carlisle asked him, his eyes flicking toward me again. â€Å"No, not carrying -† He cut short. â€Å"Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting.† â€Å"How many?† Emmett asked Alice. â€Å"Three,† she answered tersely. â€Å"Three!† he scoffed. â€Å"Let them come.† The steel bands of muscle flexed along his massive arms. For a split second that seemed much longer than it really was, Carlisle deliberated. Only Emmett seemed unperturbed; the rest stared at Carlisle's face with anxious eyes. â€Å"Let's just continue the game,† Carlisle finally decided. His voice was cool and level. â€Å"Alice said they were simply curious.† All this was said in a flurry of words that lasted only a few seconds. I had listened carefully and caught most of it, though I couldn't hear what Esme now asked Edward with a silent vibration of her lips. I only saw the slight shake of his head and the look of relief on her face. â€Å"You catch, Esme,† he said. â€Å"I'll call it now.† And he planted himself in front of me. The others returned to the field, warily sweeping the dark forest with their sharp eyes. Alice and Esme seemed to orient themselves around where I stood. â€Å"Take your hair down,† Edward said in a low, even voice. I obediently slid the rubber band out of my hair and shook it out around me. I stated the obvious. â€Å"The others are coming now.† â€Å"Yes, stay very still, keep quiet, and don't move from my side, please.† He hid the stress in his voice well, but I could hear it. He pulled my long hair forward, around my face. â€Å"That won't help,† Alice said softly. â€Å"I could smell her across the field.† â€Å"I know.† A hint of frustration colored his tone. Carlisle stood at the plate, and the others joined the game halfheartedly. â€Å"What did Esme ask you?† I whispered. He hesitated for a second before he answered. â€Å"Whether they were thirsty,† he muttered unwillingly. The seconds ticked by; the game progressed with apathy now. No one dared to hit harder than a bunt, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper hovered in the infield. Now and again, despite the fear that numbed my brain, I was aware of Rosalie's eyes on me. They were expressionless, but something about the way she held her mouth made me think she was angry. Edward paid no attention to the game at all, eyes and mind ranging the forest. â€Å"I'm sorry, Bella,† he muttered fiercely. â€Å"It was stupid, irresponsible, to expose you like this. I'm so sorry.† I heard his breath stop, and his eyes zeroed in on right field. He took a half step, angling himself between me and what was coming. Carlisle, Emmett, and the others turned in the same direction, hearing sounds of passage much too faint for my ears.

Tesco’s Ways of Cutting Cost

Based on your observations from the visit to Tesco, identify how Tesco controls its operating costs Making a profit is usually the primary aim of running any business, and although this is normally achieved by increasing sales, it can also be enhanced through the careful control of costs. A business that keeps costs under control will be able to release more resources for growth and be better placed to survive in a downturn or recession. A structured and ongoing approach to cost control is an essential part of any well-managed business. Finding ways to reduce operating costs is typically a priority for Tesco. On our visit to Tesco we observed that Tesco can control its operating costs by reducing the number of staff especially the cleaners who tend to be idle at times. Few cleaners will increase efficiency and reduce the labour costs. The reduction of specific fixed and variable expenses can improve the profit picture of Tesco for example in the electric gadgets side there any more than three televisions on sale of the same type switched on, it will be best to switch of the other two televisions since there are of the same type to cut cost on electricity since electricity is charged based on consumption. Tesco can reduce costs without cutting specific expenses. for example electricity costs, by switching off some of the lights in the shop, this can increase the average income per sale, per customer, per cost centre. Tesco has plenty ways to cut costs without drastically affecting the success of the business. This includes producing Tesco branded products for example Tesco cooking oil, mineral water, Tesco value toilet rolls. Making its own products has proven to be cheaper than buying from other producers. Tesco reduces operating costs by offering special discount for goods and products which are about to expire, the special discounts are there to promote sales and to get read of the products that are about to expire at the same time getting something out of the products which were about to be valueless. Tesco has also managed to reduce its costs by using cheap material on its shelves. Some its shelves are made of wood and light material which is a good thing to reduce costs. The shelves are also have wheels for flexibility, they can be moved to create space especially those shelves which are empty. Its air conditioners were also made of cheap material to reduce cost. Tesco practises bulk selling for instance cooling oil was being sold in bulk. This creates space and also reduces unnecessary stocking of goods thereby increasing stock holding costs. Bulk selling helps to reduce packaging costs. They also have their own bakery which means they do not depend on delivery from suppliers or ordering from other suppliers. This is a good thing in that they only bake according to demand at that period, hence it reduces wastage. This reduces wastage of resources because resources are being fully utilised. The use of cameras as their security system is a good thing because it reduces the number of workers to be recruited as security hence saving cost. Tesco is using energy efficient bulbs to achieve low operating costs, incorporating energy-efficient lighting and cleaner ways to operate into the business and it has no empty refrigerators, this is to reduces space and the electricity costs. Tesco will probably see a reduction in total energy consumption and be supporting a greener planet. Tesco maintains proper stocking levels of the items that they actually sell, this way they can reduce overhead in the form of excess inventory, or inappropriate inventory, whether it's out of season or simply overstocked for the season. This is a no-brainer and will reduce the bottom line operating costs in the business, making everything else they do more profitable. Keeping inventory lean and efficient allows Tesco to be flexible. They can use that extra cash flow to invest in new and innovative products, or the latest styles, positioning there store as a trend leader, rather than a commodities broker. A careful eye on inventory levels allows Tesco to understand the ebb and flow of their business as it relates to overhead, sales trends, and other expenses . This mastery will help it to control cash flows and make them more effective , increasing profits and efficiency. Reducing operating costs should never simply be about keeping a business alive. It should be about making a company profitable. Reducing operating costs should never simply be about keeping a business alive. It should be about making a company profitable once again.

Property Asset Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Property Asset Management - Case Study Example Its choice of location of the retail outlets will most likely determine the strategic location of its warehouses so that logistical support of fast and cheap delivery expenses is maximized. The choice of location of warehouses is therefore crucial and is heavily dependent on their projection of where the retail outlets are to be situated. It seems that leaseholds are long-term and for 30 years. On the other hand their strategy to expand and locate retail outlets are yet to be tested and any error in their choice will mean that they have to pre-terminate their leaseholds, if they go on leasing, or assign them. The existing leases are FRI types which mean that Dell has the annual burden of maintaining the facilities, repair and cover them with insurance. But it saves them to raise the capital cost to set up the facility. In a leasehold Dell does not need to raise the initial cost of constructing the facilities. On the other hand in a freehold Dell will have to raise the required huge funding at the start of the project. In a Leasehold the company does not end up owning the facility and thereby benefit from it increases in value. In freehold they benefit from the gain on the sale of the property at values that are higher than the acquisition cost. The impact on the net income in terms of leasehold costs as against depre ciation will be minimal. Leasehold rates include financial charges of lessor, whereas in freehold that is funded by debt the company will incur financial charges as interest and depreciation expense that is over the life of the asset. In both freehold and leasehold with FRI Dell will incur the same cost of annual maintenance and repair, and cost of capital. In Dell's decision to acquire as freehold warehouse facilities and retail outlets chains has an impact on capital investments. There are two types of properties that they need, namely: warehouse facility, and retail outlets. In either case they will also need transport delivery system, between the plant and the warehouse, and from warehouse hubs to the retail outlets. Capital asset investment. Definitely, the freehold strategy will require huge long-term funds. The location and number of square meters will determine the acquisition price of each type of facility. In the case of warehouse facilities their location will likely be outside commercial centers may not be as expensive in terms of property values compared to retail outlets which are to be located in commercial centers where property values are higher. Also, the retail outlet and location of property will likely increase in value over the years compared to warehouse locations. In terms of the size or area required the warehouse facilities could be larger on the average compared to warehouse outlets. Their current cost of acquiring could be the same with the outlets of higher price per floor area but less area, while the warehouse is with a lower price but larger area. But when the total areas of warehouses and retail outlets are compared the investment on each type that is needed to acquir e them could be significant. We do not know which one will be more expensive when the aggregates

Education Trends, Theories, and Practices Annotated Bibliography

Education Trends, Theories, and Practices - Annotated Bibliography Example The increasing trend of assimilating technology within the field of education has led to various research on the subject. This paper addresses the various trends in instructional technology and discusses such critical aspect as the administrative support with regard to the use of technology in classrooms; various legislations and aids available to support and promote such use etc., among many others, which will help the policy makers in understanding the influence of technology in the field of education. The discussions presented by the authors will help the general readers in understanding the various trends introduced in the field of academics. The authors propose that interactive communication is likely to dramatically change the manner in which education is imparted, and that such futuristic trends in technology will soon drive out old and outdated modes of education such as the conventional blackboard and replace it with modern and state of the art technological aids such as int eractive whiteboards, PDAs, and other hand-held devises; as well as other instructional software. Internet has dramatically transformed the educational environment and the same has been discussed at length in this paper. The authors have addressed various issues with regard to trends in online education, the outcomes of learners', as well as various other administrative and institutional factors which play a key role within the education systems. The authors review have included comprehensive, descriptive as well as exploratory studies., which observed the trends of online students and made several major observations with regard to their learning outcomes. This paper helped in assessing the impact of online technology on education and its role in the future of academic studies. Alaxander, M., Perraault, H., Waldman, L., & Zhao, J. (2008). Comparing the Distance Learning-Related Course Development Approach and Faculty Support and Rewards Structure at AACSB Accredited Institutions bet ween 2001 and 2006. The Journal of Educators Online, 5(2), pp. 1-15 This research was conducted to study the impact of online education and the support provided to educators to use and integrate technology within the educational domain. This article would be most helpful for researchers, scholars, and teachers. For the purpose of this study, the researchers conducted various studies and observed the approaches used by business schools. The outcome indicated

Reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections in inpatient Essay

Reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections in inpatient acute care hospitals in the US - Essay Example hin his or her unit and clearly come up with a procedure through which his or her subordinates can follow to improve, and more so, maintain the health safety within their units of work (Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 2000). The health hospital leaders are held responsible for health assessment within the organization by the Joint Commission. A unit survey on the health safety can measure the level of health safety in a work setting, and more so, conditions that can lead to unfavorable occurrences and patient damage (Frankel, 2006). Through these assessments there can result to increased awareness in patient safety matters, bring out the current status on matters related to safety culture, make interventions put into practice without delays, and more so, monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the alteration over a given period of time. To achieve the best result on the survey at the nursing unit, use of Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and the Safety Attitude Questionnaire is appropriate. Health safety culture is therefore developed by having a regular assessment on issues related to safety, then coming up with actions and also giving an opportunity for the benchmarking with other related organizations so as to develop safety approach attitudes, come up with a way forward and assess the intervention selected effectiveness in meeting the unit goals and hence organizational goals (Frankel, 2006). A powerful patient safety culture has been depicted as a victorious anticipator of medication mistake, fall of injuries, cure errors, accidents and injuries in the workplace. It is worth noting that the culture alteration does not take place by chance, but it takes a unit leader, for example, taking actions to bring the changes. Often, culture is seen like a vague issue in nature, and therefore, it takes a leader to formulate patient safety culture tools such as a structure (Hill & Howlett, 2013). As a unit leader in the nursing unit, one can develop the unit

Business Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Business Plan - Essay Example Food provision market is a market that is constantly growing and at a high rate. Food provision is turning to be more professional in order to attract customers in the growing market. The market is assumed to be constant with no seasonal trends since its target customers work daily hence sales are expected to be constant throughout. The market is segmented in that there are quality hotels, restaurants, fast food and some providing food in open air kiosk. Oyster hotel is expected to include services of a quality hotel through provision of quality dishes and also meet the demands of travellers by providing fast foods. (Clifford, 2001) The hotel industry has varied customers. There are residence customers who usually frequent quality hotels for rooms. There are also travellers who mainly buy fast foods to consume as they are travelling and there are usual customers who frequent hotels for quality dishes in a relaxing atmosphere or to hold discussions as they take their meals. The hotel will be targeting all these customers. The hotel will use a variety of marketing strategy aimed at attracting and retains customers. The business will look toward cutting an edge in the market through provide of high quality meal, offering wide range of menu at reasonable prices and operating for 24 hours. The hotel will also carry out direct marking strategies to reach individual customer and also it will advertisement in the mass media. It will also be proving special nights on weekends for couples as a way of advertising. (Ron, 2003) The business will have a central procurement procedure for raw material which will be used to prepare quality meals. The menu for the hotel will provide quality dished and buffet meals. Apart from buffet meals there will also be plate service served by well trained food waiters. The hotel will be headed by the hotel manager who will be responsible for coordinating the activities of

Reflection on marketing practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflection on marketing practice - Essay Example Ettore Bugatti and his son, Jean, synthesized both technology and art that, to this moment, have been the reason for the Bugatti’s dominance among the sports cars. While art describes the design philosophy of the Bugatti cars, technology defines their unequalled technical supremacy. Furthermore, David et al. make a situational analysis of the Bugatti cars by indicating that the current Bugatti model in the market is the Veyron 16.4. In accordance with the presentation, this version has a top speed of 253.81 miles per hour and a 16-cylinder combustion engine with 1200 horsepower. The presenters also mention that Bugatti makes sixteen different car models with a maximum price of â‚ ¬2,000,000. In addition, the presenters list the project’s principal objectives and further quote automobile enthusiasts, business people, industrialists, and the public as the target audience for the brand. For the target media, the presentation considers TV advertisements, car magazine, Auto shows, and social media as the means of reaching the target audience for this brand. David et al. also recognize community approach and investment into a share of both Formula 1 and fashion merchandise as the most practical marketing strategies Bugatti should utilize. The teaser campaign would involve the use of video teasers, billboards, and posters comprising of an attractive slogan. For the premier launching event, the presenters propose that Bugatti should display cars, which consist of two old Bugatti versions and three new models. At the end of the presentation, David et al. list the Bugatti campaign budget and the future of the new Bugatti. The presenters hold that the new Bugatti model woul d possibly have a top speed of 288 miles per hour. This presentation highlights the typical mistakes and inaccuracies that marketing agencies and individuals often make when preparing a teaser campaign for a new product. In keeping with Thorbjornsen, Ketelaar, Riet, and

Source of Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Source of Crime - Essay Example Chester (1976) considers relative deprivation as a cause of property crime. According to him, relative poverty, which arises from relative deprivation, is more â€Å"criminogenic† (p. 17) in nature than relative poverty. Lower class people get involved in crime against middle and upper classes, especially in areas where the middle or upper classes live close to the lower class people. This is because in such areas, middle and upper class values and lifestyle is more obvious, and lower class people see it as unfair. Hence, they get involved in crime. Property crime is one such crime that occurs from this easy contact with information about superior way of life. The discontent and frustration forces individuals to show criminal behavior, and thus they get indulged in crimes like burglary, theft, arson, and even murders. The need of the hour is that governments should make efforts to provide all citizens with sufficient base income, so that discontent and frustration among them c an be

Internal auditing, Investor accounting, The process of Remittance, Assignment

Internal auditing, Investor accounting, The process of Remittance, Reconciliation and Reporting - Assignment Example However, the 15th day may fall on a weekend or a holiday making the previous business end of the cycle known as the accounting cutoff. Reporting and remittance are necessary to be done accurately and timely (Jickling 2) Investor Accounting The investor reporting process is a bit different from the remittance process, and it is a process involving submitting of information to Penny Mac portfolio’s accounting activities. It is made up of both and interim and monthly processing. The accounting process cycle that is as earlier said from 16th to 15th determines the timing of the reports. Reporting includes all the different loan-levels apart from third party foreclosure sales and payoffs. Interim reporting is done according to the type transaction with all interim reports being done under five business days. A report once done it is reviewed for any level of discrepancies through daily checks on the databases. The discrepancies thus noted are known as edits and they are made availa ble on a daily basis to investors. Report revisions are allowed so long as they are identified as corrections in the transaction level. The reporting of transaction corrections should not be made later than four business days before the end of the accounting cycle. Remittance Investor remittance is a process that involves the initiation of transferring funds from ones Penny Mac custodial account to that of Penny Mac. The funds are remitted through GPI that is easily accessible through mobile phones or through an Investor Accounting Manager (IAM). The timing of remittances as opposed to reporting which follows the accounting cycle, remittances is based on the option selected. GPI is a third party vendor tasked with the gathering of finances on behalf of Penny Mac. The investor is provided for all portfolios with a toll-free remittance number and an identification number. Funds that are to be remitted by investors must be made available before or on the date due. Due dates might fall on a holiday or a non-working day; hence payment have to be paid on the previous business day and not  later than nine p.m. Reconciliation Reconciliation of the monthly reports gives a summary of the activities that have been processed in the accounting cycle monthly of the Penny Mac individual portfolios. The reconciliation reports thus compiled after thorough analysis are made available at the end of every month through the Service Loans applications and through an Investor Accounting Manager (IAM). This is done after the closure of all books and all the processed loan levels. The reconciliation reports thus arrived at after analysis is used in the custodial account reconciliation process. The monthly reconciliation reports to be reviewed during custodial account reconciliation process are the monthly account statement, the detailed adjustment report, and the loan reconciliation difference. The Loan Reconciliation Difference Report is a detailed summary of all the transactions t he system did not capture in the original cycle. The discrepancies are also arrived at from the daily edit reports. Monthly reconciliation reports are used in the custodial reconciliation in the following ways (U.S. Congressional Budget Office web). Firstly, the report is examined to determine any discrepancies between the Penny Mac system and the investor’s. Secondly, the investor corrects their system taking into account the

Nursing Informatics Article Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Informatics Article Review - Essay Example r them to be provided with all necessary information so that their provision of care can be more efficient since this will help in improving patient outcomes. Nurses have for a long time, played a pivotal role in health provision, but despite their efforts, Sensmeier notes that they are being left behind by government healthcare policies. She declares that if the government is indeed willing to reform the healthcare system, it is essential that nurses be actively involved because it is they, more than any other medical practitioner, who have an active knowledge of patient problems, as well as most weaknesses in healthcare provision. Therefore, nurses should take new technology to bring about a change in health care, and this should include an inclusion of nursing informatics in patient care. Nursing informatics should be given a prominent role in breaking the barriers that prevent nurses from being more efficient in their work because it provides them with much needed information con cerning how to bring care to their patients at a personalized level. The article recommends that the future of healthcare depends on ensuring nurses receive at least a bachelor’s degree whose significant parts involve informatics, allowing them leadership positions within healthcare as well as ensuring that they all provided with the opportunity to practice without any barriers as has previously been the case. Susan Rosenberg and Jeff Rodik in their article declare the role of bedside nurses in informatics is quite limited in scope and this is mainly because it is normally not included in their training. They state that most organizations, which have implemented go-live projects, tend to ignore including bedside nurses for ongoing maintenance as required for clinical application programs (Rosenberg & Rodik, 2012). Go-live projects tend to be discontinued after one week and this does not provide bedside nurses with ample time to utilize the system on behalf of their patients. These

From Africa to the Americans Essay Example for Free

From Africa to the Americans Essay The first pages of Kelly and Lewis’ To Make Our World Anew: Volume I: A History of African Americans to 1880 had opened the eyes of its readers about the real nature of the African race. While discussing the slave history of Black in the Western Hemisphere, he redirect the focus in discussing the great history of the Black people in its homeland in Africa. Prior to the slave trade and during the peak and climax of the numerous Black civilizations that existed, the Black people had managed to construct and established huge empires that were characterized with civilized systems like language and systems of writing. In many cases, the achievements of the Black people during their stay in their homeland can be compared to the successes of some of the greatest empire and civilizations that had existed in the East and in the West. It is just disappointing that the heritages of the Black people in Africa are undermined when compared to the heritage of the Asians or Americans for example. Rather, what is plotted in the mind of many people is the Blacks history as a slave. As the modern world had managed to reverse its perception on Black in relation to slavery period, it is important to note what happened in the past and the real history. Lewis and Kelly with their objective approach of the situation and history had provided us a new way of perceiving the Black people. With their reminders that great civilizations like Egypt that impacted other great civilizations like Greece and Rome, we are now starting to appreciate the beauty and wonders of the Black culture and descent. Today more than ever, we now see them not as ‘other people’ but rather a person that is equal to us that just happened to be created with a different color. Indeed, this is an improvement in the way of life in the modern world. Works Cited Kelly, Robin Lewis, Earl. To Make Our World Anew: Volume I: A History of African Americans to 1880. 2000. Oxford UP. Oxford. pp. 3-52. Print.

Protein Casein Food

Protein Casein Food Report -Protein Casein Introduction: Proteins are considered as the third class of macro components of all living systems, and also that of the food stuffs .Proteins are polymers with highly complex structures and their molecular weight ranges from 10,000 to several million. The structure of protein is quite straightforward; they are made up of monomeric units called as Amino acids. These amino acids are mostly linked by a single peptide bond.The range of amino acids is highly limited in number and mostly common to all proteins. Mostly all proteins are mixtures of 20 standard amino acids. The polypeptide bonds of proteins are never branched. The uniqueness of protein lies in the diversity of variation in its structure and function. All proteins have their own sequence of amino acids of defined length. All amino acids that occur in protein have a general formula: R H2NC H COOH Proteins are generally made up of one of the four structure .They may be primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary structure. Primary structure: They are the sequence of a chain of amino acids. Secondary protein structure: When the sequence of a chain of amino acids is linked by an amino acid. E.g. either alpha helix or pleated sheet. Tertiary protein structure: Three dimensional structure of a protein molecule formed by the spatial arrangement of the secondary structures like alpha helix and pleated sheet. Source: http://cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu/classes/css430/lecture%209-07/figure-09-03.JPG Quaternary protein structure: If a protein has more than one amino acid chain then its called quaternary protein structure. Milk proteins (casein): Milk of cow is the important source of protein for man and most importantly for children. Milk is a mixture of aqueous solution of proteins, lactose, minerals and certain vitamins which carry emulsified fat globules and casein micelles which have protein along with phosphate, citrate, and calcium. The fat removed milk is called skimmed milk. If the pH of the skim milk is reduced to 4.6 at 20C, the casein is precipitated and the residue is called whey or serum. The proportion of different casein in milk varies and so does the whey. The content of casein vary in different types of milk like in cows milk it accounts for 80% where as in human milk its just 40%. The various proportion of casein in skimmed milk is shown in the below table: Casein proteins (80%) Skimmed milk protein% ÃŽ ±-Casein 40 ÃŽ ²-Casein 24 χ-Casein 12 ÃŽ ³-Casein 4 Source: Coultate,T.P.1989.Food-The Chemistry of its Components.2nd ed.London: The Royal society of Chemistry The Greek letters that are used in casein proteins are used on basis of the protein mobility in electrophoresis. The‘s in ÃŽ ± s-casein refers to its sensitivity to precipitation by the calcium ion. Where as ÃŽ ±, ÃŽ ², χ, and ÃŽ ³ define particular protein species, it has been discovered that there are lots of different versions of each that only differ slightly in their amino acid sequences. For example, ÃŽ ± s1C casein is different from that of ÃŽ ± s1B casein by having glycine residue instead of glutamic acid residue at position 192 in the polypeptide chain. With these advancements one can even identify the breed of cow from which the sample milk was obtained by examining the proportions of these variants. Heterogeneity of caseins: Heterogeneity is seen in caseins. For example, in bovine casein there are four major types of casein .They are ÃŽ ± s1, ÃŽ ± s2, ÃŽ ² and ÃŽ º-casein. Each of these at least exhibit micro heterogeneity in one of the below reasons: Variation in the degree of phosphorylation. Variation in the degree of glycosylation in ÃŽ º-casein alone. Genetically controlled substitution in the amino acids, which results in the genetic polymorphism. Proteolysis of the indigenous proteinases. Molecular properties of casein: Casein are well characterized proteins and indeed they are quite small proteins, with a molecular mass say around 20-25kDa .Which is the main reason for their high stability. For example ÃŽ ²-casein has high level of proline say like 35 out of the 209 amino acids are proline which is equally distributed. Due to the presence of high level of proline the alpha helix, beta-sheets and beta-turns are absent. Casein are generally hydrophobic .Apart from this it is also said that caseins have very low secondary and tertiary structures .As they lack secondary structures its been told that they are very flexible and unstable which makes it ‘rheomorphic'(they are so flexible in solution that they can adopt any structure dictated by the environment).The lack of stable secondary and tertiary structures also make them stable against denaturing agents like heat and urea. This latter property also confers good foaming and emulsifying property on casein. This also makes casein readily susceptible to proteolysis. These properties of casein make them unique in dietary applications like in that of cheese ripening etc. Properties of the principal caseins in cows milk: protein molecular mass Amino acids proline residues cysteine residues PO4 group concentration(g/L) glycoprotein genetic variants ÃŽ ± s1 -casein 23164 199 17 0 8 10 no A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H ÃŽ ± s2-Casein 25388 207 10 2 10 2.6 no A, B, C, D ÃŽ ²-casein 23983 209 35 0 5 9.3 no A1, A2, A3, B, C, D, E, F, G ÃŽ º-casein 19038 169 20 2 1 10.3 yes A, B, C, E, FS, FI, GS, GS Table2: Properties of caseins present in cows Milk. Source:Yada, Rickey Yoshio,  1954-, Proteins in food processing ,pg29-62,Knovel firm Role of casein in dairy products: In western countries, Dairy products account for about 30% of the daily dietary energy, lipids and protein. And even some of the vitamins are also got from dairy products like riboflavin and vitamin B12.Minerals also come into this list, followed by calcium it is also estimated that 80% of calcium is obtained from dairy products. Some of the functions of caseins in dairy products are given below: Pasteurized liquid milk Appearance, heat stability, mouth feel and flavor. fermented milks Gel formation, mouth feel, flavor, syneresis of the gel and rheology Creams Emulsion stability, rheology (body) and whippability. ice creams Emulsion stability, rheology (body) and whippability Milk powders wettability , dispersibility,solubility,flavor,color and other uses which depend upon the end use of the product Cheese texture, body and other rheological properties; functional properties such as meltability, stretchability, sliceability, adhesiveness, water-binding Properties; (off-) flavors. Coultate, T.P. Food-the Chemistry of Its Components. second ed. london: The Royal society of Chemistry 1989 The precipitation of casein is the basic process involved in cheese making .In case of yogurt and some cottage cheese the precipitation is brought up by low pH. Functional food properties of casein (dairy products): Functional food is nothing but if a food ingredient or food provides some kind of health benefit which doesnt include the traditional nutrient it contains then it can be called as a functional food. Some of the common functional food characteristics of dairy products are Anti-microbial including control of gut micro flora, Anti-viral, Binding of E coli and cholera enter toxins, Anti-cancer, Immunomodulation, Anti-oxidative, Opioid effects Retard osteoporosis. The bioactive peptides of casein are responsible for most of these functional properties like Casein glycomacropeptide which is responsible in Cancer Prevention, Immunomodulation, Diet Suppression, and Cardiovascular Effects (cholesterol reduction). Fractionation of casein: Its possible to fractionate whole casein into its component proteins from 1940 but it is limited to laboratory .It is done by exploiting the difference in solubility in the solution of urea pH4.6 or cacl2 .Its is also done by various chromatography methods but unfortunately none of these methods are suitable for industrial scale production of individual casein. But there is a huge scope or opportunity for this because: The Beta casein has high surface activity hence they can be used has good emulsifying or good foaming agents. Human milk contains beta casein and k-casein .Alpha casein is almost absent in human milk hence the beta casein will be an attractive ingredient of bovine milk based infant formulae. As k-casein is responsible for the stability of the casein micelle it can be used in some of the milk products. Latest discoveries have revealed that fortification of milk with Beta-casein improves cheese making properties. One of the successful methods of separation of beta casein is from skimmed milk by using rennet. source:http://classes.ansci.uiuc.edu/ansc438/Milkcompsynth/milkcomp_protein.html source:http://classes.ansci.uiuc.edu/ansc438/Milkcompsynth/milkcomp_protein.html The Casein micelle The Casein in milk exist as colloidal particles of 50-500nm, which are called as casein micelles. The casein micelles of milk are roughly spherical particles. Milk has about 1015 micelles dm-3.A casein micelle contain approximately about 2104 casein molecules. Of all structure models slattery and evards model comes near to accounting all the observed properties of casein. According to them micelle is an aggregate of sub micelles each consisting of 25-30 molecules of all types of casein in roughly similar proportions to those in milk as a whole. Figure : A casein micelle; A: a submicelle; B: protruding chain; C: Calcium phosphate; D: ÃŽ º-casein; E: phosphate groups Source: www.food-info.net/uk/protein/milk.htm Casein micelles are stable to: -Compaction-Pellet that was recovered from ultracentrifugation can be readily redispersed. -Homogenization at normal or high pressure -Also to high Ca2+ concentrations, up to 200mM, at temperatures upto 50C However number things can destabilize, redisperse or affect the casein micelle hence they are usually destabilsed in certain food products like cheese etc. Conclusion: As its clear that casein has a great potential as a functional food more research should be carried out in this field. More studies should be undertaken in bioactive peptides of casein which are released by the enzymatic hydrolysis which have a huge role in cancer prevention, cardiovascular disease prevention etc.As they are good emulsifying and foaming agents they can be extensively used in food industry. Reference: Milk Proteins. Wageningen University, http://www.food-info.net/uk/protein/milk.htm http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:uIjin-nhDmIJ:www.uft-plovdiv.bg/bg/Functional%2520Dairy%2520Foods.doc+functional+food+and+caseinhl=enct=clnkcd=17gl=auclient=firefox-a. Coultate, T.P. Food-the Chemistry of Its Components. second ed. london: The Royal society of Chemistry 1989 Harper, W. James. Functional Aspects of Dairy Foods , 2003. Yada, Rickey Yoshio. Proteins in Food Processing. Place Published, 1954. Hurley, Walter L. Milk Composition Proteins. http://classes.ansci.uiuc.edu/ansc438/Milkcompsynth/milkcomp_protein.html. 7. Cropandsoil.oregonstate.edu/classes/css430/lecture%209-07/figure-09- 03.JPG

Impact Of The Social Class On Life Sociology Essay

Impact Of The Social Class On Life Sociology Essay Social class in todays society is changing. Material factors still govern lifestyle choices and that these are class related. Class identity has come to depend not only on market situation but on differences and similarities in power and status, as well as consumption and lifestyle. Social mobility describes the movement or opportunities for movement between different social groups and the pros and the cons that come with it, example income and wealth, housing, education and health. Opportunities for social mobility are one aspect of an individuals life chances. The traditionalists believe that New Labour politicians have abandoned their commitment to equality and social justice for those who are exploited by organisation of capitalism, (the working class). They believe that New Labour has betrayed its working class roots because it has done nothing to redistribute wealth and income from the rich to the poor, nor address the fundamental flaws that they see as inherent in the capitalist system. Giddens and Diamond (2005), however, argues that the arguments of the traditionalists are both simplistic and misguided because of their instances that equality of outcome and equality of opportunity are somehow vastly different objectives. They argue that the promotion of equality opportunity requires greater material and it is impossible for individuals to achieve their full potential if social and economic starting-points are unequal. Giddens and Diamond argue that since 1997, New Labours policies on social exclusion lowered levels of poverty among children and elderly which have put a stop in further rise in income inequality. They however accept the fact that there is still a long way to go in reducing inequalities of opportunity. They note that the life-chances of individuals today are still influenced by their parents economic and social position. Bottero (2005) suggest that social inequalities are written on the body and hierarchy makes you sick. She notes that if illness was chance occurrence, we would expect to see rate of morbidity (illness and diseases) and mortality (death) randomly distribute across the population. Statistics from the Department of Health shows that the working class experience an overproportionate amount of illness. Over the last 30 years the health across the population has improved but the rate of improvement for working class is much slower. The working class experience poor mortality rate and morbidity rate than the middle class. For example, 3500 working class babies would survive per year if the working class mortality rate was reduced to the middle class level. Babies born to professional fathers have levels of infant mortality half that of babies born to unskilled manual fathers. The death rates between 1972 and 1997 shows that, the death rate for the professionals fell by 44 per cent but fell only by 10 per cent for the unskilled. Bartley et al. (1996) note that men in social class 1 (using the old RG scale) had two-thirds the chance of dying between 1986 and 1989 compared with the male population as a whole. Unskilled manual workers were one-third likely to die compared with male population as a whole. Men in social class V were twice likely to die before men in social class 1 despite NHs providing free health to all. However, Bottero note that: There is strong socio-economic gradient to almost all patterns of diseases and ill-health. The lower your socio-economic position, the greater your risk of low birth weight, infections, cancer, coronary heart disease, respiratory diseases, stroke, accidents, nervous and mental illness. She point out that there are specific occupational hazards linked to particular manual jobs which increases the risk of accidental injury, exposure to toxic materials, pollution and many more. Poor people are more likely to live in areas in which there are more hazards, such as traffic and pollution, and less safe area to play. Consequently, poor children are more likely to be run over and suffer asthma. Some studies have suggested that there are health gradient, in that at every level of social hierarchy, there are health differences. Marmot et al (1991) have suggested that social positions may be blamed for these differences. They conducted a study on civil servant working in Whitehall and concluded that the cause of ill health was being lower in the hierarchy. Those low in the hierarchy had less social control over their working condition, greater stress and greater feeling of self esteem. These psychological factors lead to behaviour such as smoking and drinking, poor eating habits and inactivity resulting in greater level of depression, high blood pressure, increase in susceptibility to infection and build-up of cholesterol. Wilkinson (1996), argue that health gradient is caused by income inequality. This is because it undermines social cohesion in the sense that we all have valued equally by society which affirms our sense of belonging to society. Inequalities also disrupt social cohesion because it undermines self-esteem, dignity, trust and cooperation and increases feelings of insecurity, envy, hostility and inferiority, which lead to stress. Wilkinson notes that egalitarian societies have a strong community life, in that strong social ties and networks exist in the wider society to support their members. These members have access to social and psychological support from other members in the community which helps them to stay healthy. Although there has been increase in income, employment and educational attainment that have been occurred in the United Kingdom, there has also been a long-term increase in the health of the population. There is still strong relationship between how long people live and their background. Over the 1990s, the gap between most advantaged and most disadvantaged has narrowed. This is because there have been greater improvements in mortality at younger ages for those from unskilled manual background. The rate of premature death have fallen for all social classes over the past 30 years but the gap has widened relatively for men and the improvement were greater for men at the professional and managerial end of the spectrum. Between 1986 and 1992 the death rate for men in the skilled and unskilled manual groups was 69 per cent greater than professional and managerial men. While between 1997 and 1999 the rate was 75 per cent greater than for the professions. On the other hand, the improvements in the death rate for women were greater for skilled and unskilled manual groups than professional and managerial women. This made the percentage difference in the rate smaller by the end of the 1990s. Men in partly-skilled and unskilled occupation were five and a half times more likely to die from respiratory diseases than professionals and managerial between the period of 1986 to 1999. The levels of ischaemic heart diseases declined for all social groups whereas the fall was small for manual workers. Smoking is the major cause of death rate in the manual group compared with those in the non-manual group. A third of people in a routine or manual household were current smokers. This has changed over the past five years and compares with less than 19 per cent of the people in managerial or professional households. A major review of health inequalities by BBC news health correspondent Jane Dreaper says that NHS should spend more money illness than the current four per cent it is spending. More money should be spent on providing help for people to stop smoking. Report by epidemiologist Sir Marmot, also says that every child should be given the best of start in life. Every child needs to be nurtured at an early stage. Some mothers from less well-off families who do not cuddle or talk to their children makes the children develop behavioural and cognitive problems when they are three years of age. These children have less readiness to learn and the problem continues. The current review of minimum wage of  £5.80 an hour by then mayor of London Ken Livingstone and continued by Boris Johnson is below the level needed for a healthy life. It is calculated that Londoners need an hourly wage 16% higher than the national minimum rate to lift them above poverty. Minimum income should allow people to consume healthy diet, take exercises and have access to technology such as broadband that enable them to maintain social network. In conclusion, the diversity of social groups such as unemployed, single mothers and the asylum-seekers are socially excluded from the mainstream society which makes them experience social and economic deprivation. Certain diseases shows differences among people from different socio-economic background.

Essay --

When it comes to anthropological theories, it is hard to prove or disprove them because everyone has different experiences in their lives within their different cultures that contribute to their opinion on that theory. I believe this is true with the theory of cultural relativism. My experiences within my own culture and the beliefs of my culture have led me to both agree and disagree with different aspects, or lack thereof, of cultural relativism. I believe there exists a duality within the theory of cultural relativism, a duality that I am familiar with and that has become a significant part of my culture. I am from the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The â€Å"Twin Cities† refers to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Only divided by a river (or in some cases, just a street), these cities are of equal, yet different importance in Minnesota culture. My experiences spending time in the two cities have led me to live in duel cultures. While many people live in a duality of cultures through th eir ethnicity, I identify with duel cultures based on geography. My experiences in both Minneapolis and St. Paul contribute to my ambivalence regarding cultural relativism. In Anthropology, there is a gray area when it comes to generalizing about cultures, because we all come from different ones. The idea of duality is a familiar one with which I can apply to my own life and my own culture, as well as to the well-known anthropological theory that tries to find an answer to the question of what culture is. The cultural relativism principle acknowledges that there should be a respect between cultures. This comes from the point of the theory that tries to â€Å"avoid making value judgments about the beliefs and customs of the people they [anthropologists] study, even tho... ...as well as understand it. Culture is gray; there is no black and white. There are many aspects that come into play in the importance of culture, such as political economy. Being able to maintain my culture here in Los Angeles has become more important to me after moving from Minnesota. Just because I am not geographically in the Minnesota anymore doesn’t mean I feel any less Minnesotan. It is also important to overcome the stereotype of knowing everything about a culture because a lot of the time, and in my personal experience, I am just a piece of the puzzle. This is especially true when it comes to the culture of a state. Therefore, the duality that I believe exists in this idea of cultural relativism has proved my ambivalence toward it due to my experience living in a culture where aspects of both the principle of cultural relativism and its criticisms are true.

People Accused Of Violent Crimes Should Not Be Allowed To Post Bail :: essays research papers

People Accused of Violent Crimes Should Not Be Allowed To Post Bail People accused of violent crimes should not be allowed to post bail and remain out of jail while their trial is pending. There are many reasons to why I strongly agree with this statement. Many factors are unknown to the public without conducting some sort of extensive research. Whether it is simply reading in the paper about pending trials, or as complicated as researching previous trials. Bail is decided by a judge, and their lives are devoted to handling these types of decisions. There are three solid reasons to why I feel it is necessary to deny bail to those accused of violent crimes. One is that all conditions for release are decided by a judge who is fully aware of the circumstances. Another is that these defendants, since being arrested, should be considered a threat to public safety. My last, and final, reason is that my rationale strongly agrees with denial of bail to the accused.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Nebraska, as written in the Statutes of Nebraska, bail is granted after a judge takes into account the nature and circumstances of the offense charged. This judge looks at the defendants family ties, employment, financial resources, character and mentality, having resided in the community, conviction records, and record of court appearances or of flight to avoid prosecution or failure to appear. A judge, when deciding if bail is to be granted, does not just flip a coin to decide. He or she looks at all aspects of the situation. It all rests in the judge's hands. When a judge looks at a person accused of a violent crime, such as murder, a few things are liable to pop into perspective. One would be to how violent and detrimental the accusations are. Any rational thinking person would realize that if arrested, they are in suspicion. Therefore, a state appointed judge is also going to realize that this person must be a threat, especially if accused of a violent crime. It does not violate the accused rights, because once under arrest, their rights are strictly defined as what the judge's final decision is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This leads me to my next point, that these accused people are a threat. The purpose of bail, as defined by the Nebraska Statute, is to ensure that the defendant will show at the trial. I researched a case where this was strongly considered. Brian Mase is accused of shooting and killing John Boyer, after Boyer refused to leave Mase's home. They were in a fight over a stolen watch.

History of the Bahamas Essay -- Essays Papers

History of the Bahamas The Bahama Islands were discovered on October 12, 1942 by Christopher Columbus. Columbus and his Spanish crew stumbled upon the archipelago while looking for a trade route to the wealth of the West Indies and named is San Salvador. (Craton, pg. 30) The Spanish settlers encountered the native Bahamians, the Lucayans upon thier arrival. The Lucayans were a primitive race of farmers and fisherman that had migrated north from Venezuela to escape the cannibalistic Caribs.(Bothwell, pg. 27) The hospitality of the natives was not returned by the Europeans and since the lucayans themselves were the only valuable commodity to the Spanish they were all enslaved and sent to Hispaniola to work and die in the mines or sent to dive in the pearl fisheries of Trinidad. (Craton, pg. 187) The name of the Islands originated from the explorer Jaun Ponce de Leon in 1513 who searched the archipelago for the "fountain of youth." After sailing through the islands he named them "Bajamar", the Spanish word for Shallow Waters.(Craton & Saunders, Vol. I, pg. 5) The first English Settlers of the Bahamas were puritans that fled Bermuda after Anglican and Puritan Conflicts arose. The Puritans formed the â€Å"Company of Elutherian Adventures† led by Captain William Sayle and escaped the religious persecution of Bermuda. The Puritans faced times of trouble when their ship was wrecked upon reaching the Islands. They called for aid from their Puritan friends in Massachusetts who undoubtedly saved their lives by sending them a shipment of goods. (Bothwell, 117) Many of the Puritan settlers found life to difficult in the Bahamas and by 1657 most of them returned to Bermuda. In 1670, Charles II granted the proprietors from the Carolinas the right to take over New Providence Island. A population close to five hundred settled the islands and grew cotton, tobacco and sugar cane. (Craton & Saunders, 194) GRAFICAS The lackadaisical approach of governing that consisted of heavy drinking and neglecting crops resulted in an open invitation for pirates. Pirates such as Black Beard ran amuck the throughout the islands for a quarter of a century until order was restored under the first royal governor, Captain Woodes Rogers. (Craton, pg. 251) ... ...of the German U-boat. American investment led to the development of airports and after the war the Bahamas became a popular tourist destination. (Craton and Saunders, 300) On January 7, 1964 the Bahamas attained internal self-government through a new constitution. The rise of the Progressive Liberal party created a dual party system along with the long dominant United Bahamian Party. The first leader of the Progressive Liberal Party and the first Negro premiere was Lynden O. Pindling. On July 10, 1973 under Pindling, the Bahamas was granted complete independence from Great Britain. His policies brought prosperity and stability to the Bahamas and the education system dramatically improved under his rule. He has faced controversy over his deliberate ignorance or possible role in the drug crime wave of the 1970’s and 80’s. (Craton & Saunders, Vol. II, pg. 378) He was outvoted in 1992 and replaced by the current Prime Minister, Hubert Ingraham, a member of the Free National Movement party. Under Ingraham, the country has expanded its economy and foreign industry creating a stronger sense of national identity and preserving peace and prosperity throughout the islands.

An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’

Achebe, Chinua. â€Å"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's ‘Heart of Darkness'† Massachusetts Review. 18. 1977. Rpt. in Heart of Darkness, An Authoritative Text, background and Sources Criticism. 1961. 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough, London: W. W Norton and Co. , 1988, pp. 251-261 In the fall of 1974 I was walking one day from the English Department at the University of Massachusetts to a parking lot. It was a fine autumn morning such as encouraged friendliness to passing strangers. Brisk youngsters were hurrying in all directions, many of them obviously freshmen in their first flush of enthusiasm.An older man going the same way as I turned and remarked to me how very young they came these days. I agreed. Then he asked me if I was a student too. I said no, I was a teacher. What did I teach? African literature. Now that was funny, he said, because he knew a fellow who taught the same thing, or perhaps it was African history, in a certain Community College not far from her e. It always surprised him, he went on to say, because he never had thought of Africa as having that kind of stuff, you know. By this time I was walking much faster. Oh well,† I heard him say finally, behind me: â€Å"I guess I have to take your course to find out. † A few weeks later I received two very touching letters from high school children in Yonkers, New York, who — bless their teacher — had just read Things Fall Apart . One of them was particularly happy to learn about the customs and superstitions of an African tribe. I propose to draw from these rather trivial encounters rather heavy conclusions which at first sight might seem somewhat out of proportion to them. But only, I hope, at first sight.The young fellow from Yonkers, perhaps partly on account of his age but I believe also for much deeper and more serious reasons, is obviously unaware that the life of his own tribesmen in Yonkers, New York, is full of odd customs and superstitions and, li ke everybody else in his culture, imagines that he needs a trip to Africa to encounter those things. The other person being fully my own age could not be excused on the grounds of his years. Ignorance might be a more likely reason; but here again I believe that something more willful than a mere lack of information was at work.For did not that erudite British historian and Regius Professor at Oxford, Hugh Trevor Roper, also pronounce that African history did not exist? If there is something in these utterances more than youthful inexperience, more than a lack of factual knowledge, what is it? Quite simply it is the desire — one might indeed say the need — in Western psychology to set Africa up as a foil to Europe, as a place of negations at once remote and vaguely familiar, in comparison with which Europe's own state of spiritual grace will be manifest.This need is not new; which should relieve us all of considerable responsibility and perhaps make us even willing to l ook at this phenomenon dispassionately. I have neither the wish nor the competence to embark on the exercise with the tools of the social and biological sciences but more simply in the manner of a novelist responding to one famous book of European fiction: Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness , which better than any other work that I know displays that Western desire and need which I have just referred to.Of course there are whole libraries of books devoted to the same purpose but most of them are so obvious and so crude that few people worry about them today. Conrad, on the other hand, is undoubtedly one of the great stylists of modern fiction and a good storyteller into the bargain. His contribution therefore falls automatically into a different class — permanent literature — read and taught and constantly evaluated by serious academics. Heart of Darkness is indeed so secure today that a leading Conrad scholar has numbered it â€Å"among the half-dozen greatest short n ovels in the English language. I will return to this critical opinion in due course because it may seriously modify my earlier suppositions about who may or may not be guilty in some of the matters I will now raise. Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as â€Å"the other world,† the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where man's vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked by triumphant beastiality. The book opens on the River Thames, tranquil, resting, peacefully â€Å"at the decline of day after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks. But the actual story will take place on the River Congo, the very antithesis of the Thames. The River Congo is quite decidedly not a River Emeritus. It has rendered no service and enjoys no old-age pension. We are told that â€Å"Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world. † Is Conrad saying then that these two rivers are very di fferent, one good, the other bad? Yes, but that is not the real point. It is not the differentness that worries Conrad but the lurking hint of kinship, of common ancestry. For the Thames too â€Å"has been one of the dark places of the earth. It conquered its darkness, of course, and is now in daylight and at peace. But if it were to visit its primordial relative, the Congo, it would run the terrible risk of hearing grotesque echoes of its own forgotten darkness, and falling victim to an avenging recrudescence of the mindless frenzy of the first beginnings. These suggestive echoes comprise Conrad's famed evocation of the African atmosphere in Heart of Darkness . In the final consideration his method amounts to no more than a steady, ponderous, fake-ritualistic repetition of two antithetical sentences, one about silence and the other about frenzy.We can inspect samples of this on pages 36 and 37 of the present edition: a) it was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention and b) The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of a black and incomprehensible frenzy. Of course there is a judicious change of adjective from time to time, so that instead of inscrutable, for example, you might have unspeakable, even plain mysterious, etc. , etc. The eagle-eyed English critic F. R. Leavis drew attention long ago to Conrad's â€Å"adjectival insistence upon inexpressible and incomprehensible mystery. That insistence must not be dismissed lightly, as many Conrad critics have tended to do, as a mere stylistic flaw; for it raises serious questions of artistic good faith. When a writer while pretending to record scenes, incidents and their impact is in reality engaged in inducing hypnotic stupor in his readers through a bombardment of emotive words and other forms of trickery much more has to be at stake than stylistic felicity. Generally normal readers are well armed to detect and resist such under-hand activity.But Conrad chose his subject w ell — one which was guaranteed not to put him in conflict with the psychological predisposition of his readers or raise the need for him to contend with their resistance. He chose the role of purveyor of comforting myths. The most interesting and revealing passages in Heart of Darkness are, however, about people. I must crave the indulgence of my reader to quote almost a whole page from about the middle of the stop/when representatives of Europe in a steamer going down the Congo encounter the denizens of Africa. We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet.We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil. But suddenly as we struggled round a bend there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked grass-roofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, of eyes rolling under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage. The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of a black and incomprehensible frenzy. The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us — who could tell?We were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse. We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember, because we were traveling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign — and no memories. The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there — there you could look at a thing monstrous and free. It was unearthly and the men were †¦. No they were not inhuman.Well, you know that was the worst of it — this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They ho wled and leaped and spun and made horrid faces, but what thrilled you, was just the thought of their humanity — like yours — the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough, but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you — you so remote from the night of first ages — could comprehend.Herein lies the meaning of Heart of Darkness and the fascination it holds over the Western mind: â€Å"What thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity — like yours †¦. Ugly. † Having shown us Africa in the mass, Conrad then zeros in, half a page later, on a specific example, giving us one of his rare descriptions of an African who is not just limbs or rolling eyes: And between whiles I had to look after the savage who was fireman. He was an improved specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler.He was there below me and, upon my word, to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat walking on his hind legs. A few months of training had done for that really fine chap. He squinted at the steam-gauge and at the water-gauge with an evident effort of intrepidity — and he had filed his teeth too, the poor devil, and the wool of his pate shaved into queer patterns, and three ornamental scars on each of his cheeks. He ought to have been clapping his hands and stamping his feet on the bank, instead of which he was hard at work, a thrall to strange witchcraft, full of improving knowledge.As everybody knows, Conrad is a romantic on the side. He might not exactly admire savages clapping their hands and stamping their feet but they have at least the merit of being in their place, unlike this dog in a parody of breeches. For Conrad things being in their place is of the utmost importance. â€Å"Fine fellows — cannibals –in their place,† he tells us pointedly. Tragedy begins when things leave their accustomed place, like Europe leaving its safe stronghold between the policeman and the baker to like a peep into the heart of darkness.Before the story likes us into the Congo basin proper we are given this nice little vignette as an example of things in their place: Now and then a boat from the shore gave one a momentary contact with reality. It was paddled by black fellows. You could see from afar the white of their eyeballs glistening. They shouted, sang; their bodies streamed with perspiration; they had faces like grotesque masks — these chaps; but they had bone, muscle, a wild vitality, an intense energy of movement that was as natural and hue as the surf along their coast.They wanted no excuse for being there. They were a great comfort to look at. Towards the end of the story Conrad lavishes a whole page quite unexpectedly on a n African woman who has obviously been some kind of mistress to Mr. Kurtz and now presides (if I may be permitted a little liberty) like a formidable mystery over the inexorable imminence of his departure: She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent †¦. She stood looking at us without a stir and like the wilderness itself, with an air of brooding over an inscrutable purpose.This Amazon is drawn in considerable detail, albeit of a predictable nature, for two reasons. First, she is in her place and so can win Conrad's special brand of approval and second, she fulfills a structural requirement of the story: a savage counterpart to the refined, European woman who will step forth to end the story: She came forward all in black with a pale head, floating toward me in the dusk. She was in mourning †¦. She took both my hands in hers and murmured, â€Å"I had heard you were coming. â€Å"†¦ She had a mature capacity for fidelity, for belief, for suffering.The differ ence in the attitude of the novelist to these two women is conveyed in too many direct and subfile ways to need elaboration. But perhaps the most significant difference is the one implied in the author's bestowal of human expression to the one and the withholding of it from the other. It is clearly not part of Conrad's purpose to confer language on the â€Å"rudimentary souls† of Africa. In place of speech they made â€Å"a violent babble of uncouth sounds. † They â€Å"exchanged short grunting phrases† even among themselves. But most of the time they were too busy with their frenzy.There are two occasions in the book, however, when Conrad departs somewhat from his practice and confers speech, even English speech, on the savages. The first occurs when cannibalism gets the better of them: â€Å"Catch ‘im,† he snapped with a bloodshot widening of his eyes and a flash of sharp teeth — â€Å"catch ‘im. Give ‘im to us. † â€Å" To you, eh? † I asked; â€Å"what would you do with them? â€Å"Eat ‘im! † he said curtly. . . . The other occasion was the famous announcement:†Mistah Kurtz — he dead. † At first sight these instances might be mistaken for unexpected acts of generosity from Conrad.In reality they constitute some of his best assaults. In the case of the cannibals the incomprehensible grunts that had thus far served them for speech suddenly proved inadequate for Conrad's purpose of letting the European glimpse the unspeakable craving in their hearts. Weighing the necessity for consistency in the portrayal of the dumb brutes against the sensational advantages of securing their conviction by clear, unambiguous evidence issuing out of their own mouth Conrad chose the latter. As for the announcement of Mr.Kurtz's death by the â€Å"insolent black head in the doorway† what better or more appropriate finis could be written to the horror story of that wayward ch ild of civilization who willfully had given his soul to the powers of darkness and â€Å"taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land† than the proclamation of his physical death by the forces he had joined? It might be contended, of course, that the attitude to the African in Heart of Darkness is not Conrad's but that of his fictional narrator, Marlow, and that far from endorsing it Conrad might indeed be holding it up to irony and criticism.Certainly Conrad appears to go to considerable pains to set up layers of insulation between himself and the moral universe of his history. He has, for example, a narrator behind a narrator. The primary narrator is Marlow but his account is given to us through the filter of a second, shadowy person. But if Conrad's intention is to draw a cordon sanitaire between himself and the moral and psychological malaise of his narrator his care seems to me totally wasted because he neglects to hint however subtly or tentatively at an alternative frame of reference by which we may judge the actions and opinions of his characters.It would not have been beyond Conrad's power to make that provision if he had thought it necessary. Marlow seems to me to enjoy Conrad's complete confidence — a feeling reinforced by the close similarities between their two careers. Marlow comes through to us not only as a witness of truth, but one holding those advanced and humane views appropriate to the English liberal tradition which required all Englishmen of decency to be deeply shocked by atrocities in Bulgaria or the Congo of King Leopold of the Belgians or wherever.Thus Marlow is able to toss out such bleeding-heart sentiments as these: They were dying slowly — it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying confusedly in the greenish gloom. Brought from all the recesses of the coast in all the legality of time contracts , lost in uncongenial surroundings, fed on unfamiliar food, they sickened, became inefficient, and were then allowed to crawl away and rest.The kind of liberalism espoused here by Marlow/Conrad touched all the best minds of the age in England, Europe and America. It took different forms in the minds of different people but almost always managed to sidestep the ultimate question of equality between white people and black people. That extraordinary missionary, Albert Schweitzer, who sacrificed brilliant careers in music and theology in Europe for a life of service to Africans in much the same area as Conrad writes about, epitomizes the ambivalence. In a comment which has often been quoted Schweitzer says: â€Å"The African is indeed my brother but my junior brother. And so he proceeded to build a hospital appropriate to the needs of junior brothers with standards of hygiene reminiscent of medical practice in the days before the germ theory of disease came into being. Naturally he bec ame a sensation in Europe and America. Pilgrims flocked, and I believe still flock even after he has passed on, to witness the prodigious miracle in Lamberene, on the edge of the primeval forest. Conrad's liberalism would not take him quite as far as Schweitzer's, though. He would not use the word brother however qualified; the farthest he would go was kinship.When Marlow's African helmsman falls down with a spear in his heart he gives his white master one final disquieting look. And the intimate profundity of that look he gave me when he received his hurt remains to this day in my memory — like a claim of distant kinship affirmed in a supreme moment. It is important to note that Conrad, careful as ever with his words, is concerned not so much about distant kinship as about someone laying a claim on it. The black man lays a claim on the white man which is well-nigh intolerable. It is the laying of this claim which frightens and at the same time fascinates Conrad, â€Å"†¦ he thought of their humanity — like yours †¦. Ugly. † The point of my observations should be quite clear by now, namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked. Students of Heart of Darkness will often tell you that Conrad is concerned not so much with Africa as with the deterioration of one European mind caused by solitude and sickness.They will point out to you that Conrad is, if anything, less charitable to the Europeans in the story than he is to the natives, that the point of the story is to ridicule Europe's civilizing mission in Africa. A Conrad student informed me in Scotland that Africa is merely a setting for the disintegration of the mind of Mr. Kurtz. Which is partly the point. Africa as setting and backdrop which eliminates the African as human fa ctor. Africa as a metaphysical battlefield devoid of all recognizable humanity, into which the wandering European enters at his peril.Can nobody see the preposterous and perverse arrogance in thus reducing Africa to the role of props for the break-up of one petty European mind? But that is not even the point. The real question is the dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this age-long attitude has fostered and continues to foster in the world. And the question is whether a novel which celebrates this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race, can be called a great work of art. My answer is: No, it cannot. I do not doubt Conrad's great talents.Even Heart of Darkness has its memorably good passages and moments: The reaches opened before us and closed behind, as if the forest had stepped leisurely across tile water to bar the way for our return. Its exploration of the minds of the European characters is often penetrating and full of insight. But all that ha s been more than fully discussed in the last fifty years. His obvious racism has, however, not been addressed. And it is high time it was! Conrad was born in 1857, the very year in which the first Anglican missionaries were arriving among my own people in Nigeria.It was certainly not his fault that he lived his life at a time when the reputation of the black man was at a particularly low level. But even after due allowances have been made for all the influences of contemporary prejudice on his sensibility there remains still in Conrad's attitude a residue of antipathy to black people which his peculiar psychology alone can explain. His own account of his first encounter with a black man is very revealing: A certain enormous buck nigger encountered in Haiti fixed my conception of blind, furious, unreasoning rage, as manifested in the human animal to the end of my days.Of the nigger I used to dream for years afterwards. Certainly Conrad had a problem with niggers. His inordinate love of that word itself should be of interest to psychoanalysts. Sometimes his fixation on blackness is equally interesting as when he gives us this brief description: A black figure stood up, strode on long black legs, waving long black arms. . . . as though we might expect a black figure striding along on black legs to wave white arms! But so unrelenting is Conrad's obsession. As a matter of interest Conrad gives us in A Personal Record what amounts to a companion piece to the buck nigger of Haiti.At the age of sixteen Conrad encountered his first Englishman in Europe. He calls him â€Å"my unforgettable Englishman† and describes him in the following manner: â€Å"(his) calves exposed to the public gaze . . . dazzled the beholder by the splendor of their marble-like condition and their rich tone of young ivory. . . . The light of a headlong, exalted satisfaction with the world of men. . . illumined his face. . . and triumphant eyes. In passing he cast a glance of kindly curios ity and a friendly gleam of big, sound, shiny teeth. . . his white calves twinkled sturdily. Irrational love and irrational hate jostling together in the heart of that talented, tormented man. But whereas irrational love may at worst engender foolish acts of indiscretion, irrational hate can endanger the life of the community. Naturally Conrad is a dream for psychoanalytic critics. Perhaps the most detailed study of him in this direction is by Bernard C. Meyer, M. D. In his lengthy book Dr. Meyer follows every conceivable lead (and sometimes inconceivable ones) to explain Conrad. As an example he gives us long disquisitions on the significance of hair and hair-cutting in Conrad.And yet not even one word is spared for his attitude to black people. Not even the discussion of Conrad's antisemitism was enough to spark off in Dr. Meyer's mind those other dark and explosive thoughts. Which only leads one to surmise that Western psychoanalysts must regard the kind of racism displayed by Co nrad absolutely normal despite the profoundly important work done by Frantz Fanon in the psychiatric hospitals of French Algeria. Whatever Conrad's problems were, you might say he is now safely dead. Quite true. Unfortunately his heart of darkness plagues us still.Which is why an offensive and deplorable book can be described by a serious scholar as â€Å"among the half dozen greatest short novels in the English language. † And why it is today the most commonly prescribed novel in twentieth-century literature courses in English Departments of American universities. There are two probable grounds on which what I have aid so far may be contested. The first is that it is no concern of fiction to please people about whom it is written. I will go along with that. But I am not talking about pleasing people.I am talking about a book which parades in the most vulgar fashion prejudices and insults from which a section of mankind has suffered untold agonies and atrocities in the past a nd continues to do so in many ways and many places today. I am talking about a story in which the very humanity of black people is called in question. Secondly, I may be challenged on the grounds of actuality. Conrad, after all, did sail down the Congo in 1890 when my own father was still a babe in arms. How could I stand up more than fifty years after his death and purport to contradict him?My answer is that as a sensible man I will not accept just any traveler's tales solely on the grounds that I have not made the journey myself. I will not trust the evidence even off man's very eyes when I suspect them to be as jaundiced as Conrad's. And we also happen to know that Conrad was, in the words of his biographer, Bernard C. Meyer, â€Å"notoriously inaccurate in the rendering of his own history. † But more important by far is the abundant testimony about Conrad's savages which we could gather if we were so inclined from other sources and which might lead us to think that these people must have had other occupations besides erging into the evil forest or materializing out of it simply to plague Marlow and his dispirited band. For as it happened, soon after Conrad had written his book an event of far greater consequence was taking place in the art world of Europe. This is how Frank Willett, a British art historian, describes it: Gaugin had gone to Tahiti, the most extravagant individual act of turning to a non-European culture in the decades immediately before and after 1900, when European artists were avid for new artistic experiences, but it was only about 1904-5 that African art began to make its distinctive impact.One piece is still identifiable; it is a mask that had been given to Maurice Vlaminck in 1905. He records that Derain was ‘speechless' and ‘stunned' when he saw it, bought it from Vlaminck and in turn showed it to Picasso and Matisse, who were also greatly affected by it. Ambroise Vollard then borrowed it and had it cast in bronze. . . The revolution of twentieth century art was under way! The mask in question was made by other savages living just north of Conrad's River Congo. They have a name too: the Fang people, and are without a doubt among the world's greatest masters of the sculptured form.The event Frank Willett is referring to marks the beginning of cubism and the infusion of new life into European art, which had run completely out of strength. The point of all this is to suggest that Conrad's picture of the people of the Congo seems grossly inadequate even at the height of their subjection to the ravages of King Leopold's lnternational Association for the Civilization of Central Africa. Travelers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves. But even those not blinkered, like Conrad with xenophobia, can be astonishing blind.Let me digress a little here. One of the greatest and most intrepid travelers of all time, Marco Polo, journeyed to the Far East from the Mediterranean in the thi rteenth century and spent twenty years in the court of Kublai Khan in China. On his return to Venice he set down in his book entitled Description of the World his impressions of the peoples and places and customs he had seen. But there were at least two extraordinary omissions in his account. He said nothing about the art of printing, unknown as yet in Europe but in full flower in China.He either did not notice it at all or if he did, failed to see what use Europe could possibly have for it. Whatever the reason, Europe had to wait another hundred years for Gutenberg. But even more spectacular was Marco Polo's omission of any reference to the Great Wall of China nearly 4,000 miles long and already more than 1,000 years old at the time of his visit. Again, he may not have seen it; but the Great Wall of China is the only structure built by man which is visible from the moon! Indeed travelers can be blind. As I said earlier Conrad did not originate the image of Africa which we find in h is book.It was and is the dominant image of Africa in the Western imagination and Conrad merely brought the peculiar gifts of his own mind to bear on it. For reasons which can certainly use close psychological inquiry the West seems to suffer deep anxieties about the precariousness of its civilization and to have a need for constant reassurance by comparison with Africa. If Europe, advancing in civilization, could cast a backward glance periodically at Africa trapped in primordial barbarity it could say with faith and feeling: There go I but for the grace of God.Africa is to Europe as the picture is to Dorian Gray — a carrier onto whom the master unloads his physical and moral deformities so that he may go forward, erect and immaculate. Consequently Africa is something to be avoided just as the picture has to be hidden away to safeguard the man's jeopardous integrity. Keep away from Africa, or else! Mr. Kurtz of Heart of Darkness should have heeded that warning and the prowli ng horror in his heart would have kept its place, chained to its lair. But he foolishly exposed himself to the wild irresistible allure of the jungle and lo! he darkness found him out. In my original conception of this essay I had thought to conclude it nicely on an appropriately positive note in which I would suggest from my privileged position in African and Western cultures some advantages the West might derive from Africa once it rid its mind of old prejudices and began to look at Africa not through a haze of distortions and cheap mystifications but quite simply as a continent of people — not angels, but not rudimentary souls either — just people, often highly gifted people and often strikingly successful in their enterprise with life and society.But as I thought more about the stereotype image, about its grip and pervasiveness, about the willful tenacity with which the West holds it to its heart; when I thought of the West's television and cinema and newspapers, a bout books read in its schools and out of school, of churches preaching to empty pews about the need to send help to the heathen in Africa, I realized that no easy optimism was possible. And there was, in any case, something totally wrong in offering bribes to the West in return for its good opinion of Africa. Ultimately the abandonment of unwholesome thoughts must be its own and only reward.Although I have used the word willful a few times here to characterize the West's view of Africa, it may well be that what is happening at this stage is more akin to reflex action than calculated malice. Which does not make the situation more but less hopeful. The Christian Science Monitor, a paper more enlightened than most, once carried an interesting article written by its Education Editor on the serious psychological and learning problems faced by little children who speak one language at home and then go to school where something else is spoken.It was a wide-ranging article taking in Spanis h-speaking children in America, the children of migrant Italian workers in Germany, the quadrilingual phenomenon in Malaysia, and so on. And all this while the article speaks unequivocally about language. But then out of the blue sky comes this: In London there is an enormous immigration of children who speak Indian or Nigerian dialects, or some other native language. I believe that the introduction of dialects which is technically erroneous in the context is almost a reflex action caused by an instinctive desire of the writer to downgrade the discussion to the level of Africa and India.And this is quite comparable to Conrad's withholding of language from his rudimentary souls. Language is too grand for these chaps; let's give them dialects! In all this business a lot of violence is inevitably done not only to the image of despised peoples but even to words, the very tools of possible redress. Look at the phrase native language in the Science Monitor excerpt. Surely the only native language possible in London is Cockney English. But our writer means something else — something appropriate to the sounds Indians and Africans make!Although the work of redressing which needs to be done may appear too daunting, I believe it is not one day too soon to begin. Conrad saw and condemned the evil of imperial exploitation but was strangely unaware of the racism on which it sharpened its iron tooth. But the victims of racist slander who for centuries have had to live with the inhumanity it makes them heir to have always known better than any casual visitor even when he comes loaded with the gifts of a Conrad.