Prince Edward Island essays

Prince Edward Island essays Prince Edward Island lies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and is separated from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by the Strait of Northumberland. It once was connected to the mainland. I chose to do this province because I love lobster and the land is really beautiful. About 11,000 years ago the early people known as the Paleo-Indians lived on what is now Prince Edward Island. They gathered berries in the islands forests and hunted seals and walrus with spears along the coast. They also tracked caribou and arctic foxes. They left the area when The Maritime Archaic Indians moved there about 6,000 years ago. They also hunted and fished. They made tools and animal figures, carved out of stone and bones. I read that a 6,500-year-old ulu, a kind of knife used to butcher walrus and whales was found a few years ago in the Gulf The Micmac Indians who were related to the Maritime Archaic Indians settled almost 2,500 years ago. By this time the water had separated the island from the mainland. They called the island Abegweit, meaning home cradled on the waves. They built grass houses called wigwams. The Indians covered their shelters with furs for the cold winters. Several thousand Micmac were living on the Island when the first The Europeans discovered the island when Jacques Cartier landed there in 1534. He described it as the most beautiful stretch of land There are stories of ghosts and buried pirate gold date back to the days when sailing ships linked the island with Nova Scotia and schooners picked up cargo for the West Indies. In the early 1600s, France wanted to gain control of fishing waters. France soon made a colony. This was the first colony in what was known as Acadia. The British also claimed fishing and fur trading rights in the region. The two countries battled for this valuable land throughout the After Britain won the war ag...

Full Analysis of SAT Grammar Rules Which Are Most Important

Full Analysis of SAT Grammar Rules Which Are Most Important SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips When you are planning your study approach for SAT Writing, it’s important to know where your time is best spent. Which grammar rules are really the most important to learn? What can help you make the greatest improvement to your score? Read on to find out exactly how much each grammar rule matters and how you can use this information on the test. What kinds of questions are on SAT Writing? SAT Writing follows an extremely predictable format. There are two Writing sections on the test. (Note: There are always two graded Writing sections, but some tests may have a third one that is experimental and ungraded.) The first Writing section will be between Section 2 and Section 7, and the second will ALWAYS be Section 10. In the first Writing section, you will have three question types. #1: Improving Sentences The first, which accounts for questions 1 – , isImproving Sentences. You will be given a sentence with an underlined portion and 5 answer choices. The first answer choice, A, is always the same as what is given in the original sentence (or Correct As Is). The other answers will re-write the underlined portion of the sentence in various ways. We have written aguide to the best way to approach Improving Sentences Questions. #2: Identifying Sentence Errors The second question type isIdentifying Errors (questions 12 – 29).In this type of question, you will be given a sentence that has four underlined words or phrases labeledA – D. After the sentence you also have the option of E, which is â€Å"No Error†. You have to choose the underlined part of the sentence that has a grammar mistake, or decide that the sentence has no errors and is correct as it is written. #3: Improving Paragraphs The third question type isImproving Paragraphs,which is questions 30 – 35. This section is a little different. You may be asked a grammar question, which oftentimes will look a lot like the Improving Sentences questions. However, you also may be asked questions about style and logic, such as where sentences best fit in the paragraph or what transition to use, and you can also be asked about the author’s rhetorical strategy. This ishow you should attack the Improving Paragraphssection. Section 10 consists of 14 questions which are alwaysImproving Sentences. So to summarize, this is what the breakdown of different question types looks like: But what concepts are tested? And why should you care? Almost as predictable as the question types are the grammar rules that SAT Writing will test you on. SAT Writing heavily favors a few main grammar rules,and lightly touches on a multitude of others. Why should this matter to you? This means that especially if you are aiming for a score in the 500 – 700 range, you shouldfocus your studying on the main grammar rules that are covered. In fact, many of the rules the SAT covers are so infrequently seen that there is a good chance that your testmay not cover them at all. I analyzed almost 700 SAT Writing questions from 14 official SAT tests, and wrote down the grammar concepts tested in each. For most SAT questions, the answer is fairly obvious if you know one main grammar rule. Occasionally, however, more than one rule is tested in the same question. In these circumstances, I counted the question for both grammar rules. And the winners are†¦ The overwhelming winner of the frequency test isverb tense and form.Using the correct form of the verb can mean quite a few different things, including whether or notverbs are used consistently throughout the sentence, knowing when to use gerunds and avoiding them when they are unnecessary, when to use the infinitive, when to use certain tenses, and when past participles are appropriate. These concepts make up over a whopping20% of the questionsin the Improving Sentences and Identifying Errors sections of the test. Not far behind in second place are questions dealing withcorrect use of pronouns.These questions make up12.5% of the questionsin Improving Sentences and Identifying Errors. These concepts include missing and ambiguous antecedents, pronoun case, and making sure that pronouns match their antecedents in number. We have a three-way tie for third place.Subject-Verb Agreement, Run-ons and Fragments,andParallel Structureeach weigh in at around9.5% of the questions asked. If you master these five concepts, you will have all the information you need toover 60% of the questions on SAT Writing. The full breakdown Here is the analysis of the most commonly-tested grammar concepts on SAT Writing, along with brief explanations of what each grammar rule means. #1: Correct Verb Tense and Form: 20.5% Verbs tenses are used consistently and correctly throughout the sentence Gerunds are only used when necessary Infinitives are used correctly Tenses of verbs are formed correctly Past participles are not confused with past tense Wordiness with gerunds To master this section, see our guide onhow verbs are used on SAT Writing. #2: Correct Pronouns and Antecedents: 12.5% Missing and ambiguous antecedents Correct use of singular and plural pronouns Pronoun case Pronoun-antecedent agreement â€Å"He or she† vs. â€Å"they† See our guides onpronoun caseandpronoun agreementto master these concepts. #3: Subject-Verb Agreement: 9.5% Matching singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs Sentences with verbs before subjects Sentences with non-essential clauses or prepositional phrases between subject and verb See thisguide to subject-verb agreement. #3: Parallel Structure: 9.5% Items in a list are phrased the same way Phrases connected by a conjunctionhave the same structure See ourguide to parallel structure on SAT Writingfor more on this topic. #3: Fragments and Run-ons: 9.5% Joining independent clauses incorrectly Missing subject and/or verb Recognizing non-essential or dependent clause vs. independent clause Correct use of semicolons and commas This guide breaks downhow to recognize and fix run-ons and fragments on SAT Writing. #6: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers: 7% Descriptive phrases must be next to the word they describe See theguide to modifiers here. #7: Idioms, Preposition use, and Diction: 6% Knowing which preposition is idiomatically correct in a phrase Recognizing commonly-confused words This guide will teach youall about idioms on the SAT Writing, and here is a guide to diction and word choice. #8: Faulty Comparisons: 4% Comparing two unlike things See theguide to faulty comparisonshere. #10: Logical conjunction use: 3% Using conjunctions correctly according to their meaning: e.g., â€Å"but† for contrast, â€Å"and† for similarity, etc. See more about conjunctions in ourcomplete parts of speech guide. #10: Word pairs: 3% Properly completed word pairs, e.g.either†¦or, neither†¦nor, not only†¦but also, between†¦and, just as†¦so #10: Adjective vs. Adverb: 3% Using adjectives to describe nouns, and adverbs to describe adjectives, verbs, and adverbs See theguide to adjectives and adverbs on SAT Writing here. The above concepts make up 87.5% of the questions on SAT Writing. What about that other 12.5%? In addition to the above, master the following topics if youare aiming for an 800 on SAT Writing.The following concepts each make upless than 2.5% of the questionson SAT Writing, and many of them will not appear on any given test. #: Active or Passive voice: 2.2% Using the active voice when possible to avoid wordiness Passive voice used to correct dangling modifier or in certain constructions #12: Correct relative pronouns: 2% See the guide to relative pronouns formore information #13: Noun agreement: 1.5% Match singular subjects with singular predicate nominatives, and plural subjects with plural predicate nominatives For example: John is a scientist. John and Maria are scientists. #14: Comparative vs. Superlative: 1% Comparative used for comparing two things, superlative used for three or more Correct formation of comparative and superlative #15: Redundancy: 0.8% Repeating the same information twice See theguide to redundancy here #16: Other: 5% These concepts are tested so infrequently that it would be pointless to give them their own category These questions are very unpredictable. They can include: â€Å"noun is because† structure, â€Å"the reason is that†, comma used between subject and verb, general awkwardness, and many more miscellaneous topics How can you use this information? You should use the information above to target your studying. The first step here is to understand what kind of SAT score you are aiming for in order to get into the colleges you are applying to. If you haven’t figured this out yet, take some time to do that first. For Low Scorers If you are currently getting a low score on the SAT Writing, you should use the list above as a checklist to master one grammar concept at a time. Start with Verb Tense and Form, and work your way down. Keep in mind that if you manage to completely master just the first 6 grammar concepts listed above (Verb Tense through Misplaced Modifiers), you will be able to answer close to 70% of the grammar questions on the test correctly. After you have reviewed these concepts, take a practice test. When you correct it, make sure you note what kind of questions you have missed. (Note: If you have The Official SAT Study Guide, you can use their online resource to find answers to the questions, or you can use the appendices in Erica Meltzer’s The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar to check which question types you are missing.) If you are missing questions based on the top 6 topics, go back and focus all of your study time on just those question types before moving on. If you want a mid-range score†¦ If you are aiming for a mid-level score (500 – 650), you should focus your attention on learning the grammar concepts that make up the top 87.5% of the questions and ignore the concepts that make up the trickier 12.5% of the test. If you get 87% of the questions correct on SAT Writing, and get a 7 or above on the essay, most curves will put you score in the 500 – 650 range. Take practice tests to check that you have mastered concepts #1 – 10. If you are able to answers those questions comfortably, move on to the more obscure topics. If you are aiming for a high score†¦ You will need to study all of the concepts listed above. The grammar concepts that appear infrequently, such as noun agreement and relative pronoun use, individually don’t count for much. However, enough mistakes in these areas could quickly add up to give you a lower score than you are aiming for. Once you have a good grasp on all of the concepts, you may want to add a bit of strategy to your game to make the test easier to conquer. You can do this by breaking down the test even further and understanding where you will see each type of question so that you know what to expect. Fortunately, I’ve done that work for you. Not All Question Types are Equal The above percentages correspond to the grammar concepts tested across all three question types on SAT Writing, taken as a whole. However, what if we were to break the test down by question type? Though most of the grammar concepts listed above will appear in all of the question types, there are a few grammar concepts that will only appear in certain question types. Others will heavily appear in a certain type of question. Let’s look at the Improving Sentences questions first. As you can see, there are a few concepts that make up a majority of the questions in Improving Sentences: Correct Verb Tense and Form (including gerund use) Sentence Fragments and Run-ons Parallel Structure Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers Correct Pronoun and Antecedent Use There are also some question types that will almost never appear on the Improving Sentences sections. They include: Adjectives vs. Adverbs Relative Pronoun Errors Noun Agreement Comparative vs. Superlative Now let’s look at Identifying Errors. Again, a few question types make up the majority here: Correct Verb Tense and Form Subject-Verb Agreement Correct Pronoun and Antecedent Use And the question types you will almost never see include: Sentence Fragments and Run-ons Active vs. Passive Redundancy Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers How can you use this information? You can use this knowledge of the test to help anticipate what grammar concepts you will see in each type of question. When you approach an Identifying Errors or Improving Sentences question, always look for the most common grammar mistakes first. For example, when you know that over 70% of the Improving Sentences questions will have one of the top five errors listed above, you will have a much better idea what kind of answers to look for, and it will also help you make more educated guesses. What about the Improving Paragraphs section? This sectiontests the same grammar rules as Improving Sentences. However, this section also tests several rules that don’t really fall into the grammar category. Instead, they are based on style and logic, and being able to understand how words and sentences work together in the context of a paragraph. This section will also occasionally test rhetorical strategy.This means that you may be asked what the purpose of a paragraph or sentence is. Here are the types of questions you will see on this section of the test: Sentence Revision (exactly like Improving Sentences): 33% Sentence insertion or deletion: 22% Using transitions: 15% Rhetorical strategy: % Information or word insertion: 7% Combining sentences: 7% Sentence order: 2% Paragraph division: 2% What does this mean for you? Keep in mind that Improving Paragraphs only make up 6 questions on every test. That means that even if you can’t figure out any of the style, logic, and rhetorical strategy questions, but ace the grammar, you will only be missing about 4 questions on the whole SAT Writing. Students aiming for a high score obviously will not want to write off four whole questions. However, if you are aiming for a lower score, you should use your study time wisely by focusing on the grammar concepts listed above instead of worrying about the extra question types that only appear in the Improving Paragraphs section. What about â€Å"No Error† and correct as is? On the Improving Sentences section, answer A is always the same as what’s given to you in the original sentence – meaning if you choose this, you are saying the sentence is correct as is. In Identifying Errors, answer E means there is no error. How often will you see these? Taken as a whole, you will see these answers about 15% of the time. You are slightly more likely to get a no error answer in Identifying Errors (19%) than in Improving Sentences (12.5%). So if you are completing one of these sections and you don’t have any of these answers, know you’ve gone wrong somewhere! Though somequestions don't containan error, they still test you on the above grammar concepts - byseeing if you can tell when they arebeing used correctly. We havea full article on the No Error answer here. What would the statistically perfect test look like? Now that we know everything about how the test breaks down by each question type and grammar concept, let’s see what a theoretically perfect test would look like. Of course, no real SAT would follow these figures exactly, but it’ll give you a decent idea of what to expect. Use this "Perfect Test" list to help guide your studying. After you take a practice test, take note of what kind of questions you have missed. Compare your notes to this list, and start off tackling your problem areas that appear highest up. Improving Sentences: 25 Questions Total 6 questions on Correct Verb Tense and Form 4 questions on Fragments and Run-ons 3 questions on Parallel Structure 3 questions on Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers 3 questions on Correct Pronouns and Antecedents 1 question on Subject-Verb Agreement 1 question on Logical Conjunctions 1 question on Faulty Comparisons 1 question on Correct Use of Active and Passive 1 question on Word Pairs 1 question on Miscellaneous Topics Identifying Errors: 18 Questions Total 4 questions on Correct Verb Tense and Form 3 questions on Correct Pronouns and Antecedents 3 questions on Subject-Verb Agreement 1 question on Idiom, Preposition Use, and Diction 1 question on Parallel Structure 1 question on Faulty Comparisons 1 question on Word Pairs 1 question on Adjectives vs. Adverbs 1 question on Noun Agreement 1 question on Comparative vs. Superlative 1 question on Miscellaneous Topics Improving Paragraphs: 6 Questions Total 2 questions on Sentence Revision (Improving Sentences) 1 question on Sentence Insertion or Deletion 1 question on Using Transitions 1 question on Rhetorical Strategy 1 question on either Combining Sentences OR Word or Information Insertion You would have about seven questions with the answer â€Å"No Error† or Correct As Is. What’s next? Now you knowexactly what is on SAT Writing.Use the above links to master each topic. All too much for you to handle? Never fear, there aresome schools out there who don’t care about SAT Writing at all! If you are aiming to improve a low grade, see our article onhow to score a 600 on SAT Writing. If you are aiming for an 800, you will need to master all of the above concepts, even the infrequently used ones. See our article on top tips forscoring an 800 on SAT Writing. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

A Film Review-Synecdoche, New York 2008 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Film Review-Synecdoche, New York 2008 - Essay Example Cotard is a theatre director and he does not possess the typical admirable qualities of a movie hero or protagonist. Rather, his character is dark and difficult to admire. Kaufman has deliberately made his film riddled with intricate ideas and thoughts related to love, death, loss, and recreation. Strong messages are conveyed through different scenes. For example, in the final scene Cotard and Hazel lie in bed in the same house which is set on fire. Actually, the fire is used to describe Hazel’s fate. The burning house is a bold sign of what is eventually going to happen to Hazel. It is not only related to Hazel, but it is an ominous sign of every character’s death. Earlier on when Hazel is contemplating the decision to buy the house, it is still burning. But, she still chooses to buy it which is the kind of action which translates into a person accepting fate. She puts aside her suspicions and buys a house that is not right for her. Hazel’s burning house is used to portray sudden death, while the water leak in Caden’s house is used to describe slow damage. Caden is obsessed with death and vigorously attempts to resist damage, while Hazel accepts her fate and moves into a damaged house. Such themes used by Kaufman can also be interpreted in another way also assuming Hazel to be fire and Caden to be water. For example, there is a scene where Hazel smokes a cigarette and offers one to Caden too. However, Caden refuses to smoke with her because he secretly sees Hazel as fire which may set him on fire too. So, he desperately attempts to stop this damage. In another scene after sex with Hazel, Cotard does not feel fulfilled and cries. This shows that Hazel is a warm part of Cotard’s life, but that warm part is actually a burning house inside which he is trapped and cannot escape. This is why after his sexual encounter with Hazel, he cries because he is ultimately afraid of death yet has no one to call for help. After sex with Hazel, he is

LAN and WAN Hardware Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

LAN and WAN Hardware Technology - Essay Example These two classifications are based on the distance that a network is designed to support for it various services. LANs are typically designed to share information and computer resources among equipments placed in closed vicinity, in a building or a particular premises whereas WAN is considered a network of multiple LANs that may be situated at long distances. These LANs and WANs employ different hardware technologies to ensure an efficient, robust and secure networking environment. This report will introduce hardware technologies used in each network environment. However, for the most part it will talk about Ethernet and Wireless hardware technologies. 2. LAN Hardware Technologies Local Area Networks typically connects devices placed in a building using Ethernet technologies. Ethernet network can have broadcast point-to-point or a mix of these transmission technologies. In point-to-point technology, devices commonly use Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cables to connect to a nearest sw itch or hub. a) UTP cables UTP cables consist of four pairs of twisted cables insulated with a thin plastic sheet. UTP cables are categorized as CAT5, CAT5e, CAT6 and CAT6a (IEEE 802.3 2006) etc. standards of cables. CAT6a cables can support up to 10-gigabit data transfer rate in a LAN environment. UTP cables can transmit data up to a distance of 100 meters. A repeater, hub or switch can be used to enhance this maximum distance of UTP cables. A RJ-45 data connector at each end of a UTP cable connects it to various devices with a RJ-45 jack. All new building structures usually have special layouts of UTP cables running from each room to a central point known as Main Distribution Facility (MDF). (David, 507). b) Repeaters and Hubs There are three basic devices used to interconnect devices in an Ethernet network. Repeaters strengthen the transmission signal in order to carry it to a distance more than 100 meters. A hub connects devices in a network. It broadcast received signals to all devices connected to it. A hub also serves as a repeater. Repeaters and hubs are physical layer devices; physical layer is the first layer in OSI Reference model. (Null & Julia, 675). c) Switches Switch is an intelligent device used for point-to-point data transmissions. Switches operate at Data Link (layer-II) of OSI Reference Model. It can recognize distinctly various connect devices and can sends messages to only specific devices. There are switches that can operate at Network (Layer-III) of OSI Reference model. Layer-III switches can perform routing functions, which is not possible in a layer two switch. (Null & Julia, 675). d) Routers Routers are the most important hardware technology deployed in modern day networks. Router routes network traffic among various segments of a LAN or it may also be deployed in a WAN environment to route traffic among various LANs. A router is a layer-III device that can connect two different networks, which is not possible in case of a layer-II s witch. (Beasley, 194). e) Firewalls The growing and wide spread use of network technologies have instigated the need of more secure networks. Security of information means a security from internal and external threats of communication. Today, organizations have shared networks resources inside and outside of their own network and for obvious reasons want to

Machiavellis Cycle of Governance Essay Example for Free

Machiavellis Cycle of Governance Essay Ancient Rome such a stable and economically fruitful empire. Concerning the structures of governance as it was in 16th century florence, Machiavelli expressed the opinion that only six forms of government exist that maintain a perpetual cycle of short lived power before sucuming to, what he viewed as a natural end. This is brought about either due to a successful insurection and instalment of a form of government which evolved out of oppression or a form of government that eventually grew to become greedy and corrupt through generational changes. The model Machiavelli presents begins with a society in a state of nature or Anarchy that exists until the people begin to realise strength in numbers and seek leadership from the foremost individual who assumes rulership, thus evolving into a Monarchy. The good Monarch is however, succeeded by corrupt rulers who use their power for their own gain and control through Tyranny. The Tyrant is eventually overthrown by a rebellion and the rebels retain control amongst themselves collectively producing an Aristocracy. The Aristocrats are then succeeded by a generation that again, begins to use its powers to oppress the people and becomes an Oligarchy. Like the Tyrant, they are overthrown by the oppressed who then form a Democracy. As time progresses, order and control dissolve completely until we find ourselves in a state of nature or Anarchy once again. As Machiavelli saw it, because of mans propensity to greed and corruption against the collective force of the oppressed victims, the cycle of instability could only ever provide temporal security and was not an effective enough solution. Machiavelli lived in a period of insessent political conflict and social disharmony which provided him with a deep rooted motivation to ensure order and stability could be demonstrated within the system he sought. Machiavelli drew the conclusion that a balance of power shared between a monarchical figure, an aristocratic institution and a democratic institution, as the Ancient Romans had implemented, was the most benificial arrangement in the interest of the state. In order to sustain order, it is necessary to employ the method of checks and balances, meaning each faction must regulate the other to prevent the accumulation of too power in the hands of an individual or particular group. Today we use the term separation of powers to identify this form of self monitoring government. Although critics of this form of power regulation state that it slows up progress, promotes excesses of executive power and unaccountability, those who would champion the method maintain it is an effective means to ensure liberty and democracy while avoiding the possibility of tyranny.

Citizen Kane By Orson Wells Essay examples -- essays research papers

Citizen Kane By many, Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films ever made. Orson Wells, at age 25, directed, produced, and starred in this film. Citizen Kane is a memorable film for countless reasons. The film brought about controversy because it fictionalized the life of William Randolph Hearst, a powerful newspaper publisher. The film draws remarkable parallels with his life and his relationship with his mistress. There is also speculation that the film is loosely based on Wells’ life as well. This movie tells the fascinating story of the life and death of Charles Foster Kane, a narcissistic newspaper runner, politician, and a wealthy millionaire. What makes this movie spectacular is not only the acting of the actors, but the symbolism and cinematic effects. The techniques used by the cinematographer brought this film to life. This is what sets Citizen Kane apart from other films.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Symbolism has an enormous role in this film. â€Å"Rosebud† is the last word uttered by Cane. He then dies and takes his secret to the death. The film follows one reporter on his search to the truth. Throughout the film, the tragical existence of powerful newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, becomes apparent. He spends most of his life in solitude. Although he was married twice, he always stayed alone. This was because of his incapacity of felling love, which was caused by his insecure childhood. Kane was unwillingly taken away from his mother as a young child; this s...

The Host Chapter 38: Touched

â€Å"What do I think about what?† â€Å"About our†¦ discussion out there,† Ian clarified. What did I think about it? I didn't know. Somehow, Ian was able to look at things from my perspective, my alien perspective. He thought I had earned a right to my life. But he was†¦ jealous? Of Jared? He knew what I was. He knew I was just a tiny creature fused into the back of Melanie's brain. A worm, as Kyle had said. Yet even Kyle thought Ian had a â€Å"crush† on me. On me? That wasn't possible. Or did he want to know what I thought about Jared? My feelings on the experiment? More details about my responses to physical contact? I shuddered. Or my thoughts on Melanie? Melanie's thoughts on their conversation? Whether I agreed with Jared about her rights? I didn't know what I thought. About any of it. â€Å"I really don't know,† I said. He nodded. â€Å"That's understandable.† â€Å"Only because you are very understanding.† He smiled at me. It was odd how his eyes could both scorch and warm. Especially with a color that was closer to ice than fire. They were quite warm at the moment. â€Å"I like you very much, Wanda.† â€Å"I'm only just beginning to see that. I guess I'm a little slow.† â€Å"It's a surprise to me, too.† We both thought that over. He pursed his lips. â€Å"And†¦ I suppose†¦ that is one of the things you don't know how you feel about?† â€Å"No. I mean yes, I†¦ don't know. I†¦ I -â€Å" â€Å"That's okay. You haven't had long to think about it. And it must seem†¦ strange.† I nodded. â€Å"Yes. More than strange. Impossible.† â€Å"Tell me something,† Ian said after a moment. â€Å"If I know the answer.† â€Å"It's not a hard question.† He didn't ask it right away. Instead, he reached across the narrow space and picked up my hand. He held it in both of his for a moment, and then he trailed the fingers of his left hand slowly up my arm, from my wrist to my shoulder. Just as slowly, he pulled them back again. He looked at the skin of my arm rather than my face, watching the goose bumps that formed along the path of his fingers. â€Å"Does that feel good or bad to you?† he asked. Bad, Melanie insisted. But it doesn't hurt, I protested. That's not what he's asking. When he says good†¦ Oh, it's like talking to a child! I'm not even a year old, you know. Or am I now? I was sidetracked, trying to figure out the date. Melanie was not distracted. Good, to him, means the way it feels when Jared touches us. The memory she provided was not one from the caves. It was in the magic canyon, at sunset. Jared stood behind her and let his hands follow the shape of her arms, from her shoulders to her wrists. I shivered at the pleasure of the simple touch. Like that. Oh. â€Å"Wanda?† â€Å"Melanie says bad,† I whispered. â€Å"What do you say?† â€Å"I say†¦ I don't know.† When I could meet his eyes, they were warmer than I expected. â€Å"I can't even imagine how confusing this all must be to you.† It was comforting that he understood. â€Å"Yes. I'm confused.† His hand traced up and down my arm again. â€Å"Would you like me to stop?† I hesitated. â€Å"Yes,† I decided. â€Å"That†¦ what you're doing†¦ makes it hard for me to think. And Melanie is†¦ angry at me. That also makes it hard to think.† I'm not angry at you. Tell him to leave. Ian is my friend. I don't want him to leave. He leaned away, folding his arms across his chest. â€Å"I don't suppose she'd give us a minute alone?† I laughed. â€Å"I doubt it.† Ian tilted his head to one side, his expression speculative. â€Å"Melanie Stryder?† he asked, addressing her. We both started at the name. Ian went on. â€Å"I'd like the chance to speak with Wanda privately, if you don't mind. Is there any way that could be arranged?† Of all the nerve! You tell him I said no chance in hell! I do not like this man. My nose wrinkled up. â€Å"What did she say?† â€Å"She said no.† I tried to say the words as gently as they could be said. â€Å"And that she doesn't†¦ like you.† Ian laughed. â€Å"I can respect that. I can respect her. Well, it was worth a try.† He sighed. â€Å"Kind of puts a damper on things, having an audience.† What things? Mel growled. I grimaced. I didn't like feeling her anger. It was so much more vicious than mine. Get used to it. Ian put his hand on my face. â€Å"I'll let you think about things, okay? So you can decide how you feel.† I tried to be objective about that hand. It was soft against my face. It felt†¦ nice. Not like when Jared touched me. But also different from the way it felt when Jamie hugged me. Other. â€Å"It might take a while. None of this makes any sense, you know,† I told him. He grinned. â€Å"I know.† I realized, when he smiled then, that I wanted him to like me. The rest-the hand on my face, the fingers on my arm-I still wasn't sure at all about those. But I wanted him to like me, and to think kind things about me. Which is why it was hard to tell him the truth. â€Å"You don't really feel that way about me, you know,† I whispered. â€Å"It's this body†¦ She's pretty, isn't she?† He nodded. â€Å"She is. Melanie is a very pretty girl. Even beautiful.† His hand moved to touch my bad cheek, to stroke the rough, scarring skin with gentle fingers. â€Å"In spite of what I've done to her face.† Normally, I would have denied that automatically. Reminded him that the wounds on my face weren't his fault. But I was so confused that my head was spinning and I couldn't form a coherent sentence. Why should it bother me that he thought Melanie was beautiful? You've got me there. My feelings were no clearer to her than they were to me. He brushed my hair back from my forehead. â€Å"But, pretty as she is, she's a stranger to me. She's not the one I†¦ care about.† That made me feel better. Which was even more confusing. â€Å"Ian, you don't†¦ Nobody here separates us the way they should. Not you, not Jamie, not Jeb.† The truth came out in a rush, more heated than I'd meant it to be. â€Å"You couldn't care about me. If you could hold me in your hand, me, you would be disgusted. You would throw me to the ground and grind me under your foot.† His pale forehead creased as his black brows pulled together. â€Å"I†¦ not if I knew it was you.† I laughed without humor. â€Å"How would you know? You couldn't tell us apart.† His mouth turned down. â€Å"It's just the body,† I repeated. â€Å"That's not true at all,† he disagreed. â€Å"It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what you say. It's not how you look in that body, but the things you do with it. You are beautiful.† He moved forward as he spoke, kneeling beside the bed where I lay and taking my hand again in both of his. â€Å"I've never known anyone like you.† I sighed. â€Å"Ian, what if I'd come here in Magnolia's body?† He grimaced and then laughed. â€Å"Okay. That's a good question. I don't know.† â€Å"Or Wes's?† â€Å"But you're female-you yourself are.† â€Å"And I always request whatever a planet's equivalent is. It seems more†¦ right. But I could be put into a man and I would function just fine.† â€Å"But you're not in a man's body.† â€Å"See? That's my point. Body and soul. Two different things, in my case.† â€Å"I wouldn't want it without you.† â€Å"You wouldn't want me without it.† He touched my cheek again and left his hand there, his thumb under my jaw. â€Å"But this body is part of you, too. It's part of who you are. And, unless you change your mind and turn us all in, it's who you will always be.† Ah, the finality of it. Yes, I would die in this body. The final death. And I will never live in it again, Melanie whispered. It's not how either of us planned our future, is it? No. Neither of us planned to have no future. â€Å"Another internal conversation?† Ian guessed. â€Å"We're thinking of our mortality.† â€Å"You could live forever if you left us.† â€Å"Yes, I could.† I sighed. â€Å"You know, humans have the shortest life span of any species I've ever been, except the Spiders. You have so little time.† â€Å"Don't you think, then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ian paused and leaned closer to me so that I couldn't seem to see anything around his face, just snow and sapphire and ink. â€Å"That maybe you should make the most of what time you have? That you should live while you're alive?† I didn't see it coming the way I had with Jared. Ian was not as familiar to me. Melanie realized what he was going to do before I did, just a second before his lips touched mine. No! It wasn't like kissing Jared. With Jared, there was no thought, only desire. No control. A spark to gasoline-inevitable. With Ian, I didn't even know what I felt. Everything was muddled and confused. His lips were soft and warm. He pressed them only lightly to mine, and then brushed them back and forth across my mouth. â€Å"Good or bad?† he whispered against my lips. Bad! Bad, bad! â€Å"I-I can't think.† When I moved my mouth to speak, he moved his with it. â€Å"That sounds†¦ good.† His mouth pressed down with more force now. He caught my lower lip between his and pulled on it gently. Melanie wanted to hit him-so much more than she'd wanted to punch Jared. She wanted to shove him away and then kick his face. The image was horrible. It conflicted jarringly with the sensation of Ian's kiss. â€Å"Please,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Please stop. I can't think. Please.† He sat back at once, clasping his hands in front of him. â€Å"Okay,† he said, his tone cautious. I pressed my hands against my face, wishing I could push out Melanie's anger. â€Å"Well, at least nobody punched me.† Ian grinned. â€Å"She wanted to do more than that. Ugh. I don't like it when she's mad. It hurts my head. Anger is so†¦ ugly.† â€Å"Why didn't she?† â€Å"Because I didn't lose control. She only breaks free when I'm†¦ overwhelmed.† He watched as I kneaded my forehead. Calm down, I begged her. He's not touching me. Has he forgotten that I'm here? Doesn't he care? This is me, it's me! I tried to explain that. What about you? Have you forgotten Jared? She threw the memories at me the way she'd done in the beginning, only this time they were like blows. A thousand punches of his smile, his eyes, his lips on mine, his hands on my skin†¦ Of course not. Have you forgotten that you don't want me to love him? â€Å"She's talking to you.† â€Å"Yelling at me,† I corrected. â€Å"I can tell now. I can see you concentrate on the conversation. I never noticed before today.† â€Å"She's not always this vocal.† â€Å"I am sorry, Melanie,† he said. â€Å"I know this must be impossible for you.† Again, she visualized smashing her foot into his sculpted nose, leaving it crooked like Kyle's. Tell him I don't want his apologies. I winced. Ian half smiled, half grimaced. â€Å"She doesn't accept.† I shook my head. â€Å"So she can break free? If you're overwhelmed?† I shrugged. â€Å"Sometimes, if she takes me by surprise and I'm too†¦ emotional. Emotion makes it hard to concentrate. But it's been more difficult for her lately. It's like the door between us is locked. I don't know why. I tried to let her out when Kyle -† I stopped talking abruptly, grinding my teeth together. â€Å"When Kyle tried to kill you,† he finished matter-of-factly. â€Å"You wanted her free? Why?† I just stared at him. â€Å"To fight him?† he guessed. I didn't answer. He sighed. â€Å"Okay. Don't tell me. Why do you think the†¦ door is locked?† I frowned. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe the time passing†¦ It worries us.† â€Å"But she broke through before, to punch Jared.† â€Å"Yes.† I shuddered at the memory of my fist striking his jaw. â€Å"Because you were overwhelmed and emotional?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"What did he do? Just kiss you?† I nodded. Ian flinched. His eyes tightened. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"When Jared kisses you, you are†¦ overwhelmed by emotion.† I stared at him, worried by the expression on his face. Melanie enjoyed it. That's right! He sighed. â€Å"And when I kiss you†¦ you aren't sure if you like it. You are not†¦ overwhelmed.† â€Å"Oh.† Ian was jealous. How very strange this world was. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't be. I told you I'd give you time, and I don't mind waiting for you to think things through. I don't mind that at all.† â€Å"What do you mind?† Because he minded something very much. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. â€Å"I saw how you loved Jamie. That was always really obvious. I guess I should have seen that you loved Jared, too. Maybe I didn't want to. It makes sense. You came here for the two of them. You love them both, the same way Melanie did. Jamie like a brother. And Jared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was looking away, staring at the wall over me. I had to look away, too. I stared at the sunlight where it touched the red door. â€Å"How much of that is Melanie?† he wanted to know. â€Å"I don't know. Does it matter?† I could barely hear his answer. â€Å"Yes. It does to me.† Without looking at me or seeming to notice what he was doing, Ian took my hand again. It was very quiet for a minute. Even Melanie was still. That was nice. Then, as though a switch had been flipped, Ian was his normal self again. He laughed. â€Å"Time is on my side,† he said, grinning. â€Å"We've got the rest of our lives in here. One day you'll wonder what you ever saw in Jared.† In your dreams. I laughed with him, happy he was joking again. â€Å"Wanda? Wanda, can I come in?† Jamie's voice started from down the hall and, accompanied by the sound of his jogging steps, ended right outside the door. â€Å"Of course, Jamie.† I already had my hand held out to him before he shrugged the door aside. I hadn't seen him nearly enough lately. Unconscious or crippled, I hadn't been free to seek him out. â€Å"Hey, Wanda! Hey, Ian!† Jamie was all grins, his messy hair bouncing when he moved. He headed for my reaching hand, but Ian was in his way. So he settled for sitting on the edge of my mattress and resting his hand on my foot. â€Å"How are you feeling?† â€Å"Better.† â€Å"Hungry yet? There's beef jerky and corn on the cob! I could get you some.† â€Å"I'm okay for now. How are you? I haven't seen you much lately.† Jamie made a face. â€Å"Sharon gave me detention.† I smiled. â€Å"What did you do?† â€Å"Nothing. I was totally framed.† His innocent expression was a bit overdone, and he quickly changed the subject. â€Å"Guess what? Jared was saying at lunch that he didn't think it was fair for you to have to move out of the room you were used to. He said we weren't being good hosts. He said you should move back in with me! Isn't that great? I asked him if I could tell you right away, and he said that was a good idea. He said you would be in here.† â€Å"I'll bet he did,† Ian murmured. â€Å"So what do you think, Wanda? We get to be roomies again!† â€Å"But Jamie, where will Jared stay?† â€Å"Wait-let me guess,† Ian interrupted. â€Å"I bet he said the room was big enough for three. Am I right?† â€Å"Yeah. How did you know?† â€Å"Lucky guess.† â€Å"So that's good, isn't it, Wanda? It will be just like before we came here!† It felt sort of like a razor sliding between my ribs when he said that-too clean and precise a pain to be compared to a blow or a break. Jamie analyzed my tortured expression with alarm. â€Å"Oh. No, I mean but with you, too. It will be nice. The four of us, right?† I tried to laugh through the pain; it didn't hurt any worse than not laughing. Ian squeezed my hand. â€Å"The four of us,† I mumbled. â€Å"Nice.† Jamie crawled up the mattress, worming his way around Ian, to put his arms around my neck. â€Å"Sorry. Don't be sad.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† â€Å"You know I love you, too.† So sharp, so piercing, the emotions of this planet. Jamie had never said those words to me before. My whole body suddenly felt a few degrees warmer. So sharp, Melanie agreed, wincing at her own pain. â€Å"Will you come back?† Jamie begged against my shoulder. I couldn't answer right away. â€Å"What does Mel want?† he asked. â€Å"She wants to live with you,† I whispered. I didn't have to check to know that. â€Å"And what do you want?† â€Å"Do you want me to live with you?† â€Å"You know I do, Wanda. Please.† I hesitated. â€Å"Please?† â€Å"If that's what you want, Jamie. Okay.† â€Å"Woo hoo!† Jamie crowed in my ear. â€Å"Cool! I'm gonna go tell Jared! I'll get you some food, too, okay?† He was already on his feet, bouncing the mattress so that I felt it in my ribs. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You want something, Ian?† â€Å"Sure, kid. I want you to tell Jared he's shameless.† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Never mind. Go get Wanda some lunch.† â€Å"Sure. And I'll ask Wes for his extra bed. Kyle can come back in here, and everything will be like it should be!† â€Å"Perfect,† Ian said, and though I didn't look at his face, I knew he was rolling his eyes. â€Å"Perfect,† I whispered, and felt the razor's edge again.