Impact Of Music Essays - Grammy Award For Best Rap Album

Impact Of Music Fifteen people died on April 20th 1999. Two misunderstood teens went to school and killed 12 people and then themselves(Manson). On October 6th, 1998 a man was beaten, robbed and left tied to a fence. He died 6 days later(Boston). Both of these cases are a focus for something that no one would ever think could cause such harm. Music. Both of these have a focus of music and the negative impact that it has on the youth. Music is a way to express your self, an outlet for emotions and personal issues. It is also a place to force ideas and opinions on a mass of thousands. People can relate to it on many different levels. But who should be responsible for the actions it provokes? Should the artist or the parents? What can we as average citizens do? Some say that music should be rated and in some cases banned. One such person would be Tipper Gore. Back in 1985 she was listening to her daughters Prince album Purple Rain. The album contained a song ? Darling Nikki? about a woman who was ?masturbating with a magazine.? The song continued with a sexual tone. She felt this was not proper for her, or any other child to listen to. She and other concerned parents founded the PMRC ? Parent Music Resource Center. They wanted a standard rating system for all albums to alert parents of the content. Such ratings as ?V? for violence and ?X? for sex related (Holland). Many musicians fought against the PMRC. Artists like Dee Snider (of Twisted Sister) and John Denver fought for the case of artists' free speech. The result was not a standard set of ratings but one black and white sticker with the words, Parental Advisory Explicit Content. This was to be on all albums containing content not suitable for minors. The record companies would decide w hich album was to be stickered. Fifteen years later we are still arguing over free speech and what should be available to children and teens. The youth of America have many different forms of music to choose from. A large portion of youth's listen to rap or alternative music and most has an advisory sticker on them. But is this sticker doing anything? Youth are still being influenced by the themes and not so much the words that are being said. Many feel that the music has a great influence on youth. Most teenagers spend a lot of time listening to music. Studies have also found that music affects behavior. Was this what happened at the Columbine High School? Did the two boys listen to something and it told them to go and shoot someone? Maybe not directly but in some ways music has affected everything around them. It was said that at the time Marilyn Manson was a major cause of the problems. The boys dressed like him and listened to his dark music. Such music has a hate base to it, often telling of revenge and killing. He says in one song how he will make everyone pay(Jipping). This has a parallel with what the two boys were feeling, always being picked on by the other students. So the two do have some connection. Not saying that if Manson hadn't wrote what he wrote then the killings wouldn't have happened. In fact the two boys didn't even like Manson's music. This still does not excuse Manson for writing these lyrics. In his words he asks the question of whose fault it is. ? Throw a rock and you'll hit someone who's guilty, ? he said in a response to the killings in Rolling Stone Magaz ine. He also states ?We live in a free country, but with that freedom, there is a burden of personal responsibility.?(Manson) Where is his responsibility when it comes to hate music? Music has been found to directly relate to people and their behavior. Those who listen to negative themed music are more apt to behave in antisocial attitudes. Matthew Shepard died a horrible death that fall day. We know who killed him and we know why, it was a hate crime. Ignorance killed Matthew; did music play a part

Macbeths rise and fall

Macbeths rise and fall At the beginning of the play "Macbeth" by Shakespeare, Macbeth is described as the undefeatable hero who has downed high treason and the Norwegian invaders and due to his bravery Scotland can expect a new peace.But on their way to King Duncan the commanders Macbeth and Banquo meet the three witches and their prophecies will change the course of history .Thane of Glamis is supposed to become Thane of Cawdor and afterwards even king and Baquo should become progenitor of kings. After a short while he is greeted as Thane of Cawdor by the king's delegates. Consequently he desires to be king as well and believes that all he has to is to commit regicide. The first sign of his ambition is visible.Unlike the hesitating and reflecting Macbeth his wife is willing to become queen and encourages and incites him. Here Macbeth still shows inhibitions and reason when he claims that being Thane of Cawdor would be good enough for him.Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches in a woodcu...

Discourse Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discourse Analysis - Case Study Example The author further illustrates ‘islandness’ as a â€Å"construct of the mind,† which facilitates the islanders a â€Å"singular way† of looking at the world (192). Thus, the Island Institute has begun to publish the Island’s Journal, to create awareness in the general public about the islanders. The article draws research evidence from a wide variety of literature published in this journal, which the author has reviewed and he also uses his personal experience with island life. The author has supported and validated his thesis through an array of evidence from the island culture as well as referring to certain island qualities that â€Å"transcend local culture† (192). This becomes apparent in his illustration of the â€Å"self-consciousness about islandness† among the inhabitants of different islands (193). He also refers to the â€Å"cellarhole melancholy† that defines the sense of loss that permeates every inch of the island space and reflects on the islanders (193). The intended audience for this type of an audience may include scholars and teachers of geography, anthropology, literature and other humanities as well as people who have an interest in these subjects. The Geography Review, in which the article has been published, is a suitable publication for an article that contains such a topic. The author has taken a judicious stance in presenting the topic and there are not apparent bias on his part, except for his specific affini ty for the Islanders and his keen interest in informing the world about them. Similarly, Conkling also identifies many attributes that are common in islanders across the archipelagos different islands such as: a sense of freedom, loyalty and honor, frugality, â€Å"polydextrous and multifaceted competence† as well as the oral traditions, canny literacy and ability to tolerate eccentricity (192). The author’s use of language and style has been appropriate to the topic

Mutiple Sclerosis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Mutiple Sclerosis - Research Paper Example In addition, this disease is commonly reported among the female gender besides affecting young adults. At certain incidences, the infection may lead to either physical or cognitive disability (Kalb, 2011). Hence, worsen the ailing person’s condition because it assumes either relapse or progressive state (Kalb 2011). The disease’s pathophysiology is widely unknown to many, though numerous studies are underway with the intention of ascertaining other factors about it (Lezzoni, 2010). Multiple Sclerosis presents itself in two phases (Lezzoni, 2010). The initial phase encompasses brain hidden damage whereas the second is spinal cord paralysis (Lezzoni, 2010). During these phases, most lesions characterize the silent areas of brain damage thus, becoming difficult for doctors to detect them. What follows is infiltration of immune cells known as demyelination (Lezzoni, 2010). The depiction of this state mostly encompasses white matter and lesions appearing mainly in a peri-ventricular pattern (Lezzoni, 2010). Besides the intense injury of the normal white matter, the illness also damages cortex and profound gray material nuclei (Lezzoni, 2010). Symptoms of this illness majorly occur due to the accumulation of lesions in the central nervous system (Lezzoni, 2010). The most notable symptoms of th is disease encompass lapses, which are due to axonal conduction at the trace of the lesions (Lezzoni, 2010). Multiple sclerosis lesions in the brain and spinal cord lead to the damage of numerous central nervous system parts (Lezzoni, 2010). The disease professes various clinical symptoms that can be either mild or aggressive. For instance, numbness in limbs, slurred speech, fatigue and dizziness which represent mild symptoms, whereas vision impairment, pain in various body parts, lack of body coordination and balance breakdowns encompass aggressive symptoms (Lezzoni, 2010). Infected persons are extremely

Suport individuals to eat and drink Essay Example for Free

Suport individuals to eat and drink Essay It is important to give people some choice in the food thay eat. This will make mealtimes more enjoyable. Just imagine being unable to prepare meals for myself and having to sit down day after day to eat boring, unappetising or badly cooked food. Choice should be offered in the type of food, he way it is cooked and the quantity of food that is provided. It may also be helpful, if possible, to vary the times at which food is provided, so that people can choose the tome at which they wish to eat rather than having to fit in with the arrangements of their care setting. Of course, this is not easy as there are always considerations about staffing and running any care facility. Knowing the types of food and drink a person likes will help to build a trusting relationship. Some people choose not to eat meat because of their concern for animals. Some people have foods that they just do not like. Some people choose not to eat certain food because of religious easons. People from some groups will only eat food that has been prepared in certain ways depending on their religions laws. It is important to know what a healty and balanced diet is encouranging people to make suitable choices about what they eat is a very important part of supporting them. Some people may need to have a special diet for medical reasons, such as diabetes. A healthy balanced diet gives people all the nutrients in the right amounts for their age and gender. The amount of food taken in by a person needs to balance with the energy they use. If these are not balanced, the person will lose or gain weight. For example, an energetic teenager aets more than a older person who is not very active, because the teenager uses more energy. Everyone should eat a variety of foods, so that our bodies get all the nutrients that we need. This is especially important if people are recovering from an accident or an operation. The nutrition pyramid above typically shows the amount needed from each food group every  day. If dietary choice permits, try to choose low fat dairy foods and lean meat. Eat two portions of fish each week. Alcohol should be kept within the recommended limits or, better still, to occasional use only. The long-term effects of too much alcohol include conditions that can cause serious damage to the liver, of the stomach. It can also lead to dementia. It is important to encourage people to drink on a regular basis. For example, I could offer water, fruit squash, fruit juice and other drinks. However, too many sugary drinks, suck as fizzy drinks, and drinks that contain high levels of coffeine should be avoided. A lot of reseach has been carried out about what we eat. It has shown that too much salt is bad for me because it can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease. Research has also shown that eating enough fruit and vegetables can help to prevent some cancers. A person who eats too much and does not exercise enough may become obese. There can be many reasons why a person does not choose a healthy, balanced diet. They may not know what a healthy diet is. Diet can also be linked to social class because poorer people may not be able to afford good-quality food; however, with some thought it is possible tto eat a healty diet on a budget. Busy lifestyles mean that some people eat a lot of processed or conveniene foods, which usually contain a lot of salt and fat. Other peope just do not want to follow the advice to eat well, because they feel that the unhealthy option tastes better! Make sure that I know what a healthy diet is so that I can help people to make healthy choices. If I help them to develop independent skills by supporting them to do their own shopping, point out the healthy options and alternatives, I may also need to knowwhat the consequences of a poor diet choice might be. For example obesity can lead to heart disease, varicose veins, diabetes and arthritis. High cholesterol and diets high in salt can lead to heart attacks and strokes. If I am aware of the consequences, this means that I can offer sound advice. People may be reluctant, or may even refuse, to eat certain types of food which have been noted in their support plan as a requirement for their condition- such as a diabetic diet, a weight-reduction diet or a gluten-free diet. This can cause difficulties in terms of being able to offer freedom of choice. I may feel that this places me, and other care staff, in a very difficult position. If someone is determined to ignore medical advice and to follow a different diet, this should be reported and discussed among the care team and the  madical staff responsible for the person’s care. Ultimately I have little control over a diabetic who buys and eats chocolate bars and sweets. However, I do have a responsibility to provide full information and explanations, and to repeat the explanations regulary to the person, making every effort to persuade them to comply with the dietary requirements. If a person chooses, in full knowledge of the consequences, to ignore medical advice, then that is their choice.

The Anti-Free Speech Movement on Americas College Campuses

The Anti-Free Speech Movement on America's College Campuses The nation's leftists, whether in academia or the news media tout themselves as advocates of free speech. Back in 1964, it was Mario Savio a campus leftist who led the Free Speech Movement at the Berkeley campus of the University of California, a movement that without question played a vital role in placing American universities center stage in the flow of political ideas no matter how controversial, unpatriotic and vulgar. From the Nazis to the Stalinists leftists have always supported free speech rights, at least initially. Why? Because speech is important for the realization of leftist goals of command and control. People must be propagandized, proselytized and convinced. However, once the leftists are in power, as they are in most universities, free speech becomes a liability and must be suppressed. This is increasingly the case on college campuses and even finds its way into the work place. West Virginia University's student handbook reads in part: "Individuals or organizations may utilize designated free speech areas on a first-come, first-served basis without making reservations." Adding, ". . .the two designated areas for free speech and assembly will be the amphitheater area of the Mountainlair plaza and the concrete stage area in front of the Mountainlair and adjacent to the WVU Bookstore." In other words, 99 percent of West Virginia's campus was made into a censorship zone. This Nazi-Stalinist-like policy did not last long. The Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) began a campaign of public exposure and the Charlottesville, Virginia-based Rutherford Institute brought suit. This persuaded West Virginia University... ...nese, Jewish, African or Arab and hold Western values. It's no accident that western values of reason and individual rights have produced unprecedented health, life expectancy, wealth and comfort for the ordinary person. There's an indisputable positive relationship between liberty and standards of living. Western values are by no means secure. They are under ruthless attack by the academic elite on college campuses across America. These people want to replace personal liberty with government control; they want to replace equality with entitlement; they want to halt progress in the name of protecting the environment. As such they pose a much greater threat to our way of life than any terrorist or rogue nation. Multiculturalism and diversity are a cancer on our society and ironically, with our tax dollars and charitable donations to universities, we're feeding it.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty

â€Å"YOU SHOULD SLEEP.' Sydney's soft voice nearly made me leap out of my skin, proving that even while in Lissa's mind, I could still stay alert. I tuned back to Sonya's dark living room. Aside from Sydney, everything was quiet and at peace. â€Å"You look like the walking dead,' she continued. â€Å"And I don't say that lightly.' â€Å"I've got to stay on watch,' I said. â€Å"I'll watch. You sleep.' â€Å"You're not trained like me,' I pointed out. â€Å"You might miss something.' â€Å"Even I wouldn't miss Strigoi beating down the door,' she replied. â€Å"Look, I know you guys are tough. You don't have to convince me. But I have a feeling things are going to get harder, and I don't want you passing out at some crucial moment. If you sleep now, you can relieve Dimitri later.' Only the mention of Dimitri made me give in. We would need to relieve each other eventually. So, reluctantly, I crawled into Sydney's bed on the floor, giving her all sorts of instructions that I think she rolled her eyes at. I fell asleep almost instantly and then woke up just as quickly when I heard the sound of a door closing. I immediately sat upright, expecting to see Strigoi busting down the door. Instead, I found sunlight creeping in through the windows and Sydney watching me with amusement. In the living room, Robert was sitting up on the couch, rubbing his eyes. Victor was gone. I turned to Sydney in alarm. â€Å"He's in the bathroom,' she said, anticipating my question. That was the sound I'd heard. I exhaled in relief and stood up, surprised at how even a few hours of sleep had energized me. If I only had food, I'd be ready for anything. Sonya didn't have any, of course, but I settled for a glass of water in the kitchen. As I stood there drinking, I noticed that the Dashkov brothers had made themselves at home: coats hanging on hooks, car keys on the counter. I quietly grabbed hold of the keys and called for Sydney. She came in, and I slipped her the keys, trying not to let them rattle. â€Å"Do you still know about cars?' I murmured. In one exquisite look, she told me that was a ridiculous and insulting question. â€Å"Okay. Can you go do a grocery run? We're going to need food. And maybe on your way out, you can, um, make sure their car has engine trouble or something? Anything that keeps it here. But not something obvious, like slashed tires.' She put the keys in her pocket. â€Å"Easy. Got any food requests?' I thought about it. â€Å"Something with sugar. And coffee for Dimitri.' â€Å"Coffee's a given,' she said. Victor stepped into the kitchen, his typically unconcerned expression making me think he hadn't heard me instructing Sydney to sabotage his car. â€Å"Sydney's getting groceries,' I said, hoping to distract him before he might notice the missing keys. â€Å"Need anything?' â€Å"A feeder would be nice, but barring that, Robert has an especial liking for Cheerios. The apple cinnamon kind.' He smiled at Sydney. â€Å"I never thought I'd see the day an Alchemist would be an errand girl. It's charming.' Sydney opened her mouth, no doubt to make some biting comment, and I quickly shook my head. â€Å"Just go,' I said. She went, and Victor soon returned to Robert's side. Convinced the brothers wouldn't be going anywhere in full daylight without a car, I decided it was time to check on Dimitri. To my surprise, Sonya was awake. She sat cross-legged on the bed with him, and the two spoke in hushed tones. Her hair was disheveled from both sleep and fighting, but otherwise, she showed no cuts or bruises from the battle. Dimitri had been the same after his transformation, escaping terrible burns. The power of a Strigoi restoration healed all injuries. Between my skinned legs and pseudo-concussion, I kind of wished someone had transformed me from a Strigoi. Sonya turned from Dimitri as I entered. A sequence of emotions passed across her face. Fear. Astonishment. Recognition. â€Å"Rose?' There was hesitancy in the word, like she wondered if I was a hallucination. I forced a smile. â€Å"It's good to see you again.' I chose not to add, â€Å"Now that you're not trying to suck the life out of me.' She averted her eyes down to her hands, studying her fingers like they were magical and wonderful. Of course, after being a monster, maybe having her â€Å"old hands' back really was wondrous. The day after his change, Dimitri hadn't seemed quite so fragile, but he'd certainly been in shock. That was also when he'd grown depressed. Was she? Or did she want to turn again, as Victor had suggested? I didn't know what to say. It was all so strange and awkward. â€Å"Sydney went for groceries,' I told Dimitri lamely. â€Å"She also stayed up so that I could sleep last night.' â€Å"I know,' he said with a small smile. â€Å"I got up once to check on you.' I felt myself flushing, somehow embarrassed that I'd been caught in weakness. â€Å"You can rest too,' I told him. â€Å"Get some breakfast, and then I'll keep an eye on everything. I have it on good authority that Victor's going to have car trouble. Also that Robert really likes Cheerios, so if you want some, you're out of luck. He doesn't seem like the sharing type.' Dimitri's smile grew. Sonya suddenly lifted her head. â€Å"There's another spirit user here,' she said, voice frantic. â€Å"I can feel it. I remember him.' She looked between Dimitri and me. â€Å"It's not safe. We're not safe. You shouldn't have us around.' â€Å"Everything's fine,' said Dimitri, voice so, so gentle. That tone was rare for him, but I'd heard it before. He'd used it on me in some of my most desperate moments. â€Å"Don't worry.' Sonya shook her head. â€Å"No. You don't understand. We †¦ we're capable of terrible things. To ourselves, to others. It's why I changed, to stop the madness. And it did, except †¦ it was worse. In its way. The things I did †¦' There it was, the same remorse Dimitri had felt. Half-afraid he'd start telling her there was no redemption for her either, I said, â€Å"It wasn't you. You were controlled by something else.' She buried her face in her hands. â€Å"But I chose it. Me. I made it happen.' â€Å"That was spirit,' I said. â€Å"It's hard to fight. Like you said, it can make you do terrible things. You weren't thinking clearly. Lissa battles with the same thing all the time.' â€Å"Vasilisa?' Sonya lifted her eyes and stared off into space. I think she was digging through memories. In fact, despite her ramblings now, I didn't believe she was quite as unstable as she'd been just before becoming Strigoi. We'd heard healings could lessen spirit's madness, and I think Robert's transformation had lightened some of the darkness within her for now. â€Å"Yes, of course. Vasilisa has it too.' She turned to me in a panic. â€Å"Did you help her? Did you get her out of there?' â€Å"I did,' I said, trying to emulate Dimitri's gentleness. Lissa and I fled St. Vladimir's for a while, partly because of warnings from Sonya. â€Å"We left and then came back and, uh, were able to stop what was hunting her.' I didn't think it was a good idea for Sonya to know that the thing–or rather, person–hunting Lissa was now sitting out in the living room. I took a step forward. â€Å"And you can help Lissa too. We need to know if–‘ â€Å"No,' said Dimitri. No gentleness now in the warning look he gave me. â€Å"Not yet.' â€Å"But–‘ â€Å"Not yet.' I shot him a glare in return but said no more. I was all for giving Sonya her recuperation time, but we didn't have forever. The clock was ticking, and we had to find out what Sonya knew. I felt like Dimitri would have been able to give us this information immediately after he'd been changed back. Of course, he hadn't been unstable beforehand, so he'd kind of had an edge. Still. We couldn't play house in Kentucky forever. â€Å"Can I see my flowers?' asked Sonya. â€Å"Can I go outside and see my flowers?' Dimitri and I exchanged glances. â€Å"Of course,' he said. We all moved toward the door, and that's when I had to ask. â€Å"Why did you grow flowers when you were †¦ like you were?' She paused. â€Å"I've always grown flowers.' â€Å"I know. I remember. They were gorgeous. The ones here are gorgeous too. Is that why †¦ I mean, did you just want a pretty garden, even as a Strigoi?' The question was unexpected and seemed to throw her off. I was about to give up on an answer when she finally said, â€Å"No. I never thought about pretty. They were †¦ I don't know. Something to do. I'd always grown flowers. I had to see if I still could. It was like †¦ a test of my skills, I guess.' I met Dimitri's eyes again. So. Beauty hadn't been part of her world. It was just like I'd told him. Strigoi were notoriously arrogant, and it seemed the flowers had simply been a show of prowess. Growing them had also been a familiar habit for her, and I recalled how Dimitri had read Western novels while Strigoi. Being Strigoi might cost someone their sense of goodness and morality, but old behaviors and hobbies remained. We took her out to the living room, interrupting a conversation between Victor and Robert. Sonya and Robert both froze, sizing each other up. Victor gave us one of his knowing smiles. â€Å"Up and around. Have we found out what we need yet?' Dimitri shot him a look similar to what I'd received when asking about interrogation. â€Å"Not yet.' Sonya dragged her gaze from Robert and moved quickly toward the patio door, pausing when she saw our shoddy patch job. â€Å"You broke my door,' she said. â€Å"Collateral damage,' I said. In my periphery, I think Dimitri rolled his eyes. Needing no guidance from us, Sonya opened the door and stepped outside. With a gasp, she came to a halt and stared upward. The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue, and the sun had crossed the horizon now, illuminating everything in gold. I went outside too, feeling the warmth of that light on my skin. Some of the night's coldness lingered, but we were in store for a hot day. Everyone else came out too, but Sonya was oblivious. She lifted her hands upward, as though maybe she could grab hold of the sun and wrap it in her arms. â€Å"It's so beautiful.' She finally looked away and met my eyes. â€Å"Isn't it? Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?' â€Å"Beautiful,' I reiterated. For some reason, I felt both happy and sad. She walked around her yard, examining every plant and flower. She touched the petals and inhaled their fragrance. â€Å"So different †¦' she kept saying to herself. â€Å"So different in the sun †¦' Several especially caught her attention. â€Å"These don't open at night! Do you see it? Do you see the colors? Can you smell that?' The questions didn't seem to be for anyone in particular. We watched, all of us kind of hypnotized. At last, she settled into the patio chair, happily gazing around, lost in sensory overload–in that beauty that had been denied to her as a Strigoi. When it became obvious she wasn't leaving for a while, I turned to Dimitri and repeated Sydney's advice about him taking a turn at sleeping while we waited for Sonya to recover. To my surprise, he actually agreed. â€Å"That's smart. Once Sonya's able to talk, we'll need to move.' He smiled. â€Å"Sydney's turning into a battle mastermind.' â€Å"Hey, she's not in charge here,' I teased. â€Å"She's just a soldier.' â€Å"Right.' He lightly brushed his fingers against my cheek. â€Å"Sorry, Captain.' â€Å"General,' I corrected, catching my breath at that brief touch. He gave Sonya a kind goodbye before disappearing into the house. She nodded, but I don't know if she really heard. Victor and Robert brought out two wooden kitchen chairs and set them in the shade. I chose a spot on the ground. Nobody spoke. It wasn't the weirdest thing I'd ever experienced, but it was certainly strange. Sydney returned later with the groceries, and I briefly abandoned the group to check in with her. Victor's keys were lying back on the counter, which I took as a good sign. Sydney unloaded an assortment of food and handed me a box of a dozen donuts. â€Å"Hope that's enough for you,' she remarked. I made a face at her presumption but took the donuts anyway. â€Å"Come on outside when you're done,' I told her. â€Å"It's like the barbecue of the damned. Except †¦ there's no grill.' She looked puzzled, but when she joined us later, she seemed to get what I'd been saying. Robert brought out a bowl of Cheerios, but neither Sydney nor Victor ate. I gave Sonya a donut, the first thing that took her attention from her yard. She held it in her hands, turning it over and over. â€Å"I don't know if I can. I don't know if I can eat it.' â€Å"Of course you can.' I recalled how Dimitri had regarded food uncertainly too. â€Å"It's chocolate-glazed. Good stuff.' She took a tentative, rabbit-sized bite. She chewed it a billion times and finally swallowed. She closed her eyes briefly and sighed. â€Å"Such sweetness.' Slowly, she continued taking more tiny bites. It took forever for her to get halfway through the donut, and at that point, she finally stopped. I'd polished off three donuts by then, and my impatience to accomplish something was growing. Part of it was still the irritability from spirit, and part of it was just my continual restlessness to help Lissa. â€Å"Sonya,' I said pleasantly, fully aware of how pissed off Dimitri was going to be at me defying his instructions. â€Å"We wanted to talk to you about something.' â€Å"Mm-hmm,' she said, gazing at bees hovering around some honeysuckle. â€Å"Is there a relative of yours †¦ someone who, uh, had a baby a while ago †¦ ?' â€Å"Sure,' she said. One of the bees flew from the honeysuckle to a rose, and she never looked away. â€Å"Lots.' â€Å"Articulate, Rosemarie,' remarked Victor. â€Å"Very articulate.' I bit my lip, knowing an outburst would upset Sonya. And probably Robert too. â€Å"This would be a secret baby,' I told her. â€Å"And you were the beneficiary on a bank account that took care of the baby †¦ an account paid for by Eric Dragomir.' Sonya's head whipped toward me, and there was no dreamy absentmindedness in her blue eyes now. A few seconds passed before she spoke. Her voice was cold and hard–not a Strigoi voice, but definitely a back off voice. â€Å"No. I don't know anything about that.' â€Å"She's lying,' said Robert. â€Å"I didn't need any powers to figure that out,' scoffed Sydney. I ignored both of them. â€Å"Sonya, we know you know, and it's really important we find this baby †¦ er, child. Person.' We'd made guesses on the age but weren't 100 percent sure. â€Å"You said you were worried about Lissa earlier. This will help her. She needs to know. She needs to know she has another family member.' Sonya turned her attention back to the bees, but I knew she was no longer watching them. â€Å"I don't know anything.' There was a trembling in her voice, and something told me that maybe I shouldn't push this after all. I couldn't tell if she was afraid or on the verge of rage. â€Å"Then why were you on the account?' This came from Victor. â€Å"I don't know anything,' she repeated. Her voice could have made icicles form on the ornamental trees. â€Å"Nothing.' â€Å"Stop lying,' snapped Victor. â€Å"You know something, and you're going to tell us.' â€Å"Hey!' I exclaimed. â€Å"Be quiet. You don't have interrogation rights here.' â€Å"You didn't seem to be doing a very good job.' â€Å"Just shut up, okay?' I looked back at Sonya, replacing my glare with a smile. â€Å"Please,' I begged. â€Å"Lissa's in trouble. This will help her. I thought you said before that you wanted to help her?' â€Å"I promised †¦' said Sonya. Her voice was so low, I could barely hear it. â€Å"Promised what?' I asked. Patience, patience. I had to remain calm. I couldn't risk a breakdown. She squeezed her eyes shut and raked her hands through her hair violently, almost like a child about to have a tantrum. â€Å"Promised not to tell. Promised not to tell anyone †¦' I had the urge to run over and shake her. Patience, patience, I repeated to myself. Don't upset her. â€Å"We wouldn't ask you to break your promise if it wasn't important. Maybe †¦ maybe you can get in touch with this person †¦' Who had she promised? Eric's mistress? â€Å"And see if it's okay to tell us?' â€Å"Oh for God's sake,' said Victor irritably. â€Å"This is ridiculous and getting us nowhere.' He glanced at his brother. â€Å"Robert?' Robert hadn't done much so far today, but at Victor's command, Robert leaned forward. â€Å"Sonya?' Still obviously distraught, she turned to look at him †¦ and her face went still. â€Å"Tell us what we need to know,' said Robert. His voice wasn't kind so much as smooth and lulling, with a faintly sinister touch. â€Å"Tell us who and where this child is. Tell us who the mother is.' This time, I did jump to my feet. Robert was using compulsion on her to get the answers. Sonya's eyes stayed locked on him, but her body began to shake. Her lips parted, though no sound came out. A tangle of thoughts swirled in my mind. Compulsion would get us what we needed to know, but something told me, it wasn't right– Sonya stopped me from any more pondering. She shot up almost as quickly as I had. She was still staring at Robert, but no longer in that transfixed, hypnotized way. She'd broken the compulsion, and now †¦ now she was pissed. The features that had been scared and fragile earlier were filled with fury. I had no magical senses, but after being with Lissa, I knew raging spirit when I saw it. Sonya was a bomb, about to explode. â€Å"How dare you †¦' she hissed. â€Å"How dare you try to compel me?' Plants and vines near Robert suddenly sprang to life, growing to impossible heights. They reached out, tangled themselves around his chair's legs, and pulled. The chair toppled over, Robert along with it. Victor moved to help his brother, but Robert was already taking matters into his own hands. Recovering remarkably fast, he narrowed his eyes at Sonya, and she went flying backward, slamming against the wooden fence. Air users could do that trick sometimes, but this wasn't air blowing her back. This was spirit's telekinetic abilities. He apparently possessed them outside of dreams too. Lovely. I'd seen spirit users battle it out before, when Avery Lazar and Lissa had gone one on one. That hadn't been pretty, particularly since more than this exterior psychic phenomena had occurred. Avery had actually dug into Lissa's mind–and mine. I didn't know Robert or Sonya's full skill set, but this couldn't end well. â€Å"Dimitri!' I yelled, springing toward Sonya. I didn't exactly know what I was going to do, but tackling her seemed like a sound plan. From what I'd observed, a lot of spirit involved eye contact with the target. And sure enough, when I managed to wrestle her to the ground, she struggled half- heartedly but mostly fought to keep her gaze on Robert. He screamed in sudden alarm, looking down at his own body in terror. Sonya was planting visions into his head. His expression hardened. He had to know it was an illusion, and a few moments later, he looked up, having broken her spell like she'd broken his earlier compulsion. Dimitri came tearing out the door at that point, just as Robert used his mind to fling one of the chairs toward Sonya. Of course, I was on top of her, so the chair hit me in the back. Dimitri picked up pretty quickly what was going on and ran toward Robert, attempting the same tactic as me. Victor, possibly thinking his brother was in physical danger, tried to pry Dimitri away, which was futile. More vines began to reach toward Robert, and I realized constraining Sonya wasn't all that useful. â€Å"Get him inside!' I yelled to Dimitri. â€Å"Get him away from her!' Dimitri had already guessed that and began dragging Robert toward the door. Even with Victor interfering, Dimitri's strength was enough to get Robert out of there and back into the house. As soon as her target was gone, all the energy seemed to fade out of Sonya. She made no more efforts to fight me and collapsed to the ground. I was relieved, having feared she'd turn on me once Robert was gone. Tentatively, still on guard, I helped Sonya sit up. She leaned against me, weak as a rag doll, and cried into my shoulder. Another breakdown. After that, it was a matter of damage control. In order to keep the spirit users apart, Dimitri had taken Robert to the bedroom and left Victor with him. Robert seemed as worn out as Sonya, and Dimitri deemed the brothers safe enough to leave alone. Sonya collapsed on the couch, and after both Dimitri and I had tried to calm her down, we stepped away while Sydney held the Moroi woman's hand. I briefly recapped what had happened. Dimitri's face grew more and more incredulous as I did. â€Å"I told you it wasn't time!' he exclaimed. â€Å"What were you thinking? She's too weak!' â€Å"You call that weak? And hey, I was doing fine! It wasn't until Victor and Robert got involved that things went to hell.' Dimitri took a step toward me, anger radiating off him. â€Å"They should never have gotten involved. This is you, acting irrational again, jumping in foolishly with no thought of the consequences.' Outrage shot through me in return. â€Å"Hey, I was trying to make progress here. If being rational is sitting around and doing therapy, then I'm happy to jump over the edge. I'm not afraid to get in the game.' â€Å"You have no idea what you're saying,' he growled. We were standing closer now, hardly any space left between us as we engaged in our battle of wills. â€Å"This may have set us back.' â€Å"This set us forward. We found out she knows about Eric Dragomir. The problem is she promised not to tell anyone about this baby.' â€Å"Yes, I promised,' piped up Sonya. Dimitri and I turned as one, realizing our argument was fully visible and audible to Sonya and Sydney. â€Å"I promised.' Her voice was very small and weak, pleading with us. Sydney squeezed her hand. â€Å"We know. It's okay. It's okay to keep promises. I understand.' Sonya looked at her gratefully. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you.' â€Å"But,' said Sydney carefully, â€Å"I heard that you care about Lissa Dragomir.' â€Å"I can't,' interrupted Sonya, turning fearful again. â€Å"I know, I know. But what if there was a way to help her without breaking your promise?' Sonya stared at Sydney. Dimitri glanced at me questioningly. I shrugged and then stared at Sydney too. If someone had asked who could stage the best intervention with a crazy woman who'd formerly been an undead monster, Sydney Sage would have been my last guess. Sonya frowned, all attention on Sydney. â€Å"W-what do you mean?' â€Å"Well †¦ what did you promise exactly? Not to tell anyone that Eric Dragomir had a mistress and baby?' Sonya nodded. â€Å"And not to tell who they were?' Sonya nodded again. Sydney gave Sonya the warmest, friendliest smile I'd ever seen on the Alchemist. â€Å"Did you promise not to tell anyone where they are?' Sonya nodded, and Sydney's smile faltered a little. Then, her eyes lit up. â€Å"Did you promise not to lead anyone to where they are?' Sonya hesitated, no doubt turning every word over in her mind. Slowly, she shook her head. â€Å"No.' â€Å"So †¦ you could lead us to them. But not tell us where they actually are. You wouldn't be breaking the promise that way.' It was the most convoluted, ridiculous piece of logic I'd heard in a while. It was something I would have come up with. â€Å"Maybe †¦' said Sonya, still uncertain. â€Å"You wouldn't break the promise,' Sydney repeated. â€Å"And it would really, really help Lissa.' I stepped forward. â€Å"It would help Mikhail too.' Sonya's mouth dropped open at the mention of her former lover. â€Å"Mikhail? You know him?' â€Å"He's my friend. He's Lissa's friend too.' I almost said that if we found the missing Dragomir, we could then take Sonya to Mikhail. Recalling Dimitri's feelings of unworthiness, I decided to avoid that tactic just now. I didn't know how Sonya would react to a reunion with her beloved. â€Å"And he wants to help Lissa. But he can't. None of us can. We don't have enough information.' â€Å"Mikhail †¦' Sonya looked down at her hands again, small tears running down her cheeks. â€Å"You won't break your promise.' Sydney was so compelling she could have been a spirit user. â€Å"Just lead us. It's what Mikhail and Lissa would want. It's the right thing to do.' I don't know which argument convinced Sonya the most. It could have been the part about Mikhail. Or it could have been the idea of doing â€Å"the right thing.' Maybe, like Dimitri, Sonya wanted redemption for her Strigoi crimes and saw this as a chance. Looking up, she swallowed and met my eyes. â€Å"I'll lead you there,' she whispered. â€Å"We're going on another road trip,' Sydney declared. â€Å"Get ready.' Dimitri and I were still standing right next to each other, the anger between us beginning to diffuse. Sydney looked proud and continued trying her best to soothe Sonya. Dimitri looked down at me with a small smile that shifted slightly when he seemed to become aware of just how close we were. I couldn't say for sure, though. His face gave little away. As for me, I was very aware of our proximity and felt intoxicated by his body and scent. Damn. Why did fighting with him always increase my attraction to him? His smile returned as he tilted his head toward Sydney. â€Å"You were wrong. She really is the new general in town.' I smiled back, hoping he wasn't aware of my body's reaction to us standing so close. â€Å"Maybe. But, it's okay. You can still be colonel.' He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Oh? Did you demote yourself? Colonel's right below general. What's that make you?' I reached into my pocket and triumphantly flashed the CR-V keys I'd swiped when we'd come back inside. â€Å"The driver,' I said.