The U.S. Airline Industry Essay Example for Free

The U.S. Airline Industry Essay The U.S. airline industry provides a unique service to its customers. It transports people and goods with efficiency and convenience which is not achieved by any other service. The purpose of this article is to collect data on the U.S. airline industry and analyze the state of the industry today. Data came from sources such as the Federal Aviation Administration, scholarly articles, and websites such as dallas.culturemap.com and airwise.com. Tools used to analyze the data include P. E.S.T., and Porter’s five forces. The analysis also focuses on the industries’ drivers of change and its key survival factors. Key Survival Factors Include Locations that an airline services – The servicing of particular markets is essential in the nature of the airline industry. Airlines need to offer routes between markets that are desired by customers. Cost structure of an airline’s operations – The costs of operations for an airline are a limit to how low airfares can be. Costs include maintenance, fuel, labor, fees and lease payments for operating in airports. Those airlines that are able to control costs can attract customers with lower fares and can improve overall profitability. (Site this web article here http://dallas.culturemap.com/news/travel/05-19-14-southwest-airlines-virgin-america-new-low-fares/) An airlines’ workforce and its interaction with customers – A Pleasant workforce can encourage repeat business. An unhappy workforce can drive customers away to rivals. Reliability of Service – An airline with a reputation for reliable service has a positive image among customers, which can lead to repeat business. Issues with reliability include mishandled baggage, the on-time arrival of flights, overbooking flights, and passenger complaints. Those airlines that are able to control these elements provide better service to the customer. Drivers of Industry Change Consolidations and Alliances – Many airlines operating in the U.S. have recently consolidated due to high competition and improper cost structures. These newly consolidated firms are also establishing alliances with international carriers which enable them to expand their market participation strategies. Globalization – Growth potential in the global  travel market has led to a drive for globalization in the airline industry. U.S. airlines are lobbying for â€Å"open skies† treaties between the U.S. and other nations. The U.S has signed more than 60 open skies treaties with nations around the globe. Low-cost Competition – The rise of the low-cost carriers has forced a change in the competitive environment of the airline industry. Southwest, JetBlue, People Express and Airtran operate off of low-cost strategies that allow them to offer lower airfares. These low fares put pressure on the industry and force rivals to lower their costs to stay competitive. (http://www.nbcnews.com/business/travel/new-low-cost-airline-peoplexpress-tickets-go-sale-n122971) (P.E.S.T.) Political, Economic, Social, and Technological forces that impact the industry. Political Security Regulations from FAA War on Terrorism led to stricter guidelines Customer Protection Regulations – must show fees (http://www.npr.org/2014/05/31/317429334/regulators-and-airlines-fight-over-fares-fees-and-fairness) Economic High operating costs Airlines merging Fuel Costs are huge Less people traveling due to expense Very high fixed cost Impact of holiday travel Cancellation fees/checked bag cost Social Security – Is it safe to fly? Crashes/failure Customer service (friendliness, flight attendant/pilot being funny) Technological Business changes (using Skype instead of traveling) Buying tickets online/cancel online Porter’s Five Forces Model is one way to analyze the environment in which airline companies operate. This model shows the major forces that form the industry: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of suppliers, and competitors. Threat of new entrants is relatively high in the airline industry. It seems like it would be hard to enter the airline industry due to the large amount of fixed costs however lending has made it not only possible but fairly simple. New entrants will have to endure years of little or no profit until a strong customer base is established though. Meanwhile existing companies will be able to lower prices and take losses against their capital reserves just to drive a new competitor out of business. Further, consumers prefer well-known brands mainly due to safety concerns. Lastly, stringent licensing requirements and heavy regulations by organizations such as the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation require significant knowledge base and time investment on the part of the new entrant. Bargaining power of buyers is also relatively low in the airline industry. Two main groups of buyers exist: individual buyers purchasing tickets for personal or business travel, and travel agencies and/or online portals that work as a â€Å"middle man† between the airline companies and individual buyers. There is definitively a large amount of buyers compared to the number of airlines; therefore, loss of one customer does not strongly affect the bottom line of a given airline. Typically, each airline has a niche. Some airlines focus on cost, while others focus on having the best amenities, etc. Although switching costs are low for buyers, they tend to remain within a niche and purchase tickets based on their price vs. amenities preferences. Threat of substitutes is medium in the airline industry. Consumers can choose other forms of transportation such as a car, bus, train, or boat to get to their destination. However, there is a cost to this switch, mainly time. For long distance travel, airlines usually exceed all other forms of transportation when it comes to cost and convenience. Nevertheless, there is one important development that should be noted – technological advances are allowing business people to telecommute, this significantly cuts down on required business travel. Bargaining power of the suppliers presents a medium threat in the airline industry. Major suppliers include the airplane manufacturers, aircraft leasing companies,  fuel companies and labor unions. Although airline companies cannot easily switch suppliers, most firms have long term contracts with their suppliers. On the other hand, there are very few suppliers in the airline industry because of the amount of money and expertise required. Airlines represent the main source of income for these suppliers so airline’s business is extremely important to them. Rivalry among existing players is very strong in the airline industry. The first reason is the fact that the airline industry is currently stagnant; the number of competitors remains more or less the same and the industry does not have overcapacity. The fixed costs are extremely high and it is hard for an airline firm to leave the industry because of the long term debt obligations. The rivalry is reduced by the brand identities of different airlines. Some are known for exceptional amenities, others for low prices. The market seems to be equally divided as each company maintains its own niche in the market. Highly competitive industries such as the airline industry typically see low rates of return due to the fact that they competition drives down prices. Couple this with the high amount of government regulation in the airline industry and the investor may be weary of investing in the industry. However, the next five years look promising for the U.S. airline industry due to the fact that many of the participant firms will be newly consolidated and have influence in markets outside of the U.S. as well as those inside.

Specializing Education :: Schooling Teaching Essays

Specializing Education Special Education was one of those things I never truly understood as a student in the public school system. Who were these children that had to be taken out of the class for reading and math or who remained in a separate class all day? What was so â€Å"special† about them? Believe me, I could have tried to find out what was different about them and how they were taught anytime I wanted; my mom teaches Elementary Special Education. I always heard her throwing around terms like resource room and inclusion when she talked about work. But being the typical self-involved child that I was, I never listened to what she said about teaching or asked her more about her students. What I do know is that teaching Special Education involved a lot of ups and down. As a Special Education teacher, the specific tasks of my mom’s job change frequently. She has taught full-time special education classes, has worked with individual students in an inclusive setting, and most recent ly she teaches resource room. Now that I don’t have to listen to her work stories all the time, I find myself wanting to know more about what special education entails. What I discovered is that none of the methods utilized in Special Education are entirely right or wrong in addressing the educational needs of children with LD. Children with learning disabilities should be educated in the most appropriate way to meet their specific educational needs. The children who benefit from the Special Education program are learning disabled. The National Center for Learning Disabilities states that children with learning disabilities have a â€Å"neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive process, store and respond to information.† There has been a long running debate on the best way to educate children with learning disabilities or LD. Some feel inclusion is the most beneficial method for educating children with LD. As defined by Jean B. Crockett and James M. Kauffman in The Least Restrictive Environment, inclusion is where children with disabilities are placed in regular education classes for the entire school day and are accompanied by special education teachers or aides for subjects where they need extra help (1). Others feel mainstreaming is the best option for students with LD.

Policy Report On Dispersal Of Asylum Seekers

IntroductionThe UK has been second home to asylum seekers for a very long time, having witnessed an influx of immigrants since the seventeenth century, some of which were looking for refuge. With time, the UK residents felt bothered by increasing concentrations of ethnic minorities in the UK and especially their clustering in particular areas which led to congestion. In response to the increasing uneasiness of the public, the government opted to come up with means through which they could redistribute the ethnic minorities in other areas so as to decongest the cities and encourage assimilation.This led to the formulation of the Asylum and Immigration Act in 1999 which led to the dispersal of ethnic minorities to various corners of the United Kingdom. The dispersal policy has however come under heavy criticism with claims that it isolates the asylum seekers from the renders them vulnerable to racially charged attacks. This paper therefore seeks to analyze the dispersal policy of asylu m seekers, examining its background and development. It will also offer as critique of the policy which will largely determine whether it is a viable policy or not.Background policy reviewPrior to the 1990s, many Europeans thought of refugees as a problem of the third world which needed to be contained by the third world.   Europe would only be involved in charity but refugees needed to remain within their own borders. When it became involved, Europe only admitted a selected few refugees and settled them under controlled circumstances (Robinson et al 2003, p. 3). The attitude that many Europeans held towards refugees especially those from the third world was that they were immigrants looking for economic opportunities and as such, they did not deserve to be accorded asylum status.In the UK, the number of people seeking asylum was rapidly increasing (Robinson et al 2003, p. 4). During the post war period, Britain needed manpower for economic reconstruction and since it was not able to fill these positions, it decided to turn to the commonwealth, leading to an influx of immigrants especially from Asia. Thus Britain has been multiethnic for a long time. While some of the immigrants were coming to look for work, others also started coming to Britain in search of refuge. As early as the seventeenth century, some 50,000 French Huguenots arrived in London seeking refuge. In the 1880s, Jews also arrived in droves to look for refuge as they escaped the pogroms. Thus by the turn of the twentieth century, Britain had developed a reputation as a place of refuge (Robinson et al 2003, p.103).In 1905, an Aliens act was passed which ended this particular type of migration but the influx of both voluntary and forced immigrants continued. Jews fleeing Nazi Germany settled in the UK, so did some Italians and Chinese immigrants. Rapid immigration led to a concentration of certain ethnic communities in particular areas such as Chinatowns and dockland black quarters. Britain used this immigrant manpower for labour due to local shortages (Robinson et al 2003, p.104). This development of ethnic quarters was a cause of concern for the public who even directed hostility at the immigrants for this reason; the state saw the need for dispersal of refugees as well as ethnic minorities even before the formulation of the dispersal policy (Robinson et al 2003, p.104).It started an informal dispersal program in which the government attempted to settle people in different areas. Public opinion showed that many Britons were xenophobic and did not approve of the way some economic groups were clustering in the country; fearing that this would have an impact on the national identity of the British. Racial exclusion became an aspect of life in many regions of the UK in the 1960s to such an extent that it became a matter of popular as well as political concern. Some parents even objected to the number of black children who were being allowed to attend local schools. This led to the ‘Boyles Law’ being passed which stated that local schools should accommodate a maximum of 30% of ethnic minority children.The Department of Education and Science even suggested some policies to prevent ethnic concentrations from building up. In the 1970s, many people became increasingly supportive of the dispersal of ethnic minorities. Dispersal was aimed at reducing the hostility directed at them and facilitating their access to better chances. It was felt that living in mixed neighbourhoods would challenge the stereotypes that were associated with ethnic minorities (Robinson et al 2003, p.106-107).In 1969, the Cullingworth committee investigating public housing in the UK expressed concern over the residential concentration of ethnic minorities especially in the inner city; a factor that had led to overcrowding and which, they felt could lower the standards of education. For this reason, they proposed dispersal albeit voluntary. In the years that followed howeve r, there were increased calls for the compulsory dispersal of ethnic minorities (Robinson et al 2003, p.107).In the 1970s however, the assimilation concept began to be viewed as outdated, politically incorrect and linked to a belief of ethnic supremacy. No policy makers or those in power wanted to be associated with the assimilation concept lest they be viewed as extremists (Robinson et al 2003, p.108). The development of the dispersal policy can be linked to the changing welfare ideologies of the UK. The ideology of social democracy was evident especially in the years immediately after the Second World War.This ideology prevailed in the post war period and was associated with recognition of the needs of all people including the working class, as opposed to the bourgeois only. Thus everyone, even the immigrants who constituted the working class, benefited from a wide range of welfare benefits. The recent third way ideology seeks to promote welfare to work program and it has been lik ened to the principles of neo- liberalism. It claims to attempt to blend the principles of social democracy with neo- liberalism and involves welfare to work program whereby people must be helped by to find work by helping them overcome the dependency on passive benefits, inculcating in them a sense of responsibility.The welfare reform program consists of welfare cuts; something that greatly affects the asylum seekers. Government wishes to reallocate welfare payments to those who are working as opposed to those not working such as the asylum seekers. Their benefits have practically been abolished under this program and they have to undergo rigorous testing to be eligible if at all (â€Å"the retreat of social democracy†n.d). The evolution of such welfare ideologies determines how asylum seekers are treated since they rely mostly on welfare.Asylum seekers dispersal policyUnder the informal dispersal program prior to the 1990s, there were stories of how asylum seekers were tran sported to remote areas only to find that their destinations were neither expecting nor prepared for them. For this reason, many of them returned to London just a few days after having been dispersed.The asylum seekers were not very willing to be dispersed and some of then refused to be assisted if it involved dispersing them to areas outside the capital. In response to the failed Local Government Association dispersal program, in 1999, the government passed the use of the Asylum and Immigration Act; a new compulsory policy that radically modified the reception of asylum seekers. It is worth noting that it was not mandatory for all asylum seekers to be dispersed but those who needed financial support had to agree to it since the government would offer financial support only to those who were in agreement with the dispersal policy (Robinson et al 2003, p.123).The objectives of the dispersal act were to control the number of people who were seeking asylum in the UK, hasten the assessm ent process for asylum claims and overhaul the mechanisms of financial support for asylum seekers so that they stop coming to the UK merely for welfare benefits. Under the Act, the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) was formed. Its purpose was to choose which asylum seekers qualified for state benefits, provide them with these benefits and disperse them from London as well as the South East (Robinson et al 2003, p.123). It would provide asylum seekers with housing in some areas which came to be referred to as cluster areas under a more centralized dispersal process.This act meant that asylum seekers were not entitled to benefits and they were subject to compulsory dispersal by NASS so as to decongest the cities (Griffiths et al, n.d). Asylum seekers would apply to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate for asylum and the Directorate would decide whether their claim was true or unfounded. Meanwhile, those who had been temporarily admitted would be forwarded to NASS who would provide them with emergency accommodation if they did not have means of supporting themselves.Within a seven day period, NASS decides who qualifies for support and disperses them to cluster areas outside London and the South East. The needy asylum seekers are given free housing inclusive of utilities cost and financial support. Once settled temporarily, the asylum seekers would know the fate of their claims within a two month period and could appeal within the four months that follows. The entire procedure is expected to be completed within a span of six months maximum.The Act also proposes an integration of the relevant authorities into consortia that would be responsible for the long term integration of asylum seekers who had been granted refugee status (Robinson et al 2003, p.124). The aim of the dispersal act is to redistribute the costs of catering to the asylum seekers, diffuse social tensions and discourage would-be applicants. The dispersed asylum seekers are taken care of and integrated into their communities by NASS which offers them accommodation within the clustered areas (Griffith et al, n.d).Critique of the Asylum seekers dispersal policyFrom its inception, the asylum seekers dispersal policy was met with severe criticism due to the critical issues that it raises to concerned citizens as well as the perceived risk that it poses to the asylum seekers themselves. This section uses the â€Å"othering† theory and the critical race theory to examine how asylum seekers are received in the UK and other developed nations, especially those which have a similar policy to UK’s dispersal policy.Critical race theory helps one to understand the prevailing social situation in terms of races, racism and the subsequent game of power. The critical race theory helps in determining how the society has organised itself especially along racial lines and how relationships between the races are organised in a hierarchical manner. Furthermore, it strives f or social justice and a betterment of the situation; a betterment of the relationship between the races (Delgado and Stefancic 2001, p.3). Central to understanding why races tend to group themselves together is the concept of ‘othering’.‘Othering’ is an important part of identity formation. As Dominelli (2004, p.76) puts it, the ‘self’ is in existence due to the presence of the ‘other’ who can be used to as a measure of comparison to oneself. This dichotomy facilitates the externalization of the other to such an extent that he or she is viewed in an antagonistic manner, thus creating hierarchical relations. In the formulation of policies therefore, ‘othering’ processes generate divisions such that those who are labelled as the ‘other’ are set apart from the normal population.They generate barriers that prevent those who have been excluded from mingling with others, and distinguish them as undeserving of fa vourable treatment (Dominelli 2004, p.76). In the UK, asylum seekers as well as refugees are subjected to ‘othering’ which makes them easy prey for violence. For instance, almost all asylum seekers in Scotland are located in Glasgow; a city rife with gangs that attack them for the ethnic minorities who are ‘othered’ based on their looks, their language as well as culture. Just looking different in Glasgow can make one a victim of racial harassment on a level that has been described as shocking by a Scottish executive study.The reason given by the gangs for these often brutal attacks targeted at asylum seekers is that they are usually given the best houses in the area; a result of the dispersal policy which is responsible for settling the asylum seekers in scattered places and providing them with financial support. What the gangs cannot understand is why the ‘others’ should be accorded such favourable treatment when the ‘deserving’ inhabitants of the regions can probably not even afford the lifestyle accorded to the others (Stewart, 2007). According to Morris (2007) asylum seekers are put at risk by the dispersal policy which, in an effort to decongest the main cities procures the houses for asylum seekers in far off places which are invariably poor. That the asylum seekers are given the best housing in the area makes them targets of prejudice and violence.This main reason behind such attacks is that the residents feel that the asylum seekers are being given preferential treatment. Most of the places where the asylum seekers are settled are volatile areas that have witnessed recurrent attacks on asylum seekers. For example, both the Moston district and the Cheetham district in Manchester continue to receive many refugees even though they are considered to be very dangerous and unpleasant. Other dangerous areas which continue to receive asylum seekers are Everton, whose residents felt that the asylum seekers we re being favoured, and Toxteth which have both witnessed several cases of racial harassment that are targeted at asylum seekers as well as refugees. Furthermore, some asylum seekers are placed in areas where there is none of their kind and where they have difficulty in communication. The dispersal system thus tends to isolate foreigners, making them vulnerable to hostility.In several studies carried out in the UK and documented by the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (ICAR n.d), it was established that most people were very concerned about the influx of immigrants into the UK with several of them expressing concern that immigration was out of control. Of particular concern was the question of asylum seekers, with most people wondering just how genuine these ‘supposed’ asylum seekers were. The study found that many people were concerned about the increasing numbers of asylum seekers and how genuine their claims were. A number of people felt that the influx of asylum seekers was economically motivated.They felt that if such immigration was left unchecked, then it would eventually threaten the British society in terms of their values, health, ethnicity as well as religion. The British economy would also suffer due to the asylum seekers becoming burdens to the economy, increasing competition and engaging in acts of criminality since asylum seekers were often associated with deviance which could lead to acts of illegality. The study also revealed that most people felt that the asylum seekers were favoured and were in fact, better off than the average white Briton. Most of the problems that asylum seekers face are have either been created or exacerbated by the dispersal policy since it tends to put the immigrants in places where they can be easily ‘othered’ and isolates them; thereby making them susceptible to prejudice.ConclusionThe dispersal policy has been faced with severe criticism due to the perceived danger that it poses to the asylum seekers. Isolated in foreign communities and not understanding the British system, they suffer racial prejudice and violence directed at them by the locals who cannot understand why these outsiders are being treated in a more favourable manner by the government yet they are just immigrants while the locals continue to be ‘worse off’ than these immigrants.The increased cases of violence directed at immigrants should sound alarm bells for the relevant authorities and lead to a review of the dispersal policy. It is crucial for nations to grant asylum to people fleeing the countries. However if this is done in a manner that puts offends the locals and puts them at risk, then the provision of asylum defeats purpose. It does not make sense for people fleeing death from their countries to be granted asylum in another, only for them to be met with the hostility that probably drove them from their countries in the first place. Thus the government should halt the di spersal policy or modify it so that the asylum seekers are not placed at risk.

Mesozoic Era - the Geologic Time Scale

Following both the Precambrian Time and the Paleozoic Era on the Geologic Time Scale came the Mesozoic Era. The Mesozoic Era is sometimes called the age of the dinosaurs because dinosaurs were the dominant animals for much of the era. The Permian Extinction After the Permian Extinction wiped out over 95% of ocean-dwelling species and 70% of land species, the new Mesozoic Era began about 250 million years ago. The first period of the era was called the Triassic Period. The first big change was seen in the types of plants that dominated the land. Most of the species of plants that survived the Permian Extinction were plants that had enclosed seeds, like gymnosperms. The Paleozoic Era Since most of the life in the oceans became extinct at the end of the Paleozoic Era, many new species emerged as dominant. New types of corals appeared, along with water-dwelling reptiles. Very few types of fish remained after the mass extinction, but those that did survive flourished. On land, the amphibians and small reptiles like turtles were dominant during the early Triassic Period. By the end of the period, small dinosaurs began to emerge. The Jurassic Period After the end of the Triassic Period, the Jurassic Period began. Most of the marine life in the Jurassic Period stayed the same as it was in the Triassic Period. There were a few more species of fish that appeared, and toward the end of the period, crocodiles came into being. The most diversity occurred in plankton species. Land Animals Land animals during the Jurassic Period had more diversity. Dinosaurs got much bigger and the herbivorous dinosaurs ruled the Earth. At the end of the Jurassic Period, birds evolved from dinosaurs. The climate changed to more tropical weather with a lot of rain and humidity during the Jurassic Period. This allowed land plants to undergo a large evolution. In fact, jungles covered much of the land with many conifers in higher elevations. The Mesozoic Era The last of the periods within the Mesozoic Era was called the Cretaceous Period. The Cretaceous Period saw the rise of flowering plants on land. They were helped along by the newly formed bee species and the warm and tropical climate. Conifers were still really abundant throughout the Cretaceous Period as well. The Cretaceous Period   As for marine animals during the Cretaceous Period, sharks and rays became commonplace. The echinoderms that survived the Permian Extinction, like starfish, also became abundant during the Cretaceous Period. On land, the first small mammals started to appear during the Cretaceous Period. Marsupials evolved first, and then other mammals. More birds evolved, and reptiles got bigger. Dinosaurs were still dominant, and carnivorous dinosaurs were more prevalent. Another Mass Extinction At the end of the Cretaceous Period, and the end of the Mesozoic Era came another mass extinction. This extinction is generally called the K-T Extinction. The K comes from the German abbreviation for Cretaceous, and the T is from the next period on the Geologic Time Scale - the Tertiary Period of the Cenozoic Era. This extinction took out all dinosaurs, except birds, and many other forms of life on Earth. There are different ideas as to why this mass extinction occurred. Most scientists agree it was some sort of catastrophic event that caused this extinction. Various hypotheses include massive volcanic eruptions that shot dust into the air and caused less sunlight to reach the surface of the Earth causing photosynthetic organisms like plants and those who depended on them, to die off slowly. Some others believe a meteor hit causing the dust to block the sunlight. Since plants and animals that ate plants died off, this caused top predators like carnivorous dinosaurs to also perish.

What Is Life Worksheet - 1661 Words

What Is Life? Worksheet Ken Wisnieski BIO101 8/31/15 Sheryl Wildt What Is Life? Part I: Media Relevancy Read each statement. Write a 100-word summary explaining how the chosen media piece supports the statement. Include reference citations. 1. Find a media piece—article, video, presentation, song, or other—that recognizes the fundamental concepts of chemistry in biology. Include the link or reference citation for the piece and describe how it helped you better understand how fundamental concepts of chemistry affect biology. Biochemistry is the study of chemical processes in living organisms. It oversees every living process and organism. According to Arizona State University (2003), â€Å"by controlling the information flow through biochemical signaling and the flow of chemical energy through metabolism; biochemical processes give rise to the marvel of life. A good portion of biochemistry deals with the functions and structures of cellular components like proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biological molecules. The processes, rather than individual molecules, are the main focus† (Basic Chemistry for Understanding Biology). Accordingly, the main focus of biochemistry is detecting how biological molecules organize those processes that occur in living cells. The processes relate to the understanding and study of whole organisms and their subsequent chemistry (Arizona State University, 2003). 2. Find a media piece—article, video,Show MoreRelatedPersonal And Career Development Program1144 Words   |  5 Pagesvarious worksheets available during the course, which gave better understanding how to develop LWC’s 10-step strategy for myself (White, 2011). †¢ Values and Identity worksheet – This exercise helped me in understanding what values matters most to me, what I am good at, and what makes me different. 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E Commerce And Its Impact On Waste Management - 765 Words

According to Pawar and Driva (2000), not every firm is ready to embrace e-commerce as it could lead to serious security, legal and financial problems. Back in early 2000s those hurdles of e-commerce limited the confidence of companies in terms of Internet-based business integration (Prasad et al., 2000). The research by Quayle (2002) revealed that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK would generally focus on waste management rather than adopting e-commerce. Moreover, some critics even predicted an imminent collapse of e-commerce (Wallace, 2000). Surprisingly for the oppositionists, wide use of e-business initiatives has proved its impact on waste management with the adaption of electronic data interchange, electronic catalogue ordering, e-mail, mobile telephone, direct link-ups with suppliers According to the research in the lean manufacturing conducted by Toyota Production System, companies encounter 7 types of waste in their operations: overproduction, defects, over-proce ssing, inventory, transportation, waiting, motion (El-Namrouty et al., 2013). Different business model of ecommerce companies as opposed to brick-and-motors` enables reduction or elimination of some of those types of waste (reduced paper transactions, shorter order cycle time and the subsequent inventory reduction). The changes result in speedy transmission of information, enhanced supplier/buyer partnership through web communication networks (Gulledge et al., 1998) and cost savings. 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The Golden Lily Chapter 17 Free Essays

string(48) " finishing things you started\?† I asked\." ADRIAN’S CAR DROVE LIKE A DREAM. When I got behind the wheel, I nearly forgot to check for any pursuit. In fact, I nearly forgot that I was supposed to be taking us to Wolfe’s and showing Adrian how to use a stick shift. We will write a custom essay sample on The Golden Lily Chapter 17 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Instead, I was caught up in the way the engine hummed around us and in the scent of the leather. Leaving his neighborhood, I had to restrain myself from flooring it in the crowded streets of downtown Palm Springs. This was a car screaming to be let loose on the open road. I had admired Brayden’s Mustang, but I worshipped this one. â€Å"I feel like I’ve just crashed someone’s date,† Adrian remarked, once we were getting on the highway. No one had tailed us out of downtown, making me feel much safer. â€Å"Like I’m intruding on you two. If you want to drop me off somewhere, I’ll understand.† â€Å"Huh?† I’d been paying careful attention to the way the car built up to higher speeds, both through sound and feel. The Mustang was in stunning shape. People often have the idea that classic cars are expensive. They are – if they’re in good condition. Most aren’t. When something’s sat around for years without care, it inevitably falls apart, which is why so many older cars are fixer-uppers. Not Adrian’s. This had been maintained and restored throughout the years and had probably never left the state of California – meaning it hadn’t faced harsh winters. That all added up to a high price tag, making it that much more ludicrous that Adrian had bought something he couldn’t drive. I groaned. â€Å"I’m sorry†¦ I don’t know what I was thinking.† Well, I kind of knew. I’d been wondering what my odds of a ticket would be if I broke the speed limit to see how fast we could go. â€Å"I should’ve been walking you through this as soon as I started the car. I promise I will when we leave Wolfe’s, all the steps. For now, I guess we can recap the basics. This is the clutch†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian didn’t seem annoyed by my neglect. If anything, he looked amused and simply listened to my explanations with a small, quiet smile on his face. Wolfe looked just as disreputable as he had last time, complete with the eye patch and what I suspected were the same Bermuda shorts as before. I hoped he’d done laundry since then. Despite his appearance, he was ready to go when our class assembled and seemed competent in his subject matter. Although he reminded us again about the importance of avoiding conflicts and being aware of one’s surroundings, he quickly moved past those points and focused on actually practicing more physical ways of protecting oneself. Considering how much Adrian had complained last time about the â€Å"boring† safety talk, I figured he’d be excited that we were pretty much jumping right into some action. Instead, that amused look from the car vanished, and he grew increasingly tense as Wolfe explained what he wanted us to do in our partnered practice sessions. When the time actually came to practice, Adrian looked blatantly unhappy. â€Å"What’s the matter?† I asked. I suddenly remembered last time, when Adrian had freaked out over my â€Å"attack.† Maybe he hadn’t really expected he’d have to work here. â€Å"Come on, these are simple. You won’t get dirty.† Even when teaching more combative actions, Wolfe was still an advocate of keeping things fast and simple. We weren’t trying to learn to beat someone up. These maneuvers were effective means of distracting an assailant so that we could escape. Most were done with the dummies, since we could hardly try to stick fingers in each other’s eyes. Adrian went through those motions diligently, if silently. It was working directly with me that he seemed to have a problem with. Wolfe noticed it too as he made his rounds. â€Å"Come on, boy! She can’t try to escape if you don’t try to hold her. She’s not going to hurt you, and you won’t hurt her.† The maneuver in question was actually one that would’ve been helpful the night I’d been grabbed in the alley. So, I was eager to practice it and frustrated that Adrian kept only halfheartedly helping. He was supposed to put an arm around my torso and attempt to cover my mouth. Unfortunately, his efforts were so weak and his hold so loose that I didn’t need any special techniques to escape. I could have simply walked right out of his arms. With Wolfe there, Adrian made a slightly better showing as an assailant but immediately resorted to his former ways once we were alone. â€Å"Let’s switch,† I said at last, nearly wanting to pull my hair out. â€Å"You try to escape me. Make up for last time.† I couldn’t believe that Adrian’s sluggish attitude had turned out to be the problem here. I’d expected the hang-up would be me not wanting to touch a vampire, but it didn’t bother me at all. I wasn’t thinking of him as a vampire. He was Adrian, and my partner in this class. I needed him to learn the move. It was all very pragmatic. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say that Adrian was afraid to touch me, which made no sense. Moroi didn’t have those hang-ups. Was something wrong with me? Why wouldn’t Adrian touch me? â€Å"What’s going on?† I demanded, once we were in the car and headed back to the city. â€Å"I get that you’re not an athlete, but what happened in there?† Adrian refused to meet my eyes and instead stared pointedly out the window. â€Å"I don’t think this is really my thing. I was all about playing action hero before, but now†¦ I don’t know. This is a bad idea. It’s more work than I thought.† There was a flippant, dismissive tone in his voice that I hadn’t heard in a while. â€Å"What happened to you finishing things you started?† I asked. You read "The Golden Lily Chapter 17" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"You told me you had changed.† â€Å"That was for art,† said Adrian quickly. â€Å"I’m still in those classes, aren’t I? I didn’t jump ship on those. I just don’t want to do this one anymore. Don’t worry. Now that I’ve got more money, I’ll pay you back the class fee. You won’t be out anything.† â€Å"That doesn’t matter,† I argued. â€Å"It’s still a waste! Especially since what Wolfe’s showing us isn’t really that difficult. We’re not ripping ourselves apart like Eddie and Angeline would. Why is this so hard for you to stick with and learn?† My earlier self-doubt returned. â€Å"Do you just not want to work with me? Is there†¦ is there something wrong with me?† â€Å"No! Of course not. Absolutely not,† said Adrian. In my periphery, I saw him finally look at me. â€Å"Maybe there are only so many things I can learn at once. I mean, I’m supposed to also be learning to drive a stick shift. Not that I see that happening.† I wanted to slap myself on the forehead. In my frustration over class, I’d completely forgotten again about showing Adrian how to drive. I felt like an idiot, even though I was still mad at him for giving up on Wolfe. I checked the time. I had things to do tonight at Amberwood but felt obligated to make up for my shoddy teaching. â€Å"We’ll practice once we’re back in your neighborhood,† I promised. â€Å"We’ll start slow, and I’ll show you everything you need to do. I might even let you try driving around the block tonight if you seem like you’re paying attention to the lesson.† The transformation in Adrian was remarkable. He went from sullen and uncomfortable to cheerful and energetic. I couldn’t figure it out. Sure, I found cars and driving fascinating, but technically speaking, there was a lot more detail to learn about manual transmission than there was in Wolfe’s evasive techniques. Why were those difficult for him, but the clutch was easy? I stuck around for about an hour when we got back. To his credit, Adrian paid attention to every word I said, although his results were inconsistent whenever I quizzed him or actually let him try something. Sometimes he’d respond like a pro. Other times, he’d seem totally lost on things I could have sworn he’d picked up. By the end of the hour, I felt safe enough with him driving the car at low speeds on empty streets. He was a long way from the highway or stop-and-go traffic of a busy city. â€Å"Looks like we’ve got more lessons in our future,† I told him when we finished. I’d parked the car behind his building, and we were walking back toward the main entrance and Latte. â€Å"Do not take that car beyond a half-mile radius. I checked the odometer. I’ll know.† â€Å"Noted,† he said, still wearing that smirky smile. â€Å"When’s the next lesson? You want to come back tomorrow night?† â€Å"Can’t,† I said. â€Å"I’m going out with Brayden.† I was surprised at how much I was looking forward to it. Not only did I want to make things up to him after the dance, but I also just wanted a dose of normality – well, at least the kind of normality Brayden and I had together. Plus, things with Adrian were feeling really weird†¦ â€Å"Oh.† Adrian’s smile fell. â€Å"Well. I understand. I mean, love and romance and all that.† â€Å"We’re going to the textile museum,† I said. â€Å"It’s cool, though I’m not sure how much love and romance there’ll really be there.† Adrian nearly came to a halt. â€Å"There’s a textile museum here? What do people do there?† â€Å"Well, they look at†¦ um, textiles. There’s actually a great exhibit on – † I stopped as we reached the front of the building. There, behind Latte, was a familiar car, the rental that Sonya and Dimitri were using. I looked questioningly at Adrian. â€Å"Were you expecting them tonight?† â€Å"No,† he said, resuming his walk to the door. â€Å"They’ve got a key, though, so I suppose they can make themselves at home anytime. They do it a lot, actually. He eats my food, and she uses my hair stuff.† I followed him. â€Å"Hopefully it’s just Dimitri.† After our recent revelations about the hunters, Sonya was pretty much under house arrest. Or so I thought. When we walked into the apartment, she was sitting on the couch. No Dimitri in sight. She glanced up at us from her laptop. â€Å"Thank goodness you’re here,† she said, directing her words to me. â€Å"Jill said you two were out and I was hoping to catch you.† Something told me no good would come out of her wanting to â€Å"catch† me, but I had greater concerns. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, half-expecting hunters to come through the door. â€Å"You’re supposed to be at Clarence’s until you leave town.† â€Å"Day after tomorrow,† she confirmed. She stood; eyes alight with whatever had driven her here. â€Å"But I needed to talk to you now – face-to-face.† â€Å"I would’ve come to you,† I protested. â€Å"It’s not safe for you to be out.† â€Å"I’m fine,† she said. â€Å"I made sure I wasn’t followed. This was too important.† She was breathless and excited. More important than being caught by wannabe vampire hunters? Debatable. Adrian crossed his arms and looked surprisingly disapproving. â€Å"Well, it’s too late now. What’s going on?† â€Å"We got the results back from Sydney’s blood,† explained Sonya. My heart stopped. No, I thought. No, no, no. â€Å"Just like with Dimitri’s blood, nothing physiological showed up,† she said. â€Å"Nothing unusual with proteins, antibodies, or anything like that.† Relief poured through me. I’d been right. Nothing special about me, no inexplicable properties. And yet†¦ at the same time, I felt a tiny pang of regret. I wasn’t the one who would fix everything. â€Å"We sent it to a Moroi lab this time, not an Alchemist one,† Sonya continued. â€Å"One of the researchers – an earth user – felt a hum of earth magic. Just like how Adrian and I felt spirit in Dimitri’s blood. The technician had other types of magic users examine your sample, and all four basic elements were detected.† That panic returned. She had me on an emotional roller coaster, one that left me nauseous. â€Å"Magic†¦ in my blood?† A moment later, I understood. â€Å"Of course there is,† I said slowly. I touched my cheek. â€Å"The tattoo has vampire blood and magic in it. That’s what it is. There are different degrees of charms in it from different users. That would show up in my blood.† I shivered. Even with a logical explanation, it was a scary thing accepting that there was magic in my blood. Ms. Terwilliger’s spells were still anathema to me, but at least there was some comfort in knowing they drew magic from outside of me. But knowing I had something internal? That was terrifying. And yet, I couldn’t be surprised at this finding, not with the tattoo. Sonya nodded along. â€Å"Yes, of course. But there must be something about that combination that’s repulsive to Strigoi. It may be the key to all of our work!† To my surprise, Adrian took a few steps toward me, and there was a tension in his stance that was fiercely protective. â€Å"So you know Alchemist blood has magic in it,† he said. â€Å"That’s no surprise. Case closed. What do you want from her now?† â€Å"Another sample to start,† said Sonya eagerly. â€Å"There’s none left in the original vial I took, once all the testing was done. I know this sounds strange, but it’d also be useful if a Moroi could†¦ well, taste your blood and see if it has the same repulsive quality as it did to Strigoi. Fresh blood would be ideal, but even I’m not deluded enough to ask you to submit to a feeding. We should simply be able to use your sample and – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I said. I stumbled backward, horrified. â€Å"Absolutely not. Whether it’s from a neck or a vial, there’s no way I’m giving my blood for anyone to taste. Do you know how wrong that is? I know you do it all the time with feeders, but I’m not one of them. I should never have given you the first sample. You don’t need me for any of this. Spirit’s the key. Lee’s proof that former Strigoi are the ones you need to examine.† Sonya wasn’t cowed by my outburst. She pushed forward, though her tone was gentler. â€Å"I understand your fear, but think of the applications! If something in your blood makes you resistant to Strigoi, then you could save countless lives.† â€Å"Alchemists aren’t resistant,† I said. â€Å"That tattoo isn’t protecting us, if that’s what you’re getting at. Do you think that in all our history, there haven’t been Alchemists who were turned Strigoi?† â€Å"Well, of course,† she said. Her words were hesitant, encouraging me. â€Å"So, the magic you sensed in me is irrelevant. It’s just the tattoo. All Alchemists have it. Maybe ours tastes bad, but Alchemist blood has nothing to do with Strigoi turning. It still happens to us.† I was rambling but didn’t care. Sonya grew perplexed, her mind running through the implications of this news. â€Å"But do all Alchemists have bad-tasting blood? If so, how would a Strigoi be able to drain them?† â€Å"Maybe it varies by person,† I said. â€Å"Or maybe some Strigoi are tougher than others. I don’t know. Regardless, we aren’t the ones to focus on.† â€Å"Unless there’s just something special about you,† mused Sonya. No. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to be scrutinized, locked behind glass like Keith. I couldn’t be. I prayed she wouldn’t see how scared I was. â€Å"There’s plenty that’s special about her,† said Adrian dryly. â€Å"But her blood’s not up for dispute. Why are you pushing this again after last time?† Sonya glared at Adrian. â€Å"I’m not doing this for selfish reasons, you know that! I want to save our people. I want to save all our people. I don’t want to see any new Strigoi added to the world. No one should live like that.† A haunted look shone in her eyes, as a memory seized her. â€Å"That kind of bloodlust and complete lack of empathy for any other living creature†¦ no one can imagine what it’s like. You’re hollow. A walking nightmare, and yet†¦ you just don’t care†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Funny attitude,† said Adrian, â€Å"seeing as you purposely chose to become one.† Sonya paled, and I felt torn. I appreciated Adrian’s defense but also pitied Sonya. She’d explained to me in the past about how spirit’s instability – the same instability Adrian feared – had driven her to turning Strigoi. Looking back at her decision, she regretted it more than anything else in her life. She would’ve submitted herself for punishment, but no court knew how to handle her situation. â€Å"Doing that was a mistake,† she said coldly. â€Å"One I’ve learned from – which is why I’m so anxious to save others from that fate.† â€Å"Well, then find a way to do it without dragging Sydney into it! You know how she feels about us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian faltered as he glanced at me, and I was surprised to almost detect bitterness in his voice. â€Å"You know how the Alchemists feel. Keep involving her, and you’ll get her in trouble with them. And if you’re so convinced they’ve got the answers, ask them for volunteers and do experiments that way.† â€Å"I’d help with that,† I offered. â€Å"Getting authorized subjects for you. I’d talk to my superiors. They’d like to see an end to Strigoi as much as you.† When Sonya didn’t answer right away, Adrian guessed why. â€Å"She knows they’d say no, Sage. That’s why she’s appealing to you directly and why they didn’t send your blood to an Alchemist lab.† â€Å"Why can’t you both see how important this is?† asked Sonya, a desperate longing to do good in her eyes. It made me feel guilty and conflicted. â€Å"I do,† said Adrian. â€Å"You think I don’t want to see every single one of those bastard Strigoi wiped from the face of the earth? I do! But not at the cost of forcing people to do things they don’t want to.† Sonya gave him a long, level look. â€Å"I think you’re letting your personal feelings interfere with this. Your emotions are going to ruin our research.† He smiled. â€Å"Well, then. Be glad you’ll be free of me in two days.† Sonya glanced between the two of us, looked like she was about to protest, and then thought better of it. Without another word she left, her face defeated. Again, I felt torn. In theory, I knew she was right†¦ but my gut just couldn’t agree. â€Å"I didn’t mean to upset her,† I said at last. Adrian’s face showed no sympathy. â€Å"She shouldn’t have upset you. She knows how you feel.† I still felt a little bad, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that if I gave this, I’d be asked to give more and more. I recalled the day Eddie and Dimitri had been coated in spirit magic. No way could I risk getting involved to that level. I was already pushing my limits too far. â€Å"I know†¦ but it’s hard,† I said. â€Å"I like Sonya. I gave her the first vial, so I can see why she thought the second would be easy.† â€Å"Doesn’t matter,† he said. â€Å"No is no.† â€Å"I really will mention it to the Alchemists,† I said. â€Å"Maybe they’ll want to help.† I didn’t think I’d get in too much trouble for the first vial. The Alchemists endorsed the initial experiments after all, and I’d probably get points for standing up to vampire peer pressure for the other sample. He shrugged. â€Å"If they do, great. If not, it’s not your responsibility.† â€Å"Well, thanks for gallantly coming to my defense again,† I teased. â€Å"Maybe you’d be more into Wolfe’s training if you got to protect someone else instead of yourself?† The earlier smile returned. â€Å"I just don’t like seeing people bullied, that’s all.† â€Å"But you should come back to Wolfe with me,† I urged. â€Å"You need a chance to try to get at me.† Like that, he was serious again. He looked away. â€Å"I don’t know, Sage. We’ll see. For now, we’ll just focus on the driving – when you can get away from your boyfriend, of course.† I left shortly after that, still confused about his weird behavior. Was that some of spirit’s crazy effects on the mind? One minute, he was brave and defensive. The next, he was down and obstinate. Maybe there was a pattern or some type of reasoning behind it all, but it was beyond my analytical abilities. Back at Amberwood, I immediately headed for the library to get a book for my English class. Ms. Terwilliger had lightened up on my usual work so that I could â€Å"devote more time† to crafting her spells. Since her independent study – which was supposed to be my easy elective – took up more time than my other classes, it was refreshing to focus on something else for a change. As I was leaving the British Lit section, I caught sight of Jill and Eddie studying together at a table. That wasn’t weird, exactly. What was weird was that Micah wasn’t with them. â€Å"Hey, guys,† I said, slipping into a seat. â€Å"Hard at work?† â€Å"Do you know how weird it is to be repeating my senior year?† asked Eddie. â€Å"I can’t even blow it off either. I have to get decent grades to stay here.† I grinned. â€Å"Hey, all knowledge is worth having.† He tapped the papers in front of him. â€Å"Yeah? You got any knowledge on the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in fiction?† â€Å"Edith Wharton,† I said automatically. He scrawled something onto his paper, and I turned to Jill. â€Å"How are things with you? Where’s Micah?† Jill had her chin propped in her hand and was gazing at me with the weirdest look. It was almost†¦ dreamy. It took her a few moments to snap out of her daze and respond. The dreamy look became embarrassed and then dismayed. She glanced down at her book. â€Å"Sorry. I was just thinking how good you look in taupe. What did you ask?† â€Å"Micah?† I prompted. â€Å"Oh. Right. He’s got†¦ stuff to do.† I was pretty sure that was the shortest explanation she’d ever given me. I tried to remember what I’d last heard on their status. â€Å"You guys patched things up, right?† â€Å"Yeah. I guess. He understood about Thanksgiving.† She brightened. â€Å"Hey, Eddie and I were talking about that. Do you think we could all have a big family-style Thanksgiving at Clarence’s? Do you think he’d mind? We could all help, and it’d be lots of fun. I mean, aside from the cover, we really are like a family. Eddie says he can make the turkey.† â€Å"I think Clarence would love that,† I said, happy to see her cheery again. Then, I replayed her words. I turned to Eddie incredulously. â€Å"You know how to make a turkey? How would you have learned that?† From what I knew, most dhampirs stayed nearly year-round at their schools from an early age. Not a lot of culinary time. â€Å"Hey,† he said, straight-faced. â€Å"All knowledge is worth having.† Jill laughed. â€Å"He wouldn’t tell me either.† â€Å"You know, Angeline claims she can cook,† said Eddie. â€Å"We were talking about it at breakfast. She says she knows about cooking turkey too, so if we tag-team, we can pull it off. Of course, she’ll probably want to hunt and kill her own.† â€Å"Probably,† I said. It was amazing that he was talking about working with her on anything. It was even amazing that he could speak about her fondly, without a grimace. I was beginning to think more and more that her display at the assembly had been a good thing. We didn’t need animosity in this group. â€Å"Well, I got what I came for, so I’m heading back. I’ll see you in the morning.† â€Å"See you,† said Eddie. Jill said nothing, and when I glanced over, I saw that she was watching me again with that weird, enraptured look. She sighed happily. â€Å"Adrian had a great time with you at your class tonight, you know.† I nearly rolled my eyes. â€Å"The bond leaves no secrets. He didn’t always seem to be having a good time.† â€Å"No, he really did,† she assured me. A dopey smile crossed her features. â€Å"He loves that you love the car more than he does and thinks it’s awesome you’re getting so good in your defense class. Not that that’s a surprise. You’re always so good at everything, and you don’t even realize it. You don’t even realize half the things you do – like how you watch out for others and never even think about yourself.† Even Eddie looked a little astonished by that. He and I exchanged puzzled looks. â€Å"Well,† I said awkwardly, really unsure how to handle this Sydney lovefest. I decided escape was my best option. â€Å"Thanks. I’ll see you later and – hey. Where’d you get that?† â€Å"Huh?† she asked, blinking out of her enraptured haze. Jill was wearing a silk scarf painted in rich jewel tones, almost reminding me of a peacock’s tail. It also reminded me of something else, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. â€Å"The scarf. I’ve seen it before.† â€Å"Oh.† She ran her fingers over the smooth material. â€Å"Lia gave it to me.† â€Å"What? When did you see her?† â€Å"She stopped by the dorm yesterday to give the dresses back again. I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d want to return them.† â€Å"I do,† I said adamantly. Jill sighed. â€Å"Come on, let’s just keep them. They’re so pretty. And you know she’ll just bring them back anyway.† â€Å"We’ll deal with that later. Tell me about the scarf.† â€Å"It’s no big deal. She was trying to pitch me on this scarf collection – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah, she told me too. How she could make it so no one recognized you.† I shook my head, feeling a surprising amount of anger. Was nothing under my control anymore? â€Å"I can’t believe she went behind my back! Please tell me you didn’t sneak off with her to do a photo shoot.† â€Å"No, no,† said Jill quickly. â€Å"Of course not. But you don’t think†¦ I mean, you don’t think there’s any way she could pull it off? Hide me?† I tried to keep my tone gentle. After all, I was mad at Lia, not Jill. â€Å"Maybe. Maybe not. You know we can’t take the chance.† Jill nodded, face sad. â€Å"Yeah.† I left feeling annoyed and was so distracted that I nearly ran into Trey. When he didn’t respond to my greeting, I realized he was even more distracted than I was. There was a haunted look in his eyes, and he seemed exhausted. â€Å"You okay?† I asked. He managed a weak smile. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. Just feeling the pressure of everything. Nothing I can’t handle. What about you? Don’t they usually have to throw you out of this place? Or did you finally get tired of being here for eight hours?† â€Å"I just needed one book,† I said. â€Å"And I was actually only here ten minutes. I was out most of the night.† The smile fell, replaced by a frown. â€Å"Out with Brayden?† â€Å"That’s tomorrow. I had, um, family stuff tonight.† The frown deepened. â€Å"You go out a lot, Melbourne. You have a lot of friends outside school.† â€Å"Not that many,† I said. â€Å"I’m not living a party lifestyle, if that’s what you’re getting at.† â€Å"Yeah, well. Be careful. I’ve heard about some scary stuff going on out there.† I remembered him being concerned for Jill too. I usually kept up on all the local news and had heard nothing alarming recently. â€Å"What, is there a crime ring in Palm Springs I should know about?† â€Å"Just be careful,† he said. We started to part ways, and then I called to him, â€Å"Trey? I know it’s your own business, but whatever’s going on†¦ if you want to talk, I’m here.† It was a huge concession for me, seeing as I wasn’t always the most socially adept person. Trey gave me a wistful smile. â€Å"Noted.† I was kind of reeling as I went back to my dorm. Adrian, Jill, Trey. I suppose if you counted Eddie and Angeline getting along, everyone in my life was behaving weirdly. All part of the job, I thought. As soon as I was back in my room, I called Donna Stanton with the Alchemists. I never could be sure what time zone she was in, so I wasn’t too concerned about the late hour. She answered right away and didn’t sound tired, which I took as a good sign. She hadn’t responded to my e-mail about the Warriors, and I was anxious for news. They posed too big a threat to us to be ignored. â€Å"Miss Sage,† she said. â€Å"I was planning on calling you soon. I trust everything’s okay with the Dragomir girl?† â€Å"Jill? Yeah, she’s fine. I wanted to check in on some other things. You got the info I sent you about the Warriors of Light?† Stanton sighed. â€Å"That’s what I was going to call you about. Have you had any more runins?† â€Å"No. And they don’t seem to have been following us anymore either. Maybe they gave up.† â€Å"Unlikely.† Her next words took a long time to get out. â€Å"Not from what we’ve observed in the past.† I froze, momentarily speechless. â€Å"In the past? Do you mean†¦ you’ve run into them before? I was hoping they were just some†¦ I don’t know. A crazy, localized group.† â€Å"Unfortunately, no. We’ve encountered them before. Sporadically, mind you. But they pop up everywhere.† I was still in disbelief. â€Å"But I was always taught that any hunters had disappeared centuries ago. Why has no one ever talked about this?† â€Å"Honestly?† asked Stanton. â€Å"Most Alchemists don’t know. We want to run an efficient organization, one that deals with the vampire problem in an organized, peaceful way. There are some people in our group who might want to take more extreme action. It’s best then if the existence of our radical offshoot is kept secret. I wouldn’t have even told you, but with all the contact you’re having, you need to be prepared.† â€Å"Offshoot†¦ then they are related to Alchemists!† I was sickened. â€Å"Not for a very long time.† She sounded equally disgusted. â€Å"There’s almost no resemblance anymore. They’re reckless and savage. The only reason we let them be is because they usually just go after Strigoi. This situation with Sonya Karp is more difficult. She hasn’t had any more threats?† â€Å"No. I just saw her tonight†¦ which brings up the other reason I called†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I gave Stanton a rundown of the various blood experiments, including my own donation. I painted it in very scientific terms, how it had seemed useful as extra data. I then made sure to sound properly appalled by the second request – which wasn’t that difficult. â€Å"Absolutely not,† said Stanton. No hesitation. Often, Alchemist decisions went through chains of command, even with someone as high up as her. It was a sign of how much this went against Alchemist beliefs that she didn’t even have to consult anyone. â€Å"Human control-blood is one thing. The rest she’s suggesting is out of the question. I will not allow humans to be used in these experiments, especially when the evidence clearly shows the former Strigoi need to be the focus – not us. Besides, for all we know, this is some ploy on the Moroi part to get more of our blood for personal reasons.† I didn’t believe that last part at all and tried to find a tactful way of saying so. â€Å"Sonya seems to sincerely believe this would help protect against Strigoi. She just doesn’t seem to grasp how we feel about it.† â€Å"Of course she wouldn’t,† said Stanton dismissively. â€Å"None of them do.† She and I returned our focus to the vampire hunters. The Alchemists were doing some investigating on any sightings in the area. She didn’t want me to do any active investigation myself, but I was to report in immediately if any other information came my way. She was assuming the Warriors of Light were operating nearby, and once she found out where, the Alchemists would â€Å"deal with them.† I wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but her tone made me shiver. As she’d pointed out earlier, we weren’t a particularly aggressive group†¦ though we were excellent at getting rid of problems. â€Å"Oh,† I said, just as we were wrapping up. â€Å"Did you ever find out anything about Marcus Finch?† I’d tried locating Clarence’s mysterious human, who’d helped against the hunters, but had found nothing. I’d hoped Stanton might have more connections. â€Å"No. But we’ll keep looking.† A slight pause. â€Å"Miss Sage†¦ I can’t emphasize enough how pleased we are with the work you’re doing. You’ve run into a few more complications than any of us expected, yet you handle them all efficiently and properly. Even your conduct with the Moroi is outstanding. A weaker person might have yielded to Karp’s request. You refused and contacted me. I’m so proud I took the chance on you.† I felt a tightening in my chest. So proud. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had said they were proud of me. Well, my mother did a lot, but no one tied to my work among the Alchemists did. For most of my life, I’d hoped my father would say he was proud. I’d finally given up on expecting that. Stanton was hardly a parental figure, but her words triggered happiness in me I hadn’t known was waiting to come out. â€Å"Thank you, ma’am,† I said, when I could finally speak. â€Å"Keep it up,† she said. â€Å"When I can, I’ll get you out of that place and into a position that doesn’t involve so much contact with them.† And like that, my world came crashing down. I suddenly felt guilty. She really had given me a chance, and now I was deceiving her. I was hardly like Liam, ready to sell my soul to the Strigoi, but I also wasn’t staying objective with my charges. Driving lessons. Thanksgiving. What would Stanton say if she knew about that? I was a sham, reaping glory I didn’t deserve. If I was truly a dedicated Alchemist, I’d change my life here. I’d stop all extraneous activities with Jill and the others. I wouldn’t even attend Amberwood – I’d accept the offer of outside accommodations. I’d only come here and see the gang when I absolutely was required to. If I could do those things, then I’d truly be a good Alchemist. And, I realized, I’d also be terribly, awfully lonely. â€Å"Thank you, ma’am,† I said. It was the only response I could give. How to cite The Golden Lily Chapter 17, Essay examples