How to analyze an ad Essay Example for Free

How to analyze an ad Essay Analysis of how a particular advertisement attempts to appeal to consumers By giving form to audience motives and desires, advertisers have the best chance of arresting attention and affecting communication. This is an analysis of the lift advertisement for Maxwell House Coffee created by the design agency Ogilvy Beijing of China. When the doors opened, sleepy people in an office building were shocked awake, providing a tongue-in-cheek metaphor for the effects of drinking a cup of Maxwell House Coffee. The marketplace has grown increasingly congested in a frenzied competition for the consumer’s attention. Within this context advertisers believe that in order to get consumers to buy their product ads need to have two orders of content: an appeal to deep seated emotions and information on the product. A sales pitch is used to attract attention and effectively convey the virtues of the product on offer. Elements of good layout are necessary to control the message. Emotional appeals seem to fall into several distinguishable categories. Every ad uses a variation of these appeals: the need for sex, affiliation, guidance, prominence, attention, autonomy, or the need to nurture, aggress, achieve, dominate, escape, or to feel safe. This ad totally circumvents all conscious reaction when the lift doors open to reveal a gaping hole. The illogical link between a gaping hole in the floor and a cup of Maxwell House Coffee is embedded in the metaphor: a better way to wake up. The link is forged pre-logically in the mind of the person who steps into that lift. Ones primal instinct is to protect oneself from falling. This is so deep-seated and spontaneous that the advertiser leaves no other option for the onlooker. This ad relies on aesthetic sensation for its appeal which, needless to say, has been executed with perfection. Nothing in this layout could be added or left out. Apart from the initial â€Å"shock† the onlooker has to admire the optical illusion and the cleverness of its presentation. The impact of this ad on all of one’s senses is undeniably large. Other appeals that are present in a lesser and overlapping degree are a need to nurture; a need for guidance; a need to escape; a need to feel safe; and a need for curiosity. Stylistic features are not appeals in themselves but influence the way the basic appeal is presented. This ad could be classified as avant garde. This ad is innovative, experimental and unconventional. The most striking element of the ad is the floor graphic which instantaneously grabs ones attention and penetrates the mind so profoundly, you’ll never forget the experience. The viewing angle on this ad relies on the premise that people instinctively look down when entering a lift, not only to look where they are stepping, but to avoid eye-contact with strangers. When they do look up, they look straight into the solution: a cup of steaming hot Maxwell House Coffee to â€Å"wake up†. Targeted customers: sleepy office workers. All the elements of the ad come together in a single appeal: drink Maxwell House Coffee to wake up. The vast majority of ads employ a common set of textual features: headlines, body copy, and slogans. Copywriting has a function: to sell the product. This ad epitomizes the words â€Å"art in pursuit of a business goal†. The floor graphics replace the need for a headline. The body is presented in a most refreshing way (no pun intended) and consists only of two words embedded in the steam to further engage ones imagination of the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Body copy follows a picture and caption style. The traditional need for a slogan is sufficed by the placement of the logo of the product on the coffee cup. The elements of the layout of this ad totally control the way the message is received. The message is delivered in a uniquely creative and totally unexpected way. There is no competitive â€Å"noise† as the presence of the ad takes up the whole space within the lift. All layout elements have been used to maximum effect: attention, balance, proportion, movement, unity, clarity, simplicity and emphasis. Balance is achieved by proper weight distribution. In this ad the weight is on the floor. One’s knowledge of the effects of gravity plays a subconscious role. The tonal quality of the floor graphic and its fear inspiring content visually pulls one â€Å"to the centre of the earth and back again†. The poster is optically centered so the reader cannot miss the â€Å"sales pitch† and the artistic composition is nothing short of excellent – the floor graphics, the bare lift, the metallic surface of the lift walls and the design and placement of the single poster. In a highly original way forceful emotions are brought forth in an experience of uncontrollable surprise. The presentation of the information in the poster is reserved, dignified, formal, clean, uncluttered. One’s emotions guide the consumer through the ad, from beginning to the end. Directional impetus favors the elements to be stressed. The onlooker has nowhere to go. The recipient is taken â€Å"inside† the advertisement. Inside the lift, there is nothing to compete with it. The layout is unified by the confines of the lift, the muted colors of the walls, and the complementary colors in the poster. The inside of the lift determines the parameters of the ad space. This is a classic use of â€Å"white space† where the advertiser cleverly employs the barest necessities in such a profound way that this ad and the product it offers become unforgettable. The two important elements of shock (floor graphic) and solution (poster) are uniquely and very cleverly tied together. The message is clear and simple. Wake up with Maxwell House Coffee. Emphasis is achieved through the dominant element, the floor graphic which contrast sharply in size, placement and most of all its the impact to that of the poster which is strategically placed in the optical centre of the lift wall, directly opposite the doors (shock versus solution). Perfect. Does this ad effectively appeal to its target market? Yes, profoundly. And here is why: The chief element of this ad is the clever use of graphics to depict a gaping hole in floor of the lift. The product information is minimal as it needs no elaboration. The logo and a cup of coffee are all that is required. The rest is dependent upon the recipient’s own experience and feelings towards the product. The target market is well defined. The communication between the producer and the consumer is crystal clear and totally unambiguous: This product is experienced to be genuinely gratifying to the prospective consumer and a even non-coffee drinker will enjoy the emotional â€Å"ride† offered by the advertiser. Here both ends of the communication channel have been abundantly rewarded. The ad is clever, innovative, refreshing and directed at one appeal: drink Maxwell House Coffee. This won an international award for â€Å"Best use of Ambient Media: Large Scale† in 2008.

Justice System And The Cases Of Miscarriages Criminology Essay

Justice System And The Cases Of Miscarriages Criminology Essay INTRODUCTION Cases of miscarriages of justice have come to light in recent years and have become a celebrated issue in the society. Different reasons have been given for it like poor investigative interviewing practices, court processes and custodial practices. However, investigative interviewing practices is the most rated as the cause of these injustices, hence, the purpose of this essay is to see how these cases of miscarriages of justice have helped in changing investigative interview practices for better. INVESTIGATIVE INTERVIEWING An interview is a conversation intended to yield information, it is essential to obtain correct, detailed and comprehensive explanations that are rich in detail from all those involved within the criminal justice process; from victims, witnesses, colleagues, friends, neighbours, family and suspects. Interviews are generally non-accusatory; during the course of an investigation the investigator will conduct interviews with all available witnesses and potential suspects. (Milne Bull, 2003, p.111) Investigative interviewing is an important part of the investigative process for patrol officers, loss prevention agents, detectives or other investigators. Most information is derived from people, which makes it important to have knowledge and skill in interviewing, in order to get the best of the interview process. The investigator should ask open-ended questions in an attempt to elicit as much information as possible. The interview subject should do most (75%) of the talking during the conversation (Reid Associates, 2001). If, during the interview it is found that the subject has lied, the investigator should generally not confront the subject. In most cases it is best to challenge a lie during a follow-up interview or once the interviewer has moved into an interrogation. Interviews are conducted at different levels of the investigative process, ranging from the initial police interview of a victim, witness, or suspect to an in-court interview in front of a judge or other decision makers. Interviews conducted during the initial phase of the police investigation are usually the most critical in determining whether a criminal case is solved (Fisher, Geiselman, Raymond, 1987), especially when there is little or no physical evidence and only one witness to guide the investigation. At this point in the investigation, there is considerable potential to extract extensive, accurate information, because the event is still fresh and, hence, relatively accessible in the witnesses memory. Furthermore, witnesses have had little time to think about the event, so their immediate perceptions are likely to be pristine, untainted by later influences. Properly conducted interviews may thus advance the police investigation immeasurably by yielding thorough, accurate rec ords of the crime details. On the other hand, poorly conducted interviews have the potential to distort the witnesses memories and contaminate the entire investigative process. (Hoffman, 2005) Among the most important traits for a successful interviewer are Empathy, Communication and Professionalism. All three of these characteristics combine to send a powerful message to the subject. That is, that the interviewer is an honourable person, who has all of the necessary evidence, and truly understands the feelings of guilt within the subject. Empathy is considered an essential characteristic of a good interviewer. EMPATHY Empathy is the ability to understand and share in anothers feelings (Webster, 1972). Investigators who adopt empathy easily identify with other people see things through anothers eyes. An interview or interrogation is a conversation between two human beings. The subject and interviewer are on an equal basis. Unlike the interviewer, the subject likely has no training whatsoever in interviewing. But as a person the interviewee communicates with others all the time and can identify when dealing with someone who is insincere. It is difficult to convincingly offer explanations and understanding to a subject when the interviewer cannot identify with the other person. This might make the interviewer seem insincere and make it difficult to obtain a fair account of the issue on ground. COMMUNICATION One of the most important traits of a good interviewer is being able to communicate excellently. When people communicate they use more than words. Tone, inflection, volume and pauses are all essential aspects of Para-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is as important as what is actually being said. Gestures, posture, hand, eye and head movement (or lack thereof) are vital parts of a persons non-verbal communication. The interviewer should also take note of the messages sent by the subjects physiological responses such as skin tone, sweating and respiration. In some circumstances the interviewer will notice that one can visibly monitor the subjects heart rate by observing the carotid pulse. The most important communication challenge for the interviewer is to be aware of all of these methods of communication. The interviewer must take note of what he or she is receiving and also of what one is passing across. The core of interviewing is communication, but how the interviewe r presents oneself to the subject is the first communication that occurs. PROFESSIONALISM The interviewer should be dressed in a professional manner. The interviewer should put into consideration the subject and the location of the interview before deciding on attire, the interviewers attitude should always be professional. No matter the outcome of the interview, the interviewer should not make sarcastic or disapproving remarks during or after the interview. The interview should begin civilly with a handshake and end in the same manner. The final role that professionalism plays in the interview is the attention to detail paid to the confession and statement. Someone, perhaps the interviewer, spent valuable time preparing the investigation. The investigation file will likely be full of detail and description. Once the subject confesses, the professional interviewer will follow through with developing the confession and capturing it in a detailed and accurate statement. Investigation is a core duty of policing. Given that the interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects is central to the success of an investigation, the highest standards need to be upheld. In order to do this, forces need to develop and maintain the valuable resource that the skills of their interviewers represent. Interviews that are professionally undertaken and quality assured can realise several business benefits. In particular, they can: Direct an investigation, which in turn can lead to a prosecution or early release of an innocent person; Support the prosecution case, thereby saving time, money and resources; Increase public confidence in the Police Service, particularly with witnesses and victims of crimes who come into direct contact with the police. Conversely, failure to professionally undertake and assure quality interviews can have adverse consequences in terms of failure to adhere to legislation, loss of critical material, unsolved crime, lack of credibility and loss of confidence. The gathering of information from a well-prepared victim and witness interview will contribute significantly to the investigation. An effective interview of a suspect will commit them to and account of events that may include an admission. In the admission, the suspect may detail how the offence was committed and thus the investigation can be more focused. The value of a properly obtained admission can prove the mens rea of the offence, beyond doubt. (Hoffman, 2005) MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE The mistakes that occur within the criminal justice system can be described in various ways; the criminal justice system is founded on the presumption of innocence; a legal fiction intended to insulate the individual from abuses of state power and reduces the likelihood of a factually innocent person being convicted. In order to cast this protective net as widely as possible, the appellate test has to be expressed in the neutral term of safety. The media and campaigners have different motivations and usually focus upon cases of innocence in order to attract public interest and to achieve reform. Despite the moral and political impact of innocence cases, for those who seek to safeguard the rights of defendants and to uphold the integrity of the criminal justice system, it is imperative to resist allowing the criminal justice debate to degenerate into competing claims of guilt versus innocence. Miscarriage of Justice has been defined as A grossly unfair outcome in a judicial proceeding, as when a dependant is convicted despite lack of evidence on an essential element of the crime. (Barak, 2007). This definition can be attributed to wrongful arrests, wrongful charges or indictments, wrongful sentences, but most notably wrongful convictions arising from improper and insufficient investigations. According to Barak, There are two general types of miscarriages of justice which are errors of due Process and errors of impunity. Errors of due process involve unwarranted harassment, detention or conviction, or excessive sanctioning of people suspected of crimes. Errors of impunity refer to a Lapse of justice that allows a culpable offender to remain at large or escape justice in some way. Error of due process can lead to error of impunity, thus, if a person is wrongly arrested, convicted and imprisoned for a crime that he/she did not commit. There is a good chance that the real offe nder will remain free to commit other offences, meanwhile, there is a probability that the real offender will be arrested, convicted and arrested for another crime. Both types of error can undermine the integrity and legitimacy of the Criminal Justice system. The origin of most miscarriages of justice can be said to be from the roots, which is the law enforcement agents. The police have a big role to play in ensuring justice is carried out always, but in doing this, proper investigations and interview have to be carried out to ascertain the right facts. There have been many celebrated cases and many more of miscarriages of justice, as in the case of Stephen Downing who was convicted of the murder of Wendy Sewell in a  Bakewell  churchyard in 1973. The 17-year-old had a reading age of 11 and worked at the cemetery as a gardener, he was made to sign a confession that he was unable to read by the police. The case gained international notoriety as the Bakewell Tart murder. After spending 27 years in prison, Stephen Downing was released on bail in February 2001, pending the result of an appeal. His conviction was finally overturned in January 2002. Miscarriages of Justice highlights the shortcomings of the Criminal justice system, it also reflects a tendency for police investigators to develop a theory as to responsibility for a crime and then to exclude all other avenues for investigation. (Dixon 1999). This may occur as a result of not following up other potential avenues of investigation or by active manipulation of evidence to support the theory. As in the case of The Cardiff Three, Steven Miller, Yusef Abdullahi, and Tony Paris who were falsely jailed for the murder of prostitute Lynette White, stabbed more than 50 times in a frenzied attack in a flat above a betting shop in Cardiffs Bute town area on Valentines Day 1988, and jailed in 1990. This was a serious case of miscarriage of justice as a result of poor investigation and interrogation by the police officers involved, the young men were bullied and coerced to falsely confess to a crime they did not commit, they were charged to court with the barest minimum of evidenc e and were later cleared on appeal in 1992; it was not until 2003 Jeffrey Gafoor was jailed for life for the murder. The breakthrough was due to modern DNA techniques used on evidence taken from the crime scene. Subsequently, in 2005, nine retired Police Officers and three serving Officers were arrested and questioned for false imprisonment, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and misconduct in public office. Another celebrated case of miscarriage of justice is that of Rachel Jane Nickell  (23 November 1968-15 July 1992) who was the victim of a  sexual assault  and  murder  on  Wimbledon Common,  London, on 15 July, 1992. She was stabbed 49 times. On 18 December, 2008,  Robert Napper, 42, pleaded guilty to Miss Nickells  manslaughter  on the grounds of  diminished responsibility.  Colin Stagg had earlier been charged and then acquitted in relation to this murder, as there was no forensic evidence linking Mr Stagg to the scene, the police asked  criminal psychologist  Paul Britton to create an  offender profile  of the killer. They decided that Mr Stagg fitted the profile and asked Mr Britton to assist in designing a covert operation, Operation Ezdell, to see whether Mr Stagg would eliminate or implicate himself, an undercover police woman using the pseudonym Lizzie James contacted Mr Stagg, posing as a friend of a woman with whom he used to be in contact vi a a lonely hearts column. She attempted to obtain information from him for over five months by feigning a romantic interest, meeting him, speaking to him on the telephone and exchanging letters containing sexual fantasies. Believing on the advice of the  Crown Prosecution Service  that there was sufficient evidence to convict Mr Stagg, the police arrested and charged him on 17 August 1993 with Miss Nickells murder. When the case reached the  Old Bailey,  Mr Justice Ognall judged that the police had shown excessive zeal and had tried to incriminate a suspect by deceptive conduct of the grossest kind. The entrapment evidence was excluded and the prosecution withdrew its case. Mr Stagg was acquitted in September 1994. This case is a clear example of a miscarriage of justice from different aspects; bad investigative interviewing, ignorance of other leads, bad decisions and errors on the part of the police officers. The main culprit was left roaming around and went on committing crimes before he was eventually caught for another crime. There have been lots of other cases of miscarriages of justice with poor investigative interviewing being the major cause and other factors too. This led to the emergence of Judges Rules which was drawn by Judges in 1912, which was revised over the years and added to over the years and remained in force until they were replaced by the Police and Criminal Evidence act (PACE) 1984 and the Codes of Practice (Home Office Circular 89, 1978) as a result public outcry concerning highly publicised miscarriages of justice (e.g. Guildford 4) in the UK, the Home Office is the central government department responsible for the criminal justice system) and Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) developed the investigative interviewing; ethos and PEACE training course in the 1990s PEACE continues to be the Police Service framework for interviewing. There are five phases to the PEACE framework which are: Planning and Preparation: This includes what to consider when planning for an interview, understanding the main aim and the essence of the interview to the case at hand. Engage and Explain: This describes how to cope with the special features of getting an interview started, involving the interviewee in the conversation, building rapport, setting the interviewee at ease and informing him/her about rights and other legal necessities, and establishing the ground rules. Account, Clarification and Challenge: This deals with the central issue of obtaining the interviewees account, clarifying this and, where necessary, challenging it. Closure: This is an important aspect of the whole process, a good closure is necessary to ensure that there is a mutual understanding about all that transpired, it describes the considerations before closing an interview. Evaluation: This consists of asking questions about what was achieved during the interview and how it fits into the whole investigation. Evaluation also includes the development of an interviewers skill level, through assessment (self, peer and manager) and feedback. According to Griffith Milne (2005) Most of the identified problems with police interviews prior to PEACE were due to miscarriages of justice linked to false confessions. These false confessions were due to bad police interviewing processes, though subsequent legislative which has authorised compulsory audio tape recording of all interviews with suspects and the right for a suspect to have a legal representative present should avoid a repetition of such occurrences. Miscarriages of Justice also led to the need to review police interviewing initiated under the auspices of the Association of Chief Police Offers (ACPO) and the Home Office. The National Strategic Steering Group on Investigative Interviewing exists to ensure the development and delivery of the most effective interview strategy. Its role is to ensure that a consistent and professional approach is adopted by the Police Service, which is able to withstand judicial and academic scrutiny and has the ability to instil public con fidence. The overall aim of the National Strategic Steering Group on Investigative interviewing is: To provide direction on the development of policy, practices and procedures to ensure that the interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects supports professional investigation. The terms of reference of the National Strategic Steering Group on Investigative interviewing are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To maintain an effective dialogue with key stakeholders to ensure high standards of professionalism and service delivery. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To monitor the potential impact of any changes in law and procedure on interviewing practices and make recommendations on further changes as necessary. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To provide advice to ACPO and other key stakeholders on technical and procedural issues that impact on the professional practice of investigative interviewing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To ensure that the National Occupational Standards applicable to investigative interviewing are fit for purpose. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To inform the design and development of effective learning and development products that supports the National Investigative Interviewing Strategy. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To establish an effective partnership with the NPIA to develop professional practice and maintain operational support. The principles of investigative interviewing (NSLEC, 2004, pp. 16-20) which have generally stood the test of time have been revised. The Principles of Investigative Interviewing 2007 are: The aim of investigative interviewing is to obtain accurate and reliable accounts from victims, witnesses or suspects about matters under police investigation, accurate information to seek truth and not coercing false confessions. Investigators must act fairly when questioning victims, witnesses or suspects, vulnerable people must be treated with particular consideration at all times. Investigative interviewing should be approached with an investigative mindset. Accounts obtained from the person who is being interviewed should always be tested against what the interviewer already knows or what can reasonably be established, investigative interviewing should be approached with an open mind. When conducting an interview, investigators are free to ask a wide range of questions in order to obtain material which may assist an investigation. Investigators should recognise the positive impact of an early admission in the context of the criminal justice system. Investigators are not bound to accept the first answer given. Questioning is not unfair merely because it is persistent, the interviewers duty is to get accurate and reliable information from an interviewee no matter the number of times the question is asked, as long as it is done carefully and not in an oppressive manner. Even when the right of silence is exercised by a suspect, investigators have a responsibility to put questions to them, if the interviewer believes truth can be derived from the person in question. Miscarriages of justice threaten the very foundation of a society, because in every liberal legal system, legal rights and autonomy are paramount. Miscarriages of justice undermines these individual rights which has led to an outcry by society and prompted the necessary bodies to build laws, policies and practices to be adhered to in order to prevent further miscarriages of justice arising from investigative interviewing and thus has improved investigative interviewing practices. RELEVANT CASE LAW R. v. Downing (2003, March 10) Newstatesman R. v. Miller, Paris and Abdullah [1993] 97, G. App. R. R. v. Stagg (1992) The Sun. Retrieved 3 January, 2011.

Factors influencing the success or failure of Small Business

Factors influencing the success or failure of Small Business Small businesses have certainly started to play an important role in the growth and development of a lot of economies in the world today, and they are becoming increasing popular. The reasons for this are not particularly hard to discern. Growing firms provide significant benefits to regions, with job generation, knowledge spillovers, economic multipliers, innovation drivers and cluster developments. The exact processes of growth and an analysis of the development and transitions from small to high growth rates and size development has generated limited study from an initial review of literature. The birth of new firms and their subsequent growth or failure has captivated the interest of researchers especially during the past decade and a half. The central theme dominating this segment of research focuses on the question of why Jason Fast Foods failed in their business. An initial review of literature on small firms reveals that many of them fail early in their lifecycles, presumably due to the many impediments and obstacles that they are unable to overcome. There is also the less than satisfactory growth rates observed among firms that survive the initial inception stage. Whereas the specific factor that led to the failure of this business was poor operational plan, a congregations of other factors was responsible for the failure of this business. This means that Jason Fast Foods failed because of a combination of poor product/service, marketing plan, operation plan and financial plan. The dynamics of changing demographics and consumer purchasing patterns, coupled with ever stronger competition, put increased pressure on Jason Fast Foods enterprises. This impacted a lot on the small business who had to devise new avenues for driving productivity and develop distinct competencies that was aimed at ensuring their survival. Basically, Jason Fast Foods suffered from limited information, finance, management time and experience and was vulnerable to environmental changes. The scale of operations was also low which meant that this firm did not benefit from the economies of scale which limited its operations and generally inhibited its growth and ability to develop and dominate the markets. The small firm sector has been described as very turbulent, with fluctuations in profits and sales being more imminent than larger firms, mainly because they are more likely to depend on single products or customers (Storey et al., 1987). Large firms on the other hand often exist becaus e competitive factors within industries make the use of economies of scale in productions which are necessary for survival. Operational factor that greatly contributed to the failure of Jason Fast Foods was the inability to attract higher quality people than its competitors. The differentiators between success and failures lie in the ability of a firm adopting strategies in the utilization of its capabilities that ensure the firm has higher quality people than its competitors, its able to develop and nurture its capabilities and that a culture is developed that encourages organizational learning. When competition intensified, the possession of these competencies became increasingly important for the firms continued success. Moreover, these were the distinctive capabilities that supported a market position that was valuable and difficult to imitate. The aim of developing and improving the resources basses and capabilities are aimed at achieving a strategic fit between resources and the opportunities that will ensure for added value from the effective deployment of resources. The overall inability to effect ively deploy resources for the best operational practice was inhibited by its scarcity. In addition to the above, the interaction between competitive advantage and distinctive competencies are well researched issues that Jason Fast Foods failed to exploit. The general concurrence is that firms that develop and exploit their distinctive capabilities and key competencies generally outperform their rivals and are able thrive in the said markets. For example, Day (1994) found that smaller firms that chose to compete with clearly defined strategies outperformed those firms with a less clearly defined focus. These believe is supported by Armstrong (2007) who found a close correlation between the entrepreneurial orientation of firms and the possession of a wide assortment of distinctive competencies. Operational inefficiency deprived Jason Fast Foods the ability to find a close correlation between its entrepreneurial orientation and the possession of a wide assortment of distinctive competencies. The role of financial factor contribution to the failure of Jason Fast Foods was precipitated by the skyrocketing health care and energy costs, tightening credit conditions and increasing labor costs. Generally, the small businesses are facing a challenging economic environment. The major constraints that were facing Jason Fast Foods can be broadly categorized into four groups that are cost factors, credit conditions, trade competitiveness and industry metrics (HSBC, 2005). The major cost factors associated with doing business in America for the small businesses stems from the health care, oil, natural gas, retirement and savings and total employee compensation and regulatory costs (HSBC, 2005). These costs continue to rise by day, meaning that the proprietors of Jason Fast Foods were receiving the same amounts of inputs to run their businesses but at a higher cost. These increased costs limited the ability of Jason Fast Foods to purchase new equipments, hire new employees and expand businesses. The most significant increase in these costs has been the rising oil and natural gas prices. Additionally, the employees compensation costs have also grown, coupled with increased health care and medical costs which continued to impact on the bottom line of Jason Fast Foods. Another constraint that led to the failure of this firm was with credit conditions and access to credit. A lot of researchers agree that business financing is a key ingredient to business success through the provision of the ability for entrepreneurs to start or develop an existing business. As Child (1972) intones, capital availability ebbs and flows as business cycles evolve, essentially meaning that enough capital resources should be available at all stages of growth. The major contributing ingredients to the ease with which small business can gain access to capital encompasses such issues as budget deficits, commercial and industrial loans, interest rates and venture capital. For example, most credit that is extended to businesses either in the form of credit cards or commercial loans are tied to the prime rending rates, which are dictated by the overall operating conditions. These are basically reflected by the prevailing rending rates, which have been rising of late with severe implication on the cost of doing business. The fact that Jason Fast Foods encountered more difficulties in generating alternative financing (example through issuance of stock or commercial paper) become more resilient, meaning that they were being forced to pay high interest costs to secure a loan to finance ventures. This was compounded by the fact that interest rates are usually higher as private sources of capital compete with the public sector for investors in an economy, meaning that borrowing costs continues to rise regardless of growths in the economy. The end result is that small businesses are hugely disadvantaged. Without favorable credit conditions, entrepreneurs will either pay higher prices for capital or forgo adequate capitalization all together (HSBC, 2005). Another constraint faced by Jason Fast Foods that led to its failure was with regards to growth and development and the competitiveness of the operative industry. The major factors as regards competitiveness usually stem from trade deficits and the trends and manufactures new order. The contentious issues are that while the increased globalization has provided business owners with the opportunity to market and sell their goods abroad, small business have continually struggled and failed to exploit the potential. All the above factors clearly illustrate the major difficulties faced by small business in their endeavors that eventually led to the failure of Jason Fast Foods. While the same factors have been found to also impact on the larger counterparts, a clear deduction can be discerned that the impacts have greater implications on the small businesses.

Physics of Soccer :: physics sport sports soccer football

Physics of the Ball How and where you kick the ball is the most important aspect within the game of soccer. Lets say you kick the ball perfectly giving it no rotation (or spin), this means that you have given the ball a velocity (v) and an initial angular speed of zero. When the ball comes into contact with the ground it will begin to spin because the ground is not frictionless. The soccer ball will eventually begin to roll without slipping, which is when the balls center of mass is equal to its angular speed. Now assume that you want to strike the ball so that it immediately begins to roll without slipping. The diagram above shows us how we can accomplish this and the equaltion of s=R(theta) will give us the distance from the center of the ball that you need to kick. The answer to this problem turns out to be s=0.4R, so you would strike the ball a little less than half of the radius above the center line. Friction is a huge factor when considering the game of soccer. When a soccer ball is moving along the field there is constantly a frictional force working in the opposite direction of the balls movement. There is an equation that can be used to find the friction force working against the ball and it is f=mN. This is where f is the frictional force, m is the coefficient of friction, and N is the normal force pointing upward. The coefficient of friction is dependant upon the surface type and ball being used, it is not a constant. This tells us that the coefficient of friction will cause the ball to roll slower when it is large and not as slow when it is small. This also shows that the more friction there is between the ball and the field the slower the ball will roll. How physics students cheat! When dealing with projectile motion physics students are normally allowed the assumption of two things; 1) The free-fall acceleration g is constant over the range of motion and is always directed downward. 2) The effect of air resistance is negligible, meaning there is no air resistance on the projectile. With these assumptions we find that the projectile's path is always a parabola. How this cheating pans out! Physics of Soccer :: physics sport sports soccer football Physics of the Ball How and where you kick the ball is the most important aspect within the game of soccer. Lets say you kick the ball perfectly giving it no rotation (or spin), this means that you have given the ball a velocity (v) and an initial angular speed of zero. When the ball comes into contact with the ground it will begin to spin because the ground is not frictionless. The soccer ball will eventually begin to roll without slipping, which is when the balls center of mass is equal to its angular speed. Now assume that you want to strike the ball so that it immediately begins to roll without slipping. The diagram above shows us how we can accomplish this and the equaltion of s=R(theta) will give us the distance from the center of the ball that you need to kick. The answer to this problem turns out to be s=0.4R, so you would strike the ball a little less than half of the radius above the center line. Friction is a huge factor when considering the game of soccer. When a soccer ball is moving along the field there is constantly a frictional force working in the opposite direction of the balls movement. There is an equation that can be used to find the friction force working against the ball and it is f=mN. This is where f is the frictional force, m is the coefficient of friction, and N is the normal force pointing upward. The coefficient of friction is dependant upon the surface type and ball being used, it is not a constant. This tells us that the coefficient of friction will cause the ball to roll slower when it is large and not as slow when it is small. This also shows that the more friction there is between the ball and the field the slower the ball will roll. How physics students cheat! When dealing with projectile motion physics students are normally allowed the assumption of two things; 1) The free-fall acceleration g is constant over the range of motion and is always directed downward. 2) The effect of air resistance is negligible, meaning there is no air resistance on the projectile. With these assumptions we find that the projectile's path is always a parabola. How this cheating pans out!

The Rise of Nazism in Germany :: Ancient Rome Roman History

The Rise of Nazism in Germany Germany's defeat in World War One created political, economic and social instability in the Weimar Republic and led to the rise of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) or Nazi party. The First World War placed increasingly heavy strains and sacrifices on the German people. The gap between the rich and poor widened and divisions between classes increased. It had direct effect on the workers' living standard as earnings fell and food shortages grew. Food was sold on the growing black market but the prices were high and the poor could not afford to buy. This led to a crisis in the cities and as many as 700 000 died of hypothermia and starvation in the winter of 1916-17. In order to force the German people to bear the hardship of the war, chancellor Bethmann Hollweg promised political reform in a speech in the Reichstag in February 1917. This promise led to political unrest and an organised strike of 400 000 ammunition workers in Berlin, which threatened to cripple arms production. However, as long as the military held their dominant position and the possibility of victory remained, the prospects of reform seemed remote. After the chancellor was forced to resign in July 1917 military repression increased. There were severe restrictions on the right of assembly, stricter control of meetings to discuss grievances, a return to military service for striking workers and the banning of all anti-war material. In September 1918 the military effort suddenly collapsed. The allied powers, in particular President Wilson of the United States, demanded that Germany be transformed into a democracy. On November 1918 the SPD declared the abdication of the Kaiser and the birth of the new Weimar Republic. On 28 June 1919 the German government signed the Treaty of Versailles imposed on it by the victorious powers. Clause 231 blamed Germany for causing the war and vast majority of Germans rejected this. They blamed the Weimar government for losing the war and signing the outrageous Treaty. Linked to this was the demand for financial compensation for the cost of the war paid to France and Britain. This shocked the Germans severely as it would be hard to pay reparations since the war had weakened the country. Germany's army personnel was to be reduced to 100 000 and was forbidden to produce "offensive" weapons. There was to be no air force or submarines and the navy was to be reduced to six small battleships and six cruisers.

World Religions Report In APA Style

Judaism is the Jewish religion. It is one of the oldest of the great world religions, and is the mother religion of both Christianity and Islam. Judaism was not founded by one towering personality, as were most other religions. Abraham and Moses are not regarded as founders. Abraham was the â€Å"father of the Hebrew people† and Moses was the â€Å"law-giver†. With the destruction of Solomon’s temple at Jerusalem in 586 B. C. began the scattering of the Hebrews over many lands. From then on Judaism developed as a religion without the priestly class of the ancient temple. Moreover, Judaism is one of the oldest beliefs that are still observed and practiced up to the present and considered as one of the first recorded â€Å"monotheistic† faiths. The Jewish’s values and history are the main part of the foundation of different Abrahamic religions like Christianity, Islam, Samaritanism and the Baha’i Faith. In 2006, Judaism’s devotees are approximately 14 million that makes Judaism faith as the eleventh-biggest organized religion globally. Unlike with other religions, Judaism is totally distinct in such a way that its â€Å"central authority is not vested in any person or group† but it abides in its writings and traditions. This would mean that Judaism religion does not have a head or a leader that oversees them but they rather obey what is written in its writings and traditions. Moreover, the Judaism church is continually bound to a number of religious practices and beliefs, specifically its belief that there is one, omnipotent, omni benevolent, transcended omniscient God who made the heavens and the earth and continually have its control over mankind. The conventional Jewish belief stated that the God who made the universe had made a covenant with the Jewish people only and gave his laws and commandments through Torah. Judaism‘s belief and practices are focused on these laws and commandments (see Asheri, Michael. Living Jewish: the Lore and law of the Practicing Jew, 1999). According to Jewish law, anyone who has a Jewish mother counts as a Jew, even if he or she is not religious. Many Jews do, however, actively follow the religious practices of Judaism. Judaism is one of the world’s oldest religions, beginning some 3,500 years ago in the Middle East. Today, there are about 18 million Jews. They live all over the world, but mostly in the United States, Europe and Israel. There are many different groups of Jews with different ways of practicing their faith. The main groups are Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Jews (see Jacobs, Louis. The Book of Jewish Belief (Behrman House, 2000). II. Background According to the Jewish holy books, the first Jew was a man called Abraham, who is known as the father of the Jewish people. He was the leader of a group of nomadic people, called the Hebrews. At that time, the Hebrews worshipped many different gods. Abraham taught his people that there is only one God and that they should worship only him. Jews believe that God made a covenant, or agreement, with Abraham. If Abraham and his people worshipped God and lived good and just lives, God would look after them and give them a land of their own to live in. This was the Promised Land of Canaan (see Shenker, Israel. Coat of many Colors: Pages from Jewish Life (Doubleday, 2001). The Jews settled in Canaan but centuries later, famine forced their descendants to move to Egypt in search of food. They worked for the Egyptians but were treated like slaves and their lives were extremely miserable. God remembered his promise to Abraham and sent a man called Moses to lead the Jews to freedom. Several times, Moses asked the Pharaoh to let the Jews go, but each time he refused. Only after God sent ten terrible plagues to Egypt did the Pharaoh change his mind. Moses led the Jews out of Egypt and into the desert. After 40 years of wandering, God guided the Jews back to the Promised Land (see Prager, Dennis, and Joseph Telushkin. Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism (Simon & Schuster, 1999). The Jewish scriptures are called the Tenakh. They are divided into three parts—the Torah (5 Books of Teaching), the Nevi’im (21 Books of the Prophets) and the Ketuvim (13 Books of Writings). The initials of the three parts—T, N and K—give the word Tenakh. For Jews, the Torah is the most important part of their scriptures because it contains the rules that teach Jews how to live their lives. These are the teachings that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai during the Jews’ journey through the desert. They are summed up by ten rules, or commandments (see Musaph-Andriesse, R. G. From Torah to Kabbalah: a Basic Introduction to the Writings of Judaism (Oxford University, 1998). 1. I am the Lord your God. 2. Worship no other gods but me. 3. Do not use God’s name falsely. 4. Keep the Sabbath day holy. . Respect your father and mother. 6. Do not kill. 7. Do not commit adultery. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not tell lies about other people. 10. Do not be jealous of other people’s possessions. Copies of the Torah are handwritten on scrolls and kept in the synagogue, the Jewish place of worship. Traditional Jews follow the Torah exactly and believe that its teachings should not be changed. Less traditional Jews believe that the teaching of the Torah can be adapted to make them more suitable for modern life. Jews can worship anywhere but many choose to pray with other Jews at the synagogue. The word synagogue means â€Å"meeting place†. Synagogues are not only places of worship but also centers for study, celebration and for the community to meet. Large synagogues have services every day but many Jews go to the synagogue only on the Sabbath (called Shabbat in Hebrew) (see below) and special holy days. The service on the morning of the Sabbath lasts for about two hours. A service includes prayers, blessings and readings from the Torah and is led by a teacher, called a rabbi. Readings from the Torah are given from a raised platform, called a bimah, in the centre of the synagogue. When they are not in use, the scrolls of the Torah are kept in a special alcove, called the Holy Ark. This is the holiest part of the synagogue. Everyone faces the Ark as they pray (see Musaph-Andriesse, R. G. From Torah to Kabbalah: a Basic Introduction to the Writings of Judaism (Oxford University, 1998). At services in the synagogue, Jewish men wear a small cap, called a kippah, to show respect for God. At some services, men also wear a prayer shawl that reminds the person wearing it of God. Traditional Jews may also wear two small leather boxes, called tefillin. One is worn on the middle of the forehead; the other is tied to the arm, facing the heart. Inside the boxes are tiny scrolls on which passages from the Torah are written. The tefillin remind Jews that they should love God with their whole hearts and minds (see Musaph-Andriesse, R. G. From Torah to Kabbalah: a Basic Introduction to the Writings of Judaism (Oxford University, 1998). III. Discussion A. Name and Location of the Site The interview was conducted at Mikvah Chabad House at New Brunswick, New Jersey this is where I had the chance to conversed and interview Gary Austein. It is the place where Jewish people go for spiritual purification. Going in these place help Jewish women come together with their husband and together with their love for each other where in they also follow the commandments that God has established for His people. Mitzvah of Mikvah is one of their tradition in which helps them get more connected with their God. B. Interview Summary During the interview I asked Gary Austein the important holidays and traditions of this religion. He answered â€Å"The important holidays and tradition of Judaism are Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashana and the Passover. The holiest day in the Jewish calendar is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This day is set aside to repent for the sins of the previous year. It is a day when any adult who has been Bar/Bat Mitzvah’d (age 12-13) fasts and reflects on the past year and asks God for forgiveness. Rosh Hashana is the previous weeks and is the Jewish New Year. Passover is in the spring and it is a time when Jews cannot eat unleavened bread reflecting on the Israelites exodus from Egypt. † When I asked him on how Judaism has shaped his life. And I quote â€Å"Religion defines who I am as a person. I would say I am a Jew first and an American second, that is how important it is to me. My value and belief system is a product of my Jewish identity and upbringing. My adult life has brought my Judaism more into my life than ever as I now have a Jewish home, Jewish wife and child on the way. I also work at a Jewish Day School so I am always reminded of my Jewish identity as both my professional and personal life revolves around my religion. † Jews throughout the world are always a target of anti-Semitism. This is a fact that they accepted and so with other families. It is scary that millions upon millions of people have been murdered because of their belief in Judaism. Between the Holocausts, pogroms in Russia, and terrorist’s attacks, an astounding amount of Jews have died because of their belief. Society is not very conducive for an observant Jewish lifestyle; Jews are supposed to observe the Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday night) and are not supposed to drive, work, spend money, etc. A lot happens on the weekends so this is difficult. Also if you keep Kosher (Jewish dietary restrictions) it is difficult to eat out as the vast majority of food and restaurants are not kosher. People have much false impression about Judaism. A lack of understanding and acceptance has led to misconceptions, not only of Judaism, but throughout the world. People need to always remind themselves that both Christianity and Islam were born from Judaism. Both religions accept the Torah (the Jewish Bible, also referred to at the Old Testament) as the word of God and credit Judaism for the birth of their respective religions. If people are more aware of this people then maybe open to differences of people. Judaism defines who a Jew is, they wear it as a badge of honor. For them it is amazing that time still honors traditions that are still practiced at present. Something like male circumcision is the oldest religious tradition in the world today. It is amazing that it has lasted for thousands of years. It shows the resiliency and the testament of the Jewish faith that they are able to continue throughout the generations. Judaism has greatly shaped his life as a Jew. And it is through the people around that have helped him a lot in his Religious belief. His parents gave him his Jewish identity and the friends of his family have nurtured it. His best friend who is a rabbinical student has been very influential in shaping his Jewish identity. His marriage also shaped his Jewish identity as his wife converted to Judaism which has given him a newfound zeal and love for his religion. His study of Holocaust has been a dramatic part of his Jewish identity. Finally his visits to Israel, the Jewish state has given him a unique pride in his homeland. He considers himself a Conservative Jew which is best classified as the middle of the road. For the most part, Jews of different backgrounds are fairly understanding and respectful of the traditions and practices of other sects of Judaism, with the exception of the ultra-Orthodox movement. He believes that if you are a Jewish according to the laws and traditions of Moses then it does not matter how you practice as long as you believe it in your heart. However, he believes that there are certain misinterpretations some of the other sects have undertaken, but that is not something that he could be worried or be burden about. Judaism has been the common bond of the Jewish people. It is the foundation of their culture and the reason for the creation of Israel, the Jewish State. Israel is the most important tangible asset they have and something that must be protected at all costs. Judaism is the reason the Jewish people have and are persecuted, yet is the belief and intangible asset that keeps them together as a people. The Covenant is the â€Å"agreement† between God and Abraham, the patriarch of the Jewish people, that the Jews will be â€Å"the chosen people. This is a fact that is accepted by both Christians and Muslims alike. This covenant was symbolized by Abraham being circumcised and is something that is required for all Jewish males a week after they are born. This is a common misconception. All three of the major monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have more similarities than differences. Their major prophets are the same; their historical texts are born out of the Je wish Bible, and their belief in one all powerful, all knowing, and benevolent God are distinct commonalities. They all practice and worship God in different ways, but when it comes down to it, they were all born from Abraham and Sarah, meaning they are all brothers and sisters. IV. Comparing Judaism to Christianity A. Christianity Christianity is the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It began in Palestine and was proclaimed the fulfillment of Jewish teaching regarding the coming of the messiah, promised by God to redeem man from sin. Jesus taught the doctrine of the Hebrew prophets that the Jews were God’s chosen people and therefore had the right to hear the message of the Gospel before all others. However, his teachings had a universal objective and were destined to reach every man and nation (see McCollister, J. C. The Christian Book of Why (Jonathan David, 2000). Christianity is a missionary religion, holding that Christ’s message was intended for the whole world, not just for a particular area of people. In Mark 16:15-16, Jesus is quoted as saying: â€Å"Go ye into the entire world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Christianity has been not only a religious force, but also a social and political one. Often it has been imposed by military power that hardly seems in keeping with the precepts of the gentle Jesus. Nevertheless, the moral lessons taught by Christianity have had a profound effect in teaching man to deal justly with his fellows and to observe the pleas of Jesus to â€Å"love thy neighbor as thyself† (Matthew 19:19). About one-fourth of the world’s people are Christians. Christian churches have an estimated world membership of more than 1. 6 billion—more than twice the membership of any other religion. The original basic beliefs of Christianity are stated in the Apostles’ Creed. It affirms that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that God sent him to earth to live as a man and to suffer and die for the redemption of mankind. It also states the belief that Jesus, after being crucified, arose from the dead and ascended to heaven, from which he will return to earth to judge the living and the dead. Belief that Jesus was born of a virgin mother and that there is a life for man after death are essential parts of the creed (see McCollister, J. C. The Christian Book of Why (Jonathan David, 2000). Man’s need for help from a higher power was stressed in religions earlier than Christianity. The concept of God as benevolent and forgiving—rather than as vengeful— is a main tenet of the Christina’s faith. Another Christian belief is that even though man has sinned seriously and separated himself from the love of God, he can be saved by repentance. The necessity, and therefore the possibility, of communion between God and man are accepted by all Christians (see Wiggins, James, and R. S. Ellwood. Christianity: a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). B. Doctrinal Differences At first, the gospel of Jesus was spread by his disciples, followers who remembered his sayings. As gentiles (non-Jews) as well as Jews entered the church, the influence of other minds began to be seen in the interpretation of doctrines. In this work, early Christian theologians borrowed ideas from the teachings of the Greek philosophers. At the same time, national traits and customs began to affect rituals and observances. Even within each of the three great divisions of the Christian church—Roman Catholic, Protestant, and eastern Orthodox—there are variations of practice. This is particularly true of the Protestants. The sacrament of baptism provides an example. Baptists hold that the convert must be completely immersed in water; Methodists believe that sprinkling water on the head is sufficient. Most denominations baptize infants, but some insist that the individual be old enough to understand the meaning of the sacrament (see Walker, Williston. A History of the Christian Church, 4th edition (Sribner’s, 1998). There are other differences. The Disciples of Christ and certain other Protestant groups insist upon using the Bible alone as a source of guidance. The doctrine of the Trinity—the belief that God is three beings (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in one divine nature—is accepted as basic by most Christians, but is rejected by Unitarians and Universalists (see Wiggins, James, and R. S. Ellwood. Christianity: a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox and Anglicans recognize seven sacraments, while most Protestants recognize only those of Holy Communion (also called the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper) and baptism. Catholics believe that the priest by the sacrament of the Eucharist changes bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus. Most Protestants see in the ritual only a spiritual representation of the presence of Jesus (see Wiggins, James, and R. S. Ellwood. Christianity: a Cultural Perspective (Prentice-Hall, 2002). The method of church government us a common cause of differences between denominations. The Roman Catholic Church places final authority in the pope, whom it calls the Vicar of Christ. The Episcopal form of church government is headed by bishops of equal authority. Authority over the churches in the Presbyterian form of government is exercised by boards, called presbyteries, ministers and elected laymen. In churches with the congregational type of government, each congregation has complete local rule (see Walker, Williston. A History of the Christian Church, 4th edition (Sribner’s, 1998). IV. Conclusion Judaism is the United States has four branches: Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist. The total membership of the four branches is lower than the estimated total number of Jews in the United States, because many Jews are not outside the United States and Canada are Orthodox. Orthodox Jews advocate strict observance of traditional rituals and customs. Hasidic Jews form a small, extremely orthodox, mystical group. Many orthodox synagogues are members of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Reform Jews have abandoned many rituals and customs that they consider unsuited to modern life. They stress the prophetic ideas of the Bible rather than the Law, and emphasize the mission of the Jews to spread godliness throughout the world. The reform movement began early in the 19th century in Germany and is now centered mainly in the United States. The Union of American Hebrew Congregations is an association of reform congregations. Conservative Jews hold a middle ground between the orthodox and the reform. In the United States, this movement began during the 1890’s. The United Synagogue of America is the national organization of Conservative congregations. Reconstructionist Jews observe many of the traditional rituals and customs, but reject supernaturalism and divine revelation. Reconstructionist Judaism was founded by Mordecai Kaplan in the 1920’s as a movement within the Conservative branch. With the establishment of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1968, it emerged as a separate branch of Judaism.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 13. NEWBORN

â€Å"THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAND,† Jasper answered in a quiet voice. â€Å"Repeated a thousand times.† He laughed a little ruefully and brushed at his arm. â€Å"Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar.† â€Å"Why?† I breathed in horror, feeling rude but unable to stop staring at his subtly ravaged skin. â€Å"I didn't have quite the same . . . upbringing as my adopted siblings here. My beginning was something else entirely.† His voice turned hard as he finished. I gaped at him, appalled. â€Å"Before I tell you my story,† Jasper said, â€Å"you must understand that there are places in our world, Bella, where the life span of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not centuries.† The others had heard this before. Carlisle and Emmett turned their attention to the TV again. Alice moved silently to sit at Esme's feet. But Edward was just as absorbed as I was; I could feel his eyes on my face, reading every flicker of emotion. â€Å"To really understand why, you have to look at the world from a different perspective. You have to imagine the way it looks to the powerful, the greedy . . . the perpetually thirsty. â€Å"You see, there are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can be less restrained, and still avoid detection. â€Å"Picture, for instance, a map of the western hemisphere. Picture on it every human life as a small red dot. The thicker the red, the more easily we – well, those who exist this way – can feed without attracting notice.† I shuddered at the image in my head, at the word feed. But Jasper wasn't worried about frightening me, not overprotective like Edward always was. He went on without a pause. â€Å"Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It's the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of us would be quickly exposed.† I frowned at the way he pronounced the name – with respect, almost gratitude. The idea of the Volturi as the good guys in any sense was hard to accept. â€Å"The North is, by comparison, very civilized. Mostly we are nomads here who enjoy the day as well as the night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly – anonymity is important to us all. â€Å"It's a different world in the South. The immortals there come out only at night. They spend the day plotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the South, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce. The covens there barely note the existence of humans, except as soldiers notice a herd of cows by the wayside – food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of the herd because of the Volturi.† â€Å"But what are they fighting for?† I asked. Jasper smiled. â€Å"Remember the map with the red dots?† He waited, so I nodded. â€Å"They fight for control of the thickest red. â€Å"You see, it occurred to someone once that, if he were the only vampire in, let's say Mexico City, well then, he could feed every night, twice, three times, and no one would ever notice. He plotted ways to get rid of the competition. â€Å"Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others. â€Å"But the most effective tactic was invented by a fairly young vampire named Benito. The first anyone ever heard of him, he came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred the two small covens that shared the area near Houston. Two nights later, he took on the much stronger clan of allies that claimed Monterrey in northern Mexico. Again, he won.† â€Å"How did he win?† I asked with wary curiosity. â€Å"Benito had created an army of newborn vampires. He was the first one to think of it, and, in the beginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain himself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They'll turn on each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more than half his force down before they lost. â€Å"You see, though newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat if you know what you're doing. They're incredibly powerful physically, for the first year or so, and if they're allowed to bring strength to bear they can crush an older vampire with ease. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually, they have no skill in fighting, only muscle and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers.† â€Å"The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and they did the only thing they could think of to counteract Benito. They made armies of their own. . . . â€Å"All hell broke loose – and I mean that more literally than you can possibly imagine. We immortals have our histories, too, and this particular war will never be forgotten. Of course, it was not a good time to be human in Mexico, either.† I shuddered. â€Å"When the body count reached epidemic proportions – in fact, your histories blame a disease for the population slump – the Volturi finally stepped in. The entire guard came together and sought out every newborn in the bottom half of North America. Benito was entrenched in Puebla, building his army as quickly as he could in order to take on the prize – Mexico City. The Volturi started with him, and then moved on to the rest. â€Å"Anyone who was found with the newborns was executed immediately, and, since everyone was trying to protect themselves from Benito, Mexico was emptied of vampires for a time. â€Å"The Volturi were cleaning house for almost a year. This was another chapter of our history that will always be remembered, though there were very few witnesses left to speak of what it was like. I spoke to someone once who had, from a distance, watched what happened when they visited Culiacn.† Jasper shuddered. I realized that I had never before seen him either afraid or horrified. This was a first. â€Å"It was enough that the fever for conquest did not spread from the South. The rest of the world stayed sane. We owe the Volturi for our present way of life. â€Å"But when the Volturi went back to Italy, the survivors were quick to stake their claims in the South. â€Å"It didn't take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you'll forgive the expression. Vendettas abounded. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able to resist. However, the Volturi had not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time. The newborns were selected from the human pool with more care, and given more training. They were used circumspectly, and the humans remained, for the most part, oblivious. Their creators gave the Volturi no reason to return. â€Å"The wars resumed, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculation would begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let the others, the careful ones, continue. . . .† Jasper was staring off into space. â€Å"That's how you were changed.† My realization was a whisper. â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"When I was human, I lived in Houston, Texas. I was almost seventeen years old when I joined the Confederate Army in 1861. I lied to the recruiters and told them I was twenty. I was tall enough to get away with it. â€Å"My military career was short-lived, but very promising. People always . . . liked me, listened to what I had to say. My father said it was charisma. Of course, now I know it was probably something more. But, whatever the reason, I was promoted quickly through the ranks, over older, more experienced men. The Confederate Army was new and scrambling to organize itself, so that provided opportunities, as well. By the first battle of Galveston – well, it was more of a skirmish, really – I was the youngest major in Texas, not even acknowledging my real age. â€Å"I was placed in charge of evacuating the women and children from the city when the Union's mortar boats reached the harbor. It took a day to prepare them, and then I left with the first column of civilians to convey them to Houston. â€Å"I remember that one night very clearly. â€Å"We reached the city after dark. I stayed only long enough to make sure the entire party was safely situated. As soon as that was done, I got myself a fresh horse, and I headed back to Galveston. There wasn't time to rest. â€Å"Just a mile outside the city, I found three women on foot. I assumed they were stragglers and dismounted at once to offer them my aid. But, when I could see their faces in the dim light of the moon, I was stunned into silence. They were, without question, the three most beautiful women I had ever seen. â€Å"They had such pale skin, I remember marveling at it. Even the little black-haired girl, whose features were clearly Mexican, was porcelain in the moonlight. They seemed young, all of them, still young enough to be called girls. I knew they were not lost members of our party. I would have remembered seeing these three. â€Å"‘He's speechless,' the tallest girl said in a lovely, delicate voice – it was like wind chimes. She had fair hair, and her skin was snow white. â€Å"The other was blonder still, her skin just as chalky. Her face was like an angel's. She leaned toward me with half-closed eyes and inhaled deeply. â€Å"‘Mmm,' she sighed. ‘Lovely.' â€Å"The small one, the tiny brunette, put her hand on the girl's arm and spoke quickly. Her voice was too soft and musical to be sharp, but that seemed to be the way she intended it. â€Å"‘Concentrate, Nettie,' she said. â€Å"I'd always had a good sense of how people related to each other, and it was immediately clear that the brunette was somehow in charge of the others. If they'd been military, I would have said that she outranked them. â€Å"‘He looks right – young, strong, an officer. . . . ‘ The brunette paused, and I tried unsuccessfully to speak. ‘And there's something more . . . do you sense it?' she asked the other two. ‘He's . . . compelling.' â€Å"‘Oh, yes,' Nettie quickly agreed, leaning toward me again. â€Å"‘Patience,' the brunette cautioned her. ‘I want to keep this one.' â€Å"Nettie frowned; she seemed annoyed. â€Å"‘You'd better do it, Maria,' the taller blonde spoke again. ‘If he's important to you. I kill them twice as often as I keep them.' â€Å"‘Yes, I'll do it,' Maria agreed. ‘I really do like this one. Take Nettie away, will you? I don't want to have to protect my back while I'm trying to focus.' â€Å"My hair was standing up on the back of my neck, though I didn't understand the meaning of anything the beautiful creatures were saying. My instincts told me that there was danger, that the angel had meant it when she spoke of killing, but my judgment overruled my instincts. I had not been taught to fear women, but to protect them. â€Å"‘Let's hunt,' Nettie agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the tall girl's hand. They wheeled – they were so graceful! – and sprinted toward the city. They seemed to almost take flight, they were so fast – their white dresses blew out behind them like wings. I blinked in amazement, and they were gone. â€Å"I turned to stare at Maria, who was watching me curiously. â€Å"I'd never been superstitious in my life. Until that second, I'd never believed in ghosts or any other such nonsense. Suddenly, I was unsure. â€Å"‘What is your name, soldier?' Maria asked me. â€Å"‘Major Jasper Whitlock, ma'am,' I stammered, unable to be impolite to a female, even if she was a ghost. â€Å"‘I truly hope you survive, Jasper,' she said in her gentle voice. ‘I have a good feeling about you.' â€Å"She took a step closer, and inclined her head as if she were going to kiss me. I stood frozen in place, though my instincts were screaming at me to run.† Jasper paused, his face thoughtful. â€Å"A few days later,† he finally said, and I wasn't sure if he had edited his story for my sake or because he was responding to the tension that even I could feel exuding from Edward, â€Å"I was introduced to my new life. â€Å"Their names were Maria, Nettie, and Lucy. They hadn't been together long – Maria had rounded up the other two – all three were survivors of recently lost battles. Theirs was a partnership of convenience. Maria wanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. The others were eager to increase their . . . herd lands, I suppose you could say. They were putting together an army, and going about it more carefully than was usual. It was Maria's idea. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, and she taught us to be invisible to the humans. When we did well, we were rewarded. . . .† He paused, editing again. â€Å"She was in a hurry, though. Maria knew that the massive strength of the newborn began to wane around the year mark, and she wanted to act while we were strong. â€Å"There were six of us when I joined Maria's band. She added four more within a fortnight. We were all male – Maria wanted soldiers – and that made it slightly more difficult to keep from fighting amongst ourselves. I fought my first battles against my new comrades in arms. I was quicker than the others, better at combat. Maria was pleased with me, though put out that she had to keep replacing the ones I destroyed. I was rewarded often, and that made me stronger. â€Å"Maria was a good judge of character. She decided to put me in charge of the others – as if I were being promoted. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically, and our numbers swelled to hover around twenty. â€Å"This was considerable for the cautious times we lived in. My ability, as yet undefined, to control the emotional atmosphere around me was vitally effective. We soon began to work together in a way that newborn vampires had never cooperated before. Even Maria, Nettie, and Lucy were able to work together more easily. â€Å"Maria grew quite fond of me – she began to depend upon me. And, in some ways, I worshipped the ground she walked on. I had no idea that any other life was possible. Maria told us this was the way things were, and we believed. â€Å"She asked me to tell her when my brothers and I were ready to fight, and I was eager to prove myself. I pulled together an army of twenty-three in the end – twenty-three unbelievably strong new vampires, organized and skilled as no others before. Maria was ecstatic. â€Å"We crept down toward Monterrey, her former home, and she unleashed us on her enemies. They had only nine newborns at the time, and a pair of older vampires controlling them. We took them down more easily than Maria could believe, losing only four in the process. It was an unheard-of margin of victory. â€Å"And we were well trained. We did it without attracting notice. The city changed hands without any human being aware. â€Å"Success made Maria greedy. It wasn't long before she began to eye other cities. That first year, she extended her control to cover most of Texas and northern Mexico. Then the others came from the South to dislodge her.† He brushed two fingers along the faint pattern of scars on his arm. â€Å"The fighting was intense. Many began to worry that the Volturi would return. Of the original twenty-three, I was the only one to survive the first eighteen months. We both won and lost. Nettie and Lucy turned on Maria eventually – but that one we won. â€Å"Maria and I were able to hold on to Monterrey. It quieted a little, though the wars continued. The idea of conquest was dying out; it was mostly vengeance and feuding now. So many had lost their partners, and that is something our kind does not forgive. . . . â€Å"Maria and I always kept a dozen or so newborns ready. They meant little to us – they were pawns, they were disposable. When they outgrew their usefulness, we did dispose of them. My life continued in the same violent pattern and the years passed. I was sick of it all for a very long time before anything changed . . . â€Å"Decades later, I developed a friendship with a newborn who'd remained useful and survived his first three years, against the odds. His name was Peter. I liked Peter; he was . . . civilized – I suppose that's the right word. He didn't enjoy the fight, though he was good at it. â€Å"He was assigned to deal with the newborns – babysit them, you could say. It was a full-time job. â€Å"And then it was time to purge again. The newborns were outgrowing their strength; they were due to be replaced. Peter was supposed to help me dispose of them. We took them aside individually, you see, one by one . . . It was always a very long night. This time, he tried to convince me that a few had potential, but Maria had instructed that we get rid of them all. I told him no. â€Å"We were about halfway through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll on Peter. I was trying to decide whether or not I should send him away and finish up myself as I called out the next victim. To my surprise, he was suddenly angry, furious. I braced for whatever his mood might foreshadow – he was a good fighter, but he was never a match for me. â€Å"The newborn I'd summoned was a female, just past her year mark. Her name was Charlotte. His feelings changed when she came into view; they gave him away. He yelled for her to run, and he bolted after her. I could have pursued them, but I didn't. I felt . . . averse to destroying him. â€Å"Maria was irritated with me for that . . . â€Å"Five years later, Peter snuck back for me. He picked a good day to arrive. â€Å"Maria was mystified by my ever-deteriorating frame of mind. She'd never felt a moment's depression, and I wondered why I was different. I began to notice a change in her emotions when she was near me – sometimes there was fear . . . and malice – the same feelings that had given me advance warning when Nettie and Lucy struck. I was preparing myself to destroy my only ally, the core of my existence, when Peter returned. â€Å"Peter told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I'd never dreamed I had. In five years, they'd never had a fight, though they'd met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem. â€Å"In one conversation, he had me convinced. I was ready to go, and somewhat relieved I wouldn't have to kill Maria. I'd been her companion for as many years as Carlisle and Edward have been together, yet the bond between us was nowhere near as strong. When you live for the fight, for the blood, the relationships you form are tenuous and easily broken. I walked away without a backward glance. â€Å"I traveled with Peter and Charlotte for a few years, getting the feel of this new, more peaceful world. But the depression didn't fade. I didn't understand what was wrong with me, until Peter noticed that it was always worse after I'd hunted. â€Å"I contemplated that. In so many years of slaughter and carnage, I'd lost nearly all of my humanity. I was undeniably a nightmare, a monster of the grisliest kind. Yet each time I found another human victim, I would feel a faint prick of remembrance for that other life. Watching their eyes widen in wonder at my beauty, I could see Maria and the others in my head, what they had looked like to me the last night that I was Jasper Whitlock. It was stronger for me – this borrowed memory – than it was for anyone else, because I could feel everything my prey was feeling. And I lived their emotions as I killed them. â€Å"You've experienced the way I can manipulate the emotions around myself, Bella, but I wonder if you realize how the feelings in a room affect me. I live every day in a climate of emotion. For the first century of my life, I lived in a world of bloodthirsty vengeance. Hate was my constant companion. It eased some when I left Maria, but I still had to feel the horror and fear of my prey. â€Å"It began to be too much. â€Å"The depression got worse, and I wandered away from Peter and Charlotte. Civilized as they were, they didn't feel the same aversion I was beginning to feel. They only wanted peace from the fight. I was so wearied by killing – killing anyone, even mere humans. â€Å"Yet I had to keep killing. What choice did I have? I tried to kill less often, but I would get too thirsty and I would give in. After a century of instant gratification, I found self-discipline . . . challenging. I still haven't perfected that.† Jasper was lost in the story, as was I. It surprised me when his desolate expression smoothed into a peaceful smile. â€Å"I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day – something I was not completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little. â€Å"She was there – expecting me, naturally.† He chuckled once. â€Å"She hopped down from the high stool at the counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward me. â€Å"It shocked me. I was not sure if she meant to attack. That's the only interpretation of her behavior my past had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions that were emanating from her were like nothing I'd ever felt before. â€Å"‘You've kept me waiting a long time,' she said.† I didn't realize Alice had come to stand behind me again. â€Å"And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, ‘I'm sorry, ma'am.'† Alice laughed at the memory. Jasper smiled down at her. â€Å"You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope.† Jasper took Alice's hand as he spoke. Alice grinned. â€Å"I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up.† They smiled at each other for a long moment, and then Jasper looked back to me, the soft expression lingering. â€Å"Alice told me what she'd seen of Carlisle and his family. I could hardly believe that such an existence was possible. But Alice made me optimistic. So we went to find them.† â€Å"Scared the hell out of them, too,† Edward said, rolling his eyes at Jasper before turning to me to explain. â€Å"Emmett and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing this little freak† – he nudged Alice playfully – â€Å"who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room she can move into.† Alice and Jasper laughed in harmony, soprano and bass. â€Å"When I got home, all my things were in the garage,† Edward continued. Alice shrugged. â€Å"Your room had the best view.† They all laughed together now. â€Å"That's a nice story,† I said. Three pairs of eyes questioned my sanity. â€Å"I mean the last part,† I defended myself. â€Å"The happy ending with Alice.† â€Å"Alice has made all the difference,† Jasper agreed. â€Å"This is a climate I enjoy.† But the momentary pause in the stress couldn't last. â€Å"An army,† Alice whispered. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† The others were intent again, their eyes locked on Jasper's face. â€Å"I thought I must be interpreting the signs incorrectly. Because where is the motive? Why would someone create an army in Seattle? There is no history there, no vendetta. It makes no sense from a conquest standpoint, either; no one claims it. Nomads pass through, but there's no one to fight for it. No one to defend it from. â€Å"But I've seen this before, and there's no other explanation. There is an army of newborn vampires in Seattle. Fewer than twenty, I'd guess. The difficult part is that they are totally untrained. Whoever made them just set them loose. It will only get worse, and it won't be much longer till the Volturi step in. Actually, I'm surprised they've let this go on so long.† â€Å"What can we do?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"If we want to avoid the Volturi's involvement, we will have to destroy the newborns, and we will have to do it very soon.† Jasper's face was hard. Knowing his story now, I could guess how this evaluation must disturb him. â€Å"I can teach you how. It won't be easy in the city. The young ones aren't concerned about secrecy, but we will have to be. It will limit us in ways that they are not. Maybe we can lure them out.† â€Å"Maybe we won't have to.† Edward's voice was bleak. â€Å"Does it occur to anyone else that the only possible threat in the area that would call for the creation of an army is . . . us?† Jasper's eyes narrowed; Carlisle's widened, shocked. â€Å"Tanya's family is also near,† Esme said slowly, unwilling to accept Edward's words. â€Å"The newborns aren't ravaging Anchorage, Esme. I think we have to consider the idea that we are the targets.† â€Å"They're not coming after us,† Alice insisted, and then paused. â€Å"Or . . . they don't know that they are. Not yet.† â€Å"What is that?† Edward asked, curious and tense. â€Å"What are you remembering?† â€Å"Flickers,† Alice said. â€Å"I can't see a clear picture when I try to see what's going on, nothing concrete. But I've been getting these strange flashes. Not enough to make sense of. It's as if someone's changing their mind, moving from one course of action to another so quickly that I can't get a good view. . . .† â€Å"Indecision?† Jasper asked in disbelief. â€Å"I don't know. . . .† â€Å"Not indecision,† Edward growled. â€Å"Knowledge. Someone who knows you can't see anything until the decision is made. Someone who is hiding from us. Playing with the holes in your vision.† â€Å"Who would know that?† Alice whispered. Edward's eyes were hard as ice. â€Å"Aro knows you as well as you know yourself.† â€Å"But I would see if they'd decided to come. . . .† â€Å"Unless they didn't want to get their hands dirty.† â€Å"A favor,† Rosalie suggested, speaking for the first time. â€Å"Someone in the South . . . someone who already had trouble with the rules. Someone who should have been destroyed is offered a second chance – if they take care of this one small problem. . . . That would explain the Volturi's sluggish response.† â€Å"Why?† Carlisle asked, still shocked. â€Å"There's no reason for the Volturi -â€Å" â€Å"It was there,† Edward disagreed quietly. â€Å"I'm surprised it's come to this so soon, because the other thoughts were stronger. In Aro's head he saw me at his one side and Alice at his other. The present and the future, virtual omniscience. The power of the idea intoxicated him. I would have thought it would take him much longer to give up on that plan – he wanted it too much. But there was also the thought of you, Carlisle, of our family, growing stronger and larger. The jealousy and the fear: you having . . . not more than he had, but still, things that he wanted. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't hide it completely. The idea of rooting out the competition was there; besides their own, ours is the largest coven they've ever found. . . .† I stared at his face in horror. He'd never told me this, but I guessed I knew why. I could see it in my head now, Aro's dream. Edward and Alice in black, flowing robes, drifting along at Aro's side with their eyes cold and blood-red. . . . Carlisle interrupted my waking nightmare. â€Å"They're too committed to their mission. They would never break the rules themselves. It goes against everything they've worked for.† â€Å"They'll clean up afterward. A double betrayal,† Edward said in a grim voice. â€Å"No harm done.† Jasper leaned forward, shaking his head. â€Å"No, Carlisle is right. The Volturi do not break rules. Besides, it's much too sloppy. This . . . person, this threat – they have no idea what they're doing. A first-timer, I'd swear to it. I cannot believe the Volturi are involved. But they will be.† They all stared at each other, frozen with stress. â€Å"Then let's go,† Emmett almost roared. â€Å"What are we waiting for?† Carlisle and Edward exchanged a long glance. Edward nodded once. â€Å"We'll need you to teach us, Jasper,† Carlisle finally said. â€Å"How to destroy them.† Carlisle's jaw was hard, but I could see the pain in his eyes as he said the words. No one hated violence more than Carlisle. There was something bothering me, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I was numb, horrified, deathly afraid. And yet, under that, I could feel that I was missing something important. Something that would make some sense out of the chaos. That would explain it. â€Å"We're going to need help,† Jasper said. â€Å"Do you think Tanya's family would be willing . . . ? Another five mature vampires would make an enormous difference. And then Kate and Eleazar would be especially advantageous on our side. It would be almost easy, with their aid.† â€Å"We'll ask,† Carlisle answered. Jasper held out a cell phone. â€Å"We need to hurry.† I'd never seen Carlisle's innate calm so shaken. He took the phone, and paced toward the windows. He dialed a number, held the phone to his ear, and laid the other hand against the glass. He stared out into the foggy morning with a pained and ambivalent expression. Edward took my hand and pulled me to the white loveseat. I sat beside him, staring at his face while he stared at Carlisle. Carlisle's voice was low and quick, difficult to hear. I heard him greet Tanya, and then he raced through the situation too fast for me to understand much, though I could tell that the Alaskan vampires were not ignorant of what was going on in Seattle. Then something changed in Carlisle's voice. â€Å"Oh,† he said, his voice sharper in surprise. â€Å"We didn't realize . . . that Irina felt that way.† Edward groaned at my side and closed his eyes. â€Å"Damn it. Damn Laurent to the deepest pit of hell where he belongs.† â€Å"Laurent?† I whispered, the blood emptying from my face, but Edward didn't respond, focused on Carlisle's thoughts. My short encounter with Laurent early this spring was not something that had faded or dimmed in my mind. I still remembered every word he'd said before Jacob and his pack had interrupted. I actually came here as a favor to her. . . . Victoria. Laurent had been her first maneuver – she'd sent him to observe, to see how hard it might be to get to me. He hadn't survived the wolves to report back. Though he'd kept up his old ties with Victoria after James's death, he'd also formed new ties and new relationships. He'd gone to live with Tanya's family in Alaska – Tanya the strawberry blonde – the closest friends the Cullens had in the vampire world, practically extended family. Laurent had been with them for almost a year previous to his death. Carlisle was still talking, his voice not quite pleading. Persuasive, but with an edge. Then the edge abruptly won out over the persuasion. â€Å"There's no question of that,† Carlisle said in a stern voice. â€Å"We have a truce. They haven't broken it, and neither will we. I'm sorry to hear that. . . . Of course. We'll just have to do our best alone.† Carlisle shut the phone without waiting for an answer. He continued to stare out into the fog. â€Å"What's the problem?† Emmett murmured to Edward. â€Å"Irina was more involved with our friend Laurent than we knew. She's holding a grudge against the wolves for destroying him to save Bella. She wants -† He paused, looking down at me. â€Å"Go on,† I said as evenly as I could. His eyes tightened. â€Å"She wants revenge. To take down the pack. They would trade their help for our permission.† â€Å"No!† I gasped. â€Å"Don't worry,† he told me in a flat voice. â€Å"Carlisle would never agree to it.† He hesitated, then sighed. â€Å"Nor would I. Laurent had it coming† – this was almost a growl – â€Å"and I still owe the wolves for that.† â€Å"This isn't good,† Jasper said. â€Å"It's too even a fight. We'd have the upper hand in skill, but not numbers. We'd win, but at what price?† His tense eyes flashed to Alice's face and away. I wanted to scream out loud as I grasped what Jasper meant. We would win, but we would lose. Some wouldn't survive. I looked around the room at their faces – Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose, Esme, Carlisle . . . Edward – the faces of my family.