Regulations and policies for domestic flights in Canada (airline Research Paper

Regulations and policies for domestic flights in Canada (airline industry in Canada) - Research Paper Example vernment could decide to regulate the Domestic Airlines’ operations: the commonest ones include the need for transparency in airlines’ activities. The airlines are expected to be open and frank about their records, information systems and quality of services. This would assist the appropriate governmental agency to periodically investigate the level of conformity with Canada’s Air Transport Laws, in a bid to make the industry to be responsible towards the customers and the public in general (Reschenthaler et al 45). Another significant purpose for regulating the domestic airlines is the possibility of reducing the administrative burdens of the carriers: this means that cumbersome bureaucratic processes could increase the overhead cost of operations of the carriers, and this may lead to inefficiency and poor performance that could affect the activities of the airlines and make the customers discontented. If the Canadian government has failed to regulate the Domestic Airlines, the two important factors highlighted above may have caused unprecedented market failure and eventual collapse of Canada’s airline industry. Complaints have been mounting about some laxities in the operations of the Canada’s domestic carriers: and a close investigation of the complaints revealed that most problems are not unconnected to the inability to create transparency in operation of the carriers and cumbersome bureaucratic processes in the industry. The official agency saddled with the responsibility of regulating the activities of the domestic airlines in Canada is Canadian Transportation Agency, CTA. The agency primary responsibilities include handling and resolving all disputes connected with air transportation; improving the air transportation activities and, as a regulator, making helpful decisions about the operations in the air, rail and marine transportation (CTA 2009a). Canadian Transportation Agency got its legal regulatory powers from Canada’s Air Transportation

The Meaning and Value of Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Meaning and Value of Work - Essay Example The morals of a business aim at expressing the vision of high-quality work, excellent workplace, preserve the conditions necessary to make work reasonable, just as well as benevolent. Work has a number of instrumental values such as; to make profits, feelings of fulfillment, get social rank, make a significant involvement to the society, get a sense of self-worthy, as well as self-esteem. The inherent value of work is to carry it out for its own sake. There are three theories about the nature and meaning of work. These include â€Å"The Convectional View of Work, Liberal Model and The Human Fulfillment Model† (Barry & Shaw, 2009). The best one is the Liberal Model. This is because; it is moderate and can be abided by both the employees as well as employers. This model gives individuals freedom to give views relating to the work being done. Therefore, employers can discuss with their staffs matters affecting them as well as payment agreements (Barry & Shaw, 2009). Work is there fore planned before execution, policies, as well as procedures that regulate employee’s behavior are set. In addition, a suitable workforce is recruited and workers are motivated through either incentives or encouragement to attain the organizations goal. Most preferred Model by the People In my view, I believe that most people accept the Human Fulfillment Model, which is viewed based on the operational conditions for the employees, the remuneration given to them, rights, as well as reimbursements.

Six Habits of Highly Effective Teams Essay Example for Free

Six Habits of Highly Effective Teams Essay From this class, we have learned a lot about how to build up a team; the benefit and disadvantages of teamwork; communication between team members and training to improve teamwork, and so on. From Kohn’s book â€Å"Six Habits of Highly Effective Teams† I have learned six rules that make the team work effectively. The concepts are â€Å"strengthening emotional capacity to improve team relationship, expanding team self-awareness, practicing empathy and respectfulness, establishing and regulating team norms, thinking laterally, entrusting team members with appropriate roles. † (Kohn 2007) Next, I will combine with my team experiences to talk about the six rules. First of all, the concept â€Å"strengthening emotional capacity to improve team relationship† demonstrated the relationship between team menbers and team leader is important. A good relationship in a team is a sense of trust between the team members and keeping team identity and team efficacy. These three conditions require the teams ability to create a good emotional atmosphere and management to create emotional norms, and develop team emotional intelligence. Under this good emotional atmosphere, team members can understand each other, adapt to each other and respect each other. When the team members come up with different ideas, they can also consult, find out a way that everyone agrees with, and they can trust each other. This is exactly the right atmosphere in my family team. When we have some different ideas about travel, my uncle will give everyone a paper to write down their thought, and then I will read those thoughts in front of everyone. Our family member will discuss the advantages and disadvantages for every plan and finally decide where to go, which way is the best one for us. So, we understand the personal feelings of the team members and we should establish the norms of mutual understanding to encourage members, in considering the problem and using the empathy approach. The team leader is an important part to build up a good atmosphere. When members disagree with the team decision, the leader should not always think the worst, and should try to find out why the members have different ideas and listen to them carefully. Facing the problem behavior, the team leader should point out the problem immediately, resolve contradictions with a sense of humor. When one or two people disagree with the team decision-making, we usually use the simple way; the  minority is subordinate to the majority. But sometimes, if we choose to stop and listen to opposing views, we may gain an unexpected, new and good idea. The most important points are respecting individuality and different points of view, not disparaging others, recognizing the members contribution, let them know that the team consider their ideas. One of the advantages in my family team is our team does not ignore the views of anyone, that we can exchange different ideas in an equal environment. Team members can feel the team focus on them; there is a sense of belonging. Second, â€Å"expanding team self-awareness†. Kohn in his book mentions, â€Å"The essence of interpersonal empathy and effective empathetic behavior in organizations. The skill’s essential characteristics include: seeking first to understand. Being other-oriented. Feeling â€Å"with† the other person or other people. Listening actively† (PP 109). He also mentions, â€Å"a team needs a name†. I am agreeing with this. A company’s goal or slogan often presents the spirit of their team. If a company can create the value of innovation, the employees of the enterprise can feel proud as an member of the company. such as Apple company which leading electronic technology trends, Apple’s employees that they work for change the society. And if a company needs a staff, then the staff will feel very proud, has a great sense of belonging. Also, employees that are interested in their own work and achieved excellent results, the completion of the work will bring him a sense of pride. In my family team, we also have a slogan, which is â€Å"I love my family†. We build up a group in social network, everyone can post their mood, thoughts and photos on it. Even though I am in the United States, they c an know my recent life. Third, â€Å"practicing empathy and respectfulness†. Empathy is a very important communication skill. In an enterprise, the employees may come from all over the world, and they have different backgrounds, experiences, hobbies, positions and capacity. Encountering problems, human’s nature will always proceed from their positions, and thus conflicts may arise. If the team members could be mutual understanding, standing on each others position envisage the problem, the contradictions may easily be mitigated. In my family team, we also meet some problems too. Sometimes during our vacation, the schedule will change occasionally, but we may didn’t come up with a backup before. Argue will begin. But luckly, the communication between my family members are patient and moderate. We are know each other a lot and we  understand our common goal is a good vacation, let everybody enjoy the vacation. And we all love our family, sometimes we are even willing to compromise our views for the harmonious atmosphere of the family. Fourth, â€Å"establishing and regulating team norms†. If a team does not have a system, then the team members do not have rules that can be followed. This is a terrible thing. Such as a game, if not the rules of the game, we do not know who are the losers who are the winner. When a project get a good harvest because of staff’s efforts, the leader should be know how to share the benefits with team members. Because to judge the leadership achievements is not focus on how much work the leader take, but what kind of performance he lead a team to be success. Therefore, the higher the teams achievements, the values of leadership are more obvious. When the leadership share this honor and achievement back to his staffs, the staffs will be grateful for a team and thank for they have such a leader. Fifth, â€Å"thinking laterally†, as Kohn mentions â€Å"even though task oriented project have performed in the past, and with a little thinking, they will be done the same way in the immediate future†¦ solutions that work tend to be and should be repeated. However, clients or organizations themselves have a need for innovation. They are looking for far more than simple bodies with requisite skills to handle tasks that keep the operation running smoothly† (PP 142). I really appreciate this point of view; this is my favorite part in this book. Because of I am very interested in creativity and novelty. I even think that human development and invention cannot be separated from the creativity and innovation. Lateral thinking is to b ring vitality and creativity. Employees’ lateral thinking lead the company can often produce surprising. Sixth, â€Å"entrusting team members with appropriate roles†. It is very important for an effective team to put a right person in a right position. A team leader should know how to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the team members, and to arrange them in the most appropriate position, so that they can stimulate their fullest potential. An employee is a non-essential role; the employee is not the role of positioning. Role of career planning is a basic, workers must consciously and autonomy in accordance with the role planning to develop themselves, had better establish a roles incentives. According to this mechanism, perhaps their subordinates jobs cannot go beyond the manager, but as a good role, work independently, the remuneration  may surpass manager; according to the managers role responsibilities analysis the subordinates are more competent, there must be a mechanism to enhance the subordinates. Above all of six habits, I have a clearer understanding of efficient team. Efficient team has a development goals to complete the task, the mutual trust of the team members under a effective leadership, good communication, work together positively. The building of an efficient team can be carried out from the following aspects. Through systematic analyzes, help the team member understand themselves in depth, explicit team members have advantages and disadvantages, work preferences, their different way to solve problems, the basic values ​​of differences; final get formed share the same beliefs and consistent view of the purpose of the team between the team members, in order to establish the rules of the game to running a team. The team also needs to provide education opportunities for employees and listen to the employees’ views, encourage employees creativity. An effective team needs division of labor and cooperation. Enhanced the leadership. First, leaders must be a good example, to cohesion a team fully. Also, team cohesion is invisible spiritual strength, the cohesion of the team from the inner dynamics of the team members, from the consensus values. If we can use the value to lead the team, the team will be more effectively. Reference Kohn S, OConnell V. 6 Habits Of Highly Effective Teams [e-book]. Career Press; 2007. Available from: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 27, 2012.

Planning Activities to Meet Individual Needs in a Child

Planning Activities to Meet Individual Needs in a Child Nisha Patel (1) Explain the benefits for children when their individual needs are met. In the setting as every child is different, it is important to think about, plan for, and interact with the individual, as well as the group as a whole. Consider the range of children’s styles, social interactions and personalities: Some are quiet; others are noisy Some like to spend time by themselves; others are the life of the party Some are shy; others are outgoing Some are active; others are quiet Some enter into new situations easily; others like to stand back and watch There are differences in cultural and language backgrounds, life experiences, temperament, interests, skills and talents. If you are a new staff member, talk to colleagues who already know the children. Take advantage of what they know and how they see the child. A caution however: try not to use ‘labels’ and fixed ways of seeing a child. Everyone sees and relates to people differently. It may be hard to both listen to what others say and form your own opinion, but do try to keep an open mind about a child who is considered difficult or challenging in some way. Ask if you can look at the enrolment forms. They may have non-confidential information that could be useful to you in getting to know a child. Talking formally to the child’s family. They will have great insights about the child. Learn from their perspectives. Help nurture a culture among staff of talking to each other about children and sharing insights. Learn children’s names, greet them by name, and take every opportunity to have individual conversations with children. Be careful about talking only or mainly to the whole group or numbers of children at a time. You don’t really get to know somebody unless you interact individually. As you get to know children, try to notice, comment on or talk about something that is unique to that child – a new haircut or piece of clothing, a comment about something you did or talked about yesterday, something you read or heard that you think he or she might be interested in. Pay attention to a child who is telling you something. This is a challenge, as it might be necessary to maintain supervision and awareness of what is going on around you while at the same time engaging with the child. Be a good listener and observer. Spend time just watching children interact with others and engage with the material. Listen in on conversations. Make notes so that you can remember and make constructive use of the information. Accept individual differences in children. This doesn’t mean tolerating disruptive or destructive behaviour, but it does mean working with the fact that each child is different. Be aware of your own notions or biases of the ‘ideal’ child. Each of us probably has preferences – some like outgoing cheeky children, while others gravitate towards dreamy, quiet or reflective children. Think about how these ideals might affect your interactions with children. Similarly, think about what kinds of behaviour or characteristics really bother you in children. Acknowledge these biases to yourself and maybe even to your colleagues, and then work against them as you interact with children. When a child has an additional need such as a disability, or when there is a language or cultural barrier or a behavioural problem, try to figure out ways to deal constructively with it – for example to communicate with a child who has limited English, or to truly include a child in a wheelchair. At all times, there are choices of things to do among a range of different kinds of activities. There is flexibility about who is doing what, when and for how long. There are relatively few if any times when everyone is expected to do the same thing. The majority of materials are open- ended – that is, they lend themselves to a variety of uses so that children can adapt them to their own interests and agendas. (2) Describe how the principles of anti- discriminatory practice can be applied to practice. In the setting anti-discriminatory practice is very important in a childcare setting to ensure that everyone involved in the setting, such as children, parents/carers and staff members are not discriminated against in relation to their age, disability, ethnicity, gender, health, religious beliefs and sexuality. In my setting we apply anti-discriminatory practice with children by ensuring we show no favouritism in children and all the children get treated the same, also we ensure we do not refuse any children because of their beliefs, religion etc. Our setting is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families. We aim to: provide a secure and accessible environment in which all children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued; include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity; provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles and diverse family structures, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabled people; improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity; challenge and eliminate discriminatory actions; make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the setting; foster good relations between all communities. We do not discriminate against a child or their family, or prevent entry to our setting, on the basis of a protected characteristic as defined by the Equalities Act 2010. These are: disability; race; gender reassignment; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation; age; pregnancy and maternity; and marriage and civil partnership. We do not discriminate against a child with a disability or refuse a child entry to our setting for reason relating to disability. We believe that no child, individual or family should be excluded from Pre-schools activities on grounds of age, gender, sexuality, class, family status, means, disability, colour, ethnic origin, culture, religion or belief. In the setting we will ensure that our service is fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children. We recognise that children and their families come from diverse backgrounds. All families have needs and values that arise from their social and economic, ethnic and cultural or religious backgrounds. Children grow up in diverse family structures that include two parent and one parent families. Some children have two parents of the same sex. Some children have close links with extended families of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins while others may be more removed from close kin or may live with other relatives or foster carers. Some children have needs that arise from disability or impairment or may have parents that are affected by disability or impairment. Some children come from families who experience social exclusion or severe hardship. Some have to face discrimination and prejudice because of their ethnicity, the languages they speak, their religious or belief background, their gender or their impairment. (3) Describe why it is important to plan activities that meet the individual needs of children. In the setting it is important for practitioners to identify children’s care and learning needs in a setting, there are many reasons for this. Firstly, is to promote development. Some children develop and learn faster than others and it is partly our responsibility to ensure all children’s needs are cared for no matter what stage of development they are at. We can do this by carrying out observations; these help us to identify the exact learning needs of children. They can show us clearly what stage of development each individual child is at, we would compare each child against milestones for that age and stage of development and then we can begin to plan to meet the learning needs of certain children who are not meeting milestones and also plan to accommodate for those children who are over excelling the milestones. Children will develop better if there are adequate numbers of staff/adults present, taking into account the correct staff ratios for each particular age of children. With more hands on around the setting children will benefit greatly so it is important to plan how many adults/staff should be present for a particular day/activity, by doing so there is a higher chance of meeting all of the children’s needs. For example, in my placement I am in a Primary 1 class where there is a teacher and a classroom assistant. For this age range of children the extra support is extremely important as the children’s care and learning needs are higher than that of a Primary 7 child i.e. toileting, a Primary 1 child would need more assistance than that of a Primary 7 child. So if a teacher is caring for the needs of a child who has had a toileting accident it is important to have a classroom assistant so that the other children are supervised and their needs also met. (4) Explain how the practitioner can promote childrens physical and emotional well- being within an early year setting. Physical well-Being Between birth 6 months a child will: Turn their head toward sounds and movement Watch an adults face when feeding Smile at familiar faces and voices Reach up to hold feet when lying on their backs Look and reach for objects Hold and shake a rattle Put everything in their mouths Between 6 12 months: Move from sitting with support to sitting alone Roll over from their tummy to their back Begin to creep, crawl or shuffle on their bottom Pull on or push against adult hands or furniture to reach a standing position Raises arms to be lifted Turn and look up when they hear their name Pat and poke objects when playing Pass objects from hand to hand Look for things that have been hidden or dropped Reaches hand towards source of food Between 12 -24 months: Begin to walk Sits alone indefinitely Feed themselves Push and pull toys while walking Wave goodbye Point or make noises to indicate wants Enjoy a picture Shake head for No Uses thumb and first two fingers to grip Bangs objects together Stoops to pick things up from the floor Begins to show preference for one hand Builds tower of few bricks Holds crayon in palm and makes marks on paper Between 24 36 months : Kneels to play Throws Kicks ball Builds larger brick tower Pour liquids Between 36 60+ months: Jumps with feet together Walks on tip toes Walks up and down stairs Catches a gently thrown ball Climbs with increasing confidence Paints Gains control over eating tools Pedals Throws with aim Uses scissors Holds a pencil and can draw people/houses Hops Kicks with aim Catches ball Handles pencil with control Copy shapes and write some letters Sews stitches Emotional well- being: Birth- 3 months: Responds to adults especially mothers face and voice Smiles, concentrates on adults face during feeding Very dependent on adults for reassurance and comfort, quietens when held and cuddled Fleeing smiles when asleep Between 6 12 months: Enjoys company of others and games like peek-a-boo Shows affection to known carer, but shy with strangers Between 12 24 months : Likes to please adults and to perform for an audience May become anxious or distressed if separated from known adults May use comfort objects Mostly cooperative and can be distracted from unwanted behaviour Between 24 36 months: Developing sense of own identity, wanting to do things for self Demanding of adult attention, jealous of attention given to others, reluctant to share playthings or adults attention Acts impulsively, requiring needs to be met instantly, prone to bursts of emotion tantrums Enjoys playing with adult or older child who will give attention, beginning to play with others of own age for short periods Between 36 48 months: Becoming more independent and self motivated Feels more secure and able to cope with unfamiliar surroundings and adults for periods of time Becoming more cooperative with adults and likes to help Between 48 60+ months: Makes friends but may need help in resolving disputes Developing understanding of rules, but still finds turn-taking difficult Enjoys helping others and taking responsibility Learns lots about the world and how it works, and about people and relationships Makes friends (often short-term) and plays group games Needs structure and a routine to feel safe When behaviour is ‘over the top’, they need limits to be set Bibliography:- (1) Kate, Kath, Sue, Penny.(2010) 1st edition, London: Heinemann. (2) Kate et al (2010) 1st edition, London: Heinemann.

Euthanasia Essay -- Death Research Papers

Euthanasia Euthanasia, as defined by the Encarta Encyclopedia, is the â€Å"practice of mercifully ending a person’s life in order to release the person from incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death† (Encarta, 2004). Euthanasia is a Greek word, which means â€Å"good death.† As humans, we understand death is something we cannot avoid but having some control over death is empowering and reassuring to us. If someone is suffering from a terminal illness, intolerable pain, or in a long-term coma, euthanasia is an acceptable option for someone to end his or her life. With the consent of their doctor(s) these people should be able to have the law on their side supporting their decisions. Euthanasia began in 1906 when Ohio drafted the first bill supporting the acceptance of euthanasia. Unfortunately, the bill did not succeed. About thirty years later, Reverend Charles Potter founded the Euthanasia Society of America in New York (Humphry, 1999). Since its beginnings, euthanasia or mercy killing as it is also called, has experienced many highs and lows, legal wins and set backs. Most noteworthy is the 1976 Natural Death Act passed by California with 10 states quickly following in California’s footsteps (Humphry, 1999). In 1980, euthanasia made a small gain against its largest opposition, the Catholic Church (Humphry, 1999). Pope John Paul II refuses accepting any â€Å"right to die† ideologies although he permits greater use of painkillers and the right to refuse any means to extend life unnaturally. Today, most states have some laws that allow patients to make informed decisions about how they wish to die. Almost every state allows one to have a living will. This simply states that if one is surviving via ... ...e that is breathing for them, or allowing someone to be in coma with no brain waves and simply existing is counterproductive to technology. We need to have a human say in when technology is simply enabling us to exist as machines. In those times, we need the right to say it is time to die. Euthanasia is at best a complicated subject. However, we a free people in a free society should be permitted one of the biggest freedoms of human life- deciding when to die. Doctors like Dr. Kevorkian should be hailed as heroes for human life not labeled doctors of death. Although this decision should never be made quickly or without counseling and much thought; if someone is terminally ill and in much pain he or she should be able to decide when her or she will die. It should be our last right as a person of this world to decide when it is time to move into the next one. Euthanasia Essay -- Death Research Papers Euthanasia Euthanasia, as defined by the Encarta Encyclopedia, is the â€Å"practice of mercifully ending a person’s life in order to release the person from incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death† (Encarta, 2004). Euthanasia is a Greek word, which means â€Å"good death.† As humans, we understand death is something we cannot avoid but having some control over death is empowering and reassuring to us. If someone is suffering from a terminal illness, intolerable pain, or in a long-term coma, euthanasia is an acceptable option for someone to end his or her life. With the consent of their doctor(s) these people should be able to have the law on their side supporting their decisions. Euthanasia began in 1906 when Ohio drafted the first bill supporting the acceptance of euthanasia. Unfortunately, the bill did not succeed. About thirty years later, Reverend Charles Potter founded the Euthanasia Society of America in New York (Humphry, 1999). Since its beginnings, euthanasia or mercy killing as it is also called, has experienced many highs and lows, legal wins and set backs. Most noteworthy is the 1976 Natural Death Act passed by California with 10 states quickly following in California’s footsteps (Humphry, 1999). In 1980, euthanasia made a small gain against its largest opposition, the Catholic Church (Humphry, 1999). Pope John Paul II refuses accepting any â€Å"right to die† ideologies although he permits greater use of painkillers and the right to refuse any means to extend life unnaturally. Today, most states have some laws that allow patients to make informed decisions about how they wish to die. Almost every state allows one to have a living will. This simply states that if one is surviving via ... ...e that is breathing for them, or allowing someone to be in coma with no brain waves and simply existing is counterproductive to technology. We need to have a human say in when technology is simply enabling us to exist as machines. In those times, we need the right to say it is time to die. Euthanasia is at best a complicated subject. However, we a free people in a free society should be permitted one of the biggest freedoms of human life- deciding when to die. Doctors like Dr. Kevorkian should be hailed as heroes for human life not labeled doctors of death. Although this decision should never be made quickly or without counseling and much thought; if someone is terminally ill and in much pain he or she should be able to decide when her or she will die. It should be our last right as a person of this world to decide when it is time to move into the next one.

Sailing to Byzantium Essay -- W.B. Yeats Sailing to Byzantium Essays

Sailing to Byzantium In W.B. Yeats, â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† the narrator is an older man looking at his life with detest as the way it appears now. He is holding resent for the way the young get to live their lives and how he lives his now. The narrator is dealing with the issue of being older and his sadness of worth in this life, and who is later able to come to terms and accept his life. In â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† the poem is broken up into four stanzas, each describing a different part of the voyage and the feeling associate with it. Stanza I is the narrators departure to Byzantium; II the voyage done by boat and landing in Byzantium; III in the holy city of Byzantium and visiting the ancient landmarks; IV the desire of the narrator to become a part of physical aspect of Byzantium. In first stanza the narrator of the poem describes that the lands of where he is from is not for the older people, there are too many young people frolicking around enjoying their lives, while the older people and sulking and are not take pleasure in their own lives. To him he sees the young people neglecting the knowledge they have around them â€Å"Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unageing intellect.† The place he is taking his voyage to see to be much more enjoyable when the people are more full of life. It seems to the man that everyone within Byzantium is able to escape life through music. In the second stanza, the man is likely mediating aboard the ship on growing old. (Hochman 211) He feels that as if his body is withering away and that his is much more badly off then any of the young. According to Olsen, in the line â€Å"every tatter in this mortal dress† is cause for further argumentation of joy, and the soul is able to rejoice. (216) â€Å"The soul of the aged must be strong to seek that which youth neglects. Hence the old must seek Byzantium; that is the county of the old.† (Olsen 216) When they reach Byzantium they are no longer forced to look at the youth of things but are allowed to appreciate the long development in the holy city, which happened long ago. The narrator has landed into the city realizing how magnificent of a place Byzantium really is. During the third stanza the narrator summons the wise old men who are portrayed thought the golden walls of the Byzantine churches. The narrator asks to be knowledgeable about in the anc... ...zantium.† Poetry for Students. Ed. Marie Rose and Rubuy, Mary K. Rev. ed. Gale, 1997 211-214 Napoerkpwsi, Marie Rose and Rubuy, Mary K., ed. Poetry for Students. Rev. ed. Vol.2 America: Gale Research, 1998. 19 vols. Olson, Elder, â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium: Prolegomena to a Poetics of the Lyric,† in On Value Judgments in the Arts and Other Essays, University of Chicago Press, 1976 Yeats, W.B. The Collection of Poems by W.B. Yeats: Definitive Edition, With the Author’s Final Revisions. New York: MacMillan, 1959 Michael Harvey’s Nuts and Bolts of College Writing 2002 < http://nutsandbolts.washcoll.edu/mla.html> Wright C. â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium-Help† William Butler Yeats Campfire June 2000 < http://killdevilhill.com/yeatschat/messages2/1695.html> Analysis of Yeasts’ â€Å"Sailing to Byzantium† < http://courses.washington.edu/englhtml/engl481/yeats.htm> [minstrels] Sailing to Byzantium -- William Butler Yeats Mar. 1999 < http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/21.html> http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5379/SailingToByzantium.html Date Unknown < http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5379/SailingToByzantium.html>

Last Sacrifice Chapter One

I DON'T LIKE CAGES. I don't even like going to zoos. The first time I went to one, I almost had a claustrophobic attack looking at those poor animals. I couldn't imagine any creature living that way. Sometimes I even felt a little bad for criminals, condemned to life in a cell. I'd certainly never expected to spend my life in one. But lately, life seemed to be throwing me a lot of things I'd never expected, because here I was, locked away. â€Å"Hey!' I yelled, gripping the steel bars that isolated me from the world. â€Å"How long am I going to be here? When's my trial? You can't keep me in this dungeon forever!' Okay, it wasn't exactly a dungeon, not in the dark, rusty-chain sense. I was inside a small cell with plain walls, a plain floor, and well †¦ plain everything. Spotless. Sterile. Cold. It was actually more depressing than any musty dungeon could have managed. The bars in the doorway felt cool against my skin, hard and unyielding. Fluorescent lighting made the metal gleam in a way that felt harsh and irritating to my eyes. I could see the shoulder of a man standing rigidly to the side of the cell's entrance and knew there were probably four more guardians in the hallway out of my sight. I also knew none of them were going to answer me back, but that hadn't stopped me from constantly demanding answers from them for the last two days. When the usual silence came, I sighed and slumped back on the cot in the cell's corner. Like everything else in my new home, the cot was colorless and stark. Yeah. I really was starting to wish I had a real dungeon. Rats and cobwebs would have at least given me something to watch. I stared upward and immediately had the disorienting feeling I always did in here: that the ceiling and walls were closing in around me. Like I couldn't breathe. Like the sides of the cell would keep coming toward me until no space remained, pushing out all the air †¦ I sat up abruptly, gasping. Don't stare at the walls and ceiling, Rose, I chastised myself. Instead, I looked down at my clasped hands and tried to figure out how I'd gotten into this mess. The initial answer was obvious: someone had framed me for a crime I didn't commit. And it wasn't petty crime either. It was murder. They'd had the audacity to accuse me of the highest crime a Moroi or dhampir could commit. Now, that isn't to say I haven't killed before. I have. I've also done my fair share of rule (and even law) breaking. Cold- blooded murder, however, was not in my repertoire. Especially not the murder of a queen. It was true Queen Tatiana hadn't been a friend of mine. She'd been the coolly calculating ruler of the Moroi–a race of living, magic-using vampires who didn't kill their victims for blood. Tatiana and I had had a rocky relationship for a number of reasons. One was me dating her great-nephew, Adrian. The other was my disapproval of her policies on how to fight off Strigoi–the evil, undead vampires who stalked us all. Tatiana had tricked me a number of times, but I'd never wanted her dead. Someone apparently had, however, and they'd left a trail of evidence leading right to me, the worst of which were my fingerprints all over the silver stake that had killed Tatiana. Of course, it was my stake, so naturally it'd have my fingerprints. No one seemed to think that was relevant. I sighed again and pulled out a tiny crumpled piece of paper from my pocket. My only reading material. I squeezed it in my hand, having no need to look at the words. I'd long since memorized them. The note's contents made me question what I'd known about Tatiana. It had made me question a lot of things. Frustrated with my own surroundings, I slipped out of them and into someone else's: my best friend Lissa's. Lissa was a Moroi, and we shared a psychic link, one that let me go to her mind and see the world through her eyes. All Moroi wielded some type of elemental magic. Lissa's was spirit, an element tied to psychic and healing powers. It was rare among Moroi, who usually used more physical elements, and we barely understood its abilities–which were incredible. She'd used spirit to bring me back from the dead a few years ago, and that's what had forged our bond. Being in her mind freed me from my cage but offered little help for my problem. Lissa had been working hard to prove my innocence, ever since the hearing that had laid out all the evidence against me. My stake being used in the murder had only been the beginning. My opponents had been quick to remind everyone about my antagonism toward the queen and had also found a witness to testify about my whereabouts during the murder. That testimony had left me without an alibi. The Council had decided there was enough evidence to send me to a full-fledged trial–where I would receive my verdict. Lissa had been trying desperately to get people's attention and convince them I'd been framed. She was having trouble finding anyone who would listen, however, because the entire Moroi Royal Court was consumed with preparations for Tatiana's elaborate funeral. A monarch's death was a big deal. Moroi and dhampirs–half- vampires like me–were coming from all over the world to see the spectacle. Food, flowers, decorations, even musicians †¦ The full deal. If Tatiana had gotten married, I doubted the event would have been this elaborate. With so much activity and buzz, no one cared about me now. As far as most people were concerned, I was safely stashed away and unable to kill again. Tatiana's murderer had been found. Justice was served. Case closed. Before I could get a clear picture of Lissa's surroundings, a commotion at the jail jerked me back into my own head. Someone had entered the area and was speaking to the guards, asking to see me. It was my first visitor in days. My heart pounded, and I leapt up to the bars, hoping it was someone who would tell me this had all been a horrible mistake. My visitor wasn't quite who I'd expected. â€Å"Old man,' I said wearily. â€Å"What are you doing here?' Abe Mazur stood before me. As always, he was a sight to behold. It was the middle of summer–hot and humid, seeing as we were right in the middle of rural Pennsylvania– but that didn't stop him from wearing a full suit. It was a flashy one, perfectly tailored and adorned with a brilliant purple silk tie and matching scarf that just seemed like overkill. Gold jewelry flashed against the dusky hue of his skin, and he looked like he'd recently trimmed his short black beard. Abe was a Moroi, and although he wasn't royal, he wielded enough influence to be. He also happened to be my father. â€Å"I'm your lawyer,' he said cheerfully. â€Å"Here to give you legal counsel, of course.' â€Å"You aren't a lawyer,' I reminded him. â€Å"And your last bit of advice didn't work out so well.' That was mean of me. Abe–despite having no legal training whatsoever–had defended me at my hearing. Obviously, since I was locked up and headed for trial, the outcome of that hadn't been so great. But, in all my solitude, I'd come to realize that he'd been right about something. No lawyer, no matter how good, could have saved me at the hearing. I had to give him credit for stepping up to a lost cause, though considering our sketchy relationship, I still wasn't sure why he had. My biggest theories were that he didn't trust royals and that he felt paternal obligation. In that order. â€Å"My performance was perfect,' he argued. â€Å"Whereas your compelling speech in which you said â€Å"if I was the murderer' didn't do us any favors. Putting that image in the judge's head wasn't the smartest thing you could have done.' I ignored the barb and crossed my arms. â€Å"So what are you doing here? I know it's not just a fatherly visit. You never do anything without a reason.' â€Å"Of course not. Why do anything without a reason?' â€Å"Don't start up with your circular logic.' He winked. â€Å"No need to be jealous. If you work hard and put your mind to it, you might just inherit my brilliant logic skills someday.' â€Å"Abe,' I warned. â€Å"Get on with it.' â€Å"Fine, fine,' he said. â€Å"I've come to tell you that your trial might be moved up.' â€Å"W-what? That's great news!' At least, I thought it was. His expression said otherwise. Last I'd heard, my trial might be months away. The mere thought of that–of being in this cell so long–made me feel claustrophobic again. â€Å"Rose, you do realize that your trial will be nearly identical to your hearing. Same evidence and a guilty verdict.' â€Å"Yeah, but there must be something we can do before that, right? Find proof to clear me?' Suddenly, I had a good idea of what the problem was. â€Å"When you say â€Å"moved up,' how soon are we talking?' â€Å"Ideally, they'd like to do it after a new king or queen is crowned. You know, part of the post-coronation festivities.' His tone was flippant, but as I held his dark gaze, I caught the full meaning. Numbers rattled in my head. â€Å"The funeral's this week, and the elections are right after †¦ You're saying I could go to trial and be convicted in, what, practically two weeks?' Abe nodded. I flew toward the bars again, my heart pounding in my chest. â€Å"Two weeks? Are you serious?' When he'd said the trial had been moved up, I'd figured maybe it was a month away. Enough time to find new evidence. How would I have pulled that off? Unclear. Now, time was rushing away from me. Two weeks wasn't enough, especially with so much activity at Court. Moments ago, I'd resented the long stretch of time I might face. Now, I had too little of it, and the answer to my next question could make things worse. â€Å"How long?' I asked, trying to control the trembling in my voice. â€Å"How long after the verdict until they †¦ carry out the sentence?' I still didn't entirely know what all I'd inherited from Abe, but we seemed to clearly share one trait: an unflinching ability to deliver bad news. â€Å"Probably immediately.' â€Å"Immediately.' I backed up, nearly sat on the bed, and then felt a new surge of adrenaline. â€Å"Immediately? So. Two weeks. In two weeks, I could be †¦ dead.' Because that was the thing–the thing that had been hanging over my head the moment it became clear someone had planted enough evidence to frame me. People who killed queens didn't get sent to prison. They were executed. Few crimes among Moroi and dhampirs got that kind of punishment. We tried to be civilized in our justice, showing we were better than the bloodthirsty Strigoi. But certain crimes, in the eyes of the law, deserved death. Certain people deserved it, too–say, like, treasonous murderers. As the full impact of the future fell upon me, I felt myself shake and tears come dangerously close to spilling out of my eyes. â€Å"That's not right!' I told Abe. â€Å"That's not right, and you know it!' â€Å"Doesn't matter what I think,' he said calmly. â€Å"I'm simply delivering the facts.' â€Å"Two weeks,' I repeated. â€Å"What can we do in two weeks? I mean †¦ you've got some lead, right? Or †¦ or †¦ you can find something by then? That's your specialty.' I was rambling and knew I sounded hysterical and desperate. Of course, that was because I felt hysterical and desperate. â€Å"It's going to be difficult to accomplish much,' he explained. â€Å"The Court's preoccupied with the funeral and elections. Things are disorderly–which is both good and bad.' I knew about all the preparations from watching Lissa. I'd seen the chaos already brewing. Finding any sort of evidence in this mess wouldn't just be difficult. It could very well be impossible. Two weeks. Two weeks, and I could be dead. â€Å"I can't,' I told Abe, my voice breaking. â€Å"I'm not †¦ meant to die that way.' â€Å"Oh?' He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"You know how you're supposed to die?' â€Å"In battle.' One tear managed to escape, and I hastily wiped it away. I'd always lived my life with a tough image. I didn't want that shattering, not now when it mattered most of all. â€Å"In fighting. Defending those I love. Not †¦ not through some planned execution.' â€Å"This is a fight of sorts,' he mused. â€Å"Just not a physical one. Two weeks is still two weeks. Is it bad? Yes. But it's better than one week. And nothing's impossible. Maybe new evidence will turn up. You simply have to wait and see.' â€Å"I hate waiting. This room †¦ it's so small. I can't breathe. It'll kill me before any executioner does.' â€Å"I highly doubt it.' Abe's expression was still cool, with no sign of sympathy. Tough love. â€Å"You've fearlessly fought groups of Strigoi, yet you can't handle a small room?' â€Å"It's more than that! Now I have to wait each day in this hole, knowing there's a clock ticking down to my death and almost no way to stop it.' â€Å"Sometimes the greatest tests of our strength are situations that don't seem so obviously dangerous. Sometimes surviving is the hardest thing of all.' â€Å"Oh. No. No.' I stalked away, pacing in small circles. â€Å"Do not start with all that noble crap. You sound like Dimitri when he used to give me his deep life lessons.' â€Å"He survived this very situation. He's surviving other things too.' Dimitri. I took a deep breath, calming myself before I answered. Until this murder mess, Dimitri had been the biggest complication in my life. A year ago–though it seemed like eternity–he'd been my instructor in high school, training me to be one of the dhampir guardians who protect Moroi. He'd accomplished that–and a lot more. We'd fallen in love, something that wasn't allowed. We'd managed it as best we could, even finally coming up with a way for us to be together. That hope had disappeared when he'd been bitten and turned Strigoi. It had been a living nightmare for me. Then, through a miracle no one had believed possible, Lissa had used spirit to transform him back to a dhampir. But things unfortunately hadn't quite returned to how they'd been before the Strigoi attack. I glared at Abe. â€Å"Dimitri survived this, but he was horribly depressed about it! He still is. About everything.' The full weight of the atrocities he'd committed as a Strigoi haunted Dimitri. He couldn't forgive himself and swore he could never love anyone now. The fact that I had begun dating Adrian didn't help matters. After a number of futile efforts, I'd accepted that Dimitri and I were through. I'd moved on, hoping I could have something real with Adrian now. â€Å"Right,' Abe said dryly. â€Å"He's depressed, but you're the picture of happiness and joy.' I sighed. â€Å"Sometimes talking to you is like talking to myself: pretty damned annoying. Is there any other reason you're here? Other than to deliver the terrible news? I would have been happier living in ignorance.' I'm not supposed to die this way. I'm not supposed to see it coming. My death is not some appointment penciled in on a calendar. He shrugged. â€Å"I just wanted to see you. And your arrangements.' Yes, he had indeed, I realized. Abe's eyes had always come back to me as we spoke; there'd been no question I held his attention. There was nothing in our banter to concern my guards. But every so often, I'd see Abe's gaze flick around, taking in the hall, my cell, and whatever other details he found interesting. Abe had not earned his reputation as zmey–the serpent–for nothing. He was always calculating, always looking for an advantage. It seemed my tendency toward crazy plots ran in the family. â€Å"I also wanted to help you pass the time.' He smiled and from under his arm, he handed me a couple of magazines and a book through the bars. â€Å"Maybe this will improve things.' I doubted any entertainment was going to make my two-week death countdown more manageable. The magazines were fashion and hair oriented. The book was The Count of Monte Cristo. I held it up, needing to make a joke, needing to do anything to make this less real. â€Å"I saw the movie. Your subtle symbolism isn't really all that subtle. Unless you've hidden a file inside it.' â€Å"The book's always better than the movie.' He started to turn away. â€Å"Maybe we'll have a literary discussion next time.' â€Å"Wait.' I tossed the reading material onto the bed. â€Å"Before you go †¦ in this whole mess, no one's ever brought up who actually did kill her.' When Abe didn't answer right away, I gave him a sharp look. â€Å"You do believe I didn't do it, right?' For all I knew, he did think I was guilty and was just trying to help anyway. It wouldn't have been out of character. â€Å"I believe my sweet daughter is capable of murder,' he said at last. â€Å"But not this one.' â€Å"Then who did it?' â€Å"That,' he said before walking away, â€Å"is something I'm working on.' â€Å"But you just said we're running out of time! Abe!' I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want to be alone with my fear. â€Å"There's no way to fix this!' â€Å"Just remember what I said in the courtroom,' he called back. He left my sight, and I sat back on the bed, thinking back to that day in court. At the end of the hearing, he'd told me–quite adamantly–that I wouldn't be executed. Or even go to trial. Abe Mazur wasn't one to make idle promises, but I was starting to think that even he had limits, especially since our timetable had just been adjusted. I again took out the crumpled piece of paper and opened it. It too had come from the courtroom, covertly handed to me by Ambrose–Tatiana's servant and boy-toy. Rose, If you're reading this, then something terrible has happened. You probably hate me, and I don't blame you. I can only ask that you trust that what I did with the age decree was better for your people than what others had planned. There are some Moroi who want to force all dhampirs into service, whether they want it or not, by using compulsion. The age decree has slowed that faction down. However, I write to you with a secret you must put right, and it is a secret you must share with as few as possible. Vasilisa needs her spot on the Council, and it can be done. She is not the last Dragomir. Another lives, the illegitimate child of Eric Dragomir. I know nothing else, but if you can find this son or daughter, you will give Vasilisa the power she deserves. No matter your faults and dangerous temperament, you are the only one I feel can take on this task. Waste no time in fulfilling it. –Tatiana Ivashkov The words hadn't changed since the other hundred times I'd read them, nor had the questions they always triggered. Was the note true? Had Tatiana really written it? Had she–in spite of her outwardly hostile attitude–trusted me with this dangerous knowledge? There were twelve royal families who made decisions for the Moroi, but for all intents and purposes, there might as well have only been eleven. Lissa was the last of her line, and without another member of the Dragomir family, Moroi law said she had no power to sit on and vote with the Council that made our decisions. Some pretty bad laws had already been made, and if the note was true, more would come. Lissa could fight those laws–and some people wouldn't like that, people who had already demonstrated their willingness to kill. Another Dragomir. Another Dragomir meant Lissa could vote. One more Council vote could change so much. It could change the Moroi world. It could change my world–say, like, whether I was found guilty or not. And certainly, it could change Lissa's world. All this time she'd believed she was alone. Yet †¦ I uneasily wondered if she'd welcome a half-sibling. I accepted that my father was a scoundrel, but Lissa had always held hers up on a pedestal, believing the best of him. This news would come as a shock, and although I'd trained my entire life to keep her safe from physical threats, I was starting to think there were other things she needed to be protected from as well. But first, I needed the truth. I had to know if this note had really come from Tatiana. I was pretty sure I could find out, but it involved something I hated doing. Well, why not? It wasn't like I had anything else to do right now. Rising from the bed, I turned my back to the bars and stared at the blank wall, using it as a focus point. Bracing myself, remembering that I was strong enough to keep control, I released the mental barriers I always subconsciously kept around my mind. A great pressure lifted from me, like air escaping a balloon. And suddenly, I was surrounded by ghosts.