How to Write a Case Study

How to Write a Case Study How to Write a Case Study Case studies are employed by scholars and researchers in order to find, confirm or modify their comprehension of given regularities or principles. In the fields of business studies, political sciences, sociology and psychology, case studies are used as a necessary stage of the analysis of a definite problem. Writing a case study requires a lot of efforts, good preparation and comprehensive knowledge. Depending on the assignment and the subject, the topics can vary, but in all cases one should have some field work in order to carry out a good piece of research. The following instructions can only assist you to accomplish your task. Consider them as introductory steps to the real process of writing. How to write a case study – 7 essential tips 1. Define your topic and task This includes communication with your instructor. You should always keep in mind that a well-defined topic will help you to have your job done earlier and easier. Hence, the topic has to be: narrow (instead of general), indicate the time and place of the research, use technical language, i.e. special terms. 2. Plan your research It is very important to plan how to do your fieldwork; i.e. do some interviews with people, work with archives or documentations at the place, and so on. Thus, you should know the right time (date) when you will be doing the research, its time framework (for how long), and the place/s. If you are writing in the field of sociology, then you have to do two different types of interviews: the first one is quantitative, and the other one is qualitative. Quantitative interview aims at collecting general information and comparing attitudes of different groups (based on age, gender, interests, education, etc.). Qualitative interview is an in-depth interview, which is a means for gathering important information. For example, life stories; they are full of details which can show a personal view on a given process, event, and so forth. The questions for both types of interviews should be prepared prior to your field work. 3. Set forth your working hypothesis This will be theoretical framework of the paper. How would you interpret the process that you have to analyze? What factors and determinants exert influence on it? Here you should refer to some renowned scholars or theories. Whenever you are writing a college assignment or a diploma thesis, the hypothesis always comes first. 4. Do your fieldwork Actually this is a whole process consisting of several stages. First, you need to ask for permission to do fieldwork (for instance, in high-school). Then you need to find respondents or people to communicate with. Once the interviews or other type of work are done, you have to inform people or the institution/company about the results of your research. At any rate, in your paper you must, at least, mention the name of the institution and give all credits to the people who deserve them. 5. Interpret the results Gather all data and analyze them according to your hypothesis. Now, you can add other assumptions which have not been mentioned in the introduction part. You should establish some relations, ratio, and causal chains in order to explain a given process better. 6. Attach photos, videos, audio records Everything which can prove that you have really carried out your field work will be of use. Select your photos according to their value and message. Always ask the respondents if they agree to publish their photos somewhere. 7. Publish the information in a peer-reviewed journal in your field of research, thus the results of your research will be easily disseminated. Upon reading the above tips you definitely know more about how to write a case study. We recommend to be well-prepared and have a thorough plan prior to starting the work on the case study, otherwise the results will not be satisfying.

Poem Lyrics of Some of the Best Emily Dickinson Poems

Poem Lyrics of Some of the Best Emily Dickinson Poems Here are the poem lyrics of some of the best Emily Dickinson poems. To make your browsing more effective, I have included a bit of each poem after the title. A Bird Came DownEmily DickinsonA bird came down the walk:He did not know I saw; A Door Just Opened on a StreetEmily DickinsonA door just opened on a streetI, lost, was passing byA Drop Fell on the Apple TreeEmily DickinsonA drop fell on the apple treeAnother on the roof;A Light Exists in SpringEmily DickinsonA light exists in springNot present on the year A Long, Long Sleep, a Famous SleepEmily DickinsonA long, long sleep, a famous sleepThat makes no show for dawnA Narrow Fellow in the GrassEmily DickinsonA narrow fellow in the grassOccasionally rides; A Thought Went up My Mind To-DayEmily DickinsonA thought went up my mind to-dayThat I have had before,After Great Pain, a Formal Feeling ComesEmily DickinsonAfter great pain, a formal feeling comesThe Nerves sit ceremonious, like Tombs Because I Could Not Stop for DeathEmily DickinsonBecause I could not stop for Death,He kindly stopped for me; Death Sets a Thing of SignificantEmily DickinsonDeath sets a thing significantThe eye had hurried by,Delight Becomes PictorialEmily DickinsonDelight becomes pictorialWhen viewed through pain,Departed to the JudgmentEmily DickinsonDeparted to the judgment,A mighty afternoon;Each Life Converges to Some CentreEmily DickinsonEach life converges to some centreExpressed or still;For Each Ecstatic InstantEmily DickinsonFor each ecstatic instantWe must an anguish payGod Gave a Loaf to Every BirdEmily DickinsonGod gave a loaf to every bird,But just a crumb to me;God Permit Industrious AngelsEmily DickinsonGod permit industrious angelsAfternoons to play.He Fumbles at Your SpiritEmily DickinsonHe fumbles at your spiritAs players at the keysHeaven Is What I Cannot Reach!!Emily DickinsonHeaven is what I cannot reach!The apple on the tree,Hope is the Thing With FeathersEmily DickinsonHope is the thing with feathersThat perches in the soul, I Died for Beauty But Was ScarceEmily DickinsonI died for beauty but was scarceAdjusted in the tomb, I Felt a Funeral in My BrainEmily DickinsonI felt a funeral in my brain,And mourners, to and fro, I Found the Phrase to Every ThoughtEmily DickinsonI found the phrase to every thoughtI ever had, but one;I Had Been Hungry All the YearsEmily DickinsonI had been hungry all the years-My noon had come, to dine-I Had No Time to Hate, BecauseEmily DickinsonI had no time to hate, becauseThe grave would hinder me,I Heard a Fly Buzz When I DiedEmily DickinsonI heard a fly buzz when I died;The stillness round my form I Like to See It Lap the MilesEmily DickinsonI like to see it lap the miles,And lick the valleys up, I Lived on Dread; to Those Who KnowEmily DickinsonI lived on dread; to those who knowThe stimulus there isI Measure Every Grief I MeetEmily DickinsonI measure every grief I meetWith analytic eyes;I Never Hear the Word EscapeEmily DickinsonI never hear the word escapeWithout a quicker blood,I Never Saw a MoorEmily DickinsonI never saw a moor,I never saw the sea; I Taste a Liquor Never BrewedEmily DickinsonI taste a liquor never brewed,From tankards scooped in pearl; If I Can Stop One Heart From BreakingEmily DickinsonIf I can stop one heart from breaking,I shall not live in vain;If You Were Coming in the FallEmily DickinsonIf you were coming in the fall,Id brush the summer by Im Nobody! Who Are You?Emily DickinsonIm nobody! Who are you?Are you nobody, too? Success is Counted SweetestEmily DickinsonSuccess is counted sweetestBy those who neer succeed. Did you like this poem? Why not receive free classic poems by email? Here are the poem lyrics of some of the best Emily Dickinson poems. To make your browsing more effective, I have included a bit of each poem after the title. T Was Just This Time Last Year I DiedEmily DickinsonT was just this time last year I died.I know I heard the corn, The Sky is Low, the Clouds Are MeanEmily DickinsonThe sky is low, the clouds are mean,A travelling flake of snowThe Wind Trapped Like a Tired ManEmily DickinsonThe wind tapped like a tired man,And like a host, Come in,There is No Frigate Like a BookEmily DickinsonThere is no frigate like a bookTo take us lands away,Theres a Certain Slant of LightEmily DickinsonTheres a certain slant of light,On winter afternoons Theres Been a Death in the Opposite HouseEmily DickinsonTheres been a death in the opposite houseAs lately as to-day.This is My Letter to The WorldEmily DickinsonThis is my letter to the world,That never wrote to me, Wild Nights! Wild Nights!Emily DickinsonWild Nights! Wild Nights!Were I with thee, You Left Me, Sweet, Two LegaciesEmily DickinsonYou left me, sweet, two legacies,A legacy of loveDid you like this poem? Why not receive free classic poems by email?

MARKETING REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MARKETING REPORT - Essay Example In the last two years, the tourism revenues of the state have decreased especially that of Gold Coast City because of decrease in the number of tourists. The financial crisis that rooted from US and now influencing other countries of the world including Australia is posing great threats to the economies. The aim of the Australian tourism industry is to promote tourism by introducing innovative and effective marketing strategies. The Australian tourism target was $ 6.3 billion for 2014 as compared to $ 3.7 billion in 2002 and it requires the growth rate of 6% to achieve this level. However, there is a gap produced between the targeted and actual level. Although number of visitors is increasing because of the increasing corporate events however; the challenge is to close this gap by increasing the length of stay along with number of tourists. Government has planned to invest $410 million in the tourism industry of Australia in the next three years; however, the need of products and ser vices with effective marketing strategies to attract the tourists is not ignorable. Our proposal is to introduce Corporate Tourists Social Network (CTSN) service which will not only provide the corporate customers an opportunity to attend the corporate events in a more luxurious manner, but it will also enhance their social network by enhancing their interactions with each other and creating a linkage among them through online database. We have high expectations from our proposal because it will attract the corporate people by fulfilling their needs and meanwhile it will also improve tourism industry and investment opportunities in Australia. Australian Tourism Industry has been facing many challenges for the last two years because of financial global crisis. This project sets out the strategies of Australian Tourism and introduces a new tourism service. The topic area of this project is to research the

MASTER RESEARCH PROPOSAL Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MASTER - Research Proposal Example The use of business intelligent applications will bring a smooth and easier data storage and retrieval of data hence being able to manage the increasing number of patients in hospitals (Avolio, 2013, pg53). However the difficulty in the application of business intelligent solutions in the health care is mainly because of how the data is collected, procedures used and the knowledge extracted. Moreover, the main aims of using this meth in any firm are to extract information related to customer satisfaction, performance measurement and profit maximization. The recent growth and development in the education systems have led to very high demand for the management, evaluation and accreditation of data management of health care institutions. Many institutions have been forced to adopt and try nonconventional solutions known for massive data management (Dept. of Industry, 1982). The use of new technology in this firm offers great different solutions. They include data warehousing, big data and businesses intelligent. However, this state of art and use of technology is being adapted and installed in many business industries so as to obtain the tailor-made solutions that are needed. The proposed model in that can be used in the health care institution would have a number of procedures that are related to progress of health care services (Cheney, 2011, pg34). This model would analyze the current procedures in decision making in all areas in the health care firm hierarchy and levels of hospital levels. This will help to provide the solutions needed by use the state of the art system in decision making. These key and vital decisions are made with reference to the reference benchmark for these requirements (Wright, 1996, pg42). Objective of this research is to explore the reasons for the lack of use of the new model of business intelligent in the healthcare institution. Some of the specific aims of this research entails establishing the benefits of installing

Industry Analysis Outline Essay Example for Free

Industry Analysis Outline Essay For the past several weeks we have been examining firms’ environmental contexts. The purpose of this in-depth analysis is to: * understand how to document an industry’s systemic profitability (or loss) rate * understand the forces surrounding the industry (based on Porter analysis) that drive its underlying profitability (or lack thereof) * understand how macro-environmental factors influence the dynamics of the industry * understand how to draw appropriate conclusions from industry level data * understand how to support conclusions with application of Ch 2 theories and data understand how to summarize industry information in an informative way. Your first case analysis is to analyze an industry to determine its future potential. The format for this assignment is consistent with what you might be expected to do on the job. Often, when you are given an assignment, you must present your findings in a concise memo, documented by exhibits which support your analysis. You then also present your work orally. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT Assume you are an analyst (or team of analysts) for a consulting company. As analysts, your boss has asked your team to examine an industry for a client who is considering future investment possibilities. You don’t know what company or companies may be involved or if this is a potential new entrant. You are only asked to provide an evaluation of the industry, its structure, its profitability, attractiveness, opportunities and threats, and future prospects. DELIVERABLES 1) If you are doing this as an individual written assignment: MEMO submitted to Turnitin. * A business memo addressed to the professor/your boss (no more than 3 typed pages total –double spaced). This deliverable must be submitted to â€Å"Turnitin.† Although this is a memo, you should cite sources of factual data and information that is not common knowledge. * At least 2 and no more than 5 exhibits with data (graphs, charts, models, summary, etc) which supports the narrative presented in the memo. These should be attached after the memo. Each attachment should be referenced in the memo in order of appearance in the memo. * One required exhibit should provide some indication of industry performance (is this industry becoming more or less difficult). Think in terms of financial industry analysis and/or use the shipments data available on Blackboard. You MUST ANALYZE the information on Blackboard and extract information, NOT just paste it in your paper. * One required exh ibit is a Porter analysis * ALL EXHIBITS MUST BE RELATED TO AND EXPAND UPON YOUR NARRATIVE. THESE TWO DELIVERABLES MUST FIT TOGETHER! 2) If you are doing the team presentation: Power Point WITH narration must be submitted to Blackboard and a HARD COPY of the slides given your professor in class. * Slides from your presentation. (No more than 15 slides total.). * Webex presentation should be 10 minutes long, not including time for QA. * I expect a complete PEST * I expect a complete PORTER * I expect some conclusion about current and future industry analysis that is based on the PEST and PORTER WHAT GOES INTO THE DELIVERABLES? The list below should be the basis for your analysis. Remember, while you should look at all of these elements for a complete analysis, your judgment and application of concepts from Ch. 2 should inform your decisions regarding which pieces of the analysis are important for the memo and presentation. This means that not all of the below items will ultimately be included in the deliverables, even if you analyzed them initially. Only the most significant items will be included in the limited space of the deliverables. INDUSTRY FUNDAMENTALS: 1) Description of the elements of the industry. * What is the description of the industry? (Not its history, just its definitional parameters) * At what stage of the industry life cycle is this industry?(Use data to define and defend this) * Profitability?(This should be presented as DATA, over time, relative to some other standard, for comparison) 2) Who are the primary competitors in this industry? * Are there important strategic groups? * What segment or group dominates? What segment (if any) is doing well? What segment (if any) is weak? DYNAMICS OF THE INDUSTRY: 1) What key trends in the general environment are important and affecting the future demand for the product or supply of necessary materials of this industry? Why? * political * economic * social * technological * global 2) Which forces (Porter) are most critical for this industry? I.e., which ones best explain the profitability rate that you described above? * Barriers to entry? (which ones?) * Powerful Suppliers? (which ones, why?) * Powerful Buyers? (which ones, why?) * Powerful Substitute INDUSTRY(s) (which ones, why?) * Hi Rivalry of Competitors? (what is the source of rivalry?) FORCES FOR CHANGE THAT ARE EMERGING: 1) How are the forces (Porter) in the industry changing over time to become a. Stronger? (What macro-trends are driving this?) b. Weaker? (What macro-trends are driving this?) 2) Based on the Porter analysis (from #4 #5 above), is this industry getting c. more attractive (easier to make profits) or d. less attractive (harder to make profits)? (why?) INTEGRATION OF THE INFORMATION: 3) What are logically-derived conclusions (based on the analyses above) for e. opportunities (trends) associated with this industry? f. threats (trends) associated with this industry? 4) What are some key issues that players in this industry must be aware of? FORMAT for the Assignment: The MEMO format should include: 1) Business memo format: Please use the â€Å"Elegant Memo† template in Word, but double spaced. Also, insert page numbers. 2) Attachments should be labeled in numeric order (i.e. Exhibit 1), with a title underneath which indicates the nature of the information in the attachment. 3) Attachments should be numbered in the order in which they are introduced in the memo text. The Power Point slides: 1) Slide 1 should include the name of the industry and the names of the team members. 2) All team members should be prepared to answer questions regarding the team analysis.

Essay --

â€Å"You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you† (C.S Lewis).The novel A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway engages numerous themes associated with love and death. Taking place during World War 1, Hemingway displays the horrors of war, yet he contains Henry and Catherine’s love story in the midst of it all. Hemingway demonstrates themes such as religion and reality of war associated with love, and uses weather and loss related to death. The novel revolves around the love story between Henry and Catherine, taking place in the World War. Therefore, Henry emerges himself into love in order to escape and overcome the grim reality of war. Similarly, Catherine mourns the death of her late husband but uses love to to fill the void. Religion is a major theme highlighted with love in the novel. Literary critic Arnold A. Markley states, â€Å"A religion or any organized system of beliefs has to be tried and tested before frederic will be able to accept it, and as yet, he has found no system of beliefs or value to commit himself entirely. Early in the novel when his companions bait and tease the priest, Frederic nevertheless respects the humble man.† (173). For example The priest informs Henry of the nature of love. â€Å"When you love, you wish to sacrifice, you wish to serve† (63). From the very beginning of the novel, Henry has had a special bond with the priest and his messages, unlike the other soldiers. Als o during their summer in Milan, Henry and Catherine talk about their marriage. and having a formal marriage with religious rituals, but Catherine goes on saying, â€Å"You are my religion (237). So Henry’s religion lives only in the form of his love for Catherine. After... ...her in Milan, Catherine tells Henry that she’s scared of the rain. Though they both enjoy walking in it, she says †I feel dead in it†. Often the rain suggests imminent destruction; there is a storm the night that Frederic must leave Italy to avoid being arrested, Catherine dreams that she is dead in the rain† (173) Finally at the end of the novel after Catherines gruesome death, it is raining outside. Hemingway uses rain to imply that it is a force of nature which cannot be controlled, just as fate is something no one can control, Hemingway highlights love and death in the lives of Catherine and Henry as they experience the war in the background. He conveys this through religion and weather etc. Hemingway emphasizes that â€Å"Life never goes as planned...it's in those moments where you define yourself adapt and overcome. You'll become a better person because of it.†

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 42

By now Matt and Mrs. Flowers couldn't ignore the blinding lights anymore. They had to go outside. But just as Matt opened the door there was – well, Matt didn't know what it was. Something blasted straight out of the ground and into the sky, where it got smaller and smaller, became a star, and disappeared. A meteor that had gone through the Earth? But wouldn't that mean tsunamis and earthquakes and shockwaves and forest fires and maybe even the Earth ripping apart? If one meteor that hit the surface could kill off all the dinosaurs†¦ The light that had been shining upward had faded slightly. â€Å"Well, bless my soul,† said Mrs. Flowers in a small, shaken voice. â€Å"Matt, dear, are you all right?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Matt's vocabulary couldn't stand the strain. â€Å"What the hell was it?† And to his slight surprise, Mrs. Flowers said, â€Å"My sentiments exactly!† â€Å"Wait – there's something moving. Get back!† â€Å"Dear Matt, be careful with that gun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's people! Oh, my God! It's Elena.† Matt abruptly sat down on the ground. He could only whisper now. † Elena. She's alive. She's alive!† From what Matt could see, there were a group of people climbing and helping others climb out of a perfectly rectangular hole, perhaps five feet deep, in Mrs. Flowers's angelica patch. They could hear voices. â€Å"All right,† Elena was saying, as she bent down. â€Å"Now grab my hands.† But the way she was dressed! A scrap of scarlet that showed all sorts of scratches and cuts on her legs. On top – well, the remains of the gown covered about what a bikini would. And she was wearing the largest, most sparkly costume jewelry that Matt had ever seen. More voices, going on through Matt's shock. â€Å"Be careful, yes? I will lift him to you – â€Å" â€Å"I can climb out my own.† – surely that was Stefan! â€Å"You see?† Elena rejoiced. â€Å"He says he can climb out his own!† â€Å"Oui, but perhaps one small lift – â€Å" â€Å"This is hardly the time for machismo, little brother.† And that, Matt thought, fingering the revolver, was Damon. Blessed bullets†¦ â€Å"No, I want – to do it myself – okay – got it. There.† â€Å"There! You see! He's better every second!† Elena caroled. â€Å"Where's the diamond? Damon?† Stefan sounded anxious. â€Å"I have it safe. Relax.† â€Å"I want to hold it. Please.† â€Å"More than you want to hold me?† Elena asked. There was a blur and then Stefan was lying back in her arms, while she said, â€Å"Easy, easy.† Matt stared. Damon was right behind them, almost as if he belonged there. â€Å"I'll watch the diamond,† he said flatly. â€Å"You watch your girl.† â€Å"Excuse me – I'm sorry, but†¦could somebody please lift me out?† And that was Bonnie! Bonnie, sounding plaintive but not afraid or unhappy. Bonnie giggling! â€Å"Have we got all the sacks of star balls?† â€Å"We've got all the ones from that house we found.† And that was Meredith. Thank God. They'd all made it out. But despite his thoughts, his eyes were drawn again to one figure – the one who seemed to be supervising things – the one with golden hair. â€Å"We need the star balls because any one of them might be – † she was beginning, when Bonnie cried out â€Å"Oh, look! Look! It's Mrs. Flowers and Matt!† â€Å"Now, Bonnie, they'd hardly be waiting for us,† Meredith put in. â€Å"Where? Bonnie, where?† Elena demanded. â€Å"If it's Shinichi and Misao in disguise I'm going to – hey, Matt!† â€Å"Will someone please tell me where?† â€Å"Right there, Meredith!† â€Å"Oh! Mrs. Flowers! Um†¦I hope we didn't wake you.† â€Å"I have never had a happier awakening,† Mrs. Flowers said solemnly. â€Å"I can see what you have been through in the Dark Place. Your – er – lack of sufficient clothing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A sudden silence. Meredith glanced at Bonnie. Bonnie glanced at Meredith. â€Å"I know these clothes and gems may seem a little too much†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Matt found his voice. â€Å"Those jewels? They're real?† â€Å"Oh, they're nothing. And we're all dirty†¦.† â€Å"Forgive me. We stink – which is my fault – † Stefan began, only to have Elena cut in. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers, Matt: Stefan's been a prisoner! All this time! Starved and tortured – oh, God!† â€Å"Elena. Shhh. You got me back.† â€Å"We got you back. Now, I'll never let you go. Ever, ever.† â€Å"Easy, love. I really need a bath and – † Stefan stopped suddenly. â€Å"There're no iron bars! Nothing to shut off my Powers! I can†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stepped away from Elena, who clung with one hand. There was a soft, silvery flash of light, like a full moon appearing and disappearing in their midst. â€Å"Over here!† he said. â€Å"Anyone who doesn't want little beastly parasites, I can take care of you.† â€Å"I'm your girl,† said Meredith. â€Å"I have a phobia about fleas, and Damon never even got me any flea powder. What a master!† There was laughter at this, laughter Matt didn't understand. Meredith was wearing – well, it had to be costume jewelry – but still it looked like about a few million dollars' worth of sapphires. Stefan took Meredith's hand. There was the same soft flash of light. And then Meredith stepped back saying, â€Å"Thanks.† Stefan's low response was, â€Å"Thank you, Meredith.† Meredith's blue dress was at least in one piece, Matt observed. Bonnie – whose dress had been slashed into starlight-colored ribbons – was raising a hand. â€Å"Me, too, please!† Stefan took her hand, and it happened all over again. â€Å"Thank you, Stefan! Oooh! I feel so much better! I hated itching!† â€Å"Thank you, Bonnie. I hated to think I was dying alone.† â€Å"Other vampires, take care of yourselves!† Elena said, as if she had a clipboard and were checking items off. â€Å"And, Stefan, please – † She held out her hands to him. He knelt in front of her, kissed both her hands, then enshrouded them in the soft white light. â€Å"But I'd still like a bath†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Bonnie pleadingly, as the new vampire – the tall fit one – and Damon had each sparked a moonlight glow around themselves. Mrs. Flowers spoke up. â€Å"There are four working bathtubs in that house: in Stefan's room, in my room, in the rooms on either side of Stefan's. Be my guest. I'll put some bath salts in each right now.† And then she added, holding her arms out to the whole ragged, bleeding, dirty bunch of them: â€Å"My house is yours, my dears.† There was a chorus of passionate â€Å"thank yous.† â€Å"I'll arrange a rota. For feeding Stefan, I mean. If you girls are willing,† Elena added quickly, looking at Bonnie and Meredith. â€Å"He doesn't need much, just a little every hour until morning.† Elena still seemed very shy of Matt. Matt was very shy of her. But he stepped forward, empty hands held up to show that he was harmless. â€Å"Is it a rule that it's only girls? Because I've got blood, too, and I'm healthy as a horse.† Stefan quickly looked at him. â€Å"No rule about only girls. But you don't have to – â€Å" â€Å"I want to help you.† â€Å"Okay, then. Thank you, Matt.† The proper response seemed to be â€Å"Thank you, Stefan,† but Matt couldn't think of anything until, â€Å"Thanks for taking care of Elena.† Stefan smiled. â€Å"Thank Damon for that. He and the others all helped me – and each other.† â€Å"We Also Walk Dogs – at least Sage does,† Damon said slyly. â€Å"Oh – that reminds me. I should use that de-parasiting trick on my two friends. Saber! Talon! Heel!† He added a whistle that Matt could never have imitated. In any case, Matt was operating in a dream. A huge dog, almost as big as a pony, seemingly, and a falcon came out of the darkness. â€Å"Now,† the fit vampire said, and once again the soft light shone. And then: â€Å"There. If you don't mind; I prefer to sleep out-of-doors with my friends. I am grateful for all your kindnesses, Madame, and my name is Sage. The hawk is Talon; the dog, Saber.† Elena said, â€Å"Dibs on Stefan's bath for Stefan and me, and Mrs. Flowers's bath for the girls. You boys can work things out on your own.† â€Å"I,† Mrs. Flowers said gravely, â€Å"will be in the kitchen, making sandwiches.† She turned to go. That was when Shinichi arose from the earth above them. Or rather when his face arose. It was clearly an illusion, but a terrifying and marvelous one. Shinichi actually seemed to be there, a giant, perhaps supporting the world on his shoulders. The black part of his hair blended in with the night, but the scarlet tips made a flaming halo around his face. Having come from a land that was dominated by a giant red sun, night and day, it was an odd sight. Shinichi's eyes were red as well, like two small moons in the sky, and they focused on the group by Mrs. Flowers's house. â€Å"Hello,† he said. â€Å"What, you look so surprised? You shouldn't be. I really couldn't let you come back without popping up to say ‘hello.' After all, it's been a long time – for some of you,† the giant face said, grinning. â€Å"Also, of course, to share in the festivities – we've saved little Stefan, and, my, we even fought an oversized chicken to do it.† â€Å"I'd like to see you take Bloddeuwedd on, one on one, and get a secret key out of her nest, at the same time,† Bonnie began indignantly, but stopped when Meredith squeezed her arm. Sage, meanwhile was murmuring something about what his own â€Å"oversized chicken,† Talon, would do if Shinichi were brave enough to show up in person. Shinichi ignored all this. â€Å"Oh, yes, and the mental calisthenics you had to go through. Truly formidable. Well, never again will we mistake you for blunder-headed idiots who never really asked why my sister would give you any clues in the first place, much less clues that Outsiders could understand. I mean† – he leered – â€Å"why not just go and swallow the key in the first place, hmm?† â€Å"You're bluffing,† Meredith said flatly. â€Å"You underestimated us, plain and simple.† â€Å"Maybe,† said Shinichi. â€Å"Or maybe it was something else entirely.† â€Å"You lost,† said Damon. â€Å"I realize that may be an entirely new concept for you, but it's true. Elena has gained much more control over her Powers.† â€Å"But will they work here?† Shinichi smiled eerily. â€Å"Or will they suddenly disappear in the light of a pale yellow sun? Or in the depths of true darkness?† â€Å"Don't let him bait you, Madame,† Sage shouted. â€Å"Your Powers come from a place he cannot enter!† â€Å"Oh, yes, and the renegade. The Rebel's rebel son. I wonder†¦what are you calling yourself this time? Cage? Rage? I wonder what these children will think when they learn who you really are?† â€Å"It won't matter who he is,† Bonnie cried. â€Å"We know that. We know that he's a vampire, but that he can be gentle and kind and he's saved us over and over again.† She shut her eyes, but held her ground against the gale of Shinichi's laughter. â€Å"So ‘Madame,'† Shinichi mocked, â€Å"you think you have gained ‘Sage.' But I wonder if you know what in chess we call a ‘gambit' is? No? Well, I'm sure your intellectual friend will be glad to inform you.† There was a pause. Then Meredith said, with no expression at all, â€Å"A gambit is when a chess player sacrifices something – for instance, a pawn – deliberately – just to get something else. A position on the chessboard that they want, for instance.† â€Å"I knew you'd be able to tell them. What do you think of our first gambit?† Another silence, then Meredith said: â€Å"I presume you mean you've given us back Stefan to achieve something better.† â€Å"Oh, if you only had golden hair – as your friend Elena has so generously displayed.† There were various exclamations on the theme of â€Å"Huh?† – most of them directed at Shinichi, but some at Elena. Who promptly exploded. â€Å"You took Stefan's memories – ?† â€Å"Now, now, nothing so drastic, my dear. But a thirty-meld-a-session beautician – now, she was most cooperative.† Elena turned her gaze up at the giant face with a look of utter contempt. â€Å"You†¦cad.† â€Å"Oh, I'm stricken to the heart.† But the thing was, Shinichi's giant face did look stricken – angry and dangerous. â€Å"Between you, all such close friends: do you know how many secrets there are? Of course, Meredith is a mistress of secrecy, keeping her secrets from her friends all these years. You think you've already pumped her dry, but the best is yet to come. And then, of course, there is Damon's secret.† â€Å"Which if spoken of here and now will mean instant war,† Damon said. â€Å"And you know, it's strange, but I got the feeling that you came here tonight to negotiate.† This time Shinichi's laughter really was a gale, and Damon had to leap behind Meredith to prevent her being knocked into the hole the elevator had made. â€Å"Very gallant,† Shinichi boomed again, shattering glass somewhere on Mrs. Flowers's house. â€Å"But I really must be going. Shall I leave a synopsis of the prizes you still have to search for before your little company can look each other in the eye?† â€Å"I think we already have them. And you are no longer welcome around this home,† Mrs. Flowers said coolly. But Elena's mind was still working. Even standing here, knowing that Stefan needed her, she was searching for the reasons behind this: Shinichi's second gambit. Because she was sure that this was one. â€Å"Where are the pillowcases?† she said in a sharp voice that frightened and bewildered half the group, and simply frightened the rest. â€Å"I was holding one, but then I decided to hold on to Saber instead.† – Sage. â€Å"I had one, at the bottom of the hole, but I dropped it when somebody lifted me out.† – Bonnie. â€Å"I've still got one, although I don't understand what good – † Damon began. â€Å"Damon!† Elena whirled to him. â€Å"Trust me! We've got yours and Sage's safe – what's happening to Bonnie's in the hole?† The moment she had said â€Å"trust me† Damon had dumped his pillowcase on top of Sage's, and by the time she was finished, he had leaped into the hole, which was still so bright with leylight as to hurt any vampire's eyes. But Damon made no complaint. He said, â€Å"I have it safe now – no, wait! A root! A damned root is curled around one of the star balls! Someone toss me a knife, quick!† While everyone else was slapping their pockets for knives, Matt did something that Elena couldn't believe. First he glanced down into the six-foot-deep hole while pointing – a revolver, was it? Yes – she recognized it as the twin of Meredith's. Then without trying to let himself down easily, he simply jumped as Damon had, into the hole. â€Å"DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW – † roared Shinichi, but no one was paying any attention to him. Matt's jump didn't end lightly as Damon's had. It ended with a gasp and a stifled curse. But Matt didn't waste time; still on his knees, he handed the gun up to Damon. â€Å"Blessed bullets – shoot it!† Damon moved very fast. He didn't even seem to aim. But he must have clicked the safety off and aimed immediately, for the root was now streaking for the soft wall of the hole, its end wrapped tightly around something round. Elena heard two shattering revolver shots; three. Then Damon stooped and picked up a vine-wrapped ball, medium-sized and crystal clear where its true surface could be seen. â€Å"PUT THAT DOWN!† Shinichi's rage was beyond all measure. The two burning red spots of his eyes were like flames – like moons of fire. He seemed to be trying to get them to comply by sheer volume. â€Å"I SAID, DON'T TOUCH THAT WITH YOUR FILTHY HUMAN HANDS!† â€Å"Oh, my God!† gasped Bonnie. Meredith said simply, â€Å"It's Misao's – it has to be. He'd gamble with his own; but not with hers. Damon, hand it up to me, along with the revolver. I bet it's not bulletproof.† She knelt, reaching into the hole. Damon, with a raised eyebrow, did as she said. â€Å"Oh, God,† Bonnie cried, from the edge of the hole. â€Å"Matt's sprained his ankle – at least.† â€Å"I TOLD YOU,† roared Shinichi. â€Å"YOU'LL BE SORRY – â€Å" â€Å"Here,† Damon said to Bonnie, taking not the slightest notice of Shinichi. Without any more ado, he picked up Matt and floated up out of the hole. He deposited the fair-haired boy beside Bonnie, who looked at him with the wide brown eyes of utter confusion. Matt, though, was a Virginian through and through. After swallowing only once, he got out a â€Å"Thank you, Damon.† â€Å"No problem, Matt,† Damon said, and then â€Å"What?† as someone gasped. â€Å"You remembered,† Bonnie cried, â€Å"You remembered his – Meredith!† she broke off, looking at the tall girl. â€Å"The grass!† Meredith, who had been examining the star ball with a strange expression, now tossed the revolver to Damon and tried with her free hand to tear away the grass that had twined around her feet and up her ankles already. But even as she did so, the grass seemed to leap upward and grab her hand, binding it to her feet. And now it was sprouting, growing, racing up her body toward the ball which she held high in the air. At the same time, it was tightening around her chest, forcing air out of her lungs. It all happened so fast that it was only when she gasped, â€Å"Somebody take th' ball,† that the others leaped to her aid. Bonnie was the first to get there, tearing with her fingernails at the greenery that was squeezing Meredith's chest. But each blade was like steel, and she couldn't rip away even one of them. Neither could Matt or Elena. Meanwhile, Sage was trying to lift Meredith bodily – to pluck her from the earth – and having no more success than the rest. Meredith's face, clearly visible in the light still shining from the hole, was going white. Damon snatched the star ball from her fingers just before the tangled greenery running up her arm could reach it. He then began moving literally faster than the human eye could track, never stopping in any one place long enough for any plant to grasp him. But still, the grass around Meredith was tightening. Now her face was turning blue. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open for a breath that would not come. â€Å"Stop it!† Elena screamed at Shinichi. â€Å"We'll give you the star ball! Just let go of her!† â€Å"LET GO OF HER?† Shinichi bellowed laughter. â€Å"MAYBE YOU'D BETTER LOOK TO YOUR OWN INTERESTS FIRST BEFORE ASKING ME A FAVOR.† Wildly, Elena looked around – and saw that grass had almost completely enveloped a kneeling Stefan, who had been too weak to move as quickly as the others had. And he had never made a sound to call attention to himself. â€Å"No!† Elena's desperate scream almost drowned out Shinichi's laughter. â€Å"Stefan! No!† Even knowing it was futile, she threw herself at him and tried to rip the grass away from his thin chest. Stefan simply gave her the faintest of smiles and shook his head sadly. That was when Damon came to a stop. He held the star ball up toward Shinichi's lowering visage. â€Å"Take it!† he shouted. â€Å"Take the ball, damn you, but let the two of them go!† This time the gale of Shinichi's laughter went on and on. A spiral of grass grew from a point beside Damon and an instant later had formed a hideous, shaggy green fist, which almost reached the star ball. But – â€Å"Not yet, my dears,† gasped Mrs. Flowers. She and Matt had come breathlessly from the boardinghouse storage room – Matt limping badly – and they both held what looked like Post-it notes in their hands. The next thing Elena knew, Damon was moving at ferocious speed again, away from the fist, and Matt was slapping a bit of paper on the grass covering Stefan, while Mrs. Flowers did the same to the greenery on Meredith. As Elena watched in disbelief, the grass seemed to melt, dying away into hay-colored blades that fell to the ground. The next moment she was holding Stefan. â€Å"Let's get inside, my dears,† Mrs. Flowers said. â€Å"It's safe in the storage room – the able help the wounded, of course.† Meredith and Stefan were taking great gasping breaths. But Shinichi had the last word. â€Å"Don't you worry,† he said, strangely calm as if he realized he'd lost – for now. â€Å"I'll get that sphere back soon enough. You don't know how to use that kind of Power anyway! And besides all that, I'm going to tell you what you've been hiding from your so-called friends. Just a few secrets, yes?† â€Å"The hell with your secrets,† shouted Bonnie. â€Å"Language, language! How about this: One of you has kept a secret all their life, and is doing so even now. One of you is a murderer – and I am not speaking of a vampire, or a mercy killing, or anything like that. And then there is the question of the true identity of Sage – good luck on your research there! One of you has already had their memory erased – and I don't mean Damon or Stefan. And what about the secret, stolen kiss? And then there is the question of what happened the night of the motel, that it seems that nobody but Elena can recall. You might ask her sometime about her theories about Camelot. And then – â€Å" That was when the sound as loud as Shinichi's giant-sized gales of laughter interrupted him. It tore through the face in the sky, leaving it drooping ridiculously. Then the face disappeared. â€Å"What was that – â€Å" â€Å"Who has the gun – ?† â€Å"What kind of gun could do that to him?† â€Å"One with blessed bullets,† Damon said coolly, showing them the revolver, pointed down. â€Å"You mean you did that?† â€Å"Good for Damon!† â€Å"Forget Shinichi!† â€Å"He is a liar when it suits him, that I can tell you.† â€Å"I think,† Mrs. Flowers said, â€Å"that we can retire to the boardinghouse now.† â€Å"Yeah, and let's go get our baths.† â€Å"Just one last thing.† Shinichi's voice, giant-sized seemed to come from everywhere around them; from the sky, from the earth. â€Å"You're really going to love what I have in mind next for you. If I were you, I'd start negotiating for that star ball right NOW.† But his laughter was off and the muffled feminine sound behind him was almost like crying, as if Misao couldn't help herself. â€Å"YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT!† Shinichi insisted in a roar.