Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing plan - Essay Example With the introduction of smart phones in the market, Nokia continues to take the lead, taking about 56.4% share of the 70.9 million units shipped in Europe in 2006. Nokia sold 40 million smart phones in 2006, reaffirming the fact that the success of the brand remains unscathed (Nokia leading phone market 2007). In fact, it has taken the brand to another level by making its phones highly competitive with the introduction of the Nokia N Series, a collection of smart phones that cater mainly to consumers who have requirements for a full-featured mobile phone with personal computer-like functionalities. These smart phones offer complete phone functionalities while alternately serving as personal data assistants. This â€Å"elite† group of high-end phones has created a stir in the market that the units instantly grew in popularity within a few months after being launched early 2005. The launch of the Nokia N series in 2005 created such a huge impact that sales of these products increased significantly since its launch. As of 2006, Nokia is recognized to be the worlds’ leader in smart phones sales, contributing to 42% market share (Smart phone sales are soaring 2006). This just goes to prove that Nokia has maintained its good relationship with the market as it has continuously managed to cater to the consumers’ needs despite the existence of other Personal Data Assistant (PDA) brands such as Palm and OS, and the emergence of new ones. Nokia is still the top choice in the UK market when it comes to smart phones. Its 3G (third generation) phones continue to fly with its up-to-date features. However, with the emergence of other brands that are determined to give Nokia fierce competition brand-wise, it is a challenge for this company to come up with even more effective ways to hold the market’s attention and sustain its stature in the market.

Project Proposal & Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Proposal & Outline - Essay Example ny others to perform research on various subjects, communicating with others about assignments, engaging in educational discussions via social media groups as well as communicating with their tutors through the same social media channels. There is however controversies surrounding the social media use as mentioned to the social media users. The negatives include the lack of privacy which leads to exposure of personal information to hackers. Cyber bullying is another negative consequences and especially to the underage children who also have social media accounts. Christofides, E, Muise, A. & Desmarais, S. (2012, January). Risky Disclosures on Facebook: The Effect of Having a Bad Experience on Online Behavior. Journal of Adolescent Research, 27(6): 714-731. Retrieved from: http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ983641 Debatin, B., Lovejoy, J., Horn, A. & Hughes, B. (2009, October). Facebook and Online Privacy: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Unintended Consequences. Journal of Computer- Mediated Communication, 15(1): 83-108. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01494.x/full Miah, M., Omar, A. and Allison-Golding, M. (2013, June). Effects of Social Networking on Adolescent Education. Information Systems Education Journal, 11(3): 90-100. Retrieved from: http://isedj.org/2013-11/N3/ISEDJv11n3p90.pdf Ozmen, B. & Atici, B. (2014).The Effects of Social Networking Sites in Distance Learning on Learners’ Academic Achievements. European Journal of Open, Distance and E- Learning, 17(2); 60-74. Retrieved from: http://www.eurodl.org/materials/contrib/2014/Ozmen_Atici.pdf Tham, J. & Ahmed, N. (2011). The usage and implications of social networking Sites: A survey of college students. Journal of Interpersonal, Intercultural and Mass Communication, 2(1), 1-11. Retrieved from:

An Analysis Of Shanghai Volkswagen

An Analysis Of Shanghai Volkswagen Shanghai Volkswagen is one of the largest single foreign-invested projects ever conceived in China and has proven to be a successful development. Com- pared with Beijing Jeeps course, the German ventures progress was steady and smooth. In 1997 Shanghai Volkswagen headed the list of the top 500 foreign-funded enterprises operating in China. It is a joint venture between Volkswagen of Germany and Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation. It posted a 21.3-percent rise in sales of its Santana model for the first seven months of 1997 in comparison to the same period in 1996 and reported a 10- percent increase in net profits for 1997 to 472.6 million renminbi. This will further the ventures reputation as the most successful partnership in Chinas car industry (Woodard 2002, p 39). Volkswagen has an aim as part of its global competition strategy to build up a business base in the Far East that will limit the dominance of Japanese firms. Its strategy is for China to become a big export base for the whole of Southeast Asia. In the year 2003 Volkswagen wants to be able to go to Japan with German-engineered cars that are produced in China. Officially, the company plans to produce nearly 700,000 cars by 2000 (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 77). However, the vision calls for at least a million cars. Shanghai Volkswagen was built on a more solid mutual foundation than the Jeep venture. In October 1984 a joint-venture agreement was signed between Volkswagen AG (VW AG) and a consortium of Chinese partners led by the Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC), the Bank of China, and the Chinese National Automotive Industrial Corporation (CNAIC). Literature Review The agreement, valued at I billion renminbi, established a twenty-five-year Sino- German partnership with 50-percent equity provided by VW AG, 25 percent by SAIC, 15 percent by the Bank of China, and 10 percent by CNAIC. Initial equity from the partnership was used to finance the renovation of production facilities, to import production lines from Brazil, and to import the Santana completely knocked-down kits (CKDs). The new joint venture was christened Shanghai Volkswagen (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 49). Over the previous five-year period, the Chinese consortium had negotiated with more than eight international automobile manufactures before opting for a partnership with Shanghai Volkswagens German parent. As the second automobile joint venture in China after Beijing Jeep, the joint venture planned to manufacture automobiles and engines and was granted a special tax relief under Chinese guidelines for advanced technology partnerships: a standard two-year tax holiday and a special six- year reduced tax rate exclusive to Shanghai Volkswagen, all in exchange for promised technology transfer (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 23). West German experiences with Socialist East Germany have contributed to an understanding of command economies and their shortcomings (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 48). Therefore, Volkswagen representatives already knew what and how to negotiate with the Chinese partners. The contract they negotiated with the Chinese was notable for attention to detail, and for its ability to predict future difficulties. On one part of the contract, the Germans insisted on the assembly of imported CKD kits (The Economist 1990, p 16). Other parts of the contract also demonstrated Volkswagens foresight. Anticipating the problem of paying for imported kits with Chinese renminbi remittances, the contract allowed Shanghai Volkswagen to convert RMB into German marks at the prevailing official exchange rate until the venture had produced 89,000 cars (Bates et al. 2008, p 6-7). Such a clause would help protect the company against foreign exchange shortage that could possibly occur within the venture. The contract took into account the need to localize the Santana model. According to the agreement, however, responsibility for providing quality parts made in China rested squarely with the Chinese; Volkswagen had no obligation to hasten the process (Woodard 2002, p 41). To help balance the foreign exchange flowing out of China to pay for kit imports, the contract called for the venture to purchase engines produced in Shanghai to be used in cars manufactured in Europe (Hook 2001, p 10). The earnings generated from such exports would support the use of foreign currency by Shanghai Volkswagen for importing the kits and later the foreign components used for assembly in China. In addition, the price Volkswagen would pay for each engine was predetermined. The primary concern was the possibility for localization. Localization was planned to start immediately in order to reduce the foreign exchange expense of importing the Santana kits from Germany. It was planned to reach a local content of 20 percent in 1988, 32 percent in 1989, and 84 percent in 1990 (Frisbie 2003, p 4). The negative factors were poor local supply, the Chinese partners existing technical capability, and foreign exchange. Volkswagen also worried about the effect poor-quality products would have on the companys reputation. At this time China was not known for its ability to manufacture complex products with dependable quality. The industrial infrastructure in the auto- mobile industry was poor. Components were imported because local suppliers could not manufacture them to the requisite quality standards. Imported components faced high import tariffs of 25 to 40 percent (The Economist 1990, p 16). The technical standards of Chinese automobile-component suppliers in 1986 were nearly thirty years behind component manufacturers of Europe, Japan, and the United States. Even some simple materials, such as sandpaper for polishing cars and major items such as batteries, had to be imported. Although an automobile industry did exist in China, quality parts were hard to find (Raveed Renforth 2007, p 47). The problem was the development of local suppliers who could make components to Western standards. Furthermore, Volkswagens technical staff found it difficult to communicate Volkswagens concept of quality to the Chinese autoparts manufacturers. Since Shanghai is the most developed industrial area in China, it was expected that car components could be locally made there in the near future (Hofstede 2006, p 25). Local supply was therefore expected to improve, but it would take time. In fact, the development of local capabilities was incredibly important to their ability to compete in the market and has proven to be the most troublesome feature of Shanghai Volkswagens short history. In order to increase the value of an automobile from China-based factories, and to prove that the Chinese automotive industry could indeed compete with foreign suppliers, Volkswagen worked with their European parts manufacturers to encourage their entry into China. Volkswagens technical staff sup- ported the m by assisting with the identification of possible Chinese partners for the various parts to be manufactured. Also, Shanghai Volkswagen encouraged Chinese suppliers to forge cooperative relations with peer parts makers from abroad. From Volkswagens supplier group, suitable partners were chosen by Chinese suppliers and formal joint-venture relations between foreign and domestic supplier firms were signed. In order to assure quality improvement, Shanghai Volkswagen rated its suppliers (Woodard 2002, p 43). The joint-venture contract specifically charged the Chinese with responsibility for providing parts of acceptable quality. It categorized its suppliers into A, B, or C classes: A suppliers produced parts of export standard, B suppliers produced parts used for the domestic market that were not yet of export quality, and C suppliers produced parts below even first-rate domestic standards (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 45). Because of Shanghai Volkswagens strict quality control and demands, it rewarded its suppliers handsomely. This reward would provide an incentive to the supplie rs so that they would maintain their quality standards. Shanghai Volkswagen promised to pay its suppliers a purchase price capped at the price of a similar import, in addition to custom duties (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 112). It guaranteed a profit for every manufacturer in its parts-supplier network. Furthermore, Shanghai Volkswagen organized their suppliers into the Santana Localization Community. The community served to forge closer ties between Shanghai Volkswagen and its suppliers, and more important, among the suppliers themselves. The organizing principle behind the localization community was the relentless pursuit of quality (U.S. China Business Council 2008, p 5). Throughout the barrage of Chinese criticism over localization levels, the Germans refrained from making their problems public. Volkswagen officials patiently allowed the Chinese to find a solution to problems. On the Chinese side, the government granted some incentive for the Germans to increase local content. After 40 percent of parts were localized, the imported parts were no longer considered CKD kits and were then taxed at a lower rate. Similar tax reductions were made once the 60- and 80-percent localization barriers were crossed. Although there were some components and tasks that were still impossible to source in China, the progress of localization did quite well (Hofstede 2006, p 8). Research Questions And Objectives To prove that German patience paid off in the long run. Local content was 70 percent after the engine and gearbox were localized in 1991. The company reached its goal of 80- percent local content in 1993 (Bates et al. 2008, p 8). By the end of 1995, 90 percent of the components were locally sourced. In the Changchun plant, local content was 40 percent for Audi and 60 percent for Jetta. The company had strong, reliable dealer and supplier networks in place. Shanghai Volkswagen made a profit largely because they were able to provide a substitute for imports from Japan, and because they were assisted by the high import tariff set by the Chinese government (Hofstede 2006, p 23). To prove the logistical importance of the Guangdong factory. It initially appeared to be a logical site for the new factory. The province had one of the highest standards of living in the country and had acquired extensive experience with joint-venture projects. Moreover, with Guangdong far from Beijings watchful eye, Peugeot officials anticipated a greater degree of managerial autonomy than a plant in northern China might enjoy. Local government support for the joint venture also seemed strong. Yet these apparent advantages could not shield the Sino-French joint venture from its share of difficulties (United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations 2009, p 11). During the set-up phase, for example, Peugeot discovered that GPAC workers-formerly employed at the GAM bus and truck factory-had inadequate skills. Consequently, Peugeot had to spend more than anticipated, both on training PRC workers in Europe and sending French managers to the PRC. Commitments to localize parts production posed additional stumbling blocks for GPAC (United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations 2009, p 6). Though the joint-venture contract called for GPAC vehicles to reach a 90-percent Chinese content level within five years of start-up, the French partner found few suppliers of quality parts in Guangdong and was prohibited by Guangzhou officials from sourcing from other regions in China. Peugeot, for its part, was slow to establish its own joint-venture parts manufacturers, a key to Volkswagen AGs success in Shanghai (Hook 2001, p 6). GPAC thus had to assemble automobiles largely from imported parts, which proved costly when the French franc appreciated some 110 percent against the renminbi in the late 1980s. The resulting rise in prices of imported parts, together with PRC localization and consumption taxes totaling more than 45,000 yuan ($12,000, based on the 1989 exchange rate) per vehicle, substantially raised the final prices of finished vehicles. In early 1990, for example, the companys model 505 station wagon sold for 200,000 yuan ($54,000), while Shanghai Volkswagen Co. Ltd.s Santana, which was subject to similar taxes, sold for 180,000 yuan ($49,000). GPACs growth slowed as a result (Ball McCulloch 2005, p 34). Stiff Competition GPACs troubles were aggravated by such stiff competition from Shanghai Volkswagen. The Santana had achieved 75-percent local content by 1992, and thus was able to keep production costs and sales prices relatively low. Though GPAC had reached similar levels of domestic content by 1994, its least expensive station wagon (in the year 1997) costs 170,000 yuan ($21,000, based on the 1997 exchange rate), compared with 135,000 yuan ($16,000) for the least expensive Santana model. Moreover, the quality of both GPAC parts and finished vehicles remained poor. Because the local government objected to sourcing from plants outside Guangzhou, GPAC was forced to use local parts that often failed to meet international standards. Some of Peugeots management decisions also contributed to GPACs competitive weaknesses. The company reportedly repatriated most of its profits and made relatively few changes to its 1980s era products, whereas Volkswagen reinvested profits and refined its production, introducing a new ÊÂ »Santana 2000ÊÂ » model in the mid-1990s. The GPAC sedan also had problems finding a market niche, as its large engines high fuel consumption precluded the cars use as a taxi, and its outdated design failed to attract Chinese buyers. When com- pared with the Audi 100, made in Changchun by a joint venture between Audi AG, a subsidiary of Volkswagen, and Chinas First Automobile Works (Group) Corp., the GPAC sedan lacked the prestige that status-conscious private or government consumers sought in a vehicle (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 12). GPAC also was not as high a political priority for Guangzhou officials as the Volkswagen plant was for the Shanghai government (Bates et al. 2008, p 10). While the Shanghai municipality invested 5 to 6 billion yuan ($600-$700 million) to aid Volkswagens endeavor, Guangzhou officials only contributed about 1 billion yuan ($120 million) to help GPAC (Sender 2007, p 90). Further, because of Guangzhous laissez-faire approach to production and consumption, city leaders were reluctant to urge government officials or ente rprises into purchasing GPACs vehicles. In Shanghai, by contrast, the citys taxi company was one of the largest purchasers of Volkswagen Santanas. Further, 1996 Shanghai municipal rules on engine size for taxis effectively eliminated Volkswagens competitor in the city, the Tianjin Charade, from the taxi business (Hofstede 2006, p 23). Ironically, while GPACs remoteness from Beijing protected it from central-government interference, the southern China venture also did not rank high on Beijings planning agenda. And the lack of a central-government partner meant PRC leaders did little to forestall the joint ventures decline. Many MNCs are approaching China as a long-term strategic market, and they are investing large sums of money to help build sustainable long- term positions. This can be a rational strategy. MNCs that do not consider exploring Chinas vast market with its emerging consumer base could be missing a tremendous growth opportunity. But some MNCs take the long-term argument too far. The traditional belief that a firm has to be around a long time to get results is not necessarily right in all cases. Long-term success is best achieved through measurable short-term results (Sender 2007, p 91). It is true that Shanghai Volkswagen, Matsushitas TV tube factory, Charoen Pokphands animal-feed ventures, and Otiss elevator plant are all early entrants that are growing at double-digit rates. But Peugeot entered the Chinese market at the same time as Volkswagen, and it has lost tens of millions of dollars each year since 1995. Kraft entered China more than ten years ago, and all of its plants are now rep orted to be losing money (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 66). In a volatile market such as Chinas, sustainable long-term positions are necessarily built on a series of successful short-term moves. Short-term results can help build brand recognition, attract local talent, and secure support from the parent company. They can create a virtuous cycle (Frisbie 2003, p 4). By contrast, when MNCs see no positive short-term results, a vicious cycle could arise. Rather than revise the companys strategy, managers typically justify poor performance with the argument that China is a long-term market. Patience and longevity are not enough. In fact, many MNCs accomplished great short-term success. For instance, Ericsson, the Swedish telecom company, acquired 40 percent of the cellular handset market, worth $4 billion, in only three years. Kodak gained a 15-percent share of the $500-million film market in less than two years. Tingyi built a $500-million instant-noodle business from nothing in just four years (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 45); its average operat ing margin over that period was more than 20 percent. Many of these successes can be attributed to recent moves these companies have made, not to how long they have been in China. These examples show how MNCs can plan for success by making smart short-term moves, thereby helping to establish new rules for the game (Karp 2002, p 74). Their successes are also founded on their continuous learning in the market and their ability to react correctly to changing dynamics. Performance is driven by an adaptive strategy that can be implemented rapidly. In this respect, recent developments in the cellular handset market are particularly instructive. Continuous learning and adaptability is essential to manage the vastness of the market and the rapid rate of change (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 52). This is difficult in an environment like China, where Western managers face exceptional language and cultural differences, and doubly difficult because consumer demographics and tastes are constantly changing. Krafts Tang was successful at the start, but carbonated drinks and fruit juices were quickly substituted for it. Motorola was very successful with male consumers, but Ericsson took advantage of the demo- graphic shift in the cellular handset market toward women (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 62). As Ericssons success dramatically sh ows, in an emerging market, effective learning is essential. Although Peugeot and Volkswagen entered the Chinese automobile market at roughly the same time, their performances have differed dramatically. Volkswagens revenues have grown at a compounded annual rate of 77 percent since 1985. Sales exceeded $2 billion by 1995. Today Volkswagen has expanded its capacity to 300,000 cars; the company produces close to 200,000 cars per year. It enjoys more than a 50-percent share of the passenger car market and earns a double-digit after-tax profit. By contrast, Peugeot built a 90,000-car capacity and sold only 2,000 cars in 1996 (Bates et al. 2008, p 9). Research Plan Perspective The factors are labeled as political, legal, cultural, economic, historical and geographic. This paper addresses the six environmental factors as they apply to IJVs in the Peoples Republic of China. Examples are drawn from an active IJV in Shanghai. Much of the information on this IJV was gathered during a research visit to the manufacturing facility during spring. Data gathering techniques included an on-site interview in Shanghai and material secured from corporation and government agencies (Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Ltd. 2004, p 2). Why have scholars avoided looking closely at the Chinese bureaucracy? First, the Chinese system has, until recently, been quite difficult to penetrate. Chinese citizens were to avoid divulging state secrets to foreigners (Manguno 2003, p 8); even general communication with such outsiders was discouraged. Much of the relevant information, then, was found in statements of the top leaders, published in newspapers or journals or broadcast over the radio. Foreign researchers in the 1960s and 1970s found that exiles and migrants from southern China to Hong Kong were also good sources, but the scarcity of central government bureaucrats among their numbers made many types of focused, in-depth interview research nearly impossible (Sender 2007, p 90). Data Collection Methods, Access and Sampling Strategy Although China remains a relatively secretive society, the amount of personal contact allowed with foreigners has vastly increased. The requirement for efficient functioning of economic transactions forces the Chinese to be more open in publicizing their bureaucratic procedures. In other words, even in the face of the June 1989 crackdown on dissent, it is now easier to gain access to the lower levels of power than in the years preceding the economic opening to the outside world (Frisbie 2003, p 4). Lins conclusions included lists of the positive and negative factors Americans faced in choosing to invest in China. He also made some comparison of Chinese and American attitudes toward the joint ventures. He omitted, though, focus on misperceived and misunderstood actions related to divergence in the long-term goals of the two sides (Manguno 2003, p 7). Ball and McCulloch, (2005) analyzed cultural expectations in conducting business in China. 20 He investigated Chinese feelings toward various nationalities, and used these results to predict the future success of some eighteen different nations and regions in trade relations with China. Although this work was useful for examining the Chinese attitudes toward the outside world, no comparison was made of foreign perceptions of and approaches to the Chinese side. Business journals present a further source of empirical data. Publications such as The China Business Review and business school magazines feature articles tailored to potential future investors. Availability of space and the general scope of these journals, however, tend to prohibit a fully developed theoretical analysis of Chinese industrial development (Hofstede 2000, p 32). Earlier studies also failed to employ Jerviss ideas of misperception. Considering the great differences in culture and past practices of the Chinese and foreign automotive representatives, it would be surprising if misunderstandings did not cloud the stimuli foreigners exerted on the Chinese policy makers. To further utilize Jerviss work, one should also consider the influence of misperception between higher and lower levels of the Chinese political system. Finally, the motivational elements of wishful thinking may also distort the policy process at many levels of the Chinese bureaucracy (Daniels Radebaugh 2004, p 12). My own approach seeks to build on the theoretical framework of Sender and Hook and the analysis of Hofstede on, while adding new empirical data in a different industrial sector, that of the automobile industry. In doing so, this thesis will take into account several variables that shaped both the political and the economic development of the Chinese automotive sector (Hofstede 2000, p 32). Four case studies look at the stimuli of domestic and foreign economic forces, and discuss their effect on the Chinese central government (Hofstede Bond 2010, p 11). The empirical parts will also examine the bargaining that took place between central and local politicians, and the misperception that affected the policy process. Finally, the studies shall note the differing policy outcomes for the four automotive ventures, and try to make projections of their future progress based on past experiences. Ethical Considerations Peugeots poor performance appears to have been caused by its repeated inability to learn in, and adapt to, a rapidly changing environment. As Volkswagens success demonstrates, the Chinese automotive industry is attractive, and Peugeot began its operations in China with plenty of advantages (Mowery 2008, p 3). Its joint venture was set up in the wealthy south, which has a more entrepreneurial culture because of its proximity to Hong Kong and because of the early promotion of the reform policies of the late Deng Xiaoping. By contrast, Volkswagens joint venture was established in the more conservative Shanghai region. Until the mid-1990s Shanghais economy was dominated by loss-making state-owned enterprises, and the city was not allowed to implement aggressive reform policies (Hofstede 2006, p 13). Yet Peugeot was not able to exploit its advantageous position in the south and did not learn how to succeed with commercial customers. In the 1980s automobile industry experts predicted that growth would be driven by consumer wealth and consumer demand. But the market in China remained commercial (U.S. China Business Council 2008, p 12). Even now, the vast majority of Chinese consumers cannot afford to own cars: More than 70 percent of cars in China are purchased by commercial companies. Volkswagen was quick to adjust its assumptions and operating paradigms; Peugeot was not. To serve the commercial market, Volkswagen built an aggressive distributor network and sales force (Hook 2001, p 32). Conclusion The company recognized that commercial buyers were less price sensitive than other consumers, given that they needed and were willing to pay for high-quality after-sales servicing. Volkswagen was able to push volume through its distributors and achieve critical mass. This growing volume allowed Volkswagen to realize considerable scale economies, thereby allowing it to drive down prices. Because Peugeot never man- aged to develop an effective approach for commercial buyers, it never generated the prices and profits needed to motivate distributors (Woodard 2002, p 2). Without this high-channel profit, it was unable to attract capable and aggressive distributors and could not develop a reasonable service network. Peugeot also failed to learn other important lessons. An understanding of the development of down- stream industries, for example, was crucial in identifying and promoting potential demand. Volkswagens partner lobbied the government to support the establishment of taxi companie s in Shanghai. Although consumers could not afford to buy private cars, their demand for taxi services supported the growth of taxi companies, which did buy cars from Volkswagen. Peugeot did not follow a similar strategy. The company was unable to secure a dominant position in its home province in China. Hence, it never achieved critical mass and a competitive cost position to grow its operations to a national scale. Losses piled up, and after a twelve-year stay in China, Peugeot exited the market.

Dylan Thomas :: essays research papers

Thomas’ Dying Light Dylan Marlais Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales on October 27, 1914. After leaving school, he worked briefly as a junior reporter on the South Wales Evening Post. In November of 1923 he moved to London and in December of that he published his first book, Eighteen Poems. In April 1936 he met his future wife, Caitlin Macnamara. In September 1936, his second volume of poetry, Twenty-five Poems, was released. In July 1937 Dylan and Caitlin were married and in the following year they moved to Laugharne, Wales. Their first child, Llewlyn Edouard Thomas was born in January 1939. The Map of Love, soon to be the title of a major film, was published in August and The World I Breathe was released in December.(Bookshelf ’98) In April of 1940 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog was published and in September Dylan began working for Strand Films, Inc. He remained with Strand through the conclusion of the Second World War. His second child Aeronwy, Byrn Thomas was born in March of 1943. Deaths and Entrances was released in 1946. Three years later his child, Colm Garan Hart Thomas, was born. In 1952 his final volume, Collected Poems, was published. In addition to the work previously mentioned, he also published many short stories, wrote filmscripts, broadcast stories, did a series lecture tours in the United States and wrote Under Milkwood, his famous play for voices.(Bookshelf ’98) During his fourth lecture tour of the United States in 1953, he collapsed in his New York hotel. He was but a few days past his 39th birthday. He died on Noovenber 9th, 1953 at St. Vincents Hospital, New York. His alcoholism was legendary and no doubt played a significant role in his demise. His Body was sent back to Laugharne, Wales, where his grave is marked by a simple wooden cross- the way he would have seen fit. In July 1994 his wife, Caitlin, died in Italy. She had spent most of her years there since his death.(Bookshelf ’98) Thomas, one of the best known poets of the mid-twentieth century, is remembered for his highly original, obscure poems, his amusing prose tales and plays, and his turbulent, highly-publicized personal life. He was widely recognized for his powerful poetry readings of BBC radio. He became a very popular public figure. Thomas was a man with a very Keatsian style and manner.

Kinds of Outline

What is an OUTLINE? An  outline  is an organizational tool used by writers to gather thoughts so that they can be clearly laid out in an essay or book. Many writers feel that creating an  outline  is the key to effective writing, and it certainly makes the writing process more efficient and focused. By creating an  outline  for a piece of writing, the author ensures that all the pieces of the puzzle are presented in a logical, clear order, and that they flow well, drawing the reader to a logical conclusion.An  outline  can also be used to identify and eliminate potential areas of  weakness  or lack of focus in a paper. Although an  outline  is rarely required for a piece of writing, it can be extremely helpful. Papers which are written with the assistance of an  outline  tend to be of a higher quality, because of the greater level of organization. For this reason, outlines should be among the tools which every writer knows how to use. Outlines help writers to organize what they are going to say before they write it. 2. What are the kinds of outline?The most common type of outline is called the  Alphanumeric Outline. Alpha as in alphabet and Numeric as in Numerals – it's the one that uses a combination of numbers and letters to organize your thoughts. I. Start with Roman Numbers for Largest Headings A. Then use Capital Letters 1. Then use Arabic Numbers a. Then use small letters II. Continue In This Fashion Until the Outline Is Finished Full-sentence outlines, as the term suggests, use complete sentences on each line of the outline. These can take longer to write, but they do give a much more thorough idea of what is going to be in the final paper.Topic outlines list the main topic or idea of each line, but do not make complete sentences. Some call the Roman numerals above a-heads, the capitalized letters, b-heads, and so on. Some writers also prefer to insert a blank line between the a-heads and b-heads (N. B. these people k eep the b-heads and c-heads together, though). I. Why do over 80% of today's companies monitor their employees? A. To prevent fraudulent activities, theft, and other workplace related violations. B. To more efficiently monitor employee productivity. C.To prevent any legal liabilities due to harassing or offensive communications. II. What are the employees privacy right's when it comes to EM/S (Electronic Monitoring and Surveillance) in the workplace? A. American employees have basically no legal protection from mean and snooping bosses. 1. There are no federal or State laws protecting employees 2. Employees may assert privacy protection for their own personal effects. A less common type of outline is the  Decimal Outline. This uses numbers, and each sub-heading has the number of the heading as part of it.This outline is used if you have a long, complicated outline and need to instantly be able to tell exactly where each section goes in the whole picture. Thesis statement: — 1. 0 Main Topic 1. 1Subheading 1. 2 Subheading 2. 0 Main Topic 2. 1 Subheading 2. 1. 1 Supporting Detail 2. 1. 2 Supporting Detail 2. 1. 3 Supporting Detail . . . . . . . . . 3. What is a Thesis Statement? A thesis statement tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. It is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.It directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. It makes a claim that others might dispute. It is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation. 4. How similar or different is it from a main idea?The main difference is that â€Å"thesis† is generally used by teachers when referring to nonfiction works (you find them in history books and science books) while a â€Å"theme† is used when referring to a literary work (fiction). A thesis is stated plainly and early in a nonfiction work, while a theme is an idea or message that you get once you've read the book and you've taken some time to reflect on its meaning. The main idea, or thesis, should give your readers a clear and specific idea of your topic. The main idea can be thought of as a one or two sentence summary of the whole writing project. 5.What is an Action Research? Action research is known by many other names, including participatory research, collaborative inquiry, emancipatory research, action learning, and contextual action research, but all are variations on a theme. Put simply, action research is â€Å"learning by doing† – a group of peop le identify a problem, do something to resolve it, see how successful their efforts were, and if not satisfied, try again. While this is the essence of the approach, there are other key attributes of action research that differentiate it from common problem-solving activities that we all engage in every day.A more succinct definition is that an action research aims to contribute both to the practical concerns of people in an immediate problematic situation and to further the goals of social science simultaneously. Thus, there is a dual commitment in action research to study a system and concurrently to collaborate with members of the system in changing it in what is together regarded as a desirable direction. Accomplishing this twin goal requires the active collaboration of researcher and client, and thus it stresses the importance of co-learning as a primary aspect of the research process.What separates this type of research from general professional practices, consulting, or daily problem-solving is the emphasis on scientific study, which is to say the researcher studies the problem systematically and ensures the intervention is informed by theoretical considerations. Much of the researcher’s time is spent on refining the methodological tools to suit the exigencies of the situation, and on collecting, analyzing, and presenting data on an ongoing, cyclical basis.Several attributes separate action research from other types of research. Primary is its focus on turning the people involved into researchers, too – people learn best, and more willingly apply what they have learned, when they do it themselves. It also has a social dimension – the research takes place in real-world situations, and aims to solve real problems. Finally, the initiating researcher, unlike in other disciplines, makes no attempt to remain objective, but openly acknowledges their bias to the other participants.

The Blue Sword CHAPTER FOUR

She stared out of her bedroom window at the moonlit desert. Shadows drifted across the pale sand, from one shaded hollow to the next clump of dry brush. Almost she could pretend the shadows had direction, intention. It was a game she often played. She ought to be in bed; she heard two o'clock strike. The location and acoustics of the big clock that stood in the front hall were such that it could be heard throughout the large house it presided over – probably even in the servants' quarters, although she had never had occasion to find out and didn't quite dare ask. She had often wondered if it was perversity or accident – and for whatever reason, why wasn't it changed? – that the clock should so be located as to force the knowledge of the passing of time upon everyone in the Residency, every hour of every day. Who would want to know the time when one couldn't sleep? She had had insomnia badly when she was fresh from Home. It had never occurred to her that she would not be able to sleep without the sound of the wind through the oak trees outside her bedroom at Home; she had slept admirably aboard the ship, when apprehensions about her future should have been thickest. But the sound of the ceaseless desert air kept her awake night after night. There was something about it too like speech, and not at all like the comfortable murmur of oak leaves. But most of that had worn off in the first few weeks here. She had had only occasional bad nights since then. Bad? she thought. Why bad? I rarely feel much the worse the next day, except for a sort of moral irritability that seems to go with the feeling that I ought to have spent all those silent hours asleep. But this last week had been quite as bad – as sleepless – as any she had known. The last two nights she had spent curled up in the window-seat of her bedroom; she had come to the point where she couldn't bear even to look at her bed. Yesterday Annie, when she had come to waken her, had found her still at the window, where she had dozed off near dawn; and, like the placid sensible maid that she was, had been scandalized. Apparently she had then had the ill grace to mention the matter to Lady Amelia, who, in spite of all the alarums and excursions of the week past, had still found time to stop at Harry's room just at bedtime, and cluck over her, and abjure her to drink some nice warm milk (Milk! thought Harry with revulsion, who had given it up forever at the age of twelve, with her first grown-up cup of tea), and make her promise to try to sleep – as if that ever had anything to do with it – and ask her if she was sure she was feeling quite well. â€Å"Very well, ma'am,† Harry replied. Lady Amelia looked at her with concern. â€Å"You aren't fidgeting yourself about, mmm, last week, are you?† Harry shook her head, and smiled a little. â€Å"No, truly, I am in excellent health.† She thought of the end of a conversation she had heard, two days past, as Dedham and Peterson left Sir Charles' study without noticing her presence in the hall behind them. † †¦ don't like it one bit,† Peterson was saying. Dedham ran his hand over the top of his close-cropped head and remarked, half-humorously, â€Å"You know, though, if in a month or a year from now, one of those Hillfolk comes galloping in on a lathered horse and yells, ‘The pass! We are overwhelmed!' I'm going to close up the fort and go see about it with as many men as I can find, and worry about reporting it later.† The front door had closed behind the two of them, and Harry proceeded thoughtfully on her way. â€Å"I hope you are not sickening for anything, child,† said Lady Amelia; â€Å"your eyes seem overbright.† She paused, and then said in a tone of voice that suggested she was not sure this bit of reassurance was wise, as perhaps it would aggravate a nervous condition instead of soothing it: â€Å"You must understand, my dear, that if there is any real danger, you and I will be sent away in time.† Harry looked at her, startled. Lady Amelia misread her look, and patted her hand. â€Å"You mustn't distress yourself. Sir Charles and Colonel Dedham will take care of us.† Yesterday Harry had managed to corner Jack when he came again to closet himself with Sir Charles for long mysterious hours. Harry had lurked in the breakfast room till Jack emerged, looking tired. His look lightened when he saw her, and he greeted her, â€Å"Good morning, my dear. I see a gleam in your eye; what bit of arcane Damarian lore do you wish to wrest from me today?† â€Å"What was it exactly that you said to Corlath that morning, just as he left?† replied Harry promptly. Jack laughed. â€Å"You don't pull your punches, do you?† He sobered, looking at her quizzically. â€Å"I don't know that I should tell you – â€Å" â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"But I will. In the days of Damar's civil wars, a man pledged himself so, to his king, or to the particular claimant he wished to support. It was a particularly dangerous and unsettled time, and so the ritual swearing to one's leader meant rather a lot – more, for example, than our Queen's officers taking an oath to her, as we all must do. The phrase still carries weight in Hill tradition †¦ but you see, my giving it to Corlath was a trifle, hmm, unprofessional of me, as Homelander protecting the Homelander Border from Corlath. A calculated risk on my part †¦ † He shrugged. â€Å"I hoped to indicate that not all Homelanders are †¦ unsympathetic to the Free Hillfolk, whatever the official attitude is.† Harry lay down in her detestable bed after Lady Amelia left her, and dozed, after a fashion, till midnight; but then the darkness and peacefulness wakened her, and she came again to her window-seat to watch the night pass. Two-thirty. How black the sky was around the stars; nearer the horizon were longer flatter glints in the darkness, unsuitable for stars, and these were the mountains; and the desert was shades of grey. Without realizing it, she drifted into sleep. There was the Residency, stolid and black in the moonlight. Faran and Innath would stay here, with the horses; it was not safe to take them any nearer. He would go the rest of the way on foot. Safe! He grinned sourly behind the safety of the grey hood pulled over his face, and slid into the shadows. The adventure was upon them, for good or ill. â€Å"Sola, not an Outlander,† Faran had begged, almost tearfully; and Corlath had flushed under his sun-darkened skin. There had been certain romantic interludes in the past that had included galloping across the desert at night; but he had never abducted any woman whose enthusiastic support for such a plan had not been secured well in advance. Corlath's father had been a notorious lover of women; unsuspected half-brothers and half-sisters of the present king still turned up occasionally, which kept the subject in everyone's mind. Corlath sometimes thought that his own policy of discretion in such matters only made his people nervous because they didn't know what was going on – or if anything was. For some time now there hadn't been, but by the gods, did his own Riders really expect him to break out by making an ass of himself over an Outlander – and now of all times? But, on the other hand, he could not well explain his reasons – even to himself – although his determination was fixed, as he had unhappily realized the moment the words were out of his mouth. But he hated to see his people unhappy – because he was a good king, not because he was a nervous one – and so, while he could rightfully have told Faran to let it be, he had given as much of an answer as he could. â€Å"This is an affair of state,† he said slowly, because he could not quite bring himself to say that his kelar was concerning itself with an Outlander, even to his Riders, who were his dearest friends as well as his most trusted subjects. â€Å"The girl will be a prisoner of honor, treated with all honor, by me as well as by you.† No one had understood, but they were a little soothed; and they avoided thinking about the unwritten law of their land that said that a kidnapped woman has been ravished of her honor, whether she has been actually ravished of anything beyond a few uncomfortable hours across somebody's saddlebow or not. It was generally accounted an honor for a Hillman or woman to be seduced by a member of the royal family – which was why kelar, originally a royal Gift, continued to turn up in odd places – if a somewhat uncomfortable honor, for who could be entirely at ease with a lover who must never quite meet one's eyes? And Outlanders were peculiar, as everyone knew, so who did know how they might react? â€Å"Sola,† Faran quavered, and Corlath paused and turned a little toward the man to indicate that he would listen. â€Å"Sola, what will happen when the Outlanders find her gone?† â€Å"What of it?† â€Å"They will come after her.† â€Å"Not if they do not know where she has gone.† â€Å"But – how could they not know?† Corlath smiled grimly. â€Å"Because we shall not tell them.† Faran, by his own choice, had not been one of those who accompanied his king to the council with the Outlanders; Forloy and Innath and the others who had gone were wearing smiles to match the king's. The Outlanders could not see what happened under their very noses. â€Å"You shall leave here at once, and travel, slowly, toward the mountains; and set up camp again where the Leik spring touches the surface. There you will wait for me. I will return the way we came, in secret, in three days' time, so that the girl will not disappear too soon after the Hillfolk were seen in the Outlander station. Then I shall take the girl from her bed as she sleeps in the big house, and ride back to you.† There was a meditative silence; at last Faran said: â€Å"I would go with you, Sola. My horse is fast.† His voice was still unhappy, but the quaver was gone; and as he looked at the faces of the six Riders who had been with Corlath when he spoke with the Outlander commissioner, he began to feel curious. He had never seen an Outlander, even from a distance; never looked upon an Outlander town. After three restless days at the deserted campsite, Corlath, Faran, and Innath rode swiftly back toward the Outlander town. Corlath thought: They can't see us even in broad daylight when we gallop toward them with cloaks flapping and horses whinnying. We creep like burglars to an empty house, pretending that it has an owner because we can't quite believe it is this easy. Faran and Innath knelt down where they were and did not look as their king left them, for they knew they would see no more than he wished them to. The horses waited as silently as the men, but the king's bay stallion watched him go. The only sound was the wind whispering through the low brush and the horses' long manes. Corlath reached the house without difficulty; he had expected none. Watchdogs ignored him, or mysteriously counted him a friend. There were several black-and-brown furry shapes lying about sullenly snoring in the Residency garden. Outlander dogs did not like the northeast Border of Daria; and Hill dogs, who would have awakened at once and watched him silently, did not get on well with Outlanders. He passed the stables, but the grooms slept as heavily as the dogs. He couldn't see in the dark, but even in the places where the moonlight was no help he knew where things were. He reached the wall of the house and laid a hand on it. Depending on what sort of a mood the kelar was in, he could occasionally walk through walls, without knocking them down first, or at least see through them. And then again, sometimes he couldn't. It would be tiresome if he had to break in like the common burglar he felt, and wander from room to room looking at faces on pillows. There was even the remote chance he could get caught at it. No. This wasn't going to be one of those times: the kelar was with him – since it had gotten him into this dilemma, he thought, at least it was going to help to get him out of it – and he knew almost at once where she was. His only bad moment was when that damned clock in the front hall tolled like a call for the dead, and seemed to reach up the stairs after him like cold pale hands. She was curled up, drooping and asleep on a cushioned shelf built out from a curved window; and for a moment pity struck him and he hesitated. What good will pity do me? he thought almost angrily; I'm not here by choice. But he wrapped the cloak around her with unnecessary tenderness as he breathed a few words over her head to make sure she would sleep. Harry struggled out of some of the oddest dreams she'd ever had into a dim and foggy reality full of bumps and jolts. Was she ill? She couldn't seem to make out what was happening to her, save that it was very uncomfortable, and it was not like her to have difficulty waking up. She opened her eyes blearily and saw something that looked like dawn behind something that looked like hills, although she was a long way from them †¦ Where she was, she then realized, was slung sideways across a horse's withers with her feet sliding across his shoulder with every stride – no more comfortable for him than me – and she was held sitting upright by an arm round her middle that clamped her arms to her sides, and her head appeared to be bouncing against a human shoulder. Her only clear notion, and it wasn't very, was that she was perfectly capable of riding a horse herself, and resented being treated like a bundle or a baby: so she struggled. She raised her head with a gasp and shook her face free of the deep hood pulled over it; tried to sit up a bit farther and turn a bit more to the front. This caused the rider to rein his horse in abruptly; except she realized there were no reins. The rider seized her a little more firmly and then there were two other men on horseback beside her, and they dismounted and came toward her at once. They were dressed like Hillfolk, with hoods pulled low over their faces; and quite suddenly, still not understanding what had happened to her, she was afraid. The rider who held her handed her down to the men beneath; and she noticed that the shoulder her heels were knocking was bright bay, and the mane long and black. Then as the two men caught her by the arms, her feet touched the ground, and she fainted again. She woke once again in twilight, but this time the red glow came from the opposite direction. This time she awoke feeling more like herself; or she thought she did, but her surroundings were so unlikely she wasn't sure. She sat up and discovered she could; she was lying on a blanket, still wrapped in a dark hooded cloak that wasn't hers; and underneath she discovered she was still wearing her nightgown, and the dressing-gown over it. She was barefoot; she spent a light-headed minute or two trying to remember if her slippers had disappeared or if she'd never put them on – last night, or whenever it was – caught herself here, and looked around. She was in a bit of a hollow, with a scrub-covered dune behind her. Over her was a sort of tent roof, pegged out in a square, but with only one side let down. The other three offered her a view of the dune; the sunset, if that was what it was; and three men crouching over a tiny smokeless fire, built against the opposite arm of the same dune. Around its edge she could see the black hills fading in the last light, and three horses. Three lumps that might be saddles lay near them, but the horses – a grey, a chestnut, and a blood bay – were not tethered in any way. She had only just looked at these things with a first quick glance, and had not yet begun to puzzle over them, when one of the men stood up from the fire and walked over to her. The other two appeared to pay no attention, remaining bent over their knees and staring into the small red heart of the fire. The third man knelt down near her and offered a cup with something in it that steamed, and she took it at once without thinking, for the man's gesture had been a command. Then she held it and looked at it. Whatever it was, it was brown, and it smelled delicious; her stomach woke up at once, and complained. She looked at the cup, and then at the man; he was wrapped in a cloak and she could not see his face. After a moment he gestured again, at the cup she held, and said, â€Å"Drink it.† She licked her lips and wondered how her voice was going to sound. â€Å"I would rather not sleep any more.† That came out pretty well. There was another pause, but whether it was because he did not understand her – his accent was curious and heavy, although the Homelander words were readily recognizable – or was choosing his answer carefully, she could not tell. At last he said: â€Å"It will not make you sleep.† She realized that she was much too thirsty to care whether or not she believed him; and she drank it all. It tasted as good as it smelled, which, she thought, gave it points over coffee. Then she realized that she was now terribly hungry. â€Å"There is food if you wish it.† She nodded, and at once he brought her a plate of food and some more of the hot brown drink. He sat down again, as if with the intention of watching each mouthful. She looked at him, or rather at the shadow beneath the hood; then she transferred her attention to her plate. On it, beside the steaming hump of what she took to be stew, was an oddly shaped spoon; the handle was very arched, the bowl almost flat. She picked it up. â€Å"Be careful,† he said. â€Å"The sleep you have had makes some people sick.† So I was drugged, she thought. There was a peculiar relief in this, as if she now had an excuse to remember nothing at all about how she came to be where she was. She ate what she had been given, and felt the better for it, although the meat was unfamiliar to her; but the feeling better brought into unwelcome prominence all her questions about where she was, and why, and – worst – what next. She hesitated, looking at her now-empty plate. It was a dull grey, with a black symbol at its center. I wonder if it means anything, she thought. Health and long life? A charm against getting broken or lost? Or a symbolic representation of Death to Outlanders? â€Å"Is it well?† the man beside her asked. â€Å"I would – er – be more comfortable if I could see your face,† she said, trying to strike a clear note among reasonable timidity, dreadful cowardice, and politeness to one's captor. He threw back his hood, and turned his head so his face was clearly visible against the fading light behind him. â€Å"My God,† she said involuntarily: it was Corlath. â€Å"You recognize me, then?† he inquired; and at her startled nod – Yes, Your Majesty, she thought, but her tongue was glued to her teeth – he said, â€Å"Good,† and stood up. She looked dazed; he wished he might say something to reassure her, but if he couldn't explain to his own people why he was doing what he was doing, he knew he would be able to say nothing to her. He watched her gathering her dignity about her and settling it over her stricken expression. She said nothing further, and he picked up her plate and cup and took them back to the fire, where Innath scrubbed them with sand and put them away. Harry was too busy with her own thoughts to suspect sympathy from her kidnapper. She saw him as a figure in a cloak, and watched him join his men at the fire; neither of them looked her way. One stamped out the fire and packed the cooking-utensils in a bag; the other saddled the horses. Corlath stood staring at the hills, his arms folded, his cloak shifting in the evening breeze; the light was nearly all gone, and she soon could not discern his still figure against the background of the black hills. She stood up, a little shakily; her feet were uncertain under her, and her head was uncertain so far from the ground. She walked a few steps; the sand was warm underfoot, but not unbearably so. The two men – still without looking at her – slid past her, one on each side, and dismantled the tent, rolled it up, and stored it away so quickly it seemed almost like magic; and as the last bag was fastened to a saddle strap, Corlath turned, although no word had been spoken. The red bay followed him. â€Å"This is Isfahel,† he said to her gravely. â€Å"You would say perhaps †¦ Fireheart.† She looked up at the big horse, not sure what response was required; she felt that patting this great beast would be taking a liberty. To do something, she offered him the flat of her hand, and was foolishly gratified when he arched his neck and lowered his nose till his breath tickled her hand. He raised his head again and pricked his ears at Corlath; Harry felt that she had just undergone some rite of initiation, and wondered if she'd passed. The other two men approached them; the other two horses followed. Am I about to be slung over the saddlebow like a sack of meal again? she thought. Is it more difficult to do the slinging when the sack in question is standing and looking at you? She turned her head away, whereupon the other two men were found to be looking intently at the sand around their boots. The baggage was all tied behind their saddles, and the hollow they stood in looked as bare and undisturbed as if it had never sheltered a campsite. She turned her head back to Corlath again. â€Å"I can ride – at least a little,† she said humbly, although she had been considered an excellent horsewoman at Home. â€Å"Do you think I might sit †¦ facing forward, perhaps?† Corlath nodded and let go the horse's mane. He adjusted the leather-covered roll of fleece at the front of the saddle, then turned back to her. â€Å"Can you mount?† She eyed the height of the horse's back: Eighteen hands if he's an inch, she thought, and that may be conservative. â€Å"I'm not sure,† she admitted. Then, to the horror of the other two men, the puzzlement of Fireheart, and the surprise of Harry herself, Corlath knelt in the sand and offered her his cupped hands. She put a sandy foot in the hands, and was tossed up as easily as if she were a butterfly or a flower petal. She found this a bit unnerving. He mounted behind her with the same simple grace she'd seen in the Residency courtyard. The other two horses and their riders came up beside them; they wheeled together to face the hills, and together broke into a canter; Harry could detect no word or gesture of command. They rode all night – walk and canter and brief swift gallop – and Harry was bitterly tired before the line of hills before them began to emerge from a greying sky. They stopped only once; Harry swung her leg over the horse's withers and slid to the ground before any offer of help could be made; and while she didn't fold up where she stood, there was a nasty moment when she thought she might, and the sand heaved under her like the motion of a horse galloping. She was given bread, and some curious green fruit, and something to drink; and Corlath threw her into the saddle again while his men bit their lips and averted their eyes. She wound her hands in Fireheart's long mane, stiffened her back, and blinked, and willed herself to stay awake. She'd said she could ride, and she didn't want to be carried †¦ wherever they were going †¦ but she wasn't going to think about that. Just think about sitting up straight. Once when they slowed to a walk, Corlath handed her a skin bag and said, â€Å"Not much farther now,† and the words sounded kindly, not scornful. She wished she could see his face, but it was awkward to twist around to peer at someone who was just behind one's shoulder, so she didn't. The contents of the bag burned her mouth and made her gasp, but she sat up the straighter for it. Then as she stared at the line of hills, and squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, and was sure that the sky was turning paler, she was not imagining things, the three horses pulled up to a walk, then halted, ears forward. Corlath pointed; or to Harry it seemed that a disembodied hand and arm materialized by her right cheek. â€Å"There.† She followed the line his finger indicated, but she saw only waves of sand. The horses leaped forward at a gallop that appalled her with its swiftness at the end of such a journey; the shock of each of Fireheart's hoofs striking the ground rattled her bones. When she raised her eyes from the lift and fall of the black mane over her bands, she saw a glint of white, and of grey shapes too regular to be dunes. The sun broke golden over the hills as the three horses thundered into the camp.