Paragraph Essay Questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paragraph Questions - Essay Example An example here may be, in spite of the Chinese people eating snail, my society forbids it because they see it as something dirty. The challenges for either of the two answers lies on grammatical constructions because in spite of language being the same for a spefic citizens in a country, their pronounciations on words and constructions gives a totally different meaning. In my opinion, the prisoner’s dilemma does not challenge contractarianiam because it is one of the ways to reach at social contractarian solution to the problem harbored by many people on self interest. Therefore, this strengthens the essential equality of human power where no one is considered special to the other. The end result of the dilemma is that all parties living in a society always end up reaching a mutual agreement where their deeds and actions are determined by a sovereign authority. In my opinion, I would not be happy to satisfy any desire at any time whenever I have the need because it will lose the essence of life itself. This is because life would lose the essence of morality and we in turn will lack the satisfaction obtained from doing such things as a good deed. An example is that when I am ordered to kill people are from a different race, because they are not like me, how then do I claim all human beings are equal and have a right to life to such people like my children. Moreover, this is also not possible because of the consequences of satisfying desires which cannot happen normally. According to Socrates, a philosophical leader is one who studies the habits and thinking dimensions of those considered great leaders and applying it to his or her own leadership position. The type of leadership management can improve the work place as leaders are forced towards intellectual self examination and logical reasoning therefore acquiring critical thinking

HR Home Work 6 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HR Home Work 6 - Assignment Example These areas of my education are very helpful to an aspiring CSA like me, as they will enable me to deal with clients of all walks of life and successfully close any transaction they might have with the company.† â€Å"I want to work for this company because not only is it reputed to have a good working environment that drives employees to excel, but it also has a record of fairness. This implies that the company strictly complies with existing labor laws and provides its workforce certain opportunities for growth. In addition, I want to work for this company because its mission-vision is very much in line with my personal goals.† The quoted paragraph above was my reply to this particular question during my job interview. I do not think any necessary revision should be made because the answer really captured the thoughts I intended to express at that time. I answered this question with by saying, â€Å"I believe I am the best person for the job because I am dedicated, devoted and armed with the right knowledge and skills. I will work to the best of my abilities.† â€Å"I believe I am the best person for this job because I am equipped with the knowledge and skills suitable to the position I have applied for. Such knowledge and skills are also honed by a high standard university with competent instructors. More than that, however, I am a person who is very much dedicated in almost every aspect of life. I am willing to sacrifice time, energy and resources just to get a work done. Giving up is also not in my vocabulary. Thus, if I am given my job, I will do my utmost to deliver the performance you seek.† â€Å"My strengths as an individual would stem from the drive to excel, sincere devotion to the responsibilities and tasks assigned to me, and the ability to cope up with pressures while delivering outputs on time. I am also

Canadian Historical Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canadian Historical Development - Essay Example According to the essay findings  Canada is one country that has received immense influence on its political landscape from the French, Americans and Britons. For this reason what is practised in Canada is more less a blend of the three to a hug extent. The rights and freedoms of individuals are well guarded by the constitution and so are regional autonomy and the rule of law. The English traditions, French civil law and North American aboriginal government have all been embedded into one item to form the Canadian political culture.This study declares that  the political landscape being a borrowed one is characterised by the country being a constitutional monarchy whose origin is the traditions of Britain. The other important characteristic is that of having federal system of governance with a parliament. These manifestations in the political arena all work together in harmony under the guidance of well rooted democratic traditions. It is important to note that the Canadian struct ure of governance was one that was established by the British parliament whereas the federal system of governance came later and was enacted by politicians of Canadian descent. These developments where Canadian politicians begun to take full control of the changes witnessed in their country gained momentum with the advent of the 1st World War.  The natural resources in Canada are distributed in such a way that some regions are adored than others.

Benazir Bhutto’s Personal Life Essay Example for Free

Benazir Bhutto’s Personal Life Essay She was born at Pinto Hospital in Karachi, on 21 June 1953. She was the eldest child of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a Pakistani of Sindhi descent. Her paternal grandfather was Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto. Bhutto was raised to speak both English and Urdu. English was her first language, while she was fluent in Urdu. Despite her family being Sindhi speakers, her Sindhi skills were almost non-existent. She was a bright student and a well mannered Lady of fine content. She served her life for Pakistan. She was Kind hearted and goal oriented person . On 18 December 1987, she married Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi. The couple had three children: two daughters, Bakhtawar and Asifa, and a son, Bilawal. When she gave birth to Bakhtawar in 1990, she became the first modern head of government to give birth while in office. Education: She attended the Lady Jennings Nursery School and Convent of Jesus and Mary in Karachi. After two years at the Rawalpindi Presentation Convent, she was sent to the Jesus and Mary Convent at Murree. She passed her O-level examinations at the age of 15.She then went on to complete her A-Levels at the Karachi Grammar School. After completing her early education in Pakistan, she pursued her higher education in the States. From Harvard University , she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. In June 2006, she received an Honorary LL.D degree from the University of Toronto .The next phase of her education took place in the United Kingdom. Bhutto’s father arrested: She returned to Pakistan where her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had been elected prime minister, but days after her arrival, the military seized power and her father was imprisoned. In 1979 he was hanged by the military government of General Zia Ul Haq. Bhutto herself was also arrested many times, and was detained for three years before being permitted to leave the country in 1984. She settled in London, but along with her two brothers, she founded an underground organization to resist the military dictatorship. When her brother died in 1985, she returned to Pakistan for his burial, and was again arrested for participating in anti-government rallies. She returned to London after her release, and martial law was lifted in Pakistan at the end of the year. Anti-Zia demonstrations resumed and Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan in April 1986. The public response to her return was tumultuous, and she publicly called for the resignation of Zia Ul Haq, whose government had executed her father. Prime Minister: She was elected co-chairwoman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) along with her mother, and when free elections were finally held in 1988, she herself became Prime Minister. At 35, she was one of the youngest chief executives in the world, and the first woman to serve as prime minister in an Islamic country. she brought electricity to the countryside and built schools all over the country. She made hunger, housing and health care her top priorities, and looked forward to continuing to modernize Pakistan. Policies for women: During election campaigns the Bhutto government voiced its concern for womens social and health issues, including the issue of discrimination against women. Bhutto announced plans to establish womens police stations, courts, and womens development banks. Charges of Corruption: The French, Polish, Spanish and Swiss governments provided documentary evidence to the Pakistan government of alleged corruption by Bhutto and her husband. Bhutto and her husband faced a number of legal proceedings, including a charge of laundering money through Swiss banks. Her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, spent eight years in prison on similar corruption charges and once again, she was forced to leave her homeland. For nine years, she and her children lived in exile in London, where she continued to advocate the restoration of democracy in Pakistan. Asif Ali Zardari was released from prison in 2004 and rejoined his family in London In the autumn of 2007, in the face of death threats from radical Islamists, and the hostility of the government, Benazir Bhutto and her husband returned to their native country. Benazir Bhutto Murdered: Although she was greeted by enthusiastic crowds, within hours of her arrival, her motorcade was attacked after a campaign rally in Rawalpindi,by a gunman who fired at her car before detonating a bomb, killing himself and more than 20 bystanders. Bhutto was rushed to the hospital, but soon succumbed to injuries suffered in the attack. In the wake of her death, rioting erupted throughout the country. The loss of the countrys most popular democratic leader plunged Pakistan into turmoil, intensifying the dangerous instability of a nuclear-armed nation in a highly volatile region. Political Testament: In her political testament, Benazir Bhutto identified her son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as her choice to succeed her as Chairman of the PPP. At the time of her death, Bialawal was only 19, still an undergraduate at Oxford. The party leadership agreed that his father, Asif Ali Zardari, would serve as acting chairman of the party until Bilawal completes his studies in England. Meanwhile, the PPP entered into a broad coalition, including the party of Bhuttos former rival Nawaz Al-Sharif, and scored an overhelming victory in the 2008 election. A member of the PPP, Yousaf Raza Gillani, was chosen to serve as Prime Minister. Later that year, President Musharraf resigned, and Asif Ali Zardari was elected President of Pakistan. Although Benazir Bhutto did not live to see these developments, the party she led and the causes she championed are in the ascendant, and her spirit pervades the political life of contemporary Pakistan. May Her Soul Rest In Peace,Amen

Malware And Exploit Protection

Malware And Exploit Protection In todays modern world of information technology, malware and malware protection is becoming a large part of computer security. To analyse this problem various Internet and academic articles have been studied in order to grasp the main concepts of malware and its impacts on information technology as well as current security protection available in todays market. Introduction The purpose of this report is to give the reader an understanding on the concepts of malware and what technologies are being implemented to prevent unauthorized access of computers and networks. This report will also look into how cyber criminals are able to use a variety of measures to infect computers and networks and why it is necessary to implement various security applications to stop them from accessing data. A brief history on the exploit protection of computers and information systems is also included to provide the reader with a basic understanding of computer security and protection before the Internet was developed into a global fixture. The function of Malware and virus security PG 1 PG 1If a computer is communicating with other devices on a network it can potentially be at risk. Documents and files that are stored in that computer can be exposed to anyone who wants to access them especially if there is no security implemented on that particular device. In recent years the lack of security on Internet applications and web sites has been responsible for hackers entering computer and stealing files and private information. Because the Internet is so large and complex it is becoming increasingly hard to protect computers from malware and viruses. Cyber criminals are able to set up spam and can potentially enter a network through a backdoor or loop hole in the system. These actions can be hard to track and many hackers are not caught due to the fact they are accessing the content from a different location (often in a different country). The concept of malware security has taken huge steps in recent years to prevent computers being vulnerable to attacks. This report w ill focus on how computer security is breached by malware and what security measures are in place to deal with aspects such as anti-malware/virus and spyware protection, spam filters and other password based securities built around Internet applications. The history of security and birth of Malware and Viruses Computer viruses have been in existence long before the modern Internet came about. One of the outbreaks of virus activity was caused by mistake in the late 1980s. In 1987 the Vienna virus was developed, computer specialist Ralph Burger decided to investigate the virus so he got a copy of it and wrote his findings in a book titled Computer Viruses: a high tech disease. His book however caused major problems. Because his analysis was so in depth he ended up telling people how the virus worked and how to write them. As a result people who previously had no knowledge of what computer viruses or malware were now getting a beginners guide on how the process worked. Ralph Burgers book was effectively a guide on how to create viruses and in the years after publication his concepts and findings were still being put to use by cyber criminals who wrote thousands of malware viruses based on his methodologies. PG 2 PG 2The 1990s saw a huge rise in information technology security breach with the introduction of the modern Internet. Major viruses such as the Michelangelo and Melissa viruses saw a new dawn in virus activity and as a result the information technology industry started to take notice. New virus technology such as bots and botnets were beginning to take shape. The introduction of malware saw a huge rise in security breaches especially in home and business environments. For the first time confidential information such as user credentials and private details were being exposed over the Internet. The ability for hackers to trace cookies and monitor network activity in real time started to become a major issue for all internet users. During the mid to late 1990s there were many attempts to put a stop to cyber criminals and malware activities but overall the fact remained that there was no major force that could deal with the increasing problem of computer security and exploit protection. The problem had begun to take effect on national security. Because government agencies had confidential information on computer networks there became a real need to not only protect information on their networks but to protect national security. The U.S in particular became increasingly paranoid about their government agencies and there were a number of cases were their networks had been compromised. In 1998 the U.S attorney general unveiled a $64 million dollar scheme to try and counter cyber criminals and the effects of both Malware and Viruses. A command center was set up to protect all U.S computer systems; the National Infrastructure Protection Center was another major step in internet security in the 1990s. As the Internet continues to grow Internet security is still an extremely important issue. With more and more people using tools such as internet banking and purchasing online items there are now a lot more procedures being put in place to keep these applications secure fro m malware and viruses. Types of Malware and viruses In todays world there are a number of major malware, viruses and bugs that are commonly used to infiltrate Internet applications and computer networks. This section of the report will look at what they are, how they work and what tools are available to counter this kind of criminal activity. PG 3 Viruses A virus is a computer program that is able to replicate itself and infect computer devices. In order for a virus to replicate itself it must first be granted access to execute its code. To make this possible most viruses will try to attach themselves to executable files that are commonly apart of legitimate programs and applications. Viruses can be made to do a number of things including damaging data files, corrupting applications and lowering system performance. Viruses can also be transferred between devices especially if the user has no knowledge of the viruses presence. Commonly USB drives and other forms of memory units will transfer viruses amongst computer devices. What is Malware? Malware is an abbreviated term that stands for malicious software. The main purpose of malware is to spy or damage a computer device. Malware can also include things like tracking cookies, which will allow someone to monitor Internet activity and usage. In todays modern information technology malware encompasses a lot of different types of viruses and exploitation. Spyware As its name suggests spyware is used to spy on a computer or device. Spyware is a form of Malware that performs predominantly the same kind of tasks. It is often used in advertisements known as adware that can be used to track activity on a computer. In recent times spyware has be known to log keystroke activity which enables criminals to gather bank account details and other sensitive data. Worms PG 4A computer worm is able to replicate its self and uses a network to send copies of its self to other devices on a network. Worms are a kind of Malware that can infect a large number of devices on a network, once the worm has been released on a computer it can quickly cause damage over a network. Unlike a virus worms do not need to attach themselves to an executable file. Bots Bots are programs that are capable of taking over a computer. Bots allow the hacker to control a computer from a remote location often starting out as Malware. Cyber criminals will often hide their remote control software attaching to a legitimate source such as a game or application. When the application or game is running they are able to run their software in the background and gain remote access whenever the device is online. Hackers usually try to go unnoticed while implementing bots. In a lot of cases hackers will create a lot of bots and set up botnets (an army of bots) these can then be used to send out spam and other forms of illegal activity. Trojans Trojans (also known as Trojan horse/s) are programs that disguise themselves by doing a legitimate task on a computer. In actual fact the Trojans main purpose is to spy on computer activity and steal information such as credit card details and pin numbers. Once the information has been captured it is then sent back to the cyber criminal who initially set up the Trojan. Trojans are commonly sent as email attachments and are NOT viruses. A Trojan does not infect files or replicate it self like a virus and its main purpose is to go unnoticed within the system. Spam Spam is a type of advertising that is commonly sent to a large scale of computer users. Most spam is developed in the form of get rich schemes, suspicious messages and other forms of advertising that are aimed at tricking the user into releasing credit card details and other information that can benefit the person who sent the spam. Because spam costs the sender next to nothing to send they are able to send it on a large scale increasing their chance of success. PG 5 Current Malware protection Security breaches can come in all forms of illegal activity. These are simply the mainstream problems that occur on a day-to-day basis. There are many more forms of malware that put Internet security to the test and cyber criminals continue to develop new ways of infiltrating computers and networks. So what are some of the current developments put in place to stop malware and other forms of illegal activity? Firewalls The term firewall was fist established by fire fighters. The firewall was a large barrier put in place to prevent the fire from spreading. In computing terms a firewall performs relatively the same task. Essentially a firewall operates by working with a router-based application to make decision of wether to forward packets to a device or wether to drop the packets all together. An easier way to think of a firewall is to imagine a police check point on a road, the cars coming into the checkpoint represent packets being sent across the internet, the police check point represents the firewall as well as the process that is taken to determine if the packet (car) is able to continue to its destination (a network or computer). In other words a firewall is a scan that can detect infected or illegitimate data files or programs before they reach their intended destination. In organizations and businesses a firewall will often be set up on an elected computer that is separated from the rest of the network so that incoming traffic does not have immediate access to the rest of the network. One of the main methods that a firewall uses is screen requests to insure that domain name and internet protocol addresses are genuine. With devices such as PDAs and cell phones, firewalls will allow remote access to certified networks by using password based security measures. Anti Malware/virus software PG 6Anti Malware/virus software applications are used to scan files and eliminate any Malware or viruses that are found on a particular device. Current anti virus applications have come along way in protecting users from malware viruses. Anti virus applications will typically use two forms of scanning procedures to identify malware. The first is analyzing the computer programs and looking for any suspicious activities that are not normally conducted. The second is done by scanning a computer using a malware and virus dictionary this is one of the most effective ways of identifying a security breach. The malware/virus dictionary works by examining a database of known viruses that has been established by that particular anti virus Software Company; it will then scan the computer and try to match any piece of code in its database to the files on a computer. If a match is found then the user will be prompted with a message that gives the user options to deal with the malware and/or virus . For this process to be successful in the long term the malware/virus dictionary needs to be updated on a regular basis to keep up with newly written viruses being developed by hackers and cyber criminals. This is the main reason that anti malware/virus software applications will prompt users to update on a regular basis. Anti-spyware based applications work with the same method of spyware dictionary scanning. Spam filters PG 7In todays modern Internet spam is always a constant threat to computer security for users worldwide and will often contain malware viruses. Although most people will ignore spam a small amount of users get sucked in to spammers advertising schemes. Because spammers are sending out thousands of spam based messages at a time they can easily profit from a couple of over trusting users and because spam is cheap to develop there is always a market for them. In past years users would receive hundreds of messages a day by spammers and trying to sift through emails to find a legitimate message proved to be a daunting task for users. For this reason spam filters were introduced. Spam filters work by using a number of procedures. The first is a language-based filter; these are the easiest procedures for a spam filter to implement. The filter will simply scan through emails and remove any that are not in the native language of the user. Settings for this can obviously be changed if a user i s working in a foreign country, the user can simply enable the languages that they would like to receive by changing the settings of the filter. Content spam filters use a complex set of rules to evaluate messages that are likely to be spam-based advertising. The spam is redirected into a spam folder that can later be deleted by the user. This is one of the most effective approaches to countering spammers however on occasion it can result in legitimate emails being sent to spam folders due to a user request of an advertising promotions or news letters. User spam filters can be the most effective filters if used properly. They require the user to input a set of rules for the filter to follow, although this can be an effective method it can be time consuming and is not the easiest tool for users to use. Conclusion Overall there are a lot of security measures that can be implemented to protect computers and networks form malware. Most security measures that are available to users are aimed at protecting computers from malware, adware, spam and various types of common viruses. Although there are a lot of companies providing these services cyber criminals are always looking for new ways to get around firewalls and anti virus software and on some occasions they are successful. Because there are so many hackers and spammers around the globe new ways of getting around these barriers are frequently being developed and catching them can be very difficult. However if users take the appropriate steps such as installing firewalls and anti malware/virus software they will be less likely to fall prey to cyber criminals. PG 8

Albrecht Dürer’s Meisterstiche Essay -- The Meistersteiche of Dürer

Albrecht Dà ¼rer was a German Renaissance artist known for his prints, and books on proportion. For over a hundred years, Knight, Death and Devil,(cat. 1) Saint Jerome in His Study,(cat. 2) and Melencolia I, (cat. 3) have been considered Dà ¼rer’s Meisterstiche, or â€Å"master prints.†1 There are several different interpretations of these 3 engravings, the imagery with in them, and their relation to each other. These Master Prints are probably the most written about of Dà ¼rer’s work. In the year 2014, we are at the 500-year anniversary of the creation of Melencolia I, and Saint Jerome in His Study, they still remain provocative, and mysterious. Albrecht Dà ¼rer was born in 1471 to Albrecht Dà ¼rer the Elder, a goldsmith in Nuremburg, Germany. He was an adept draftsman at a very young age; this is obvious when observing his Self Portrait at Thirteen. (cat 4) When he reached fifteen years old he started to apprentice as an artist under Michael Wolgemut. After three years as his apprentice he traveled around Europe and also trained in Venice.2 He melded the idealism of the Italians with the realism and symbolism of the Germans. While his paintings were remarkable, his real impression was left by his printmaking.3 Dà ¼rer used both woodcut, and engraving techniques to create art prints that were easily reproduced, and spread to the masses. Woodcuts consist of carving away the negative space on a wood block leaving a relief that will be inked and then pressed with damp paper. Gold and metal workers had been using engraving probably since the dawn of civilization to decorate jewelry and armor. Shortly before Dà ¼rer’s time it was developed as a method of printmaking. In this technique a burin is used to carve away the lines that the artist wants to... ...eflections on archetypal images. Cologne: Taschen, 2010. 132. Print. Clark Institute. "DÃÅ"RER'S SYMBOLISM."The Strange World of Albrecht Dà ¼rer. Sterling and Franchise Clark Institue, n.d. Web. 2 May 2014. . U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Four Humors - And there's the humor of it: Shakespeare and the four humors." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014. fourhumors.html> Hideko, Ishizu. "Another Solution to the Polyhedron in Dà ¼rer's Melencholia: A Visual demonstration of the Delian Problem." Aesthetics No. 13 (2009): 179-194. Japanese Society for Aesthetics . Web. 1 May 2014.

Spirit Bound Chapter Eight

AFTER THE BITCHING I'D DONE to Abe about always going to remote, crappy places, I should have been excited about the prospect of going to Sin City. Alas, I had a few reservations about my next epic trip. First of all, somewhere like Las Vegas was the last place I would expect a semi-crazy recluse to be. From the bits and pieces I'd heard, Robert had dropped off the radar and wanted to be alone. A busy, tourist-filled city didn't really fit that description. Second, cities like that were perfect feeding grounds for Strigoi. Crowded. Reckless. Low inhibitions. Very easy for people to disappear–especially when most of them were out at night. Part of me was certain it had to be a trick on Victor's part, but he swore up and down that it was true. So, with no other leads, Las Vegas became our next destination. We didn't have much time to debate the matter anyway, knowing the guardians would be searching Fairbanks for us. Admittedly, Lissa's charms had altered our appearances enough that they wouldn't be looking for people with our descriptions. They knew what Victor looked like, though, so the sooner we were out of Alaska, the better. Unfortunately, we had a slight problem. â€Å"Victor has no ID,† said Eddie. â€Å"We can't take him on a plane.† It was true. All of Victor's possessions had been seized by prison authorities, and in the midst of disabling surveillance and taking out half a dozen guardians, we'd hardly had time to go searching for his personal stuff. Lissa's compulsion was phenomenal, but she was exhausted after wielding so much at the prison. Besides, guardians would likely be watching the airport. Our â€Å"friend† Bud the car rental guy provided the solution. He hadn't been thrilled to see his car returned with all the scratches from Eddie's daredevil driving, but enough cash had finally stopped the human's muttering about â€Å"renting to a bunch of kids.† It was Victor who thought of an alternative plan and suggested it to Bud. â€Å"Is there a private airport nearby? With flights we might charter?† â€Å"Sure,† said Bud. â€Å"But it won't be cheap.† â€Å"It's not an issue,† I said. Bud eyed us askance. â€Å"Did you guys rob a bank or something?† No, but we were packing a lot of currency. Lissa had a trust fund that doled her out monthly money until she was eighteen, as well as a high-limit credit card. I had a credit card of my own, leftover from when I'd sweet-talked Adrian into funding my Russian trip. I'd let go of the rest of my assets, like the huge bank account he'd set up. But, wrong or not, I'd decided to keep one card on hand, just in case of emergency. This was certainly an emergency, so we used the card to pay for part of the private plane's cost. The pilot couldn't take us as far as Las Vegas, but he could take us to Seattle, where he was able to connect us with another pilot he knew who could go the rest of the way. More money. â€Å"And Seattle again,† I mused, just before the plane took off. The little jet's interior had a set of four seats, two on each side facing each other. I sat next to Victor, and Eddie sat across from him. We figured that was the best protective configuration. â€Å"What about Seattle?† asked Eddie, puzzled. â€Å"Never mind.† Little private jets aren't nearly as fast as big commercial ones, and our trip took a large part of the day. During it, I continued asking Victor about his brother's role in Las Vegas and finally got the answer I wanted. Victor would have had to tell us eventually, but I think he'd gotten a sadistic thrill out of prolonging the answer. â€Å"Robert doesn't live in Las Vegas proper,† he explained. â€Å"He has a small house–a cabin, I suppose–out by Red Rock Canyon, miles outside the city.† Ah. Now that was more what I'd expected. Lissa stiffened at the mention of a cabin, and I felt unease through the bond. When Victor had kidnapped her, he'd taken her to a cabin in the woods and tortured her there. I gave her as reassuring a look as I could. It was times like these I wished the bond worked both ways so that I could truly send her comfort. â€Å"So we'll go out there?† Victor snorted. â€Å"Certainly not. Robert values his privacy too much. He wouldn't let strangers come to his home. But he'll come to the city if I ask.† Lissa eyed me. Victor could be setting us up. He had lots of supporters. Now that he's out, he could call them instead of Robert to meet us. I gave her a tiny nod, again wishing I could respond back through the bond. I'd thought of this as well. It was imperative we never leave Victor alone to make unsupervised calls. And actually, this plan to meet in Las Vegas itself made me feel better. For our own safety from Victor's henchmen, it was better to be in the city than out in the middle of nowhere. â€Å"Seeing as I've been so helpful,† said Victor, â€Å"I have the right to know what you want with my brother.† He glanced at Lissa. â€Å"Looking for spirit lessons? You had to have done some excellent investigative work to find out about him.† â€Å"You have no right to know about our plans,† I retorted sharply. â€Å"And seriously? If you're keeping track of who's been the most helpful here, we are totally beating you on the score-card. You've got a ways to go to catch up after what we did at Tarasov.† Victor's only response was a small smile. Some of our flight time took place at night, which meant it was early morning when we landed in Las Vegas. The safety of sunlight. I was surprised to see how crowded the airport was. The private one in Seattle had had a fair amount of planes, but the Fairbanks airport had nearly been deserted. This strip was chock-full of little jets, many of them screaming â€Å"luxury.† I shouldn't have been surprised. Las Vegas was the playground of celebrities and other wealthy people, many of whom probably couldn't lower themselves to fly commercial with ordinary passengers. There were taxis there, sparing us the ordeal of another rental car. But when the driver asked us where we were going, we all stayed silent. I turned to Victor. â€Å"The middle of the city, right? The Strip?† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. He'd been certain Robert would want to meet strangers somewhere very public. Somewhere he could easily flee. â€Å"The Strip's a big place,† said the driver. â€Å"You got any place in particular or should I just drop you off in the middle of the street?† Silence fell over us. Lissa shot me a meaningful look. â€Å"The Witching Hour?† I considered it. Las Vegas was a favorite place for some Moroi. The bright sun made it less appealing for Strigoi, and the windowless casinos created comfortable, dark atmospheres. The Witching Hour was a hotel and casino we'd all heard of. While it had plenty of human customers, it was actually owned by Moroi, so it had lots of clandestine features to make it a great getaway for vampires. Feeders in back rooms. Special Moroi-only lounges. A fair number of guardians on patrol. Guardians†¦ I shook my head and glanced sideways at Victor. â€Å"We can't take him there.† Of all the hotels in Las Vegas, the Witching Hour was the last we'd want to go to. Victor's escape had to be breaking news all over the Moroi world. Taking him into Vegas's largest concentration of Moroi and guardians was probably the worst thing we could do at this point. In the rearview mirror, the driver's face looked impatient. It was Eddie who finally piped up. â€Å"The Luxor.† He and I were in the backseat, with Victor between us, and I peered over. â€Å"Where did that come from?† â€Å"It puts distance between us and the Witching Hour.† Eddie suddenly looked a little sheepish. â€Å"And I've always wanted to stay there. I mean, if you're coming to Vegas, why not stay in a pyramid?† â€Å"You can't fault that logic,† said Lissa. â€Å"The Luxor it is,† I said to the driver. We rode in silence, all of us–well, except for Victor–staring at the sights in awe. Even in the daytime, the streets of Las Vegas were teeming with people. The young and glamorous walked side by side with older couples from Middle America, who'd probably saved and saved to make this trip. The hotels and casinos we passed were huge, flashy, and inviting. And when we reached the Luxor†¦ yup. It was just like Eddie had said. A hotel shaped like a pyramid. I stared up at it when we got out of the car, trying hard not to let my jaw drop like the starry-eyed tourist I was. I paid the driver and we headed inside. I didn't know how long we'd be staying, but we definitely needed a room as our base of operation. Stepping into the hotel was like being back in the night-clubs in Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Flashing lights and the overwhelming scent of smoke. And noise. Noise, noise, noise. The slot machines beeped and rang, chips fell, people yelled in dismay or delight, and the low thrum of conversation filled the room like humming bees. I grimaced. The stimuli grated on my senses. We passed through the casino's edge to get to the front desk, where the attendant didn't even blink at three teenagers and an old man getting a room together. I had to imagine that around here, they saw it all. Our room was average-size, with two double beds, and somehow we'd lucked out with an amazing view. Lissa stood at the window, entranced by the sights of people and cars on the Strip below, but I jumped straight to business. â€Å"Okay, call him,† I ordered Victor. He'd settled down on one of the beds, hands crossed and expression serene, as though he truly were on vacation. Despite that smug smile, I could see the fatigue etched on his face. Even with his blood refill, the escape and long trip had been exhausting, and the effects of his slowly returning disease were naturally taking a toll on his physical strength. Victor immediately reached for the hotel's phone, but I shook my head. â€Å"Liss, let him use your cell. I want a record of this number.† She gingerly handed the phone over, as though he might contaminate it. He took it and gave me a nigh-angelic look. â€Å"I don't suppose I could have some privacy? It's been so long since Robert and I have talked.† â€Å"No,† I snapped. The harshness in my voice startled even me, and it occurred to me Lissa wasn't the only one suffering from all the spirit used today. Victor gave a small shrug and began dialing. He'd told us on one of the flights that he had Robert's number memorized, and I had to take it on faith that that was who he was calling. I also had to hope Robert's number hadn't changed. Of course, even if Victor hadn't seen his brother in years, Victor had only been imprisoned a short while and had probably kept tabs on Robert beforehand. Tension filled the room as we waited while the phone rang. A moment later, I heard a voice answer through the phone's speaker–though I couldn't make out the exact words. â€Å"Robert,† said Victor pleasantly, â€Å"it's Victor.† This received a frantic response on the other end. I only could hear half of the conversation, but it was intriguing. Victor first had to spend a lot of time convincing Robert that he was out of prison. Apparently, Robert wasn't so removed from Moroi society that he was out of touch with current news. Victor told him that the details would be revealed later and then began making his pitch for Robert to come meet us. It took a long time. I got the feeling that Robert lived in fear and paranoia, which reminded me of Ms. Karp when she'd been in the advanced stages of spirit's insanity. Lissa's gaze stayed fixed on the scene outside the window during the entire call, but her feelings mirrored mine: fear that this could someday be her fate. Or mine as well, if I siphoned away spirit's effects. The image of the Tarasov sign flashed briefly through her mind: WARNING–NOW ENTERING PRISONER AREA (PSYCHIATRIC). Victor's voice turned surprisingly cajoling as he spoke to his brother, gentle even. I was reminded uneasily of the old days, before we'd known about Victor's demented plans for Moroi domination. Back then, he'd treated us kindly too and had practically been a member of Lissa's family. I wondered if at some point he'd been sincere or if it had all been an act. Finally, after almost twenty minutes, Victor convinced Robert to come see us. The unintelligible words on the other end of the phone were filled with anxiety, and at this point, I felt convinced that Victor truly was talking to his crazy brother and not one of his accomplices. Victor set up a dinner meeting at one of the hotel's restaurants and at last disconnected. â€Å"Dinner?† I asked when Victor set the phone down. â€Å"Isn't he worried about being out after dark?† â€Å"It's an early dinner,† Victor replied. â€Å"Four thirty. And the sun won't go down until almost eight.† â€Å"Four thirty?† I asked. â€Å"Good God. Are we getting the senior citizen special?† But he made a good point about the time and sun. Without the safety of Alaska's nearly nonstop summer light, I was starting to feel suffocated by the pressure of sunrise and sunset boundaries, even though it was summer here. Unfortunately, a safe early dinner still meant we had hours to pass. Victor leaned back on the bed, arms behind his head. I think he was attempting an unconcerned air, but my guess was that it was actually exhaustion driving him to seek the bed's comfort. â€Å"Care to try your luck downstairs?† He glanced over at Lissa. â€Å"Spirit users make remarkably good card players. I don't have to tell you how good you are at reading people.† She made no response. â€Å"Nobody's leaving this room,† I said. I didn't like the idea of us all being cooped up here, but I couldn't risk an escape attempt or Strigoi lurking in the casino's dark corners. After showering the dye from her hair, Lissa pulled up a chair by the window. She refused to get any closer to Victor. I sat cross-legged on the second bed, where there was plenty of room for Eddie to sit too, but he remained upright against a wall, in perfect guardian posture as he watched Victor. I had no doubt Eddie could maintain that position for hours, no matter how uncomfortable it got. We'd all been trained to endure harsh conditions. He did a good job at looking stern, but every once in a while, I'd catch him studying Victor curiously. Eddie had stood by me in this act of treason but still didn't know why I'd done it. We'd been there a few hours when someone knocked at the door. I leapt up. Eddie and I mirrored each other, both of us straightening to rigid attention, hands going for our stakes. We'd ordered lunch an hour ago, but room service had long since come and gone. It was too early for Robert, and besides, he didn't know the name our room was under. There was no nausea, though. No Strigoi at our door. I met Eddie's gaze, silent messages passing between us on what to do. But it was Lissa who acted first, rising from her chair and taking a few steps across the room. â€Å"It's Adrian.† â€Å"What?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Are you sure?† She nodded. Spirit users usually only saw auras, but they could sense each other if they were close enough–just as she had at the prison. Still, none of us moved. She gave me a dry look. â€Å"He knows I'm here,† she pointed out. â€Å"He can feel me too.† I sighed, still keeping my hand on my stake, and strode to the door. I squinted through the peephole. Standing there, his expression amused and restless, was Adrian. I could see no one else, and with no indication of Strigoi to be found, I finally opened the door. His face lit with joy when he saw me. Leaning in, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping into the room. â€Å"You guys didn't really think you could go off on a party weekend without me, did you? Especially here of all places–â€Å" He froze, and it was one of those rare moments when Adrian Ivashkov was caught totally and completely off guard. â€Å"Did you know,† he said slowly, â€Å"that Victor Dashkov is sitting on your bed?† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"It was kind of a shock to us too.† Adrian dragged his gaze from Victor and glanced around the room, noticing Eddie for the first time. Eddie had been standing so still that he practically seemed like part of the furniture. Adrian turned to me. â€Å"What the hell is going on? Everyone is out looking for him!† Lissa's words spoke to me through my bond. You might as well tell him. You know he won't leave now. She was right. I didn't know how Adrian had found us, but now that he had, there was no way he'd go. I glanced hesitantly at Eddie, who guessed my thoughts. â€Å"We'll be fine,† he said. â€Å"Go talk. I won't let anything happen.† And I'm strong enough again that I can compel him if he tries anything, Lissa added. I sighed. â€Å"Okay. We'll be right back.† I took Adrian's arm and led him outside. As soon as we were in the hallway, he started in again. â€Å"Rose, what's–â€Å" I shook my head. In our time here, I'd heard enough noise from other hotel guests in the hall to know that my friends would hear our conversation if we talked out there. Instead, Adrian and I took the elevator and headed downstairs, where the noise of the casino would mask our words. We found a slightly out-of-the-way corner, and Adrian practically pushed me against the wall, his expression dark. His light attitude annoyed me sometimes, but I preferred it to when he was upset, largely because I feared spirit would add an unstable edge. â€Å"You leave me a note saying you're sneaking off for one last party weekend, and instead I find you holed up with one of the most notorious criminals ever? When I left Court, that's all everyone was talking about! Didn't that guy try to kill you?† I answered his question with a question. â€Å"How did you even find us?† â€Å"The credit card,† he said. â€Å"I was waiting for you to use it.† My eyes widened. â€Å"You promised me when I got all those that you wouldn't go snooping!† Since my accounts and cards had come with his help, I'd known he had access to the records but had believed him when he'd said he'd respect my privacy. â€Å"When you were in Russia, I kept that promise. This is different. I kept checking and checking with the company, and as soon as the activity with the charter plane showed up, I called and found out where you were going.† Adrian's arrival here so soon after ours wasn't that unbelievable if he had been monitoring the card. Once he'd had the information he needed, he could have easily booked a flight. A nonstop commercial jet would have made up the time on our slower, multistop trip. â€Å"There was no way I could resist Vegas,† he continued. â€Å"So I thought I'd surprise you and show up to join in the fun.† I'd used my card for the room, I realized, again tipping off our location. No one else was linked to my or Lissa's cards, but the ease with which he'd tracked us made me nervous. â€Å"You shouldn't have done that,† I growled. â€Å"We might be together, but there are boundaries you've got to respect. This is none of your business.† â€Å"It's not like I was reading your diary! I just wanted to find my girlfriend and–† It was a sign of Adrian's distress that his mind was only now beginning to backtrack and put pieces together. â€Å"Oh lord. Rose, please tell me you guys aren't the ones who busted him out? They're all looking for two human girls and a dhampir guy. The descriptions don't match at all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He groaned. â€Å"But it was you, wasn't it? Somehow, you broke into a maximum-security prison. With Eddie.† â€Å"Must not have been all that secure,† I remarked lightly. â€Å"Rose! This guy has fucked with both of your lives. Why would you free him?† â€Å"Because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. How could I explain this to Adrian? How could I explain that which, by all evidence in our world, was impossible? And how could I explain what goal in particular was driving this? â€Å"Victor has information we need. Or, well, he has access to someone we need. This was the only way we could get it.† â€Å"What on earth could he possibly know to make you do all this?† I swallowed. I walked into prisons and nests of Strigoi, but saying what I did next to Adrian filled me with apprehension. â€Å"Because there might be a way to save Strigoi. To turn them back to the way they were. And Victor†¦ Victor knows someone who might have done this.† Adrian stared at me for several long seconds, and even in the midst of the casino's movement and noise, it was like the world grew still and silent. â€Å"Rose, that's impossible.† â€Å"It might not be.† â€Å"If there was a way to do that, we would know.† â€Å"It involves spirit users. And we only just found out about them.† â€Å"That doesn't mean it's–oh. I see.† His deep green eyes flashed, and this time, they were angry. â€Å"It's him, isn't it? This is your last crazy attempt to get to him. To Dimitri.† â€Å"Not just him,† I said vaguely. â€Å"It could save all Strigoi.† â€Å"I thought this was over!† Adrian exclaimed. His voice was loud enough that a few people at nearby slot machines glanced over. â€Å"You told me it was over. You told me you could move on and be with me.† â€Å"I meant it,† I said, surprised at the desperate note in my voice. â€Å"It's something we only just found out about. We had to try.† â€Å"And what then? What if this stupid fantasy works? You free Dimitri in some miraculous act, and you drop me like that.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"I don't know,† I said wearily. â€Å"We're just taking this one step at a time. I love being with you. Really. But I can't ignore this.† â€Å"Of course you can't.† He turned his eyes heavenward. â€Å"Dreams, dreams. I walk them; I live them. I delude myself with them. It's a wonder I can spot reality anymore.† The weird sound of his voice made me nervous. I could recognize one of his slightly crazy, spirit-induced lapses. Then, he turned from me with a sigh. â€Å"I need a drink.† Whatever pity I'd felt for him turned to anger. â€Å"Oh, good. That'll fix everything. I'm glad in a world gone mad, you've still got your old standbys.† I flinched at his glare. He didn't do it very often, and when he did, it was a powerful thing. â€Å"What do you expect me to do?† he asked. â€Å"You could†¦ you could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Oh God. â€Å"Well, now that you're here, you could help us. Plus, this guy we're meeting. He's another spirit user.† Adrian didn't betray his thoughts, but I had a feeling that I had piqued his interest. â€Å"Yeah, that's exactly what I want. To help my girlfriend get her old boyfriend back.† He turned away again, and I heard him mutter, â€Å"I need two drinks.† â€Å"Four thirty,† I called after him. â€Å"We're meeting at four thirty.† There was no response, and Adrian melted into the crowd. I returned to the room in a dark cloud that had to be obvious to everyone. Lissa and Eddie were smart enough not to ask questions, but Victor, of course, had no such reserves. â€Å"What? Mr. Ivashkov isn't joining us? I'd so been looking forward to his company.† â€Å"Shut up,† I said, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall near Eddie. â€Å"Don't speak unless you're spoken to.† The next couple hours dragged by. I was convinced that any minute, Adrian would come back and reluctantly agree to help us. We could use his compulsion if things went bad, even though he couldn't match Lissa. Surely†¦ surely he loved me enough to come to my aid? He wouldn't abandon me? You're an idiot, Rose. It was my own voice that chastised me in my head, not Lissa's. You've given him no reason to help. You just hurt him again and again. Just like you did Mason. When four fifteen came around, Eddie looked over at me. â€Å"Should we stake out a table?† â€Å"Yeah.† I was restless and upset. I didn't want to stay in this room any longer, trapped with dark feelings that wouldn't go away. Victor rose from the bed, stretching as though getting up from a relaxing nap. Still, I could have sworn there was an eager glint hidden in the depths of his eyes. By all accounts, he and his half-brother were close, though I'd seen no indication that Victor displayed love or loyalty to anyone. Who knew? Maybe somewhere there was true affection for Robert. We formed a sort of protective configuration with me in the front, Eddie in the back, and the two Moroi between us. I opened the room's door and came face-to-face with Adrian. His hand was raised as though he'd been about to knock. He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Oh, hey,† he said. He had the standard laid-back Adrian expression on his face, though his voice was a bit strained. I knew he wasn't happy about any of this. I could see it in the tight set of his jaw and agitation in his eyes. Nonetheless, he was putting on a good front for the others, for which I was grateful. Most importantly, he'd come back. That was what mattered, and I could ignore the scent of alcohol and smoke wreathing him. â€Å"So†¦ I hear there's some party going on. Mind if I join you?† I gave him a weak, grateful smile. â€Å"Come on.† Our group now up to five, we headed down the hall toward the elevator. â€Å"I was cleaning up at poker, you know,† Adrian added. â€Å"So this better be good.† â€Å"I don't know if it'll be good,† I mused. The elevator doors opened. â€Å"But I think it'll be memorable.† We stepped inside, off to see Robert Doru. And what might be Dimitri's only salvation.