Natural Resources And The Politics Of Middle East Essay Example for Free

Natural Resources And The Politics Of Middle East Essay Oil production in the Middle East has not only been a subject of geology or exploiting the lowest-cost field. Where exploration is performed and what fields are developed has been influenced as much by political as by economic factors. Until the late 1960s oil production and exports from the region significantly reflected the major western oil companies’ need to cope with the demands of the different governments in the Middle East, all of whom wanted to see more oil produced in their territories in order that they could get more revenue. The oil companies were as well concerned with the political stability of the regimes in the oil-exporting countries, the dependability of supply, the likelihood of the nationalisation of oil company facilities, demands over royalty levels and pressures to make use of and train local nationals. In view of the fact that then, what gets produced where and exported has depended on political and economic muscle within OPEC which efficiently determines country quotas. Iran was the first country in the Middle East in which oil was exploited with test production starting in 1903 and a key discovery in 1908. Under Reza Shah the country was politically stable, and the oil concession agreement which was signed with D’Arcy in 1901 on very positive terms was to run until 1994. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which afterwards turns into British Petroleum, was founded in 1909. Oil was not discovered in Iraq until 1927, however by that time Persian production was well established, plus a slow growth of demand, reflecting the fragile state of the international economy at the time, intended Iraqi oil exploitation was restricted in these early years. (Mohamed Rabie, 1992). Which oil fields were developed as well reflected rivalries in Middle Eastern interests between the major western powers. Britain, through the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, had a virtual monopoly of exploration in Iran, consequently the United States had little choice however to look to Saudi Arabia on the other side of the Gulf, the one area that had not come under European imperial influences. In the 1930s the oil fields of the eastern province were opened up, plus the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) was formed by a consortium of leading United States oil companies. It was ARAMCO that developed the Ghawar and Safaniya fields in the Dhahran area which were to prove to be the largest and most dynamic in the entire world. ARAMCO carries on to account for most Saudi Arabian oil production and exports, although it was nationalised in the 1970s and the role of the American associate companies is now restricted to specialist support and marketing. There was huge resistance to attempts to take over the oil concessions awarded to western multinational oil companies. Conflicts between the oil companies and host-country governments over revenues date back to the 1920s and 1930s when oil started to be exploited in noteworthy quantities, however it was the Iranian government which was the first to demand control of production. After Dr Musaddiq consolidated his power as prime minister in 1952 he set up the National Iran Oil Company, a state-owned entity, to take over Iran’s oil from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. This aggravated a two-year boycott of purchases of Iranian oil by the major western oil companies. Purchases were merely started again when Musaddiq was overthrown and terms were agreed which were satisfactory from the viewpoint of the oil companies. (John Page, 1999). In the meantime the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company had changed its name to British Petroleum. It was to focus on developing the oil fields of the Emirates on the Arab side of the Gulf, where the rulers were much more co-operative. It was this new orientation and the co-operation with Shell, the Anglo-Dutch company, which were to consequence in the major developments in Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and ultimately Oman. The increasing importance of the Arab Emirates as oil suppliers was not so much a reflection of the quality of their oil or relative cost factors, to a certain extent what mattered was the political environment and the security of oil supplies. Iran, and subsequently Iraq, had their exploration and production curtailed on account of their political intransigence. The beneficiaries were the Arabian Peninsula states that had their oil fields developed and exploited to a greater extent than might otherwise have been the case on the basis of geological decisions alone. (Nora Bensahel, Daniel L. Byman, 2003).

The Powers Of Europe During 1914 History Essay

The Powers Of Europe During 1914 History Essay In 1914 war was just a disaster waiting to happen, all over Europe tensions were raising with each country looking for the smallest excuse to start one of the greatest wars in history; World War I. On the 28th of June 1914 Austria found its excuse; the heir to the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir apparent of the Austrian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo by a Gavrilo Princip; a member of the Black Hand which was a secret Nationalist Serbian group that was devoted to uniting all of the territories with significant Serb populations not ruled by Serbia. This was not the only cause for the First World War however; it was only the match that lit up the unstable barrel of gun powder that was known as Europe during the time. Lots of countries wanted to go to war, but there is just one question; which country was most prepared or would benefit the most from the war? There are a few main factors that should be considered when deciding; economy, military, social Conditions and political polic ies. Economy During the start of the 19th century Great Britain was the kingpin of economic development. This was mainly because of its overseas colonies. 1815 to 1914 was referred to as Great Britains Imperial Century. During that time 10 million square miles and close to 400 million people were made part of the British Empire in which it had access to loads of extra resources. But while Britains economy had jumped during the industrial revolution, its growth had started to slow. This can be shown through its coal production. In 1914 Great Britains coal output was 292 million tons from 250 million tons in 1900, only a 42 million ton increase. This growth compared to Germany, it had a 156 million ton increase in production. As these statistics show, while Britain was growing it wasnt growing as fast as it was during the Industrial Revolution and could soon be overtaken by any potential competitor. Despite this, London was still the worlds financial and entrepreneurial center for international pay ments and Britain still remained a very large creditor nation, lending funds to other countries. The German economy in 1914 was growing at a phenomenal pace and should be considered as one of the greatest economic powers of the world at the time. During the earlier years of Imperial Germanys existence its economy had lagged far behind its competitors (Great Britain, France and Belgium) due to the fact that it was a new country and had to unify all of its affairs from the countries that were created from it, as a result the social structure was not at all suitable for economic or entrepreneurial development. But by the beginning of the 20th century Germany had become one of the world leaders in industrialization second only to Great Britain (which was in a slow decline after the industrial revolution). An example of this would be Germanys steel production. In 1914 it had produced an estimated 14 million tons compared to Great Britain which only produced 8 million tons. The prosperity of Germanys economy was also reflected in the way its population had exploded during the late 189 0s yet when absorbed into the labor market living standards went on without any drastic decline. By 1914 the countrys NDP (Net Domestic Product) was over 20 billion reichsmarks. This statistic can be disputed though. According to Knut Borchardt, the poor state of the statistical material undermines the reliability of many of the detailed figures (Borchardt, 1954) After Austria-Hungary became a dual monarchy its economy had changed in many ways. It had started to replace its medieval institutions with more modern structures. The technological changes during that time also accelerated the urbanization and industrialization of the country. As a result of the improvements of Austria-Hungarys economy, the GNP grew an estimated 1.76% per year during the time period for 1870-1913. This growth compared very favorably with the other super powers of the time such as Britain (1%), France (1.06%) and Germany (1.51%). But in its early years the economy in general economy still could not compare with the others due to its late start in its sustained modernization. But by the end of the 19th century these differences slowly began to even themselves out. By 1900 Austria-Hungary had a strong food industry and agriculture in the east while the western areas excelled in various manufacturing industries. By 1914 Austria-Hungary had become the 3rd largest economi c and industrial country in Europe after Great Britain and Germany. During 1914 Russias economy was not in such great shape. It had an abundance of resources but most were locked in by the vast size of the country and the extreme climate that they were located in. It would seem that Russia may have been a dying man but historians unanimously agree that its economy did grow. By 1900 it had taken Frances 4th place position in iron production and 5th in steel production. Railway mileage had increased by 87% between 1892 and 1903 and its oil extraction had even tripled between 1892 and 1903. All of this industrialization though, required lots of capital to start up and maintain. This though was capital that Russia did not have at its disposal. As a result, Russias industry ended up being predominately owned by foreigners. A few examples of this would be Russias steel and mining industry; 69% and 85% respectively were owned by foreigners. An interesting fact about other ownership of Russias industries is that the knowledge capital that was utilized in Rus sias industrialization were either foreigners or Russian minorities like Jews, Poles or à Ã‚ ¡Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ Ã‚ °Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ Ã‚ ±Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€˜Ã‚ Ãƒ Ã‚ ´Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬  Ãƒâ€˜Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ (Old Believers). Despite all of these improvements on Russias economy there were very few people in the middle class and most were living in close to medieval-like poverty while the nobility were extremely wealthy. This created a giant imbalance in the workforce which in turn drastically lowered industrial efficiency. These were the main hurdles for Russia to become a major economic superpower and also resulted in unrest within the country. Throughout the first half of the 19th century France was the worlds wealthiest nation. During the time when agriculture was the main occupation of the majority of Europe it had the most abundant resources. It also held the 2nd place in the worlds industrial production after Great Britain. But in 1914 the economy was not like it was 50 years ago. France ranked behind the other main superpowers like Great Britain, Germany Austria-Hungary and Russia in population and was struggling with Russia in terms of industrial production as it had already fallen behind in production. An example would be coal output. France lagged behind both Germany and Great Britain with only a 40 million ton output compared to 277 million and 292 million tons respectively and is only able to have competition with Russia which had 36.2 million tons of coal output. Though the general patterns of growth in France had a resemblance to the other Western European nations, the peaks in its periods of prosperity were lo wer and the troughs in its periods of depression were deeper. Military Might During the beginning of the 20th century, Great Britain had the largest empire in the world which covered over 11 million square miles of territory most of which was claimed between 1750 and 1850. By the late 19th century Great Britain also acquired colonies in Africa and in 1914 King George V reigned over 430 million people. The British Empire was protected by its Royal Navy. This included 18 dreadnoughts, 29 pre-dreadnought battleships, 195 assorted cruisers and 146 destroyers. The Royal Navy was the largest navy in the world at the time. In August of 1914 Britain had around 250 thousand soldiers in active service with the remaining 450 thousand in reserve. About 120 thousand soldiers in active duty were in the British Expeditionary Force and the rest of the army was stationed abroad in all of its colonies except for the white countries/dominions of Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Britain already had an undersized army but the fact that they were spread out all over the world me ant that fighting capacity in the event of war would be limited. Even before 1914 Germany was credited with having the most efficient army in the world. Unlike Britain it employed universal mass conscription for all of the men. The German Army (Deutsches Heer) were first put into short term military service and after that was finished they were put into long term reserve should they be needed in the event of a war. By 1914 the German Army in its entirety had 4.2 million soldiers. The Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine)

Truth of Mining Toxins :: essays research papers

The Truth of the Mining Toxins In this novel Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver is based on two sisters figuring out where they belong in life. They grow up in a small Native Latino American city named Grace, Arizona. In this small town there is a river that runs through the town. Codi, the older sister, is a teacher at the local school. She decided to take her students to the river to look at the water under a microscope and discovered that the water is contaminated. She ended up discussing this problem with a small group called the Stich Bitch Club. This group is only women and they discuss things about the town and many problems that occur in their everyday life. While the men of the town couldn’t get involved, the women solved things from the environment to help the town by being powerful feminists.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After Cody was brought into the group she known she would have to tell this information to the woman about the Black Mountain mining. The mining has been running sulfuric acid in the water through the town of Grace that is causing trees to die, including microscopic animals in the river. This sulfuric acid can also be used to kill rats and pond algae and many other small things in the river, but not the fish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mining toxins are something that is released into the environment by the businesses throughout the United States. In my research I discovered that the mining industry toxins that were most released was in the year 1998. Some things were, â€Å"metal mining:3.5 billion pounds, Gold mining:1.23 billion pounds, Air: 2 million pounds, coal mining: 13.3 million pounds.† (Drillbits, 1) For example, â€Å"Toxin gas released from a Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal that killed 2,500 people in India, in 1984.† (Drillbits, 1) All these different toxins are causing damage in the water, but most of all it is killing innocent people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book it shows that Codi did discuss this problem with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and they also discovered the sulfuric acid in the river. According to the Stich and Bitch Club they know they had to stop the company from building a dam and polluting the river. A certain woman from the Stich and Bitch Club suggested that, â€Å"My husband used to be a crane operator when the mine was running; he would know how to fix up the bulldozers from hell to breakfast.

Apply Chain Management vs Traditional Mananagement Systens Essay

A. Approach The use of information technology by firms that want to gain competitive advantage has increased dramatically in the last twenty years. Large and small firms have been utilizing information systems to connect their internal business functions and the company’s activities to stakeholder such as suppliers and customers. (FORMAN WEB 13). Supply chain management and customer relationship management are some of the many systems used by firms to accomplish the aforementioned functions. Before comparing Supply Chain Management and customer relationship management systems to Tradition Systems, a brief description of Supply chain management and the activities it involves is fully warranted. This brief easy attempts to compare and contract SCM and CRM systems to traditional management systems in terms of approaches , efficiency, cost saving, and firm profitability. Jiambalvo (2010) describes supply chain management as,† the organization of activities between a company and its suppliers in an effort to provide for the profitable development, production, and delivery of goods to customers.† (P, 15). Sunil & Peter further describe ( ) supply chain as, â€Å"consisting of all parties involved, directly or indirectly, in fulfilling a customer request. The supply chain includes not only the manufacturer and suppliers, but also transporters, warehouses, retailers, and even customers themselves. Within each organization, such as a manufacturer, the supply chain includes all functions involved in receiving and filling a customer request. These functions include, but are not limited to new product development, marketing and operations, distribution and finance, and customer service.†(P... ...in saving costs for firms that effectively implement the systems. Alan and et al.(2009) state that, â€Å" full-scale implementations lead to system-wide inventory optimization, which in turn leads to cost improvement associated with inventory balances and turns.†(See Page 21 for note). Mikko & et al (2002) conducted a study of the cost reduction benefits of SCM and found that,† the sharing of demand information in supply chains typically increases the performance of the supply chain by increasing availability and reducing inventory related costs.† That other major distinctions between the two systems and traditional management systems is that the former need a small amount of date input and out put to perform sophisticated and complex functional, while the later takes and produces data in a large amount. A. profitability

Free College Admissions Essays: Train Ride :: College Admissions Essays

Train Ride The members of the Committee on Admissions seek to gain an understanding of you as a person through a written essay. This essay is your opportunity to discuss an idea that is important to you, to write about a person who has influenced you, or to describe an experience that has helped shape who you are. The committee is also interested in how you think and how you express your thoughts. Â   I ride the metro whenever I can. I've ridden all five lines into fifty different neighborhoods. Sometimes I go to my internship downtown; other days I visit the museums at the capital; but many days I travel alone, without a destination, merely to enjoy the experience. Experiences like this: A small black boy climbs down from his father's lap and walks shyly towards the young man sitting across the aisle. His attention caught by a bit of color on the man's wrist, he tugs at his cuff and looks questioningly up at him. The man is dressed in business attire - but upon rolling up his sleeve reveals a solid mass of tattoo from wrist to elbow. A smile creeps into the man's face as he watches the boy marvel at the art. I enjoy people watching. I speak to no one, I only observe everyone, and wonder about their lives. What did the man with the tattoo study in school? I hope he is some kind of artist. What kind of music does he listen to? I imagine that we listen to many of the same songs. He looks too young to have children, but does he plan to? The way he humors and smiles at the boy, I hope he does. I imagine he has younger siblings who adore their big brother. In my mind I explore the possibilities and I make up answers to my own questions. Then I move on to others, to the people who just sit alone and keep to themselves. They fascinate me the most, because their outward appearances give me so little insight into their lives. They may seem dull and anonymous to most and go unnoticed by others on the train, but I know that each person, like myself, has their story. Each person has a favorite song, a best friend, and a nickname, and each person is going somewhere.

Identify and outline the opportunities of current government

The essay briefly focuses on the delivery of the Healthy Child Programme age 0-19 (HCP DOH 2009) and the â€Å"Giving all children a healthy start† policy by the Department ot Health 2013 (DOH 2013). The government brought the Healthy Child Programme 0-19 years old, out in October 009 (HCP 2009) to support partnerships that work closely with children and their families.The HCP has made a great impact on the way the health professionals work, as it gives them a guideline on how to structure the delivery of care given to the families. Ensuring that appropriate preventative health care and support is given to the more deprived families that require more guidance. On the other hand the â€Å"Giving all children a healthy start in life† Policy (DOH 2013) ims to help children who grow up in the most at risk families and to help parents give their children the best possible care.This policy also embraces the aims of the HCP, as one of its main focuses, is to help children be a s healthy as possible by preventing Illness and encouraging healthy behaviours from pregnancy onwards (DOH 2013). Both these policies make an Immerse dfference In which the health professionals deliver their services, particularly the specialist community public health nurses (SCPHN).As the policies are a guideline for the SCPHN to follow, and to make sure that they are delivering and offering the most appropriate support they can give to their clients with their best ability. References Department of Health (2012) Getting it right for children, young people and families. Department of Health (2013) Giving all children a healthy start in life. Department of Health (2009) Child Programme: from pregnancy to the first five years ‘OF2 Department of Health (2009) Healthy Child Programme: from 5-19 years old.

The Indigo Spell Chapter Seventeen

ALTHOUGH OUR MAGICAL PLANS had been derailed, Ms. Terwilliger had asked me to come by her room before classes started in the morning so that we could talk strategy and future assignments. I had just enough time to swing by the cafeteria for breakfast and found Jill, Eddie, and Angeline sitting together. It felt like it had been a long time since we'd all been together in some kind of normal setting, and I welcomed this small moment of bonding. It was a refuge in the storm that had been my life recently. Jill was grinning about something that Eddie didn't seem to find so funny. â€Å"He didn't say anything about it to me,† he said. â€Å"Of course not.† Jill laughed. â€Å"He's too embarrassed.† I sat down with my tray. â€Å"Who's too embarrassed?† I assumed any â€Å"he† they were talking about must be Adrian, though it was hard to imagine Adrian embarrassed about anything. â€Å"Micah,† said Jill. â€Å"I talked him into modeling for our sewing club again. And then he got Juan and Travis to do it too. â€Å" â€Å"How'd you manage that?† I asked. Jill had originally gotten involved with Lia through the school's sewing club. Back when Jill and Micah had dated, she'd convinced him to model some very badly made clothes. He'd done it out of adoration, though I wasn't sure he'd really enjoyed it. Jill leaned forward, an excited sparkle in her eyes. â€Å"Claire guilted him into it! It was hilarious. But I don't know how he talked Juan and Travis into it. Maybe they owed him a favor.† â€Å"Maybe they have ulterior motives,† said Eddie. His tone surprised me until I remembered his lesson about the latest social developments around here. What was it? Claire was Micah's new girlfriend. Juan and Travis were his friends, who liked Jill. Eddie didn't like that they liked her. Got it. Apparently, Eddie hadn't kept his opinions to himself because Jill rolled her eyes. â€Å"Will you stop worrying about that?† she asked. She was still smiling but sounded just a little annoyed. â€Å"They're good guys. And I'm not going to do anything stupid. You don't have to lecture me about humans and Moroi. I get it.† Her jade eyes flicked over to me, and her smile faltered a little. She studied me for several long, troubled moments, and I wondered what she was thinking about. Was she still hoping for some romantic resolution between Adrian and me? Was she wondering why Adrian and I kept getting into intimate situations? I kind of wanted to know that too. She finally dragged her gaze away, letting her happy mood return. â€Å"I'm just looking out for you,† Eddie said obstinately. â€Å"You look out for assassins. I can handle these guys. I'm not a child, and besides, these are the most male models we've ever had. It's great. If we could score a couple more, our club could do a whole project on men's clothing.† Eddie still looked way too serious for this discussion. â€Å"Maybe Eddie would volunteer,† I suggested. â€Å"I bet guardian posture would be great on the catwalk.† He blushed, which even I had to admit was adorable. If Jill had been irritated by his earlier overprotectiveness, it was no longer obvious. From her dreamy expression, you'd think Eddie blushing was the most amazing thing she'd ever witnessed. I think he was too overwhelmed at the thought of strutting down a runway to notice. Angeline had been completely silent so far. I glanced over at her, expecting her to have something funny to say about her boyfriend being encouraged to model. But to my surprise, she wasn't paying attention to the conversation at all. She had a geometry book open and was furiously trying to draw some circles freehand. It killed me to watch, but after Kristin's comment about Angeline stabbing someone with a compass, freehand might be best. â€Å"What do you think, Angeline?† I asked, just to see how engrossed she was. â€Å"Do you think Eddie would make a good model?† â€Å"Hmm?† She didn't look up. â€Å"Oh, yeah. You should let Jill try some clothes on you.† Now Jill blushed. Eddie's deepened. Just when I thought this meal couldn't get any more surreal, Trey stopped by. He nudged Angeline's chair with his toe. â€Å"Hey, McCormick.† He nodded toward her graph paper. â€Å"Time to check out your curves.† Rather than answering with some biting response, she looked up instantly, a big smile on her face. â€Å"I've been working on them all morning,† she said. â€Å"I think they're pretty good.† â€Å"They look good from where I'm standing,† said Trey. They were actually the worst circles I'd ever seen, but I guessed Trey wanted to encourage her. I was amazed at how seriously she was treating this math grade. It seemed to me that she was putting it above everything else, even her personal life. She gathered up all her things so that she and Trey could go to the library. Eddie looked disappointed but couldn't protest, lest it give away the truth about Angeline and him. Trey knew we weren't all actually related, but Eddie and Angeline's relationship was still kept secret. I realized then that it was almost time to meet Ms. Terwilliger. I hurriedly finished a banana and told Eddie and Jill I'd see them later. Whether they would talk about male modeling or Jill's dating life, I couldn't guess. I showed up right on the dot for my meeting but found Ms. Terwilliger's room locked and dark. Even in crisis mode, I supposed she was entitled to run a little late now and then, so I settled down on the hallway floor and read ahead for my English class. I grew so absorbed that I didn't realize how much time had passed until I heard the warning bell ring and realized students were starting to fill the halls. I glanced up just as the same harried substitute teacher from before came scurrying up to the door with a set of keys. I scrambled to my feet. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger's out today?† I asked. â€Å"Is she okay?† â€Å"They don't tell me the reasons,† the sub said brusquely. â€Å"They just ask me to be here. I hope she left an assignment this time.† Knowing Ms. Terwilliger, I had a feeling it was going to be another â€Å"homework† day. I shuffled into the classroom after the sub, feeling a knot of anxiety in my stomach. The next hour was agonizing. I barely heard as the sub told us to work on homework. Instead, I kept sneaking glances at my cell phone, hoping a text would come from Ms. Terwilliger. No such luck. I went from class to class but was too distracted to give anything my full attention. I even shocked myself in English when I nearly mixed up Henry IV with Henry VI while answering an essay question. Thankfully, I caught myself before committing that embarrassing mistake to paper. When I returned to Ms. Terwilliger's classroom for my independent study at the day's end, I was expecting the sub to tell me I could leave early again. Instead, I found Ms. Terwilliger herself, rifling through papers on her desk. â€Å"You're back!† I exclaimed. â€Å"I thought something had happened to you.† â€Å"Not me,† she said. Her face was pale and drawn. â€Å"But someone else wasn't so lucky.† â€Å"No. Not again.† I sank into a chair, and all the fears I'd been carrying around today came crashing down on me. â€Å"I'd hoped we'd protected those girls.† Ms. Terwilliger sat down opposite me. â€Å"It wasn't one of them. Last night, Veronica targeted one of my coven members. Alana.† It took me several moments to truly process that. â€Å"Your coven . . . you mean, like a full-fledged witch?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Someone like you?† Her face gave me the answer before she spoke. â€Å"Yes.† I was reeling. â€Å"But you said she only went after young girls.† â€Å"Normally she does. That way she can capture youth and beauty along with power.† Ms. Terwilliger didn't look like she had to worry about someone stealing her youth anytime soon. Fatigue and stress were taking their toll on her, making her look older than she was. â€Å"Now, some magic users who perform this spell are only concerned about power, not getting younger. That's never been Veronica's style, though. She's vain. She always wanted the superficial benefits – not to mention easier victims. Someone like my coven sister would be more difficult to take, so this is surprising behavior.† â€Å"It means you could be a target,† I said. â€Å"You've been saying all this time that you're safe, but now everything's different.† Ms. Terwilliger shook her head, and a bit of steely resolve flashed in her eyes. â€Å"No. Maybe she did this to throw me off, to make me think it's someone else behind the spells. Or maybe to make me think she's not interested in you. Whatever the reason, she won't target me.† I admired Ms. Terwilliger for thinking so well of her sister, but I couldn't share her confidence that sisterly affection would overcome an evil quest for youth and power. â€Å"No offense, ma'am, but isn't there a slight chance you could be wrong about her coming for you? You said she'd only go after young novices, but obviously, that's not the case. She's already doing things you didn't expect.† Ms. Terwilliger refused to back down. â€Å"Veronica may do any number of terrible things, but she won't face me unless she's absolutely forced to.† She handed over a new spell book and a small drawstring bag. â€Å"Just because she went after an older witch, it doesn't mean you're out of danger. I've marked some pages I want you to go over. There's a spell there I think will prove particularly useful. I've gathered some components for you, and you should be able to cast the rest yourself – just make sure you do it somewhere remote. Meanwhile, I still need to make you that secondary charm. There's just so much to do lately.† A mix of emotions swirled within me. Once again, I was amazed that Ms. Terwilliger would go to such lengths for me. Yet I couldn't shake my fear for her. â€Å"Maybe you should make one for yourself, just in case.† She gave me a wan smile. â€Å"Still pushing that, hmm? Well, once I've secured yours, I'll see about another. It may take a while, however. What I have in mind for you is particularly complex.† That made me feel even worse. She always looked so worn out lately, and all these things she was doing for me were only intensifying the situation. But no matter how many arguments I made, she refused to listen. I left her classroom feeling upset and confused. I needed to vent to someone. Obviously, my choices were limited in this matter. I texted Adrian: V attacked a real witch last night. Ms. T won't protect herself. She's only worried about me. As usual, I received a quick response: Wanna talk about it? Did I? I wasn't the type to sit and analyze my feelings, but I did actually want company. I knew I shouldn't spend more time around Adrian than I had to when my feelings for him were already so mixed. But he was the only person I wanted to talk to. I have to cast some spells for her now. Want to pick me up and come along? My answer was a smiley face. She'd told me to go somewhere remote, so I picked Lone Rock Park again. When Adrian and I arrived, it was smoldering in the late-afternoon heat, and I found it hard to believe Christmas was only a couple weeks away. I'd dressed in layers, just like before, and took off my Amberwood hoodie as Adrian and I trekked across the rocky terrain. He took off a coat as well, and I had to do a double take when I saw what he was wearing underneath. â€Å"Really?† I asked. â€Å"Your AYE shirt?† He shot me a grin. â€Å"Hey, it's a perfectly good shirt. I think I'm going to see if I can start a chapter on Carlton's campus.† Carlton was the college he took art classes at. It was pretty small and didn't even have fraternities or sororities. â€Å"A chapter?† I scoffed. â€Å"Don't you mean the only chapter?† â€Å"Gotta start somewhere, Sage.† We reached the same spot where I'd practiced with Ms. Terwilliger, and I tried to ignore the scorch marks on the ground. Adrian had decided to turn this into a desert picnic and had brought along a basket containing a blanket and a thermos of lemonade. â€Å"I figured we could stop at Pies and Stuff on the way back since I know how much you like that place,† he explained, deadpan, as he poured me a cup. â€Å"Hopefully this'll tide you over after the spell.† â€Å"I wish this was over,† I said, running my hand over the weathered leather of Ms. Terwilliger's latest book. It was an old handwritten one called Summonings and Conjurations. â€Å"I hate living with the uncertainty, worrying that Veronica's lurking behind every corner. My life's already complicated enough without witches coming after me.† Adrian, face serious, stretched out on the blanket and propped his head up with his elbow. â€Å"If she's even coming after you.† I sat down cross-legged, careful to keep a lot more distance than in the Velvet Suite. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger won't listen to me. She just keeps stressing over me.† â€Å"Let her,† he suggested. â€Å"I mean, I totally get why you're worried about her. I am too. But we have to accept that she knows what she's talking about. She's been involved with this stuff a lot longer than we have.† I couldn't help but smile at that. â€Å"Since when are you involved with magic?† â€Å"Since I started looking after you and being all manly and brave.† â€Å"Funny, I don't remember it that way.† I worked to keep a straight face. â€Å"If you think about all the rides I gave you, me getting you into college . . . well, it kind of seems like I'm looking after you.† He leaned toward me. â€Å"I guess we look after each other.† We locked eyes and smiled, but there was nothing sensuous about it. There was no trick here, no sly move on Adrian's part to advance on me. And there was no fear on my part. We were just two people who cared about each other. It reminded me of what had initially drawn us together – before all the romantic complications. We connected. Against all reason, we understood each other, and – as he said – we looked out for each other. I'd never had a relationship quite like that with anyone and was surprised at how much I valued it. â€Å"Well, then, I guess I'd better get to work.† I glanced back down at the book. â€Å"I haven't had a chance to look at what she wants me to do. It doesn't sound like a defensive book.† â€Å"Maybe you're graduating from fireballs to lightning bolts,† Adrian suggested. â€Å"I bet it'd be a lot like throwing ninja stars. Except, well, you could incinerate people.† When I found the page Ms. Terwilliger had marked, I read the title aloud: â€Å"Callistana Summoning.† â€Å"What's callistana mean?† asked Adrian. I scrutinized the word, making sure I was deciphering the elaborate script correctly. â€Å"I don't know. It's kind of like the Greek word for ‘beautiful,' but not quite. The spell's subtitle is ‘For protection and advanced warning.'† â€Å"Maybe it's some kind of shield, like the one Jackie had,† suggested Adrian. â€Å"An easier one.† â€Å"Maybe,† I agreed. I wouldn't mind a little bit of invulnerability. I opened up the bag Ms. Terwilliger had given me. Inside, I found dragon's blood resin, a small bottle of gardenia oil, branches of juniper berries, and a glittering smoky quartz crystal, rutilated with lines of gold. Although she'd provided the ingredients, the spell's directions required that I use and measure them in a very specific way, which made sense. As usual, it was the caster's work that powered the magic. Adrian sat up and read over my shoulder. â€Å"It doesn't really say what happens when you cast it,† he pointed out. â€Å"Yeah . . . I'm not really excited about that part.† Presumably, the caster was supposed to just know what she was doing. If this was some kind of protective shield, then maybe the shield would materialize around me, just as it had for Ms. Terwilliger. â€Å"Well, no point in wasting time. We'll find out soon enough.† Adrian chuckled as he watched me walk over to a clear piece of land. â€Å"Am I the only one amazed that you now perform magic blindly?† â€Å"No,† I assured him. â€Å"You're not the only one.† I had to pluck the juniper berries off one by one and make a small ring with them, saying, â€Å"Fire and smoke,† each time I placed one on the ground. When I finished, I anointed each berry with a drop of the oil and recited, â€Å"Breath and life.† Inside the circle, I lit a small pile of the resin and rested the smoky quartz on top of it. Then I stepped back and reread the spell, committing the words and gestures to memory. Once I was satisfied I knew it, I handed it to Adrian and shot him a hopeful look. â€Å"Wish me luck,† I said. â€Å"You make your own luck,† he replied. I tried not to roll my eyes and turned toward the circle. I recited the spell's complex Greek incantation, pointing in the four cardinal directions as I spoke, per the book's instructions. It was startling how quickly the magic welled up within me, filling me with that blissful power. I spoke the last words, pointing at the juniper circle as I did. I felt the magic pour from me and into the quartz. Then I waited for something to happen. Nothing did. I looked back at Adrian, hoping he noticed something I hadn't. He shrugged. â€Å"Maybe you did it wrong.† â€Å"It worked,† I insisted. â€Å"I felt the magic.† â€Å"Maybe you just can't see it. At the expense of getting myself in trouble here, you should know how amazing you look when you do that stuff. All graceful and – † His eyes went wide. â€Å"Um, Sydney? That rock is smoking.† I glanced back at the circle. â€Å"That's just the resin that's – â€Å" I stopped. He was right. Smoke was coming out of the quartz. I watched, fascinated, and then slowly, the quartz began to melt. Rather than dissipate into a puddle, though, the liquid began to re-form into a different shape, one that soon hardened into something new and unexpected: a crystalline dragon. It was small, able to fit in a palm, and glittered just like the dark brown quartz had. The dragon looked more like the serpentine kind usually associated with Chinese culture rather than the winged types of European myth. Every detail was meticulously carved, from the tendrils of its mane to the scales on its hide. It was stunning. Also, it was moving. I screamed and backed up, running into Adrian. He put an arm around me and held me as protectively as he could, though it was clear he was just as freaked out. The dragon opened its crystal eyelids and peered at the two of us with tiny golden eyes. It elicited a small croak and then began walking toward us, its small claws scraping against the rocks. â€Å"What the hell is that?† Adrian demanded. â€Å"Do you really think I know?† â€Å"You made it! Do something.† I started to ask what had happened to him looking out for me, but he had a point. I was the one who'd summoned this thing. No matter where we moved or backed up to, the dragon continued to follow and make a small, high-pitched screeching noise that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. I groped for my cell phone and tried to dial Ms. Terwilliger, but there was no reception out here. Darting over to the blanket, I grabbed the spell book and then hurried back to Adrian's side. I flipped to the index, looking up callistana. There I found two entries: Callistana – Summoning and Callistana – Banishing. You would've thought the two would be near each other in the book, but they were pages apart. I flipped to the latter and found the instructions brief and to the point: Once your callistana has been fed and rested, you may summon and banish it at will for a year and a day. A short incantation followed. I looked up at Adrian. â€Å"It says we have to feed it.† â€Å"Will that make it shut up?† he asked. His arm was around me again. â€Å"I honestly don't know.† â€Å"Maybe we can outrun it.† All my instincts about hiding the supernatural world kicked in. â€Å"We can't just leave it for some hiker to find! We have to get it some food.† Not that I had any clue what to feed it. Hopefully humans and vampires weren't on the menu. A look of determination crossed Adrian's features. In a great show of bravery he lunged for the picnic basket and actually managed to scoop the dragon up in it. He slammed down the lid, and the mewling faded but didn't stop. â€Å"Wow,† I said. â€Å"Manly and brave.† Adrian regarded the basket with dismay. â€Å"I just hope that thing doesn't breathe fire. At least it's contained. Now what do we do?† â€Å"Now we feed it.† I made a decision. â€Å"We take it to Pies and Stuff.† I didn't know if dragons ate pie, but that was the closest food source we had. Besides, I was pretty sure I'd be able to get a cell phone signal there. So, Adrian drove us back to the little diner while I gingerly held the noisy basket. He went inside, and I stayed in the car and tried to call Ms. Terwilliger. I was sent to voice mail and didn't even bother with formalities. Was she never near her phone anymore? â€Å"Call me now,† I said through gritted teeth. The dragon's screeching was really starting to get to me. Adrian returned in about ten minutes carrying two bags. I stared in amazement as he got in the car. â€Å"Did you buy out the store?† â€Å"I didn't know what kind it wanted,† he protested. Between the two bags, we had half a dozen slices of different kinds of pies. Each one's container was neatly labeled. â€Å"I really don't know either,† I said. Adrian sifted through the bags and pulled out a slice of coconut cream. â€Å"If I were a dragon, this is what I'd go for.† I didn't argue, mainly because that statement had no logical argument. He took the lid off the pie and then looked at me expectantly. With a gulp, I opened the basket's lid and prayed the dragon wouldn't climb out and claw my face off. Adrian quickly set the pie down in the basket. Nervously, we both leaned forward to watch. At first, the dragon looked as though it really would climb out after us. Then it noticed the pie. The little crystal creature sniffed at the slice, circled it a few times, and then began gnawing at the pie in teeny-tiny bites. Best of all, the screeching stopped. We watched in wonder as the dragon made its way through a third of the coconut cream pie. Then, without warning, it rolled over onto its back and began to snore. Adrian and I sat there, frozen, and then finally dared to look at each other. â€Å"I guess you were right about the flavor,† I said. â€Å"Do you think you can banish it now?† he asked. â€Å"Is it fed and rested enough?† I retrieved the spell book to double-check the incantation. â€Å"Time to find out.† I recited the words. Smoke fluttered from the dragon's body. He began to shimmer, and within moments, we were looking at an inert piece of smoky quartz. In another valiant display, Adrian picked it up but held it as far away as possible as he studied it. The ringing of my phone startled both of us, and he dropped the crystal back into the basket. I looked at the phone's screen and saw Ms. Terwilliger's name. â€Å"You made me summon a dragon!† I exclaimed. â€Å"I most certainly did not,† she responded. â€Å"Callistanas are a type of demon.† I froze. â€Å"A demon.† â€Å"Well,† she amended. â€Å"A very minor and generally benign kind.† I didn't reply for a while. â€Å"Sydney? Are you still there?† â€Å"You had me summon a demon,† I replied, voice stiff. â€Å"You know how I feel about evil and the supernatural. You've spent all this time trying to convince me that the magic we do is all for some greater good in the battle against evil, and yet you made me summon a creature of hell.† â€Å"Creature of hell?† She snorted. â€Å"Hardly. You know nothing about demons. I told you it's benign, didn't I? Callistanas can be very useful. They'll warn you if dark magic is nearby and will even try to defend you if you're attacked – not that they can do much damage.† I wasn't buying it. â€Å"If they're so useful, then why don't you have one?† â€Å"Oh, well, I'm at a level where I can sense dark magic on my own. That, and – if you'll forgive my language – callistanas are a real pain in the ass. They make the most irritating noise when they're hungry. Cats are more than adequate for my needs.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"I kind of noticed the noise part. I fed it some pie and turned it back into a rock.† â€Å"There, you see?† She sounded happier than I'd heard her in days. â€Å"Look at the progress you've made already. No matter what comes of this mess we've found ourselves in, I'm more convinced than ever that I made the right choice in guiding you on the magical path.† I had too much going on to really appreciate the compliment. â€Å"So what do I do now?† â€Å"It'll disappear on its own after a year and a day. Until then, you can call it when you need it. You can try to train it. And of course, you'll have to feed it. Whatever you choose to do, it will be loyal to you. It bonds with the first person it sees and will need to spend time with you . . . Sydney? Are you there?† I'd gone silent again. â€Å"The first person it sees?† I finally managed to ask. â€Å"Not the caster?† â€Å"Well, usually they're one and the same.† I glanced over at Adrian, who was eating a piece of blackberry pie while listening avidly to my side of the conversation. â€Å"What happens if there were two people there when it opened its eyes? Adrian was with me when I summoned it.† Now she paused. â€Å"Oh? Hmm, well, I probably should've said something before you cast the spell.† That had to be the understatement of the century. â€Å"You should've told me a lot of things before I cast it! What does it mean that the dragon – demon, whatever – saw both of us? Did it bond with both of us?† â€Å"Look at it this way,† Ms. Terwilliger said, after several moments of thought. â€Å"The callistana thinks of you two as its parents.†