Foundation’s Edge CHAPTER EIGHT FARMWOMAN

FARMWOMAN Thd Speakers sat about the table, frozen in their mental shielding. It was as though all – with one accord – had hidden their minds to avoid irrevocable insult to the First Speaker after his statement concerning Trevize. Surreptitiously they glanced toward Delarmi and even that gave away much. Of them all, she was best known for her irreverence – Even Gendibal paid more lip service to convention. Delarmi was aware of the glances and she knew that she had no choice but to face up to this impossible situation. In fact, she did not want to duck the issue. In all the history of the Second Foundation, no First Speaker had ever been impeached for misanalysis (and behind the term, which she had invented as cover-up, was the unacknowledged incompetence). Such impeachment now became possible. She would not hang back. â€Å"First Speaker!† she said softly, her thin, colorless lips more nearly invisible than usual in the general whiteness of her face. â€Å"You yourself say you have no basis for your opinion, that the psychohistorical mathematics show nothing Do you ask us to base a crucial decision on a mystical feeling?† The First Speaker looked up, his forehead corrugated. He was aware of the universal shielding at the Table. He knew what it meant. He said coldly, â€Å"I do not hide the lack of evidence. I present you with nothing falsely. What I offer is the strongly intuitive feeling of a First Speaker, one with decades of experience who has spent nearly a lifetime in the close analysis of the Seldon Plan.† He looked about him with a proud rigidity he rarely displayed, and one by one the mental shields softened and dropped. Delarmi's (when he turned to stare at her) was the last. She said, with a disarming frankness that filled her mind as though nothing else had ever been there, â€Å"I accept your statement, of course, First Speaker. Nevertheless, I think you might perhaps want to reconsider. As you think about it now, having already expressed shame at having to fall back on intuition, would you wish your remarks to be stricken from the record if, in your judgment they should be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And Gendibal's voice cut in. â€Å"What are these remarks that should. be stricken from the record?† Every pair of eyes turned in unison. Had their shields not been up during the crucial moments before, they would have been aware of his approach long before he was at the door. â€Å"All shields up a moment ago? All unaware of my entrance?† said Gendibal sardonically. â€Å"What a commonplace meeting of the Table we have here. Was no one on their guard for my coming? Or did you all fully expect that I would not arrive?† This outburst was a flagrant violation of all standards. For Gendibal to arrive late was bad enough. For him to then enter unannounced was worse. For him to speak before the First Speaker had acknowledged his attendance was worst of all. The First Speaker turned to him. All else was superceded. The question of discipline came first. â€Å"Speaker Gendibal,† he said, â€Å"you are late. You arrive unannounced. You speak. Is there any reason why you should not be suspended from your seat for thirty days?† â€Å"Of course. The move for suspension should not be considered until first we consider who it was that made it certain I would be late – and why.† Gendibal's words were cool and measured, but his mind clothed his thoughts with anger and he did not care who sensed it. Certainly Delarmi sensed it. She said forcefully, â€Å"This man is mad.† â€Å"Mad? This woman is mad to say so. Or aware of guilt. – First Speaker, I address myself to you and move a point of personal privilege,† said Gendibal. â€Å"Personal privilege of what nature, Speaker?† â€Å"First Speaker, I accuse someone here of attempted murder.† The room exploded as every Speaker rose to his or her feet in a simultaneous babble of words, expression, and mentality. The First Speaker raised his arms. He cried, â€Å"The Speaker must have his chance to express his point of personal privilege.† He found himself forced to intensify his authority, mentally, in a manner most inappropriate to the place – yet there was no choice. The babble quieted. Gendibal waited unmoved until the silence was both audibly and mentally profound. He said, â€Å"On my way here, moving along a Hamish road at a distance and approaching at a speed that would have easily assured my arrival in good time for the meeting, I was stopped by several farmers and narrowly escaped being beaten, perhaps being killed. As it was, I was delayed and have but just arrived. May I point out, to begin with, that I know of no instance since the Great Sack that a Second Foundationer has been spoken to disrespectfully – let alone manhandled – by one of these Hamish people.† â€Å"Nor do I,† said the First Speaker. Delarmi cried out, â€Å"Second Foundationers do not habitually walk alone in Hamish territory! You invite this by doing so?† â€Å"It is true,† said Gendibal, â€Å"that I habitually walk alone in Hamish territory. I have walked there hundreds of times in every direction. Yet I have never been accosted before. Others do not walk with the freedom that I do, but no one exiles himself from the world or imprisons himself in the University and no one has ever been accosted. I recall occasions when Delarmi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and then, as though remembering the honorific too late, he deliberately converted it into a deadly insult. â€Å"I mean to say, I recall when Speakeress Delarmi was in Hamish territory, at one time or another, and yet she was not accosted.† â€Å"Perhaps,† said Delarmi, with eyes widened into a glare, â€Å"because I did not speak to them first and because I maintained my distance. Because I behaved as though I deserved respect, I was accorded it.† â€Å"Strange,† said Gendibal, â€Å"and I was about to say that it was because you presented a more formidable appearance than I did. After all, few dare approach you even here. – But tell me, why should it be that of all times for interference, the Hamish would choose this day to face me, when I am to attend an important meeting of the Table?† â€Å"If it were not because of your behavior, then it must ‘have been chance,† said Delarmi. â€Å"I have not heard that even all of Seldon's mathematics has removed the role of chance from the Galaxy – certainly not in the case of individual events. Or are you, too, speaking from intuitional inspiration?† (There was a soft mental sigh from one or two Speakers at this sideways thrust at the First Speaker.) â€Å"It was not my behavior. It was not chance. It was deliberate interference,† said Gendibal. â€Å"How can we know that?† asked the First Speaker gently. He could not help but soften toward Gendibal as a result of Delarmi's last remark. â€Å"My mind is open to you, First Speaker. I give you – and all the Table – my memory of events.† The transfer took but a few moments. The First Speaker said, â€Å"Shocking! You behaved very well, Speaker, under circumstances of considerable pressure. I agree that the Hamish behavior is anomalous and warrants investigation. In the meantime, please join our meeting†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"A moments† cut in Delarmi. â€Å"How certain are we that the Speaker's account is accurate?† Gendibal's nostrils flared at the insult, but he retained his level composure. â€Å"My mind is open:† â€Å"I have known open minds that were not open.† â€Å"I have no doubt of that, Speaker,† said Gendibal, â€Å"since you, like the rest of us, must keep your own mind under inspection at all times. My mind, when open, however, is open.† The First Speaker said, â€Å"Let us have no further†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"A point of personal privilege, First Speaker, with apologies for the interruption,† said Delarmi. â€Å"Personal privilege of what nature, Speaker?† â€Å"Speaker Gendibal has accused one of us of attempted murder, presumably by instigating the farmer to attack him. As long as the accusation is not withdrawn, I must be viewed as a possible murderer, as would every person in this room – including you, First Speaker.† The First Speaker said, â€Å"Would you withdraw the accusation, Speaker Gendibal?† Gendibal took his seat and put his hands down upon its arms, gripping them tightly, as though taking ownership of it, and said, â€Å"I will do so, as soon as someone explains why a Hamish farmer, rallying several others, should deliberately set out to delay me on my way to this meeting.† â€Å"A thousand reasons, perhaps,† said the First Speaker. â€Å"I repeat that this event will be investigated. Will you, for now, Speaker Gendibal, and in the interest of continuing the present discussion, withdraw your accusation?† â€Å"I cannot, First Speaker. I spent long minutes trying, as delicately as I might, to search his mind for ways to alter his behavior without damage and failed. His mind lacked the give it should have had. His emotions were fixed, as though by an outside mind.† Delarmi said with a sudden little smile, â€Å"And you think one of us was the outside mind? Might it not have been your mysterious organization that is competing with us, that is more powerful than we are?† â€Å"It might,† said GendibaI. â€Å"In that case, we – who are not members of this organization that only you know of – are not guilty and you should withdraw your accusation. Or can it be that you are accusing someone here of being under the control of this strange organization? Perhaps one of us here is not quite what he or she seems?† â€Å"Perhaps,† said Gendibal stolidly, quite aware that Delarmi was feeding him rope with a noose at the end of it. â€Å"It might seem,† said Delarmi, reaching the noose and preparing to tighten it, â€Å"that your dream of a secret, unknown, hidden, mysterious organization is a nightmare of paranoia. It would ft in with your paranoid fantasy that Hamish farmers are being influenced, that Speakers are under hidden control. I am willing, however, to follow this peculiar thought line of yours for a while longer. Which of us here, Speaker, do you think is under control? Might it be me?† Gendibal said, â€Å"I would not think so, Speaker. If you were attempting to rid yourself of me in so indirect a manner, you would not so openly advertise your dislike for me.† â€Å"A double-double-cross, perhaps?† said Delarmi. She was virtually purring. â€Å"That would be a common conclusion in a paranoid fantasy.† â€Å"So it might be. You are more experienced in such matters than I. â€Å"† Speaker Lestim Gianni interrupted hotly. â€Å"See here, Speaker Gendibal, if you are exonerating Speaker Delarmi, you are directing your accusations the more tightly at the rest of us. What grounds would any of us have to delay your presence at this meeting, let alone wish you dead?† Gendibal answered quickly, as though he had been waiting for the question. â€Å"When I entered, the point under discussion was the striking of remarks from the record, remarks made by the First Speaker. I was the only Speaker not in a position to hear those remarks. Let me know what they were and I rather think I will tell you the motive for delaying me.† The First Speaker said, â€Å"I had stated – and it was something to which Speaker Delarmi and others took serious exception – that I had decided, on the basis of intuition and of a most inappropriate use of psychohistorical mathematics, that the entire future of the Plan may rest on the exile of First Foundationer Golan Trevize:† Gendibal said, â€Å"What other Speakers may think is up to them. For my part, I agree with this hypothesis. Trevize is the key. I find his sudden ejection by the First Foundation too curious to be innocent.† Delarmi said, â€Å"Would you care to say, Speaker Gendibal, that Trevize is in the grip of this mystery organization – or that the people who exiled him are? Is perhaps everyone and everything in their control except you and the First Speaker – and me, whom you have declared to be uncontrolled?† Gendibal said, â€Å"These ravings require no answer. Instead let me ask if there is any Speaker here who would like to express agreement on this matter with the First Speaker and myself? You have read, I presume, the mathematical treatment that I have, with the First Speaker's approval, circulated among you.† There was silence. â€Å"I repeat my request,† said Gendibal. â€Å"Anyone?† There was silence. Gendibal said, â€Å"First Speaker, you now have the motive for delaying me.† The First Speaker said, â€Å"State it explicitly.† â€Å"You have expressed the need to deal with Trevize, with this First Foundationer. It represents an important initiative in policy and if the Speakers had read my treatment, they would have known in a general way what was in the wind. If, nevertheless, they had unanimously disagreed with you – unanimously – then, by traditional self-limitation, you would have been unable to go forward. If even one Speaker backed you, then you would be able to implement this new policy. I was the one Speaker who would back yon, as anyone who had read my treatment would know, and it was necessary that I must, at all costs, be kept from the Table. That trick proved nearly successful, but I am now here and I back the First Speaker. I agree with him and he can, in accordance with tradition, disregard the disagreement of the ten other Speakers.† Delarmi struck the table with her fist. â€Å"The implication is that someone knew in advance what the First Speaker would advise, knew in advance that Speaker Gendibal would support it and that all the rest would not – that someone knew what he could not have known. There is the further implication that this initiative is not to the liking of Speaker Gendibal's paranoia-inspired organization and that they are fighting to prevent it and that, therefore, one or more of us is under the control of that organization:† â€Å"The implication is there,† agreed Gendibal. â€Å"Your analysis is masterly.† â€Å"Whom do you accuse?† cried out Delarmi. â€Å"No one. I call upon the First Speaker to take up the matter. It is clear that there is someone in our organization who is working against us. I suggest that everyone working for the Second Foundation should undergo a thorough mental analysis. Everyone, including the Speakers themselves. Even including myself – and the First Speaker.† The meeting of the Table broke up in greater confusion and greater excitement than any on record. And when the First Speaker finally spoke the phrase of adjournment, Gendibal – without speaking to anyone – made his way back to his room. He knew well that he had not one friend among the Speakers, that even whatever support the First Speaker could give him would be half-hearted at best. He could not tell whether he feared for himself or for the entire Second Foundation. The taste of doom was sour in his mouth. Gendibal did not sleep well. His waking thoughts and his sleeping dreams were alike engaged in quarreling with Delora Delarmi. In one passage of one dream, there was even a confusion between her and the Hamish farmer, Rufirant, so that Gendibal found himself facing an out-of-proportion Delarmi advancing upon him with enormous fists and a sweet smile that revealed needlelike teeth. He finally woke, later than usual, with no sensation of having rested and with the buzzer on his night table in muted action. He turned over to bring his hand down upon the contact. â€Å"Yes? What is it?† â€Å"Speaker!† The voice was that of the floor proctor, rather less than suitably respectful. â€Å"A visitor wishes to speak to you:† â€Å"A visitor?† Gendibal punched his appointment schedule and the screen showed nothing before noon. He pushed the time button; it was 8:31 a.m. He said peevishly, â€Å"Who in space and time is it?† â€Å"Will not give a name, Speaker.† Then, with clear disapproval, â€Å"One of these Hamishers, Speaker. Arrived at your invitation.† The last sentence was said with even clearer disapproval. â€Å"Let him wait in the reception room till I come down. It will take time.† Gendibal did not hurry. Throughout the morning ablutions, he remained lost in thought. That someone was using the Hamish to hamper his movements made sense – but he would like to know who that someone was. And what was this new intrusion of the Hamish into his very quarters? A complicated trap of some sort? How in the name of Seldon would a Hamish farmer get into the University? What reason could he advance? What reason could he really have? For one fleeting moment, Gendibal wondered if he ought to arm himself. He decided against it almost at once, since he felt contemptuously certain of being able to control any single farmer on the University grounds without any danger to himself – and without any unacceptable marking of a Hamish mind. Gendibal decided he had been too strongly affected by the incident with Karoll Rufirant the day before. – Was it the very farmer, by the way? no longer under the influence, perhaps – of whatever or whoever it washe might well have come to Gendibal to apologize for what he had done and with apprehension of punishment. – But how would Rufirant know where to go? Whom to approach? Gendibal swung down the corridor resolutely and entered the waiting room. He stopped in astonishment, then fumed to the proctor, who was pretending to be busy in his glass-walled cubicle. â€Å"Proctor, you did not say the visitor was a woman.† The proctor said quietly, â€Å"Speaker, I said a Hamisher. You did not ask further.† â€Å"Minimal information, Proctor? I must remember that as one of your characteristics.† (And he must check to see if the proctor was a Delarmi appointee. And he must remember, from now on, to note the functionaries who surrounded him, â€Å"Lowlies† whom it was too easy to ignore from the height of his still-new Speakership.) â€Å"Are any of the conference rooms available?† The proctor said, â€Å"Number 4 is the only one available, Speaker. It will be free for three hours.† He glanced briefly at the Hamishwoman, then at Gendibal, with blank innocence. â€Å"We will use Number 4, Proctor, and I would advise you to mind your thoughts.† Gendibal struck, not gently, and the proctor's shield closed far too slowly. Gendibal knew well it was beneath his dignity to manhandle a lesser mind, but a person who was incapable of shielding an unpleasant conjecture against a superior ought to learn not to indulge in one. The proctor would have a mild headache for a few hours. It was well deserved. Her name did not spring immediately to mind and Gendibal was in no mood to delve deeper. She could scarcely expect him to remember, in any case. He said peevishly, â€Å"You are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I be Novi, Master Scowler,† she said in what was almost a gasp. â€Å"My previous be Sura, but I be called Novi plain.† â€Å"Yes. Novi. We met yesterday; I remember now. I have not forgotten that you came to my defense.† He could not bring himself to use the Hamish accent on the very University grounds. â€Å"Now how did you get here?† â€Å"Master, you said I might write letter. You said, it should say, ‘Speaker's House, Apartment 27' I self-bring it and I show the writing – my own writing, Master.† She said it with a kind of bashful pride. â€Å"They ask, ‘For whom be this writing?' I heared your calling when you said it to that oafish bane-top, Rufirant. I say it be for Stor Gendibal, Master Scowler.† â€Å"And they let you pass, Novi? Didn't they ask to see the letter?† â€Å"I be very frightened. I think maybe they feel gentle-sorry. I said, ‘Scowler Gendibal promise to show me Place of Scowlers,' and they smile. One of them at gate-door say to other, ‘And that not all he be show her.' And they show me where to go, and say not to go elseplace at all or I be thrown out moment-wise.† Gendibal reddened faintly. By Seldon, if he felt the need for Hamish amusement, it would not be in so open a fashion and his choice would have been made more selectively. He looked at the Trantorian woman with an inward shake of his head. She seemed quite young, younger perhaps than hard work had made her appear. She could not be more than twenty-five, at which age Hamishwomen were usually already married. She wore her dark hair in the braids that signified her to be unmarried – virginal, in fact – and he was not surprised. Her performance yesterday showed her to have enormous talent as a shrew and he doubted that a Hamishman could easily be found who would dare be yoked to her tongue and her ready fist. Nor was her appearance much of an attraction. Though she had gone to pains to make herself look presentable, her face was angular and plain, her hands red and knobby. What he could see of her figure seemed built for endurance rather than for grace. Her lower lip began to tremble under his scrutiny. He could sense her embarrassment and fright quite plainly and felt pity. She had, indeed, been of use to him yesterday and that was what counted. He said, in an attempt to be genial and soothing, â€Å"So you have come to see the – uh – Place of Scholars?† She opened her dark eyes wide (they were rather fine) and said, â€Å"Master, be not ired with me, but I come to be scowler own-self.† â€Å"You want to be a scholar?† Gendibal was thunderstruck. â€Å"My good woman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. How on Trantor could one explain to a completely unsophisticated farmwoman the level of intelligence, training, and mental stamina required to be what Trantorians called a â€Å"scowler†? But Sura Novi drove on fiercely. â€Å"I be a writer and a reader. I have read whole books to end and from beginning, too. And I have wish to be scowler. I do not wish to be farmer's wife. I be no person for farm. I will not wed farmer or have farmer children.† She lifted her head and said proudly, â€Å"I be asked. Many times. I always say, ‘Nay! Politely, but ‘Nay. â€Å"‘ Gendibal could see plainly enough that she was lying. She had not been asked, but he kept his face straight. He said, â€Å"What will you do with your life if you do not marry?† Novi brought her hand down on the table, palm flat. â€Å"I will be scowler. I not be farmwoman.† â€Å"What if I cannot make you a scholar?† â€Å"Then I be nothing and I wait to die. I be nothing in life if I be not a scowler.† For a moment there was the impulse to search her mind and find out the extent of her motivation. But it would be wrong to do so. A Speaker did not amuse one's self by rummaging through the helpless minds of others. There was a code to the science and technique of mental control – mentalics – as to other professions. Or there should be. (He was suddenly regretful he had struck out at the proctor.) He said, â€Å"Why not be a farmwoman, Novi?† With a little manipulation, he could make her content with that and manipulate some Hamish lout into being happy to marry her – and she to marry him. It would do no harm. It would be a kindness. – But it was against the law and thus unthinkable. She said, â€Å"I not be. A farmer is a clod. He works with earthlumps, and he becomes earth-lump. If I be farmwoman, I be earthlump, too. I will be timeless to read and write, and I will forget. My head,† she put her hand to her temple, â€Å"will grow sour and stale. No! A scowler be different. Thoughtful!† (She meant by the word, Gendibal noted, â€Å"intelligent† rather than â€Å"considerate.†) â€Å"A scowler,† she said, â€Å"live with books and with – with – I forget what they be name – said.† She made a gesture as though she were making some sort of vague manipulations that would have meant nothing to Gendibal – if he did not have her mind radiations to guide him. â€Å"Microfilms,† he said. â€Å"How do you know about microfilms?† â€Å"In books, I read of many things,† she said proudly. Gendibal could no longer fight off the desire to know more. This was an unusual Hamisher; he had never heard of one like this. The Hamish were never recruited, but if Novi were younger, say ten years old What a waste? He would not disturb her; he would not disturb her in the least, but of what use was it to be a Speaker if one could not observe unusual minds and learn from them? He said, â€Å"Novi, I want you to sit there for a moment. Be very quiet. Do not say anything. Do not think of saying anything. just think of falling asleep: Do you understand?† Her fright returned at once, â€Å"Why must ‘ do this, Master?† â€Å"Because I wish to think how you might become a scholar.† After all, no matter what she had read, there was no possible way in which she could know what being a â€Å"scholar† truly meant. It was therefore necessary to find out what she thought a scholar was. Very carefully and with infinite delicacy he probed her mind; sensing without actually touching-like placing one's hand on a polished metal surface without leaving fingerprints. To her a scholar was someone who always read books. She had not the slightest idea of why one read books. For herself to be a scholar – the picture in her mind was that of doing the labor she knew – fetching, carrying, cooking, cleaning, following orders – but on the University grounds where books were available and where she would have time to read them and, very vaguely, â€Å"to become learned.† What it amounted to was that she wanted to be a servant – his servant. Gendibal frowned. A Hamishwoman servant – and one who was plain, graceless, uneducated, barely literate. Unthinkable. He would simply have to divert her. There would have to be some way of adjusting her desires to make her content to be a farmwoman, some way that would leave no mark, some way about which even Delarmi could not complain. – Or had she been sent by Delarmi? Was all this a complicated plan to lure him into tampering with a Hamish mind, so that he might be caught and impeached? Ridiculous. He was in danger of growing paranoid. Somewhere in the simple tendrils of her uncomplicated mind, a trickle of mental current needed to be diverted. It would only take a tiny push. It was against the letter of the law, but it would do no harm and no one would ever notice. He paused. Back. Back. Back. Space! He had almost missed it! Was he the victim of an illusion? No! Now that his attention was drawn. to it, he could make it out clearly. There was the tiniest tendril disarrayed – an abnormal disarray. Yet it was so delicate, so ramification-free. Gendibal emerged from . her mind. He said gently, â€Å"Novi.† Her eyes focused. She said, â€Å"Yes, Master?† Gendibal said, â€Å"You may work with me. I will make you a scholar†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Joyfully, eyes blazing, she said, â€Å"Master†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He detected it at once. She was going to throw herself at his feet. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her tightly. â€Å"Don't move, Novi. Stay where you are. – Stay!† He might have been talking to a half-trained animal. When he could see the order had penetrated, he let her go. He was conscious of the hard muscles along her upper arms. He said, â€Å"If you are to be a scholar, you must behave like one. That means you will have to be always quiet, always soft-spoken, always doing what I tell you to do. And you must try to learn to talk as I do. You will also have to meet other scholars. Will you be afraid?† â€Å"I be not afeared – afraid, Master, if you be with me:† â€Å"I wilt be with you. But now, first – I must find you a room, arrange to have you assigned a lavatory, a place in the dining room, and clothes, too. You will have to wear clothes more suitable to a scholar, Novi.† â€Å"These be all I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she began miserably. † â€Å"We will supply others.† Clearly he would have to get a woman to arrange for a new supply of clothing for Novi. He would also need someone to teach the Hamisher the rudiments of personal hygiene. After ail, though the clothes she wore were probably her best and though she had obviously spruced herself up, she still had a distinct odor that was faintly unpleasant. And he would have to make sure that the relationship between them was understood. It was always an open secret that the men (and women, too) of the Second Foundation made occasional forays among the Hamish for their pleasure. If there was no interference with Hamish minds in the process, no one dreamed of making a fuss about it. Gendibal himself had never indulged in this, and he liked to think it was because he felt no need for sex that might be coarser and more highly spiced than was available at the University. The women of the Second Foundation might be pallid in comparison to the Hamish, but they were clean and their skins were smooth. But even if the matter were misunderstood and there were sniggers at a Speaker who net only turned to the Hamish but brought one into his quarters, he would have to endure the embarrassment. As it stood, this farmwoman, Sura Novi, was his key to victory in the inevitable forthcoming duel with Speaker Delarmi and the rest of the Table. Gendibal did not see Novi again till after dinnertime, at which time she was brought to him by the woman to whom he had endlessly explained the situation – at least, the nonsexual character of the situation. She had understood – or, at least, did not dare show any indication of failure to understand, which was perhaps just as good. Novi stood before him now, bashful, proud, embarrassed, triumphant – all at once, in an incongruous mixture. He said, â€Å"You look very nice, Novi.† The clothes they had given her fit surprisingly well and there was no question that she did not look at all ludicrous. Had they pinched in her waist? Lifted her breasts? Or had that just been not particularly noticeable in her farmwoman clothing? Her buttocks were prominent, but not displeasingly so. Her face, of course, remained plain, but when the tan of outdoor life faded and she learned how to care for her complexion, it would not look downright ugly. By the Old Empire, that woman did think Novi was to be his mistress. She had tried to make her beautiful for him. And then he thought: Well, why not? Novi would have to face the Speaker's Table – and the more attractive she seemed, the more easily he would be able to get his point across. It was with this thought that the message from the First Speaker reached him. It had the kind of appropriateness that was common in a mentalic society. It was called, more or less informally, the â€Å"Coincidence Effect.† If you think vaguely of someone when someone is thinking vaguely of you, there is a mutual, escalating stimulation which in a matter of seconds makes the two thoughts sharp, decisive, and, to all appearances, simultaneous. It can be startling even to those who understand it intellectually, particularly if the preliminary vague thoughts were so dim – on one side or the other (or both) – as to have gone consciously unnoticed. â€Å"I can't be with you this evening, Novi,† said Gendibal. â€Å"I have scholar work to do. I will take you to your room. There will be some books there and you can practice your reading. I will show you how to use the signal if you need help with anything – and I will see you tomorrow.† Gendibal said politely, â€Å"First Speaker?† Shandess merely nodded. He looked dour and fully his age. He looked as though he were a man who did not drink, but who could use a stiff one. He said finally, â€Å"I ‘called' you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No messenger. I presumed from the direct ‘call' that it was important.† â€Å"It is. Your quarry – the First Foundationer – Trevize†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"He is not coming to Trantor.† Gendibal did not look surprised. â€Å"Why should he? The information we received was that he was leaving with a professor of ancient history who was seeking Earth.† â€Å"Yes, the legendary Primal Planet. And that is why he should be coming to Trantor. After all, does the professor know where Earth is? Do you? Do I? Can we be sure it exists at all, or ever existed? Surely they would have to come to this Library to obtain the necessary information – if it were to be obtained anywhere. I have until this hour felt that the situation was not at crisis level – that the First Foundationer would come here and that we would, through him, learn what we need to know.† â€Å"Which would certainly be the reason he is not allowed to come here.† â€Å"But where is he going, then?† â€Å"We have not yet found out, I see.† The First Speaker said pettishly, â€Å"You seem calm about it.† Gendibal said, â€Å"I wonder if it is not better so. You want him to come to Trantor to keep him safe and use him as a source of information. Will he not, however, prove a source of more important information, involving others still more important than himself, if he goes where he wants to go and does what he wants to do – provided we do not lose sight of him?† â€Å"Not enough!† said the First Speaker. â€Å"you have persuaded me of the existence of this new enemy of ours and now I cannot rest.† â€Å"Worse, I have persuaded myself that we must secure Trevize or we have lost everything. I cannot rid myself of the feeling that he – and nothing else – is the key.† Gendibal said intensely, â€Å"Whatever happens, we will not lose, First Speaker. That would only have been possible, if these Anti-Mules, to use your phrase again, had continued to burrow beneath us unnoticed. But we know they are there now. We no longer work blind. At the next meeting of the Table, if we can work together, we shall begin the counterattack.† The First Speaker said, â€Å"It was not the matter of Trevize that had me send out the call to you. The subject came up first only because it seemed to me a personal defeat. I had misanalyzed that aspect of the situation. I was wrong to place personal pique above general policy and I apologize. There is something else.† â€Å"More serious, First Speaker?† â€Å"More serious, Speaker Gendibal.† The First Speaker sighed and drummed his fingers on the desk while Gendibal stood patiently before it and waited. The First Speaker finally said, in a mild way, as though that would ease the blow, â€Å"At an emergency meeting of the Table, initiated by Speaker Delarmi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Without your consent, First Speaker?† â€Å"For what she wanted, she needed the consent of only three other Speakers, not including myself. At the emergency meeting that was then called, you were impeached, Speaker Gendibal. You have been accused as being unworthy of the post of Speaker and you must be tried. This is the first time in over three centuries that a bill of impeachment has been carried out against a Speaker†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Gendibal said, fighting to keep down any sign of anger, â€Å"Surely you did not vote for my impeachment yourself.† â€Å"I did not, but I was alone. The rest of the Table was unanimous and the vote was ten to one for impeachment. The requirement for impeachment, as you know, is eight votes including the First Speaker – or ten without him.† â€Å"But T was not present.† â€Å"You would not have been able to vote.† â€Å"I might have spoken in my defense.† â€Å"Not at that stage. The precedents are few, but clear. Your defense will be at the trial, which will come as soon as possible, naturally.† Gendibal bowed his head in thought. Then he said, â€Å"This does not concern me overmuch, First Speaker. Your initial instinct, I think, was right. The matter of Trevize takes precedence. May I suggest you delay the trial on that ground?† The First Speaker held up his hand. â€Å"I don't blame you for not understanding the situation, Speaker. Impeachment is so rare an event that I myself have been forced to look up the legal procedures involved. Nothing takes precedence. We are forced to move directly to the trial, postponing everything else.† Gendibal placed his fists on the desk and leaned toward the First Speaker. â€Å"You are not serious?† â€Å"It is the law.† â€Å"The law can't be allowed to stand in the way of a clear and present danger.† â€Å"To the Table, Speaker Gendibal, you are the clear and present danger. – No, listen to me! The law that is involved is based on the conviction that nothing can be more important than the possibility of corruption or the misuse of power on the part of a Speaker.† â€Å"But I am guilty of neither, First Speaker, and you knew it. This is a matter of a personal vendetta on the part of Speaker Delarmi. If there is misuse of power, it is on her part. My crime is that I have never labored to make myself popular – I admit that much – and I have paid too little attention to fools who are old enough to be senile but young enough to have power.† â€Å"Like myself, Speaker?† Gendibal sighed. â€Å"You see, I've done it again. I don't refer to you, First Speaker. – Very well, then, let us have an instant trial, then. Let us have it tomorrow. Better yet, tonight. Let us get it over with and then pass on to the matter of Trevize. We dare not wait.† The First Speaker said, â€Å"Speaker Gendibal. I don't think you understand the situation. We have had impeachments before – not many, just two. Neither of those resulted in a conviction. You, however, will be convicted! You will then no longer be a member of the Table and you will no longer have a say in public policy. You will not, in fact, even have a vote at the annual meeting of the Assembly.† â€Å"And you will not act to prevent that? â€Å"I cannot. I will be voted down unanimously. I will then lie forced to resign, which I think is what the Speakers would like to see. â€Å"And Delarmi will become First Speaker?† â€Å"That is certainly a strong possibility.† â€Å"But that must not be allowed to happen!† â€Å"Exactly! Which is why I will have to vote for your conviction.† Gendibal drew a deep breath. â€Å"I still demand an instant trial.† â€Å"You must have time to prepare your defense.† â€Å"What defense? They will listen to no defense. Instant trial!† â€Å"The Table must have time to prepare their case.† â€Å"They have no case and will want none. They have me convicted in their minds and will require nothing more. In fact, they would rather convict me tomorrow than the day after – and tonight rather than tomorrow. Put it to them.† The First Speaker rose to his feet. They faced each other across the desk. The First Speaker said, â€Å"Why are you in such a hurry?† â€Å"The matter of Trevize will not wait.† â€Å"Once you are convicted and I am rendered feeble in the face of a Table united against me, what will have been accomplished?† Gendibal said in an intense whisper, â€Å"Have no fears! Despite everything, I will not be convicted.†

Is Tourism the Best Way For Kenya To Develop?

In this report, I will be investigating how tourism is increasing Kenya's income and world standing. I will also, however, be investigating the positive and negative repercussions of tourism on Kenya's people, wildlife and landscape, before coming to my own conclusion on whether tourism should be encouraged as a source of income. Why might the government want to encourage tourism in Kenya? In comparison with other more economically developed countries (MEDC's) such as the UK, it can be seen that Kenya cannot be classed under the title MEDC as the country lacks certain characteristics necessary for the title. In comparison, however, with less economically developed countries such as India, it can be seen that Kenya does fit the criteria for a LEDC more convincingly. This is shown in the table below. If we look at this table, you can see clear contrasts between the figures for each country. On examining population, for example, it can be seen that the population of Kenya is just 28.8 million. This is less than half that of Britain, an MEDC which has a population of 59 million, and only just over 10% of that of the USA, also a MEDC with a population of 267.7 million. What this trend would suggest is that the higher the population, the more economically developed the country. India, however, an LEDC disproves this theory, with a population of 969.7 million. Usually, population is an indication of development, as a larger population would suggest a higher life expectancy rate, and higher GNP. Although this is true for some examples, there are always some countries which break the rule. When you compare the USA and Kenya, you will see that Kenya an LEDC has a low life expectancy of just 54 years and so in turn has relatively low population. Similarly if you look at the USA, you will see it has a very high population generated by its high life expectancy of 76 years. In India, however, quite a different trend is apparent, as even though it has a population approaching a billion, it has a very poor life expectancy of just 59 years. This is an example of an extreme, where too many people are flooding the limited resources available. The life expectancies of the LEDC's and MEDC's do have a clear trend, with few LEDCS having one over 60, (India is the highest above with 59) and few MEDC's having one below 76, (USA, being the lowest above with 76). As I began to explain, the reasons for these differences in life expectancy are due to the GNP of a country as the more money that a country has, the more money can be spent on improving living conditions. Providing a country is not at war, when the money is usually spent on arms etc, the money a nation earns is usually spent on improving education, infrastructure and health care. Naturally then, as is illustrated above, the more money (GNP) a nation has, the more it spends on such facilities so its people are healthier and live longer. Although this is not a problem for MEDC's such as USA and UK as they both have high GNPs, for LEDC's such as Kenya there are difficulties. Due to national debts, lack of resources and few developed businesses, LEDC's do not have the income required to improve living conditions to a satisfactory level, thus people living in LEDC's have less access to healthcare etc. and so are more susceptible to disease, thus they have lower life expectancies. We can now understand why Kenya faces these problems, as if we compare its GNP with the USA's, we see that on average a Kenyan person earns just $280 a year, compared with $26980 of the average American. Having less money to pay for education etc, Kenya is seemingly trapped in a spiral of poverty, as money is needed for education, but education is needed to make money. It is for this reason that the Kenyan government may want to embrace tourism as a source of income. Tourism is seemingly an ideal solution to Kenya's problem, as due to its many gam reserves and golden coastlines, it attracts millions of tourists every year. Tourism does not rely on the development of high tech businesses or the training of the population, it simply relies on using the nations resources, which in the case of Kenya are in the form of natural reserves and tropical conditions. When tourist visit Kenya they bring with them money on which many Kenyans rely. For Kenya, tourism is the key source of income, making more money than any exports, such as tea and coffee. The reason for this is that although 78% of Kenya's population are employed in agriculture, due to national debt and unfair trading conditions, the nations agricultural products are sold for pittance to large western corporations. With tourism, however, there is no middleman, the money goes straight from the tourists to the people, thus the government sees tourism as a more efficient means by which to increase their countries GNP than agriculture. The reason why this increase in GNP is important, is as with it will come an increase in education, health care and improvements in infrastructure. These three things are the basis of development from which Kenya can build a stronger economy and rise in the development ladder. In this way the increase in tourism can be directly linked to the increase in Kenya's GNP and in turn development level. Why are tourists attracted to Kenya? As you can see from the climate graph of Nairobi, the annual temperature in Kenya varies very little, it is consistently warm all year through, not dropping below 17 degrees even in winter. Being just in the Southern Hemisphere, Nairobi's summer begins about the same time as our autumn. From October the temperature begins to rise, eventually peaking in February and March, the summer months of Kenya, before dropping steadily by 1 degree a month back down to 17 degrees in July. As is the equator splits Kenya almost in two, there are several different weather systems in operation in different regions of Kenya. In the North the climate is hot with little rain, where as in the south, the coast is humid, the highlands are temperate and the lake Victoria region is considered tropical. Being situated midway between the coast and lake Victoria, Nairobi's wettest of months are in summer, as the increase in heat leads to an increase in evaporation, resulting in the moderate rainfall it experiences. From the graph we can see that just as Nairobi's temperature has two apparent peaks, in October and then in February and March, so too its rainfall follows the same trend. Beginning to rise at the start of these hot months, the rainfall peaks a month or so after the temperature, the highest amounts being 153mm in April and 132 in November. The rainfall then, however, drops with the temperature, falling to just 13mm in July. As I mentioned earlier the rainfall in Kenya is very varied. The wettest areas of Kenya are located in the East of the country and on the coast. On the coast the wet areas are spread in an even band along the sea front about 50 km in land. The reason for these heavy coastal rains is that due to the high temperatures, there are also high amounts of evaporation of sea water along the coast. Clouds are then formed when the vapour rises to a sufficient height for the air to cool enough to result in the condensation of the vapour. Blown from the sea, water vapour travels inland into Kenya. As the vapour approach the shorelines, the relief begins to increase, with the average land height increasing to about 100m above sea level, this increase in height in turn causes the air to rise, thus it becomes cooler and condenses to form the clouds which lead to precipitation. Inland in the East there is also a water source, lake Victoria which also supplies water vapour. Yet as we can see from the map, the wet areas venture far inland, hundreds of miles from any water. The reason for this is due to two key factors, the relief and the equator. As the wet area to the east lies on the equator, the air pressure in that region is considerably less than else where in the continent. This low air pressure encourages rainfall as it allows the water vapour to rise higher and so become cooler and condense into the clouds which produce precipitation. This low air pressure works together with the relief of the area, as from the eastern border of Kenya, reaching in to the source of the river Tana, there is a very mountainous area, with an average height of 3000 meters in places. This mountainous region also contributes to the low air pressure necessary for rain, as by rising 3000meters into the air, the mountains force the clouds of water vapour to rise as they pass over them. As I have mention previously, by rising the clouds become cold enough to turn into precipitation, thus the east of Kenya is more prone to rainfall. These weather conditions have had a knock on effect on the wildlife of the area also, there are thousands of different plant and animal species in the country. In lake Nakuru, for example, over 450 different species of birds exist in the ecosystem. The reason why the lake is so perfect for these birds is due to three main factors. Firstly, the water is very shallow across the lake, the average depth being just 2 meters, this allows birds such as flamingos to wade far out in search of food etc. It also allows fish hunting birds greater access to the fish, as they can't hide deep in the bottom of the lake. The second key reason why so many birds can live in the lake ecosystem is that as the water is alkaline, it is ideal for algae growth which thrive in such conditions. These vast supplies of algae are in turn eaten by vast supplies of fish, which along with their predators, provide ample food supply for the thousands of birds that feed on them. The third reason for the vast numbers of birds is that the water is clear and has very little sediment. This quality means that not only does the algae grow better as more sunlight gets to them (more photosynthesis) leading to more fish and so more food for the birds, but also it makes it easier for fisher-birds to see their prey so more food is available to them. As you can see from fig. 3, the Kenyan Savanna is also home to a multitude of animal species, all coexisting in one of the largest ecosystems on earth. Due to the amount of animals in the ecosystem, however, it is very sensitive to the slightest change in population in the various stages. If the number of leopards were reduced due to poaching, for example, then their could be far reaching consequences. Firstly, the decrease in leopards would lead to an increase in their prey, impalas and gazelles, as fewer are now being eaten. Reducing this control on the impala and gazelle numbers would allow more to mate, and so, within a few years, there would be a notable increase in their numbers. This increase, would in turn trigger a decrease in the Savanna grasses, as their would now be larger numbers of gazelle and impala eating them. With the decrease in grass there would in turn be a decrease in other animals which rely on it for food as there would no longer be enough to support them. These animals, buffalo rhinos and warthogs, would either leave the area or die off. This in turn would reduce the food available for large predators such as lions etc. so they too would begin to die out. The cycle has now come full circle with the reduction in the number of teritary predators thus the whole of the consequence chain would begin again. This example, shows just how fragile the ecosystem is and so should make us more concerned with the way we treat it. All the natural qualities I have mentioned above are key factors in Kenya's appeal in the eyes of the tourist that visit the country each year. The environment is one of these factors, being consistently hot all year through and having virtually no rain during the tourist season, thousands of tourists from Western Europe are attracted to Kenya's golden and unspoilt beaches each year. The vast tropical coastline is also accompanied by a large coral reef, boasting a wide variety of marine species. This therefore also contributes to Kenya's appeal. The main attraction of Kenya for most tourists, however, is the vast variety of wildlife that can be found in the game reserves there. For many tourists, being able to see wild animals in their natural habitat is more than a good reason to visit the country. The popularity of these parks is reflected by the fact that now over 40 of them exist in the country. Additional natural attractions include the physical features of Kenya, such as Mount Kilamanjaro, located on the border between Kenya and Tanzania, and Lake Victoria, located on Kenya's eastern border. Both of these sites are beautiful and attract millions of tourists. Does tourism bring more problems than benefits? Economic Effects Tourism is undoubtedly beneficial for the Kenyan economy, as over the last 35 years, it has grown into Kenya's largest source of income, overtaking tea and coffee in 1989 with 22% of the nations income. Tourism also supplies jobs for the local people, providing positions in hotels and also allowing the creation of small private businesses, such as tour van companies and cafes.. For these reasons tourism should, and will be encouraged. The controversy comes, however, when we take into account, just how much of the income from tourism Kenya actually receives. It can be argued that Kenya is being exploited by the larger holiday companies who operate there. Professional Kenyans, skilled in careers such as carpentry etc. are giving up their jobs to join tourism-related careers such as waiters. Figures show that the money coming in from tourism is increasing each year. The problem occurs, however, as this increase is followed by a decrease in other sources of income. Kenya is now running t he risk of becoming too dependant on tourism as a source of income. There is also the issue of just how much of the money generated by tourism goes to the Kenyan people, as figures show that in fact large overseas corporations are taking most of the money. For all of the money coming into Kenya, there is also vast amounts going out as a result of tourism. The Kenyan government for example has had to take out large loans from other countries in order to pay for the development of it tourist facilities. There are also goods that have to be imported for tourists and other amounts of money going out of Kenya as a direct result of tourism. I did mention that tourism creates jobs for locals, but how many companies will actually employ these natives? In many instances the foreign tour operators at work in Kenya, will use foreign air lines, import foreign food, build with foreign building materials and employ foreign tour guides. Some jobs are created for Kenyan workers, however, in the construction of the hotels, for example, employing a Kenyan work force is much cheaper than bringing in foreign labourers. Yet for any job with any technical skill foreigners are still drafted in, with the result that few Kenyans will ever be able to advance career wise higher than farmers or tour guides. In this way, it could be argued that tourism is weakening Kenya's economy, as the development of tourist orientated businesses are replacing that of more high tech developments that would raise Kenya's economic standing in the world economy. Although tourism is a quick way of earning money, it is not one that allows much room for development, as it will always rely on foreign money as opposed to investing in Kenyan business. What are the social effects of tourism in Kenya? The social effects of tourism on Kenya are probably the furthest reaching of all. Tourism permeates every aspect of Kenyan society, from the Savanna dwelling natives to the Muslims of the coastal regions. Similarly opinions of tourism are just as diverse, with some welcoming the ethnic mix while others despise it. The benefits of tourism on the Kenyan populations are clear. Tourism brings with it increased understanding between peoples of different nations and cultures. It also brings the money with which new developments, such as improvements to Kenya's infrastructure, are bought. Another key argument for tourism is that the money it brings, pays to help preserve Kenyan heritage, in renovating buildings and giving money to the natives. Some Kenyan, however, argue quite the opposite, claiming that tourism is a direct route to the decline of the Kenyan culture. Sacred rituals once performed by the Massi people, now become quaint stage shows and people are driven from traditional indus tries into degrading tourist serving jobs. Kenyans are becoming second class citizens in their own country, unable to go to the beach in case they spoil the scenery and forced to undertake degrading roles, it easy to see why the anti-tourism feeling exists. Some people promote tourism as a healthy mix of different cultures, yet it is apparent that this is not always the case. With them tourists have also brought drugs, fornication and alcohol to Kenya. The influx of white tourists has lead to thousands of Kenyans turning to prostitution for money. Kenyan men known as ‘Beach-boys' have also begun to operate, seducing rich white women in order to return to Europe with them when they leave Kenya. This interracial fornication is in turn contributing to a much larger problem. Due to the poverty in the country, 14% of the Kenyan population has aids, by having numerous sexual encounters while on holiday, white tourists are not only opening themselves up to infection, but they are also spreading it further through the Kenyan population. In certain areas, tourism shows blatant disregard for the local customs and culture. In the coastal regions of Kenya, for example, there is high Muslim population. In the Islam religion, women have to wear long black garments covering all of their body, except the eyes, as it is a sin to advertise themselves to men. When tourists walk through these settlements, however, women often wear bikinis or even go topless, this is a great disrespect and insult to the Muslim inhabitants. If this weren't bad enough, tourism has also lead to the opening of many bars and nigh clubs in Muslim areas. This again is a disregard for their culture as alcohol is strictly prohibited. Other positive repercussions of tourism, though, include a decrease in death rate by 5% in 20 years, as the improvement of services for tourists also benefit natives and the money the tourists bring is spent on health care and infra structures. A negative statistic, however, is a fall in birth rate by 3% in 20 years, already a low populated country it is worrying to think that many Kenyan youths are leaving for Europe with the tourists. This is yet again another example of the direct loss of Kenyan culture through tourism. On the other hand, though, the question must be asked whether without the money brought by tourism, Kenyan culture would be able to survive at all. What are the environmental effects of tourism in Kenya? The environmental effects of tourism in Kenya are perhaps the most obvious and worrying of them all, as the current way in which tourists and locals alike exploit the natural Kenya could prove to be the root to Kenya's down fall. As I have mentioned previously, Kenya has over 40 game reserves which are home to the variety of plant life and animal species that make Kenya so appealing. The problem that is arising, however, is that instead of preserving the reserves, locals and tourists are physically destroying them. The largest game reserve in Kenya is the Massi Mara, receiving millions of visitors a year. Due to its popularity, large amounts of locals are employed in transporting the tourists around the park in minibuses, which does not affect the park, were they to keep to the roads built for them. The problem occurs, however, as these minibuses go off road, into the heart of the reserve in search of animals. Showing total disregard for the animals, these bus drives drive within feet of them. Sometimes there can be as many as twenty buses on one animal so the tourists can get photographs. This armada of minibuses has had numerous effects on the environments of the large game parks. The most obvious being the traumatising of the animals. In the Massi Mara there have been notable decreases in the mating of animals as a direct result of the buses. In fact the constant intrusion, has lead many tourists to describe the Massi Mara as a zoo but on a larger scale. Another problem the buses cause is the compacting of the soil. By driving off road, the busses crush plants and compact the soil. This results in a lack of plant growth, which in turn means bare surfaces and thus more soil erosion so in the future there won't be enough soil left for plants to grow at all. Another popular way to view the animals of the Massi Mara is by Hot air balloon, as they do not crush the plants or ruin the soil, they appear to be the perfect alternative to minibuses. The problem still remains, however, that the balloons, like the minibuses still disturb the animals, the noise of a balloons burners can be heard for miles around and in one instance in the Massi Mara, a herd of rhinos were driven from the area by the noise. Another way in which tourism has negatively contributed to the Massi Mara, socially as well as environmentally, has been in the case of the Massi people. Living in the area for centuries, the Massi people were forced to move out without compensation when the parks open. Due to the influence of tourists, the Massi people now have to live on the very outskirts of the parks, where try to regain their normal, agricultural way of life. With this, however, another problem occurs, as in order to contain their animals the Massi build fences, the problem is these fences block animal migration roots and so kill the animals of the park. The Massi people's philosophy is that of, why should we conserve the animals, when we get no benefit from it. Despite these negative impacts of tourism, there have also been positive repercussions. The money earnt from tourism, for example, is reinvested into the park and the preservation of the wildlife within it. One use is payment of local guards, who patrol the park in order to prevent drivers breaking the law by going off road. Yet despite these preliminary measures, stricter guidelines will need to be enforced if the parks are going to remain a source of income for the future. It is not only the inland environments which are being affected, however, as the coastal regions are also being overwhelmed by tourism. As inland, tourism here has far reaching effects. One of the largest problems due to tourism is coastal erosion, as in order to build the hotels and other resorts, large areas of mangrove forests were felled. By felling these forests, the rain which falls on the coast has little interception, so it can run off rapidly towards the sea, eroding the land as it goes. Erosion is not only threatening fishing grounds, ports and farmland on the Kenyan coast, it is also threatens the large tourist hotels which bring millions of pounds into Kenya each year. If the coastal areas became unsafe, it would devastate Kenya's economy. Another worrying repercussion of tourism on the coast is on the famous coral reef situated off the coast. Like the game reserves, locals also have been exploiting the coral reef, providing boat trips to it for the tourists. The problem that is arising, however, is that the tourists and locals who visit it are in fact destroying the coral. Being one of the most beautiful and delicate ecosystems on the planet, coral can die just by being touched, and yet off the coast of Kenya the boat trips allow the tourist to walk on top of the coral and take souvenirs of their visit home. These souvenirs take the form of marine life such as starfish and in a year tourists can remove up to 141 tonnes of it. One of the worst culprits for the decline of the reefs are the local boat owners themselves, as they drop anchor in the middle of the reef and then drag it through the coral. All of these actions are turning Kenya's coral reef into a baron waste land of dead coral which will not regrow for hundre ds of years. It is therefore imperative that something is done to combat this problem. Conclusion As I have shown in my report, tourism is a double bladed sword for Kenya. The economy has become so dependant on the industry that it could not do without it and yet, at the same time tourism is destroying the very environmental qualities of Kenya that the tourist are coming to see. There is also of course the social effects which I have also mentioned, where the rush to make money from tourism has lead to a decline in national heritage. For example hotels etc. ruin historical landscapes of the area and ancient peoples such as the Massi abandon the life style they have led for centuries in order to make money from the tourists, by selling necklaces etc. It is surely clear then that something must be done in order to preserve Kenya, and this is down to you, the Kenyan government. The reason for most of these problems can be traced down to the government and their headlong leap into tourism without fully surveying what consequences would result. Similarly it has to be the government who correct these errors before it is too late. As I have mentioned, the government's current approach to tourism seems to be one of complacency. You have adopted the attitude that anything is viable, as long as it brings in money, but the question is just how much of that money you are receiving. At the moment, thousands of foreigners are being employed in Kenya as a result of the tourism industry, and there are thousands more people employed in companies abroad which make the goods these tourist complexes buy. I see these as thousands of potential jobs for Kenyans which are being given away. In many other tourist destinations, the government has introduced laws, allowing the construction of hotels etc. only by national unions and making it so that a certain number of native people have to be employed in the tourist complexes. Another option open to you is the investment in Kenyan industry. Rather than allowing goods to be bought from abroad, force these travel companies to buy Kenyan products by increasing tax on foreign imports. All these are ways of strengthening the Kenyan economy whilst maximising profits. Another law, which could be introduced in order to make tourism in Kenya more sustainable, is a building legislation specifying that hotels have to built in the traditional building style so as not to ruin the landscape and culture of the area. Not only would this then provide more jobs for Kenyan builders who specialise in traditional building techniques, but it would also remedy much of the over crowding and loss in environmental quality created by the large multi-storey eye sores currently being built. These are not just ideas that I am putting forward, however, as in some areas such as Lamu these techniques are being put into practice successfully. In Lamu the hotels are built to a traditional style, they are also built below the tree line so as not to spoil the landscape. The locals who stay in these venues also show more respect for the local Muslim culture there, wearing clothes which cover most of their body and only one bar is built in the area. On top of these improvements, the money earned by the hotels is invested back into the town of Lamu, paying for renovations etc. If this technique were to be applied else where in Kenya, I think it would meet with the approval of many of the anti-tourism residents who feel their culture is being destroyed. As well as restrictions on the building of tourist resorts in Kenya, there should also be restrictions on the way in which Kenya's natural habitats are exploited. On the Mombado coast, for example, laws should be made and enforced so that tourists can only see the coral reef through licensed boat trip operators. These boat trips would continue to employ locals, but through the use of glass bottomed boats etc. the way in which the coral is viewed would be limited so as not to cause damage. Similar measures also need to be implemented in the game reserves if the animals are to be preserved. Currently the laws there are not enforced. Firstly this could be done with the creation of more ranger jobs. Secondly, as with reef trips, the tours of the parks could be limited to licensed local drives who respect the parks environment by stealthily following animals and keeping to the paths with a trained local guide. Again such measures as these are already being implemented with success in areas like the Tsavo game reserve, where only one or two trips are made every hour, and the tourists stay out in the Savanna camped in tents etc. so as not to disturb the animals. On being interviewed after experiencing both forms of safari, tourist in fact preferred the Tsavo way, saying that if they returned it would be on the strength of their Tsavo experience. So, as you can see in many cases the restrictions that must be implemented will increase tourism as well as national income. Tourism should be encouraged in Kenya, but at the same time it must be remembered that unless it is sustainable, it will inevitably lead to a decline in the Kenyan culture as well as income. After all tourists will not want to come to a Kenya full of dwindling game reserves, baron seas and decayed culture.

Yeo soft drinks division SBU strategic market plan Case Study

Yeo soft drinks division SBU strategic market plan - Case Study Example Yeo Hiap Seng soft drinks division was chosen as the strategic business unit in the marketing plan. It is a division of the company in Singapore and it is the unit charged with the soft drinks marketing in the company. Being a large company with different products, YHS (Yeo Hiap Seng) strives to optimize the performance of the company through the individual contribution of the subdivisions.Soft drinks appear to be slowly but steadily overtaking hot drinks as the largest beverage sector in the world (Deloitte, 2008). A report by Zenith international shows that the consumption of the soft drinks is rising by 5% each year. As an industry, soft drinks market is rapidly expanding (Aqua-Trace, 2008). The industry is faced by several market trends and factors that either push or pull them to lead them in the direction that we view them to proceed.The companies operating in this industry are therefore generally faced by several challenges that include ever-changing consumer tastes, in crease d emphasis on products safety and the rising power of the retailers at the global level.Due to the several factors that are considered while having a picture into what happens with this industry, it is important to explore the opportunities for process improvement which could ultimately lead to better quality products and in the process guarantee safety of the product for the consumer while at the same time optimizing resources to provide best profits. A view of all the important industry factors with an eye into the future gives a positive prospect that ultimately secures a company's business or operations in the future. Although United States remains the biggest market currently, Asia likely to be the major driver of the sales in the near future (Deloitte, 2008). The soft drinks industry is pictured by opening into the entire beverage industry. The beverage industry has had its opportunities and challenges. Constant dynamism in consumer demands and preferences, call for new ways of attracting new customers while maintaining the old ones. Since this is the only way to increase sales and consequently achieve growth. The beverage companies strive to court customers, offer high quality products, efficiently distribute them, ensure safety and keep prices low. These must all happen with the eyes still open so as to able to exploit new opportunities by launching new products. The company therefore succeeds by quickly exploiting new opportunities. As a subsection of the beverage industry; the soft drinks market has been growing quite significantly, particularly in the emerging markets which include Asia as a key player

Quality Improvement Initiatives Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Quality Improvement Initiatives - Research Paper Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the changes that have largely inspired the need to improve quality of service in the healthcare to include advancement in technology, the need to increase effective use of resources amidst the rising cost of health care, changing patient needs due to new infections or new guidelines. Quality in health care institutions is a product of a number of factors, which are related either directly or indirectly to health care procedures. These factors do not work independently but jointly to determine the quality of health care that an institution gives, therefore, the quality of healthcare will be affected depending on the number of factors that directly affect it. One of the factors that affect the quality of healthcare is the management of health institutions; institutions that enjoy good management are likely to provide quality healthcare compared to the institutions with poor management. Institutions with visionary and proactive leaders who are genuinely involved in the affairs of the facilities they are in charge usually report higher levels of customer satisfaction in comparison to those whose leadership adopts a hands-off approach. This can be attributed to the fact that a leadership that is actively involved in running the affairs of the institution motivate other employees to work toward achieving the objectives of providing quality health care. However, some scholars argue that the management of healthcare institutions does not affect the quality of health care that is provided since they are not directly involved in treating or nursing the patients, therefore the people who affect the quality of care that patients receive are those who directly handle them such as nurses and doctors. The validity of this claim has been put into doubt since the motivation of the doctors and nurses depend on how the management handles their issue.

Internet plagiarism among college students Essay

Internet plagiarism among college students - Essay Example In this argument, the author asserts that students break this trust and prevent any possibility of being educated. The professor feedback will not allow the student to reflect on the assignment and identity new ways of improvement since the student does not own the work (Sadler 361). Fourth, Sadler asserts that plagiarism disadvantages other students especially in research papers. In this argument, the author asserts that the professor develops negative perceptions of the other students’ ability to deliver high quality work especially if the plagiarized work is of higher quality than the others. In addition, the professor may change the grading scale and will not be able to evaluate the effectiveness of his teaching strategies and instructions. Plagiarism is an injustice to the other students (Sadler 361). Fifth, the students who plagiarize do not benefit from the plagiarized materials or work since they have no opportunity of learning or engaging with the ideas. Much of the s tudent learning consists of preparing the assignments, thus students do not acquire any skills from presenting plagiarized work. In the sixth argument, plagiarism induces the student to laziness and low-self esteem that leading to habits of dishonesty and cowardice. The seventh argument why plagiarism is wrong is that it will make the student to believe that dishonesty is good in their later live (Sadler 262). This belief will curtail the ability to seek internal good through competition with others in order to secure self-interests. This behaviour will advance the notion that institutions such as universities do not promote social goods, but provide an avenue to attain private ends. In the eighth argument, plagiarism diminishes the purpose of university education since students do not acquire skills and knowledge that is essential in corporate world or public service (Sadler 362). In addition, this leads the public to suspect the value of higher education if graduates cannot demons trate skills and knowledge acquired after their higher education. The author asserts that plagiarism denies the student the opportunity to take a pride in his work through creativity and self-expression of knowledge acquired in class. It violates the academic integrity thus limiting the ability to engage in long-term scholarly commitment. Own academic work inspires humility and creates interest in further intellectual development. On the last argument, the author assert that students learn from interpersonal engagements thus this opportunity is limited if the students only provides the professors with pre-packaged goods (Sadler 362). The student will experience a limitation in self-expression and navigating concepts. One of the strengths of this article is that it provides the impact of plagiarism on both the student and professors. The article clearly outlines the purpose of university education and the negative impact of plagiarism on the life of the student (Sadler 362). However, Hunt Russell argues that the internet revolution provides reasons why students should be happy with internet plagiarism. In the first argument, Hunt notes that institutional rhetorical writing environment does not support internet plagiarism. Literary essays, research papers and term papers cannot be used to assess the skills and knowl

Global Strategy of ZAK-Squared Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Strategy of ZAK-Squared - Case Study Example Individual business division managers could analyze their market, make local decisions based on their analysis and funnel this information up to the corporate level. These divisions could also gear their business to their environment and its demands. Throughout the history of 3M, communication was of the utmost importance. At all levels of management as well as front line workers, there were a number opportunities such as retreats, councils, The Annual Technology Fair, as well as internal encouragement to maintain contact with other division employees. This mode of organization forced 3M to restructure time and time again. Breaking apart divisions and redefining policies and procedures. The Technical Council (numbering 80 people by early 1990) allowed the heads of its increasingly dispersed labs to meet on a regular basis. This was encompassed from the workings of the Technical Forum that was created in the early 1950s that was formed by "senators" that were drawn from the practicing scientists and technologies in each of the 80 3M US-based lbs.

Linguistics - structure and meaning in literary discourse Essay - 1

Linguistics - structure and meaning in literary discourse - Essay Example Throughout the novel, the novelist has been careful in adroitly interlinking the different subplots. The novel mainly deals with two parallel plots: the love relation between Charles Darnay and Lucy Manette and the historical events connected with French Revolution. However, there are several other underlying subplots distributed throughout the three Books of the novel. They include the story of the great sacrifice by the good-for-nothing lawyer Sydney Carton, the comparison between the two cities of London and Paris, the atrocities of the aristocrats etc along with the stories within story such as the imprisonment of Dr. Manette, the story of Madame Defarge. The overall setting of the novel is based on these interconnected subplots which contribute to the each other as well as to the meaning of the novel in general. The novelist has been effective in presenting the major themes of the novel through the literary device of setting. It means that the setting of the novel which incorpor ates the interrelated subplots functions as a literary device to the novelist in his ultimate conveyance of the major themes. Therefore, the subplots in A Tale of Two Cities work in relation to each other to reveal the major themes of the novel. In other words, different subplots and the structure of the novel has significant role in the transference of the themes and meaning. As George Newlin establishes, â€Å"The success  of  A  Tale  of  Two  Cities †¦ can be attributed to Dickens’s artful setting  of  a  touching human story against the background  of  the world-shaking events  of  the French Revolution, and to its powerful, universal themes.† (Newlin, 1) There is pertinent relation between the setting and the meaning in A Tale of Two Cities and the novelist proficiently selects the subplots which contribute eventually to his literary goal. Therefore, subplots in the novel cannot be comprehended in isolation. Rather, they are deeply contrived so as to

Law of Property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Law of Property - Essay Example She has also noticed that an apple tree in the adjoining garden has branches overhanging her own garden. She wishes to know whether she can cut the branches and whether she is entitled to keep any apples either taken from the branch or which fall from it. A. You are a trainee in a firm of solicitors consulted by Esther. Your principal has asked you to research the relevant law and report to the principal (in 1,000 words) on what are the legal principles regarding Outside the word limit, give a bibliography of all books and databases used to carry out the research, and give a list of all cases that you consulted (whether or not actually used in Part A of your answer), with their references. In order to be able to advise Esther of her rights over the items that have been removed from the property, the branches and apples overhanging her property and the watch found in the grounds it is necessary to examine the law surrounding chattels and fixtures as well as the law regarding property ownership. In relation to the items removed by the previous owner the law regarding chattels and fixtures would be applicable1. According to the maxim of ‘quicquid plantaur solo, solo cedit2’ which translates to mean that whatever is attached to the soil becomes part of it this would mean that if the seller of a property removed plants from the garden he could be in breach of the contract. In Elitestone Ltd v Morris [1997]3 the House of Lords divided the category of fixtures into chattels that have become part and parcel of the land and other fixtures. If an item can be removed from the property without damaging the fabric of the property the court will generally regard such items as chattels4. In this particular case in relation to the carpets it is unlikely that the court would regard these as a fixture as removing them does not interfere with the fabric of the property. The bell might be regarded as a fixture

Compare and Contrast Posner's and Ferguson's Views on the Main Causes Essay

Compare and Contrast Posner's and Ferguson's Views on the Main Causes of the Financial Crisis - Essay Example Many media outputs, including films, articles, and books have outlined various determinants of this economic disorder. One of the most prominent is Charles Ferguson’s film ‘Inside Job’, which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary for its power filmmaking and investigative practices. Another prominent text is Richard Posner’s ‘Crisis of Capitalist Democracy’. This essay compares and contrasts the views of these two individuals -- Posner and Ferguson – in terms of their perspectives on the main causes of the financial crisis. Analysis From the opening credits of Inside Job it’s clear that Posner and Ferguson agree on a number of substantial key contributing factors to the 2008 economic crisis. In these regards, both individuals identify the original spark of the crisis the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Another prominent aspect that both thinkers consider is the nature of financial deregulation as greatly contributing to the crisi s. Both the film and the text provides historical accounts – both Ferguson and Posner’s exploration of the Glass-Steagal Act and Ferguson’s exploration of early era Wall Street – in demonstrating the tremendous shift that occurred in the 2008 economic climate as compared to a bygone conservative era. ... Another of the most notable links between the two texts is the very notion that the American governmental structure may not be able to respond to the significant challenges of the crisis at hand. While Posner emphasizes that a new model of Keynesian economics is needed, he also notes, â€Å"it is not that the economic challenges that we face are insurmountable but that we may lack the governmental structures and political culture requisite for meeting them† (Poster, pg. 7). One sees this echoed in Ferguson perhaps most prominently in the film’s analysis of the links between the financial sector and academia. Ferguson makes the profound and startling insight that the very people who provide the structural education of the economy are themselves on the payroll of these financial firms. In both instances then – Posner and Ferguson’s – there is a profound nihilistic cynicism at the very structure of the American system. Still, as the film and Posnerâ₠¬â„¢s book develop it’s clear there are a number of distinguishing factors. There are a number of overarching considerations. In terms of contrasting elements, one considers the nature of the contrasting mediums. While Ferguson’s film is highly successful in articulating much of the complex process of the crisis, it lacks the in-depth and extended analysis a book can offer. As such, one considers that while the two thinkers may not necessarily stand in theoretical conflict, Posner has the luxury of offering an extended analysis on many elements of the crisis. One trend in these regards is the increased emphasis that Posner places on the citizens that participated in the housing bubble. He writes, â€Å"by pushing up the value of common stock, which made people feel wealthier because their savings were increasingly

Women in the Middle Ages Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women in the Middle Ages - Research Paper Example The medieval world is said to be exceptionally customary. Ladies had zero part practically to play in the nation on the loose. In the city, society would have effectively overseen what occupations a woman could perform, and her part in a medieval society would have been to help her mate. And in addition doing her daily chores, whether in a town or at home, a lady would have had numerous obligations concerning her job (Hanawalt 39). The duties played by women in this period were those that helped men to work harder or improve their efficiency. The responsibilities include some tasks like cooking for the man of the house. The women were expected to carry out this duty by the society to help men carry out their duties continuously. Men could now feel motivated as they did not waste any time in the house doing jobs like preparing meals. Jobs are mostly believed to be available in the urban regions. Inside a town, ladies would have done a significant number of the undertakings men did in the area. Even so, they were lowly paid for completing the same piece of the task. Archives from Medieval England identifying with what the normal individual did are uncommon, yet some still exist which inspect what ladies living in the towns did. For example, when procuring a commodity, a male could get 8 pence (Rexroth 219).When a woman completes the same task, she was paid 5 pence. For food making, men would receive 6 pence a day, while women got 4 pence (Hanawalt 219).

Accounting for Business Combination and Ethics Assessment Essay Example for Free

Accounting for Business Combination and Ethics Assessment Essay Early 2011, Yung Limited acquired 75% interest in Chum Limited. This is the first time of Yung Limited preparing the consolidated statement. A few issues regarding to the first consolidated financial statement have been raised up. This report is used to solve the raised issues and explain general principle of consolidation accounting. Before the acquisition, Yung and Chum was a competitor to each other. Their financial statement only reflects their own financial position. Thus, the balance and transaction would state in the financial statement. The reason is that they are viewed as two entities from different aspect. However, after the acquisition, Yung and Chum became a single combined entity as Yung held 75% interest in Chum. It means Yung can direct business decision of Chum according to its preference. This view would be reflected in the consolidated financial statements. Since the consolidated financial statements view Yung and Chum as a single combined entity, the balance due to each other would be eliminated as a result. As Yung and Chum are the single entity, the amount due to Yung is set off by the amount due from Chum. One entity cannot lead money to itself in order to create a liability or asset. See more:Â  Capital budgeting essay As Yung and Chum are a single entity, transactions with each other are just a transfer of assets or liabilities, or a relocation of assets, this would not recognise as a transaction in the consolidated financial statements. Generally, profit margin is added to those transactions. These profit margins would raise book value of assets in the transactions. The common example is inventory and non-current assets. Those profit margins can only be realised in the sales or disposal to external parties. Thus, the consolidated financial statements would eliminate those unrealised profit also. According to the above statement, Yung gets the power of control in the Chum. It means every transaction can be related to Yung and its decision. The relationship between Yung and Chum would be a parent-subsidiary, and not just similar to other associate as investor-investee. Therefore, it is required to show consolidated financial statement of Yung and Chum. The distinction between consolidation and equity basis of accounting is power of control. Generally, if an entity holds more than 50% interest of another entity, the entity is required to consolidate the controlled entity. However, if an entity holds about 20% to 50% interest of another entity, the entity is required to practising the equity basis of accounting. Comparing with the two methods, consolidation basis of accounting would reflect a smaller net income if there are a large amount of inter-company transactions. Equity basis of accounting only show the share of profit in associate as an extra item in the income statement of investor (parent in consolidation). Thus, it would be a greater net income unless there is a net loss in the associate. In conclusion, different methods change the net income. The financial statements for equity basis of accounting are only included the investment in associates as non-current assets, and recorded as cost plus fair value adjustments in the net shares of equity. The consolidated financial statements are the combination of the parent and subsidiaries, and goodwill, excluding inter-company balance and cost of control. Thus, Yung’s financial statements would be greater value in statement of financial position if all investments were consolidated, but smaller value in income statement as there are large amount inter-company transactions between Yung and Chum. Equity basis of accounting could provide a greater asset value to Yung, but a smaller net income to Yung also. Dear Mr. Li, Memo regarding the revenue cut-off problem of Yung Limited According to the recent conference with John Au, President of Yung Limited, he reported that the sales of Yung Limited in 2010 incorrectly included sales in 2011. However, we did not discover this material error by our audit work. This material error overstated the profit of Yung in 2010 by 10%, but understated the profit of Yung in 2011 by the same rate. John Au also mentioned that he prefers to ignore this error because he can get benefit from this error as the understated profit. Ignoring revenue cut-off problem leads to conflicts in ethical and professional. This conflicts with fundamental ethical principles, such as integrity, objectivity and professional behavior. In the integrity aspect, we should not disclose any untrue financial statements. In the objectivity aspect, our professional judgments should not be influenced by reputation of our audit firm and any potential legal sue. In the professional behavior, we should comply with relevant laws and regulations relating to this revenue cut-off problem. The following are some of my recommendation on this revenue cut-off problem. The first recommendation would be reporting to the board of directors directly. This material error should be report the board of directors of Yung Limited. This report could give directors’ chance to decide the treatment of this material error. They could estimate effect of this material error. The second recommendation would be following John Au’s suggestion, ignoring this material error. This could be a way to accommodate our client. The third recommendation would be requiring John Au to correct this material error. This could reflect the true financial position of Yung Limited. The fourth recommendation would be convening an extra-ordinary general meeting with all shareholders of Yung Limited. This EGM could give shareholders opportunity to aware this material error, and understand the potential. Finally, I would recommend asking John Au to correct this material error. Although this correction would make him loss of a bonus, this is a fair treatment to all stakeholders at all. Also, this solution could reflect the professional position of our company.

First Case of Forensic Dentistry in American Justice

First Case of Forensic Dentistry in American Justice Xavier Riaud Story of the first identification in forensic dentistry endorsed by the American justice Summary: In 1849, Webster killed Parkman. The latter’s body had never been found but his dental prostheses had. Webster was arrested and was prosecuted for the murder. The analysis of the dental prostheses carried out by Parkman’s personal dentist, positively identified the aforementioned prostheses and which immediately condemned Webster to death. This was the first case of identification in forensic dentistry which was endorsed by American courts. Key Words : Forensic dentistry, history, justice. Georges Parkman was born in 1790. He studied medicine at Harvard Medical College in 1813. He travelled in Europe in search of knowledge and improvement [4]. It was a profoundly humanistic medicine that he discovered with the pioneers of medicine who devoted as much time to their patients’ well-being as to therapeutics, strictly speaking. Upon his arrival home, he undertook to put into practice everything that he learned on the old continent. However, in Boston, he came up against the medical lobby which did not want to disrupt its habits. Disappointed, he decided to distance himself with the medical world and took over his father’s business when the latter died in 1835. Parkman made a fortune in real estate and pawnbroking. He became an influential citizen in the life of the city of Boston. During almost 40 years, Parkman and Webster were colleagues at the Massachussetts Medical College. In 1849, Webster was a chemist professor who had been teaching there for 25 years. He got into debt with Parkman. He owed him the tidy sum of 2432 $. On November 23 1849, it was said that Parkman had come to see his colleague in his laboratory. Nobody saw him again. It was Ephraà ¯m Littlefield, the university attendant who found the remains of a body of stout build which was supposedly close to that of the businessman. On November 30, the police decided to carry out a search in Webster’s chemistry laboratory and discovered the remains of a human being’s dentures, gold and charred fragments. Webster was immediately arrested for murder. The trial started on March 19 1850 and lasted 12 days. Webster was sentenced to death. He was hung on August 30 1850. The victim’s identity was proved thanks to the body’s teeth. Indeed, during the trial, Parkman’s dentist, Dr Nathan C. Keep (1800-1875) and his assistant Dr Lester Noble, proved that two pieces of evidence, in this case a block of mineral teeth and a part of marked set, were the remains of dentures made and fitted by Keep himself [2]. Those two elements perfectly adapted to a plaster cast of the defunct’s mandible that the practitioner had kept in his office and on which could be read  «Dr Geo Parkman 1846 » written by Noble. The dentures were fitted on November 4 1846. A few days later, the practitioner had to grind down the part of the dentures which was close to the tongue in order to give it more space. This grinding left traces which did not leave any doubts as far as Parkman’s death was concerned. Here is Dr Nathan Cooley Keep’s deposition at John Webster’s trial [5]. â€Å"I am a dental-surgeon and I have been practicing this occupation for thirty years in this city. (†¦) I knew Dr Georges Parkman. I met him in 1825 when I was studying medicine with Dr John Randall. Dr Parkman was sick at that time and Dr Randall treated him. I also treated him several times at his place. In 1825, I became his favourite dentist and he often sought me for treatments or dental pieces of advise [5]. On December 3, Dr Lewis showed me mineral teeth while I had just returned home from a trip to Springfield. I immediately recognized the teeth that I had made for Parkman in 1846. (†¦) Parkman’s mouth was very special, so much so regarding its shape and junction between the top and bottom of his lower jaw that I remembered it really well. I remember all its characteristics. The making of his dentures was definitely unusual. When M. Parkman ordered his new teeth, he asked me how long it would take before he would receive them. I asked him why. He answered that the university of medicine was about to open and that for this particular occasion, there would be a ceremony during which he would be asked to deliver a speech.(†¦) That left me little time but I did my best to meet the deadlines. The distinctive identity of his mouth was so marked that I had to use all my knowledge of the matter. (†¦) As usual, I started by taking prints of the patient’s mouth. I got a perfect reproduction of his mouth by applying soft wax on a piece of iron to lower the jaw, then by pressing all this against his jaw until the wax was cold. The mould was thus ready. I oiled it and poured plaster inside. 10 minutes later, the plaster was hard and it allowed me to obtain a perfect reproduction of the dental arcades. The mould of the mandible showed four natural teeth and three residual roots. The next step was the making of metallic plates which fitted his gums on which I fixed new teeth. First, I made transitional plates that I tried myself. They were generally made in copper or in another soft metal by carrying out a metallic print that I applied with pressure thanks to plaster moulds. The copper which served to the making of those plates was placed between the moulds and sufficient pressure had to be carried out to acquire the negative of the plaster mould. Those plates were transposed in the mouth to have a try. If they fitted well, that meant that the mould was good and that the gold plates of the final devices could be made. (†¦) Dr Parkman had no natural tooth by the jawbone [5]. (†¦) Once the plates were tried, the gold plates were made and fitted in the patient’s mouth. As I had reproduced the two jaws separately, one should position them together in order to make sure whether they corresponded. For that purpose, I applied wax on the teeth and made the patient bite into it. Plaster was poured on the prints of the bitten part and thus, the moulds could be set up. (†¦) The meshing of the two jaws was very particular. The escape of the jawbone and the projection of the mandible was highly significant which resulted into an abnormally long chin. Then, teeth with the proper length were fixed on gold plates. These teeth as well as the fake gum were made in clay and were placed in moulds for them to cook and to set. (†¦) The shape of Parkman’s mouth made it very difficult. As for the device of the jawbone, the teeth were made in only one block which was cut into three parts at the level of the canines before the cooking. (†¦) Those three blocks adapted to only one plate. It was likewise for the upper part. The two sets were linked together with spiral springs allowing the patient to open and close his mouth and which kept the dentures from moving. The teeth were fixed to them thanks to platinum pins. Following an incident, my assistant and I had to start all over again. We only finished 30 minutes before the ceremony. † The hearing was asked to be adjourned following a fire alert in the prosecuter’s office. Very soon, the hearing resumed. â€Å"Not being sure that I had finished everything, I asked Dr Parkman to come back [5]. He complained of the fact that he did not have enough space for his tongue. I filed the inside of the dentures near the tongue in order to gain space. I also removed the pink of the gums and the enamel inside the teeth causing insignificant aesthetic damage. Very regularly, I saw my patient again to carry out the care and the needed repairing. The last time I saw him dated back to two weeks before his disappearance. He had broken a spring and had called late at night so that I could repair it. It was around 10 (†¦). I spent half an hour to recondition everything. It was the last I had seen him in my office. I left the town on November 28 and came back the following Monday. It was then that I heard about his disappearance. Upon my return, Dr Lewis showed me those three pieces of mineral teeth (referring to the fragments found in the oven) [5]. At first glance, I noticed the similarity with the work I had done for Dr Parkman. The most recognizable part was the right mandibular block. I recognized its shape and outline which oddly looked like that I had worked on for such a long time. Several other parts had been severely damaged by the fire. Therefore, I naturally fell back on the conception models of the said dentures. Comparing the best preserved piece, I did not have doubts anymore. It was definitely my patient. There was at least enough matter to be able to determine where the fragments came from. This one came from the upper right jaw, that one from the left and the third one from the central part of the same jaw. The lower left jaw was almost complete. The part which was hooked on it seemed to be the right part by deduction. This last piece came from the same dentures and the other parts corresponded to the remaining free space. Only a piece remained unidentified. It could have been the small piece of the front of the mandible. Thus, I identified the position of 5 pieces out of 6. Only one unknown piece remained. That gave us the 6 parts of the dentures. I also found the platinum teeth still hooked on the teeth. I also found gold fragments and tiny portions of bones more or less caught in the teeth. It was highly likely that the prostheses went in the oven when they were still in the defunct’s mouth. Mineral teeth thrown into the fire, but preserved in the mouth, are impregnated with humidity which quitely evaporates. If they had not been in his mouth and had been brutally thrown into the fire, they would have torn to shreds. Another fact which confirmed that they were in his mouth is that the springs would have propelled them everywhere had they not been confined. When we put the teeth back, the blocks were combined together like now. † To a question from a member of the jury, Dr Keep answered: â€Å"The handwriting featuring on Parkman’s moulds was written during the making of the dentures. Then, those moulds remained in my cellar. I mainly kept them in anticipation of resulting incidents during the making of the protheses [5].† His deposition finished this way:â€Å"Dr Parkman had no unitary teeth. As natural teeth, he only had a tooth and two roots on the left side and three teeth and a root on the right side. On the left, starting from the back, there first of all was two roots and a tooth (canine) and on the right, still starting from the back, the root (2nd premolar), then three teeth (1st premolar, canine, lateral incisive). (†¦)† Nathan Keep was born on December 23 in Longmeadow, in Massachussetts [2]. Gifted with his hands, he soon got interested in dentistry after being a local jeweller’s apprentice. In 1821, he went to Boston. In 1827, he graduated from Harvard Medical School. He practiced dentistry during 40 years. He was praised for his skills. In 1843, he graduated from Baltimore College of Dental Surgery and received the honorary titles of doctor in dental surgery. Keep invented numerous dental instruments and was one of the first to make porcelain teeth. Keep was also the first doctor to have used ether anesthesia for deliveries, notably on April 7 1847 during the birth of Fanny Longfellow’s daughter. He attended John Webster’s trial, Georges Parkman’s murderer. It was the first time that dental work served as evidence during a trial in the United States. In 1867, the first announcement of the creation of the Harvard Dental School was published. Nathan became its first dean which seemed natural given the unweary steps the dentist took to see the school opening its doors. Keep’s dream came true and thus, Harvard became the first dental school of the world evolving within a university. His decisions from an administrative point of view showed his admirable nature and his remarkable moral values. Robert T. Freeman was a Black man. He was one of the sons of a slave family. He postulated without success to many dental schools in order to study, he arrived in Boston and asked to meet Dean Keep. On Keep’s recommendation, Harvard University decided that colour or birth could not be an issue anymore regarding students’ admission. Therefore, Robert T. Freeman was accepted at the age of 22 and graduated in 1869. He was the first African American student to graduate from a dental school. Thus, Keep’s motto became â€Å"Justice and right above conveniences†. His action in Freeman’s case put forward his qualities as leader which significantly established an aura of morality and justice which still has an influence on the university [2]. Nathan Cooley Keep died in 1875. A statue pays tribute to his paramount role in the foundation of Harvard dental school. It is located in the gardens of the school. Fig. 1 Dr Nathan Cooley Keep (1800-1875) [3]. Fig. 2 A plaster cast of Dr Georges Parkman’s mandible (1846) [3]. Bibliography: [1] Campbell JM. Professor J. W. Webster eliminates Dr George Parkman. Dent. Mag. Oral Topics June 1958; 75(2): 73-80. [2] No author. Nathan Cooley Keep. 2006: 1-2. Available from: http://www.answers.com [3] No Author. Harvard Medical School. 1867 1870. Available from: www.countaway.harvard.edu [4] No Author. Murder at Harvard: people events (Dr Georges Parkman (1790-1849)). 1999-2003: 1-2. Available from: http://www.pbs.org [5] No Author. American experience – Murder at Harvard – Primary sources: Identifying evidence: false teeth. 1999-2003 : 1-6. Available from: http://www.pbs.org [6] Riaud X. Les dentistes dà ©tectives de l’histoire [The dentists, detectives of history]. Paris: L’Harmattan, Collection Mà ©decine à   travers les sià ¨cles [Medicine throughout centuries collection]; 2007.