text:
Shan was kind to visit me as my days come to their end. He listened patiently as I recalled the adventures of my youth. He was at my side then, but he does not seem a day older now. I know that he has changed but the changes have taken a lifetime to see, like watching a tree grow or noticing the course of a river shifting after many seasons. He is becoming powerful and some day he will stop the evil that festers in the mountains. I can die believing this—Chendoaser, Nuram ruler, year 1882 of the Age of Onja.
The fuzzy blackness emerged into a painful grayness. Dreibrand opened his eyes slightly, but even the overcast day provided a vengeful glare. His skull felt like a year old walnut shell, and he ached like a teenager after his first bender. Close dark shapes hovered him, and Dreibrand squinted at them. Several smiling Temu children kneeled around him, closely examining the immobile foreigner. His arrival into hurtful consciousness made them all comment with excitement, and their chatter pierced his eardrums like breaking dishes. He implored them to hush, but his furry tongue and dry lips hindered his speech and made them laugh harder.
Escape would be the only chance for relief.
A cool drizzle started and the merciful wet soothed him slightly. Groaning, he sat up. His vision swam and a wave of nausea passed lazily. Apparently he had dropped on the field in a stupor and been left on the ground. The only people present besides the curious children were a few villagers, who were cleaning up the mess from the banquet.
Willpower helped Dreibrand to his feet, and he shuffled to his gear that had been set under the table. He buckled his sword back on and was vaguely pleased to see that his dagger remained in its place. After a brief rest, he reached for his armor. The chestplate slid from his fumbling hands and banged on the table on the way back to the ground. The resulting clang assaulted his abused head and made him shudder. Thoroughly reminded of why he avoided heavy drinking, Dreibrand grabbed his armor and plodded into Fata Nor, searching for a well.
Shan found him kneeling at a basin by a village well literally soaking his head. After drinking and washing, Dreibrand had dozed off with the injured half of his head lying in the shallow water.
"There you are," Shan declared, easing his friend's head out of the basin. "I thought I better get you when we heard children were poking you with sticks."
"Were they?" Dreibrand muttered.
"Get up, Dreibrand. It is time for us to have our talk with Taischek," Shan said.
Trying not to actually move his head, Dreibrand carefully climbed the basin until he stood up. Smoothing back his wet hair, he moaned, "I think I should throw myself on my sword."
Shan scolded, "Nonsense. This will pass. We will get you some food—"
"No," Dreibrand cut him off with an adamant whisper. "I—I am not hungry."
"Perhaps not," Shan reconsidered. "But you know how important our business is. Can you make it?"
"Of course," Dreibrand replied. "But can we walk slowly?"
The rys smiled. "I assumed that."
As they headed for the King's tent, Dreibrand was painfully aware of his shabby appearance. His shirt had long since ceased to be anything worthy of pride, and he was rumpled, battered and dirty. But he had not looked much better before the banquet, and Taischek had been impressed with him then.
Is he still impressed with me? Dreibrand wondered nervously. The last half of the evening laughed at his attempts to remember it.
"Where did you go last night?" Dreibrand asked.
Waving a blue hand, Shan answered, "I did not notice."
"What was that smoke?" Dreibrand said.
Shan explained, "It is a flower that grows in the lowlands. Humans use it for medicine and pleasure. But its effect on rys goes beyond the human experience. It makes me unable to entirely control my awareness. My mind is set adrift. It is very pleasurable, but it leaves me very vulnerable. I rarely indulge, and I suspect last night was my last opportunity to be so frivolous."
Rubbing his head, Dreibrand said, "I could use some right now."
"I am sure you could," Shan agreed. "But your mind must be clear. This will be my first council of war."
Dreibrand reflected on the task ahead, realizing that it had not been that long since his last war council, but much had happened in between. He was not even the same person anymore.
"Where is Miranda?" he said.
"At the guest house. Taischek went to speak with her earlier," Shan answered.
What did she tell him? Dreibrand worried, which made his head throb. But he had no way to ask Shan without seeming suspicious.
Shan interrupted his secret fretting. "This will not be pleasant."
Dreibrand lifted his aching eyes and saw Rysmavda Nebeck and the two younger priests waiting between them and the King's tent at the edge of the village.
"Lord Shan, we must speak," Nebeck announced with authority.
"What makes you so bold with me, rysmavda?" Shan demanded.
Nebeck's narrow lips twitched as the intimidation washed over him, but his purpose did not diminish from his eyes. A pale warding crystal hung over his chest on a silver chain, but there seemed to be no heart behind it. His stringent expression advertised his cold outlook, and his white skullcap made his thin face look even hungrier.
"What is your purpose in Fata Nor?" Nebeck said.
"How dare you ask my business?" Shan hissed.
"I no longer have to show you respect. I know you are cast out of Jingten," Nebeck said. "Now I demand to know your business among these good subjects of the Queen, our Goddess."
"Go hide in your temple," Shan snapped.
Nebeck did not waver and his temerity surprised Shan. "You are an enemy of the Queen. I will not let you be in my templesphere. I will not let your blasphemous treachery put the citizens of Fata Nor at risk."
"The only risk is that these people will soon see that you have no power to back up your greedy and controlling ways," Shan said.
The younger rysmavda gasped, and Nebeck gaped in shock.
Villagers had gathered a modest distance from the rys and the rysmavda, and they hung on every hot word.
"Onja has no power here. She cannot strike us down from Jingten as in days of old," Shan announced. "If Onja is a Goddess, I invite her to strike me down because I say she is not." He raised his arms as if beckoning the legendary wrath of the Queen.
Dreibrand sensed the tension from all of the nearby Temu, and he shared some himself. But dealing with Onja was Shan's role, and he focused on those things he could cope with. Through his hangover, he monitored the three rysmavda as Shan had told him to do.
"Well, Rysmavda Nebeck, where is the power of Onja?" Shan demanded impatiently.
Nebeck cringed, convinced that a killing spell from his Goddess was surely on its way. Clutching his warding crystal, he retreated with his associates.
"Onja, take this rogue from us!" he pleaded.
Shan laughed as if a fool had irritated him for too long. Blue light flared in his eyes and he pointed at Nebeck. The rysmavda cried out in pain and released the warding crystal that now blazed on the end of its chain. The charm then burst into pieces that fell to the path like plain broken glass.
Nebeck wailed in dismay. "You are cursed!"
The crowd had thickened quickly, and the King and General Xander emerged from the tent. If Shan's confrontation with the rysmavda distressed Taischek, it did not show. Taischek stormed through the crowd that parted for him automatically.
"Rysmavda Nebeck, why do you anger my guest?" Taischek rumbled.
"Temu King, Shan has been banished by the Queen, our Goddess, and we must not harbor him. She commanded me so last night," Nebeck answered with extra emphasis on the last sentence for the benefit of the crowd.
"Shan is my friend and is permanently welcome among our tribe—no matter what. Why don't you go count our gold and leave us alone," Taischek sneered, referring to the tribute collecting function of the temple.
"Temu King, I warn you. Shan will bring Onja's wrath to our tribe," Nebeck insisted.
"You act like Onja treats us well now," the King countered. "Now leave us. I wish to visit with my friends."
"Prime Rysmavda Arshen in Dengar Nor will hear of this," Nebeck warned, but the King was already ignoring him. Taischek signaled for the crowd to be dispersed and waved Shan and Dreibrand into the tent.
Once inside the tent, Taischek showed his emotion. "By the great Tartarlan, you have really gone and done it, Shan."
The rys made no reply. Shan knew that Taischek would fuss until he accepted things. Shan had told him this day could come.
Taischek flopped into his place and brooded deeply. Xander motioned for them to sit and they waited in silence, not wishing to intrude upon the King's thoughts.
Dreibrand tried to interpret what had just happened. He had not expected the confrontation with the rysmavda or Shan to be so aggressive. He had not caught all of the words, but he had gathered that Shan had just publicly declared Onja's religion false.
The King heaved a great sigh and his eyes rounded the gathering. He seemed to take some comfort from those present.
On a tremendously light note that dismissed his heavy mood, Taischek said, "Don't I have a fine crew. My General is the first to pass out, and my new warrior, Dreibrand, is the last to wake up."
Everybody chuckled and felt a little relieved.
Turning exclusively to Dreibrand, the King continued, "I spoke with your companion, Miranda. Her news was hard to hear."
Dreibrand's stomach tightened.
"The captivity of her children breaks my heart. I have never heard of Onja doing such a thing. This strange behavior from the Queen does not please the Temu," Taischek said.
His sincerity was apparent. Taischek also knew the horror of torture and he sympathized with the foreign woman who had endured the hateful touch of the Queen. Most of all, Onja's sudden desire to possess children worried him.
Will she begin to demand children from us? he wondered.
"You see that we must tolerate Onja no longer," Shan said. "The time has come for me to put aside my fear, and free the world from her tyranny and claim the throne of my kind. Taischek, King of the Temu Tribe, on this day I ask you to fulfill your promise. Help me overthrow Onja." When Shan spoke her name, his voice was almost a snarl.
Xander cast anxious eyes upon his lord. He would do and die by his King's orders, but would his King really commit to this mad venture? Every human knew rys were superior, and Onja was invincible.
Finally, Taischek said with a resigned tone, "Shan, you are the prince of favors. You pull a boy from the fire and he would say anything out of gratitude. But Shan, I have come to know you well, and I know you act first out of compassion, not ambition. Still, you control your generosity, recognizing the value of your good deeds.
"The years did pass though, and I came to think you would not defy the Queen in my lifetime. Your plots could easily outlive one man. Now in my old age you ask me to help change the world."
Shan frowned. "Do not plead old age with me Taischek. You could kill an ox."
Taischek raised a hand to prevent Shan from lecturing him. "I only meant that you waited so long to ask your favor, I had come to hope I was free of the obligation. Shan, my sword is at your service as I promised it would be long ago. My ancestors bowed to Onja, and it became our way." The King gestured to Dreibrand. "He comes from a place where Onja has no dominion. If she truly were a Goddess, every person in Gyhwen would serve her as we have. Therefore, I, Taischek, have the courage to free my people, so that my heirs will prosper even more than I.
"I understand that humans can only hope to defeat Onja with the aid of a rys, and we must not miss our opportunity. Perhaps together we can prevail."
"Yes we shall!" Shan cried with excitement. Setting his plans in motion bolstered his confidence. It was one thing to plot and whisper, but there was power in the freedom of actually moving toward his goal. He could not convey the depth of his hate for Onja to his friends. No human could quite understand how she had wronged him by lingering in this world, continually denying him his rightful place as leader of the rys. She kept him forever in a voiceless limbo, and he could only have a furtive respect from his own kind.
With an eerie potency in his voice, Shan continued, "Onja is old, very old. Older than any rys has ever been. Since my last challenge, I have grown into the prime of my life, whereas Onja has only aged more beyond a natural life. I can feel the strain inside her mind and body, and she will not withstand my second challenge. With your help, we will aggravate that strain, until I can strike her down."
"What part could the Temu possibly play in this rys thing?" Xander suddenly demanded.
"Please, Xander do not become upset," Taischek soothed his general. "Shan will explain."
Respectfully, Shan nodded to Xander, reading the reluctance on the Temu's face. "Good General, many humans will unfortunately remain loyal to Onja—out of fear. Onja knows well that I wish to cast her down, and it is only a matter of time before she sends her allies to kill me. Threats from rysmavda are only the beginning. Therefore, I will need protection. I will need an army to return to Jingten because she will set her allies to protect her. And of equal importance, the fact that an entire army has risen in opposition to her will devastate her confidence. The defiance of so many humans will make her nervous because it will demonstrate that her power cannot reach the lowlands anymore."
"Has she really become so weak? Are we actually safe from her in the lowlands?" Taischek asked eagerly.
Shan nodded. "Her magic can still reach us, but it has become limited. She can see and hear us, and communicate with the rysmavda of course, and other minor things, but she cannot kill. Onja is no longer the Queen that your ancestors had to bow to."
Although Xander accepted the Temu were now committed to this cause, he would still voice his concerns in council. "And when we face rys soldiers, what can you do for us?" he asked.
"The rys forces are the least of my concern," Shan responded. "They will stand aside when we reach Jingten. I have a right to challenge Onja, and it is not the way of rys to interfere in the challenges of others. If combat does occur with rys soldiers, my magic will even the odds for you. The soldiers of Jingten know how powerful I am and they will not be willing to confront me."
"It is true," Dreibrand supported. "I have seen it. The soldiers have no power over Shan."
The rys restrained Dreibrand's eagerness. Humbly he said, "Do not say that. I am flesh, and anyone, rys or human, could conceivable hurt me. That is why I need my friends to guard me from those that would try. I regret that I involve you in war, but Onja has wronged the humans even more than her own kind. I suggest that the Temu not pay their tribute to Jingten this year. It will reveal Onja's weakness to the other tribes, and the rys have no need for your treasures. We are brilliant and gifted on our own, except Onja has made the rys into lazy overlords. When I am King, there will be no tribute. Humans and rys can trade and do business as it pleases them, but I need no dominance over humans. The Rysamand will be for the rys, but that is all."
These words appealed to Taischek and even placated Xander. The King knew his trust in Shan's goodness had not been misguided, and he imagined the glory of marching on Jingten. Onja's seemingly eternal tyranny had become a part of the short lives of men, but Taischek realized that Shan had watched generations of Temu bow to Onja and give up the labors of the tribe. Now Shan offered a chance to stop the exploitation, if only they had the courage to oppose Jingten's ruthless Queen.
Taischek was no longer reluctant to say the words, and when he did, it felt good. But he knew that in all of his days of war and intrigue he had never done such a dangerous thing. "You are right. The Temu will not pay tribute," he said.
Shan continued, "You know that I am not a hasty being, but too many centuries have given themselves to history, and the time for action has arrived. Taischek take me before the Confederation when it convenes next month so that I may invite your allies to join us in the denial of tribute. The more tribes that oppose her, the better. For once Onja will feel insecurity. Let her hear the voice of rebellion across the icy peaks all winter long!"
Thinking of Onja, Shan's ebony eyes became unfocused, and the others wondered what far off place he looked upon. No one spoke, and the air quivered as if some power quickened around the rys. A brilliant blue flared from the rys's eyes before Shan shut them and drew a shuddering breath.
Tentatively, Dreibrand said, "Shan…what is it?"
Shan opened his eyes and seemed himself again. Slowly he replied, "I suddenly felt so confident and great power surged inside me." Sweeping his gaze over the three men, he added, "I will not fail you my friends."
Taischek nodded solemnly. "Of course, Shan. I would never doubt you. But I cannot guarantee that the other four tribes of the Confederation will follow the example of the Temu. An end to tribute is very appealing, but people will be afraid. Shan, it is hard for some to change. Not everyone is a Temu."
"When we meet with the Confederates, your influence will guide their decisions," Shan said. "And I once advised King Ejan of the Tacus when the wild Zandas harassed his kingdom. He will heed my call for support."
"I will make sure you address the Confederation," Taischek promised. "But Shan, please understand that I cannot neglect the Sabuto. My warriors are counting on the plunder from the raids I have planned. And well, this is me. I attack the Sabuto every year. They would lose track of the calendar if I didn't show up."
Shan laughed. "Taischek, I would never deny you your annual revenge on the Sabuto. In fact, this year I intend to join you on the warpath, if you will have me."
Taischek blinked with surprise. He knew Shan abhorred the wanton violence of war. "Of course you are welcome, Shan," he said while imagining the fear of the Sabuto when they saw that the powerful rys lord accompanied him.
"And if I could indulge your generosity in one more thing, Taischek. I need a sword," Shan said.
"A sword?" Taischek laughed. "Do you intend to fight like a man?"
Shan's face became drawn with regret and he inwardly reproached himself for what he had chosen to do. He had tried in his life to do the right thing. He had tried to foster peace, but the world seemed to resist his efforts as if they were contrary to Nature.
"As you know, my hand has never been used in violence. But such a trait only makes me weak before Onja. I must learn the strength of a warrior, and I can no longer hide from this fact. Therefore, I request to fight with the Temu. I will fight, and I will kill," Shan said.
A bit flustered by these words from his kindly friend, Taischek said, "Shan, do you even know how to use a sword?"
Shan smiled. "I have never bragged about that skill, but I do possess it. I will admit I have not picked up a weapon in three hundred years. Do you recall the great warrior king of the Nuram Tribe, Chendoaser?"
Begrudgingly, Taischek said that he did, although it was not his habit to consider the kings of other tribes as great warriors.
Shan continued, "Chendoaser and I were friends as we are, and he taught me the use of swords so that I might spar with him. Chendoaser reasoned that if he could match a rys, no man could best him. And I suppose he was right. The Nuram were never greater than when he was king, and Chendoaser never lost. He died old and at home. I assumed you would have heard the story, Taischek. Back then we made quite a spectacle of ourselves."
Taischek shrugged. "Chendoaser was a great king, but only of a little tribe. The Temu do not concern themselves with old stories about the Nuram."
"Well, the Nuram still talk about it," Shan muttered. "But at any rate, I am sure my use of the sword will be quite satisfactory."
"I look forward to seeing it," Taischek said. "Until the meeting of the Confederation, let us enjoy the pleasure of a simple warpath against the Sabuto. Then we will tackle Jingten."
Much to Dreibrand's distress, the King immediately called for wine to toast his agreement with Shan. Politely, Dreibrand sipped the wine. His stomach lurched when the wine hit it, but its protests dwindled as the alcohol eased his hangover. Sternly he ordered himself not to get caught up in another bout of drinking so soon after the last.
"King Taischek, may I be excused?" he asked, hoping it was not too rude. "I would like to see Miranda and inform her I go to war in two days."
"Have to tell your woman you are going to war, eh?" Taischek slapped Xander on the shoulder and joked, "You know what that means."
Xander made no comment.
Guessing Dreibrand wanted to dodge the drinking, which would probably continue for most of the day, Shan supported his friend's request. "Let him go, Taischek," he said with a kindly glance toward Dreibrand.
Taischek waved one hand while his other hand lifted his wine cup. Smacking his lips, the King said, "Do as you please for the next two days, Dreibrand Veta. Those Sabuto bastards will occupy you soon enough."
"Thank you, King Taischek," Dreibrand said.
When he bowed his way out of the tent, he was pleased that his head did not start spinning. Outside the rain had increased, and he hurried into the village. He did not know where the guesthouse was, but he assumed a building fit to house the Temu Queen would not be too difficult to spot.
He found a large timber building, painted red and gold, with guards outside. A warrior stepped forward, barring Dreibrand from standing on the sheltered steps to the door, and the rain tumbled from the eaves onto his head. Dreibrand was informed that access to Queen Vua's residence was not easy, and the King's personal permission was required.
Frustrated and soaked by the rain, Dreibrand stared at the unobliging warrior and did not appreciate the inconvenience. He was about to slosh back to Taischek's tent and let the King enjoy his little joke, when a Temu woman stuck her head out a window and contradicted the warrior with an abrupt tone.
"Aren't you special," the warrior grumbled but stepped aside.
A little smugly Dreibrand smiled to the surly Temu and passed inside out of the wet. A servant girl handed him a towel to dry his hair and promptly conveyed him to the great room. Three sets of doors opened from the great room to an inner courtyard where the summer rain pattered. Women filled the room, seated at looms, spinning wheels or over embroidery hoops, but no needles pierced fabric and the clacking of looms had stopped. All of the women stared at him and exchanged hushed comments and a few giggles. Dreibrand felt thoroughly appreciated.
He scanned the room for Miranda, but she was not there. He did see Queen Vua surrounded by her co-wives and daughters, and he bowed to the Queen.
"Thank you for admitting me, Queen of the Temu, and please forgive my intrusion. I wish only to see how Miranda fares. She left the party early."
"And you stayed late," Vua stated sarcastically.
"I could not refuse Temu hospitality," he explained and added a charming smile.
"No. Of course not," Vua agreed. "Now Dreibrand Veta, I would not normally allow a strange man into my home, but Miranda has asked for you all day. So I indulge my guest…and maybe myself because you are an especially strange man. Still, do not make a habit of coming to my door. It is not the Temu way."
He nodded respectfully and tried not to glance at all of the women staring at him. "Yes, Queen Vua. I meant no insult, and I thank you for your patience."
Vua studied him a moment longer. He believed she wanted to ask him many questions and talk with him as the King had, but she refrained.
"The King has told me of your arrangement, and I am pleased to have Miranda in my household while she recuperates," Vua said. "As the Queen of the Temu, I assure you of her comfort and safety."
Dreibrand bowed deeply. He was truly grateful to the Queen, and he was glad Miranda would be cared for. He thanked the Queen again.
"Show him upstairs," Vua ordered the servant.
Dismissed, Dreibrand followed his guide onto the second level, where he was shown into a small room. Miranda slept peacefully on a bed in the warm light of an oil lamp. Her freshly bound arm lay across her bosom, and Dreibrand sat on the edge of the bed as the servant closed the door.
Her eyes opened promptly. "I heard you come in," she whispered.
He leaned over and kissed her passionately. When his lips were slightly satisfied, he said, "I hated not being able to sit with you. To talk with you."
"I disliked it too, but they are nice people," she said.
"Nice to you," he joked, fingering the lump on his head.
Miranda scolded playfully, "King Taischek told me you asked for that."
"He talked to you this morning," Dreibrand said uncomfortably.
"Oh, he did. Dreibrand, he is a real king. I can just tell. I don't know how, but I can just tell. He has this way about him. Like no one can tell him what to do," Miranda commented with excitement.
"No one can," Dreibrand noted, but his worries pressed on his mind. "Miranda, did you tell him about—about how I left the military?"
After shaking her head, she said, "Did you tell him I was a slave?"
"No, no, I told him nothing," Dreibrand assured her. "I don't know that much to tell."
Looking away, Miranda said, "What I have told you is enough. The rest is not pleasant."
He took her hand. "Thanks for keeping my secret. No one must know that I left the military so inappropriately. It is very important."
"And no one must know that I was a slave," Miranda added.
They embraced, pleased that they had automatically known what the other did not want revealed.
"What did you tell him?" Dreibrand asked.
Miranda shrugged and explained that she had recollected for the King events pretty much as they had happened. Miranda paused thoughtfully before she added, "Shan was with him, so he knows the same, but do you suppose Shan can tell if someone does not say everything?"
"Maybe," Dreibrand replied, wrinkling his brow, but then he changed the subject. "How do you feel?" he inquired.
"Better. Their medicine woman put a fresh cast on my arm, but she said I needed more rest," Miranda reported.
"And you will have it. I have arranged your lodging with King Taischek. I will go fight for him while you recover," Dreibrand said.
Miranda sat up quickly. "Go fight? Where?" she demanded.
"The Temu are raiding a tribe called the Sabuto. I will only be gone two or three weeks, I think," Dreibrand explained.
"You're leaving!" she cried.
"Miranda, I am trying to take care of us. I need to make money. And Shan is going, and I need to stay with him. He is our chance to get your children back and I said I would serve him," Dreibrand said, perplexed by her attitude.
"You will not come back," she moaned and pushed him away. Miranda struggled with her depression. Dreibrand's companionship helped her tolerate the absence of her children, and the news of his departure filled her with fearful desolation. The attachment she felt for him suddenly seemed a wasted emotion.
Pausing to see things her way, Dreibrand soothed her. "I am sorry. I know you must be scared to be alone with these strange people. It is hard for me too. But I promise to come back. There is no other way. I have to do this. I need to earn our way, and I need Taischek's favor. I know what I am doing. I will come back with a share of plunder and I will give it to you."
Miranda studied his sincere face, still amazed that he cared for her. As always his generosity moved her, but she felt troubled.
"Dreibrand, you talk like it is right to kill people and steal from them."
Her words sounded strange to his Atrophaney educated mind, and his mouth hung open without a reply. Dreibrand contemplated her statement, knowing that he had not led the most virtuous life. Even if his family was censured, he had grown up in a privileged class and it was a ruthless world that had bred him.
He tried to explain himself. "Miranda, is it right that your father sold you into slavery? Is it right that a beautiful woman like you wore rags? A few more years in the fields and you would have started to turn into a wizened peasant that nobody would notice. You say that you will not be a slave again. Well, this is what it takes. There are rewards in this life for those who are stronger than others." Seeing the weakness of his argument, he finally admitted, "Maybe it is not right, like you say, but it is what I must do. I believe a lot of people will die before Shan is King in Jingten. Would you kill to get your children back?"
"That is different," Miranda protested.
Emphatically, Dreibrand shook his head. "No! Killing is killing. Just think of my joining the war with the Temu as part of our greater goal. By serving Taischek I can gain a home for us. When the children are back with us, we will need a home, right? I admit that not all things I do are good, but I will always do good by you. That I can promise."
He took her hand and she no longer pushed him away.
"You are right," she conceded with forced pragmatism. "I should not have judged you. Now tell me what you and Shan plotted in your meeting with the King."
Dreibrand related the few plans that had been settled. Shan's confident declaration to defeat the Queen gave Miranda hope.
She considered what she had heard and said, "You must promise to come get me before you go to the Confederate gathering. This war is as much mine as anyone else's, and I will not be kept separate from it. I have told Shan I wish to play a part in his plans, and he has accepted me."
Dreibrand suggested, "When the time comes, we will see how your arm is."
"My arm should be out of the splint before a month has passed. The medicine woman said so. I will be ready and fit to ride to this meeting where Shan will seek allies." Miranda would not be deterred.
"And what of your headaches that you try so hard to hide from me?" he persisted.
"I get a little better every day," she defended. "I will not let you ride off and forget me. I intend to go."
"I would not forget you," Dreibrand relented with a smile. "If I can, I will come get you."
"You must promise," she insisted.
"I promise. I will want to see you anyway," he said and kissed her again.
She lingered in his embrace, but wondered if it would infringe on Queen Vua's hospitality to let herself get carried away with her man.
"Where are you staying?" she asked breathlessly, pulling away from him.
"Can I stay here?" Dreibrand asked, not terribly concerned about it at that moment.
Miranda laughed, realizing he probably had not been issued any guest quarters yet. "That's right. You slept outside," she teased. "Well, I do not think you can stay here. I will ask Queen Vua to get you a place to stay."
"She seems to like you," Dreibrand commented.
Miranda tilted her head thoughtfully. "She is probably just being polite."
"No. I think she likes you. And you should make sure she likes you. That would be a good thing," Dreibrand suggested.
It was still a little hard for Miranda to believe that she associated with kings and queens, but she would try to do as he said. Miranda liked Vua and she did need a friend.
"I leave in two days," Dreibrand said.
Her face fell with disappointment. She did not want to accept that he would really leave her.
Dreibrand coiled his strong arms around her body. "Let us enjoy these two days as much as we can," he proposed hungrily, and she was distracted by his passion.


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PT-Speech Communication Instructor
Posted: November 28, 2017
McKendree University seeks qualified individuals to teach part-time at its Lebanon, IL campus starting in Spring 2018. Current opening is for introduction to speech and public speaking courses.
Master's degree is required and preference is given to candidates with prior college teaching experience.
Please send a cover letter referencing the job SPC97, resume, copies of transcripts (official copies required upon hire) and three letters of reference to Shirley A. Baugh, Director of Human Resources, at firstname.lastname@example.com. Review of applications will begin immediately. Visit our website at www.mckendree.edu EEO/ADA/Vet/Disabled.

subset: commoncrawl


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Alien: Isolation will feature an amazing motion capture technology as well.
Posted By Rashid Sayed | On 09th, May. 2014 Under News | Follow This Author @GamingBoltTweet
The Creative Assembly and Sega have released a new trailer for Alien Isolation that focuses on creating the cast for the game. The video further details about the game's story line and its main characters. The Creative Assembly wanted a realistic look and feel to the game and hence they hired a third party motion capture professionals to develop a believable cast of characters.
The protagonist i.e. the player will come across other non playable characters who will display a wide variety of emotions. I must say that the motion capture and the voice acting of Alien: Isolation is turning out to be pretty superb. Hopefully along with scaring the hell out of us, Alien: Isolation will also tell a solid and a gripping story.
Alien: Isolation will release on October 7th across Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Stay tuned for more news and updates and don't forget to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Trading associate, adalah pertukaran yang dilakukan atas dasar kebutuhan dan kepercayaan karena sudah saling mengenal.
Only six years in the past, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI), then the operator of 5 severe race tracks, accounted for eight% of all US thoroughbred races and earned 88% of its company revenue from horse racing. Reading by means of CDI's annual report for 2016, its apparent that issues have modified in an enormous means in these six years. Financial institutions collaborating within the platform might want to register the related particulars of the paper payments into the system, and switch the transactions from offline to on-line, the central bank's doc mentioned. Thanks! I am about to turn 50……I do not feel old, however do not need to costume and appear like I'm trying to be 20…..great read!
Businesses are able to advertise online by having their very own web site and utilizing different strategies equivalent to social networking. This type of advertising can attain a much wider audience. Prospects can also purchase goods on-line, which is nice for businesses as they will develop their clientele to achieve a global market. Computers have made buying a lot simpler, significantly for many who have bother getting out of the house, or those that stay in distant areas. With on-line buying clients can entry manufacturers that come from all around the world, after which the products are delivered to their door.
You need not begin from scratch, both – you will discover templates for all of the pages talked about in this article in my Proposal Pack. Each template incorporates directions and gives examples of data to incorporate on that proposal web page. The bundle also contains pattern proposals, together with samples for quite a lot of safety associated companies. Utilizing my Proposal Pack gives you an enormous stride forward towards creating your personal profitable business proposal and you will benefit from years of labor that have gone into growing this proven system.
All the time use a superb high quality paper and type what you are promoting apology letter. Write the letter using a typical enterprise writing format only and choose a font comparable to Occasions New Roman, ultimate for letter writing. Backed by highly effective cloud know-how, Amazon Chime offers all-in-one high-definition video and audio conferencing, chat, screen sharing and extra. It is frustration-free, built for a cell world, and backed by a high quality community- and now included in all Vonage Essentials business telephone plans at no extra cost.


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A growing number of Australians want to know how to get real estate license in Queensland because of the economic opportunities such a license offers. The Australian property market has continued to perform well despite the global economic crisis, and continues to provide opportunities for individuals and businesses alike. Real estate is a profitable enterprise, which involves less risk than many other financial ventures.
Like in any other state in Australia, before you can start your own real estate business or get involved in any way in the property market, you need to have a license. So, how do you get certified in Queensland? In fact, the criteria for applying for a real estate license are quite basic and similar to the requirements for any other business license.
Prior to applying for a real estate license, you need to be 18 years old or older and you need to have a standing business in Queensland. The most important requirements include that you have received proper training from a recognized real estate organization and that you are an Australian citizen, or have a permanent working visa. You cannot apply if you have a criminal record involving a serious offense punishable by 3 or more years imprisonment. Other factors, including previous revocation of a real estate license, will also be considered.
In these modern times, real estate agents are able to work from home because of the ability to sell houses online. Once you know how to get real estate license the rest is relatively simple. Selling a house is easier than it has ever been before due to the accessibility of real estate licenses and the fantastic marketing opportunities that online real estate portals offer.
After paying administration costs for a criminal record check that must be completed for all applicants, getting the license will not take long. It usually takes from 4 to 6 weeks depending on whether or not your documentation is complete.
It is advisable that applicants are careful to include all the necessary documentation when they send their application in order to avoid any unnecessary delay. Applicants must include both the original documents and photocopies of the documents, which have been certified as copies by a justice of the peace or other professional. It is important to note that photocopies of original documents are not considered valid unless the original documents are also presented.
Queensland has a number of training options for those interested in acquiring a real estate license. There are numerous organizations that provide offering training programs, most of which require the completion of 19 or more units in Property Services training. Hopefully this document answers all your questions about how to get real estate license in Queensland.
Written by For Sale For Lease Real Estate Agency. List on RealEstate.com.au now!


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Eastland High (EHS) Class of 1984 Alumni List
Help us Update the Eastland High 1984 Class List by adding any names missing from the list below:
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Ghostbusters was the top movie in theaters in 1984, with a lifetime gross of over $238,632,124. Among TV shows in 1984, Dallas was the most popular of the year.
Hit Songs From 1984
Hard Habit To BreakChicago
Here Comes The Rain AgainEurythmics
Nobody Told MeJohn Lennon
Lucky StarMadonna
Love Is A BattlefieldPat Benatar
Sunglasses At NightCorey Hart
Let's Go CrazyPrince and The Revolution
If This Is ItHuey Lewis and The News
When Doves CryPrince
Think Of LauraChristopher Cross
Hit Movies From 1984
Reunions and Eastland High School News
More 1984 alumni from Eastland HS Eastland, TX have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 1984 alumni.
Alumni from the Eastland High School class of 1984 that have been added to this alumni directory are shown on this page. All of the people on this page graduated in '84 from Eastland High. You can register for free to add your name to the EHS alumni directory.
Don't forget to upload your Eastland High School pictures and check on the latest info about any Eastland High School reunion.


text: The Pipedrive app allows you to view complete customer information including details of ticket requester, associated Organization, and associated Activity from Pipedrive, right within your ticket detail page. If there is no Pipedrive entry for that customer, agents can simply create one with a single click. - The 'Create Contact' link creates a new contact inside Pipedrive CRM. - Under Organization, on clicking Company link, an agent can see company details and can create a new deal by clicking 'Create Deal' link. Make the most of the Pipedrive app to gather all customer information and provide personalized and targeted customer service.


text: Business What does a franchise consultant do? In general terms they can take your franchise concept from idea stage to full blown market penetration. They advise you on creating your operations manual, brochures, franchise agreements and help you to market your franchises. They can advise you on the best methods for raising capital not only for successfully launching your franchise but also for the franchisees to be able to afford to buy your franchise in the first place! Many new franchises fail at the first hurdle purely because they are underfunded at the initial stage. They will also assist you in your business plans and setting goals. It is imperative that right from the start you have set targets to meet. These will probably need to be reviewed every quarter as real life figures take over from numbers in a spread sheet. The secret of success in the franchise industry is to find the right franchisees. You can have the best business model but if you fail to make the right selection when recruiting then it is asking for trouble. Marketing using the right channels right at the start will make a great difference to the success of your venture. The biggest gripe that many franchisors have with regards to franchise consultants is the exorbitant fees that they charge! Undoubtedly some consultants offer excellent service but not many young businesses starting out on the franchise route for the first time can afford their charges! Some work on a fee only basis whilst others take a percentage of every franchise you sell! The first route is definitely the wiser option if you are sure that you franchise business will succeed and your cash flow allows for a large payment upfront. The second route is wiser if you are not sure about your concept and want somebody else to share the risk. It makes sense to speak to as many franchise consultants as you can before you embark down this road. Even if you do not end up using their services, just by going through the process of getting a quotation you will learn so much about the franchise industry and the processes involved in successfully launching your franchise. Creating, defining, marketing and launching a franchise is much more .plicated than most people realise. It is not just about being able to sell your franchise but also involves putting support systems in place to help your franchise network. They will require ongoing training as new products are released. The poorer functioning franchisees will need the most help to make their business a success. As the franchise network grows, more of the management's time is taken supporting existing franchisees! This can hinder the marketing and growth of your franchise network. The ideal solution is to outsource your training and ongoing support. If you get a professional franchise consultant whose sole aim is not to milk you for all your cash then it is possible to achieve much faster growth than going it alone. Speak to other franchisors to get re.mendations. Some consultants are very good and can really help your franchise .work grow quickly. About the Author: 相关的主题文章:


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Smokestack Lightnin' Home Page -- The Blues Profile Page
Doug Deming - Guitar and Vocals Dale Jennings - Upright Bass Don Gruendler Jr. - Drums Brian Miller -Harmonica and Greg 'Fingers' Taylor - Harmonica (3,6) Denny Freeman - Piano (1,3,5,6,10) Chris Codish - Organ (4,8,11) Rick Holmstrom - Guitar (12) Steve Mugalian - Percussion (2) Recorded in Culver City, California, 2002. Produced by Rick Holmstrom and Steve Mugalian © 2002 Chase Music-DemBlues Productions http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ddemingjt
Doug Deming and The Jewel Tones is one of the shining lights of the Detroit blues scene. In spite of years on stages throughout the Midwest with his own band (formerly the Blue Suit Band) and roadwork with the likes of Alberta Adams and Lazy Lester, Double Down (Mighty Tiger) marks the guitarist's breakthrough release. With cohorts Brian Miller (harp), Dale Jennings (bass) Don Greundler, Jr. (drums), and a handful of special guests, Deming breezes through a dozen superbly crafted originals like a man prepared to make his mark on a bigger map. Indeed, this stands its ground against anything released this year. The Rick Holmstrom and Steve Mugalian-produced effort was recorded in Culver City, California rather than on the home turf. While there is certainly more than a taste of left coast swing in Deming's tone and execution, as Fred Reif points out in his concise liner notes,
Deming is perhaps more influenced by Texan T-Bone Walker. From the opening lines of "Goodbye Baby," Deming and company make it glaringly apparent that they are first-class players. Everyone shines here, and Deming and Miller interact particularly well on this uptempo number. They bring it back home for the following "Blackjack." This is slightly more upbeat than Kenny Martin's version on the Motor City Rhythm & Blues Pioneers set from earlier this year. Here the shades are more brilliant, if less warm.
Guest Greg 'Fingers' Taylor (ex of Jimmy Buffet's Coral Reefers) proves himself a stellar blues man, as his harp lines inject "Bad For You" with a cross between Butterfield and Little Walter attitude. He returns for "Let Me Be," on which in combination with Deming's guitar and Denny Freeman's piano he helps evince the classic Muddy Waters-Little Walter-Otis Spann lineup of nearly half a century ago without sounding intentional. The hipster grooves of "Make It Last," co-written with Jennings, and the scorching "You Don't Even Care," a tune on which Deming sounds like he's chasing Little Charlie Baty, again point to both the quality of the writing and playing captured here. If Greundler doesn't call to mind Gene Krupa on the rollicking "HDF" (credited to the band) you need to get yourself back to classics school. The "Sing, Sing, Sing"-style intro is a feature for Brian Miller, who plays Benny Goodman to Greundler's Krupa. Deming may not be the Charlie Christian in the stew, but that's only because he laid low for the rest of the band. On "On the Midnight Shift," courtesy of Chris Codish's organ, the band revisits the groove of Super Sessions, while "Mr. Blues" lets Deming cut loose on the backside of Miller's stellar harp work. "It's A Crime" has a decidedly Elmore James groove to it, and "It's All About the Digits" has a jazzy feel out of the Ronnie Earl book. By the closing instrumental title track, with its almost rockabilly feel, this listener was exhausted. Mark E. Gallo, Blues Bytes


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John Keats (1921 2000) was the author of eleven books, including The Crack in the Picture Window, School without Scholars, and The Insolent Chariots. He wrote the award-winning television play Conformity, and his articles have appeared in more than thirty national magazines.
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With a busy career in both Marketing and Film, an active presence on Social Media and a thirst to discover all things inspiring from art to food to literature, it's no wonder that our Summer 'Girl in Focus' Kathryn Senkow has a lot to say. From June to August, 2016 follow Kathryn as she explores her personal style and all that the season has to offer. We're absolutely thrilled to have such a creative, talented and overall delightful "Girl in Focus' this summer.
CeeCee: What do you do for work?
Kathryn: Nine-to-five, I'm a Marketing & Digital Communications Manager. I have a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management and have worked in advertising for retail and non-profits. I am also a Writer, Producer, and Actress, and have been exploring filmmaking the past couple of years. It's been so exciting to build a portfolio of projects, meeting and working with talented and passionate individuals! I've loved every second of the experience so far.
CeeCee: You sound like a very, very busy lady. So, what's the best part of your job? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Kathryn: What I'm most thankful for is having the opportunity to be creative. To make a difference and touch others in some way. The common threads in all I do are creativity and storytelling. Another great part of my job is the people I work with. Connections are everything and I am surrounded by an amazing group of individuals. That's the reason it's such a pleasure to get up and come to work each morning, and why I dedicate so much time to film and writing projects.
CeeCee: I agree, being surrounded by great people really makes work feel less like "work". With so many things on the go, it must be a constant juggling act. What's your biggest strength?
Kathryn: My drive.
CeeCee: As someone who counts her drive as her biggest strength, you must be someone that sets a lot of goals for yourself. What are your goals for 2016?
Kathryn: Each January my parents would have us sit down at the dinner table as kids and look to the year ahead, so goal-setting is something I've done from a young age.
A few years ago I discovered a revolutionary way of looking at goals by Danielle Laporte called "The Desire Map". It's all about focusing on how you want to feel versus on the things you want to have or milestones you want to achieve. Every day/week/month you ask yourself "What will I do to feel the way I want to feel?" It really changed my perspective.
My desired feelings for 2016 are: Magnetic. Electric. Free.
CeeCee: Sounds interesting. I'll have to look into that. So, what are you feeling most excited about these days?
Kathryn: Going to the 69th Annual Festival de Cannes! A film I starred in called "Reminiscence" was accepted to the Short Film Corner and I was lucky enough to receive one of the festival passes. An opportunity to combine two of the things I love most – film and travel!
Also, I am Producing two short films this year. One, which I wrote titled "A Place Called Hope" we're aiming to shoot in September. I have a great director, we're getting the team together and making it happen!
CeeCee: How exciting! The South of France is one of my favourite places. The food, the wine, the scenery…speaking of food and wine, what is one vice you'll never give up?
Kathryn: Red wine and quality chocolate.
Ceecee: Me neither! Any other guilty pleasures?
Kathryn: I rarely watch "escapism" television – usually it's intense, emotionally driven storylines. So when I truly need an escape from the ups and downs of "real life", Keeping Up with the Kardashians seems to do the trick. Truly mindless television.
CeeCee: Keeping Up with the Kardashians is definitely mindless, although those girls do have pretty enviable closets. If you could switch lives (or closets) with anyone who would it be?
Kathryn: How about Diane Kruger? She seems really connected to the designer and artist community. I love her personal style, and I'm pretty sure she has a home in Paris -one of my favourite places to visit.
CeeCee: That girl is going to have an AMAZING closet. I imagine building a wardrobe would be a little different if you had a gaggle of designers fighting to dress you and a limitless clothing budget. How would you describe your style?
Kathryn: Versatile. I love dressing down on the weekend in ripped denim, converse and a baseball cap as much as I love dressing stylishly for work or getting glammed up for a night out.
CeeCee: Ahh, a girl after my own heart. I strongly believe that personal style should change day-to-day. Who is your style icon?
Kathryn: I love everything about Rihanna's style. Only I know I could never pull it off…most people can't. That's what makes her an icon.
CeeCee: Haha, yeah, she certainly likes to push boundaries from her clothes to her accessories. What are your go-to accessories?
Kathryn: A rose gold, champagne diamond ring I had made. It's feminine and I love that it's unique. For a casual look I pair my Fossil boyfriend watch with my Tiffany chain link bracelet. And very often you'll find me wearing a silver crescent moon necklace I bought on Etsy. I have a thing about the moon. In the colder months, a thick, luxurious scarf is a must.
CeeCee: Who are your favourite Coquitlam Centre retailers?
Kathryn: Plenty, Aritzia, RW&Co, Call it Spring, Saje Wellness.
CeeCee: Finally, what's the best advice you've ever received?
Kathryn: For a reformed perfectionist like myself, it can be difficult to let go. It's so easy to turn yourself into a ball of stress and anxiety over minutia. A great piece of advice I received was "Sometimes good, is good enough."
Follow Kathryn on Social Media:
Twitter: @mskathrynanne
Instagram: mskathrynanne
Online: kathrynanne.ca


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NATIONAL/ETHNIC IDENTITY: SenegalDIRECTORS: Danielle DeLane, Oumou D. FayeFirst appearance in SF EDF: 2016Website: www.khaleyadouna.com/Khaley Adouna African Dance & Drum is a collective of performing artists based in the East Bay, formed in 2006 to further promote cultural arts by creating opportunities for independent artists to collectively share their talents with the Bay Area community. The company performs for audiences and conducts dance and drum workshops, also supporting and promoting touring artists and their events while in the Bay Area. The artists of Khaley Adouna are accomplished men and women of all shapes, sizes, and ages, bringing a diverse range of skill to the stage and community.
DANCE ORIGIN: SenegalGENRE: Traditional (Toucouleur)TITLE: WangoCHOREOGRAPHERS/DIRECTORS: Danielle DeLane, Oumou D. FayeDANCERS: LaTashia Bell, Sennie Clark, Danielle DeLane, Oumou D. Faye, Darian LaFoucade, Dedeh LaFoucade, Nikka Maynard, Diene Sagna, Christopher Scott, Sherice TylerMUSICIANS: Mbor Faye (djembe), Ousmane Gueye (sabar), Samba Guisse (djun-djun, tama)Wango is from the Toucouleur tribe living in Fouta Toro in the Senegal River Valley of Northern Senegal and Southern Mauritania. They call themselves Haapulaaren, meaning: those who speak pulaar, the first language of the Fula people. The Toucouleur live in many parts of Western Africa. They are Islamic and have close-knit patriarchal communities, so courtship and marriage have long been a formal arrangement between families. This presentation of Wango honored Toucouleur marriage beliefs and practiceswith celebratory dance and drum.This dance represents events over several days of a traditional wedding. The men have validated the marriage at the mosque. The brides mother and aunt have confirmed her virginity, and she is taken to her new husbands home, where the families celebrate. The female relatives of the bride play with her and tease her, to congratulate her on entering a new stage of life. Relatives and friends dance solos and finally the bride dances, affirming she is chaste. Families gather to witness the washing of the brides bedclothes from her first night of marriage.Wango is a high-energy dance particular to this ethnic group. Dancers open their arms and hands wide, and they move from left to right, forward and backwards, as if giving and receiving gifts of fabrics, shea butter, soaps, and kola nuts. The costumes showcase the tribes bright and unique fashionsthe famous Toucouleur gold earrings, hair adornments, and indigo-dyed clothing. The womens facial markings represent traditional tattooing and scarring designs. Throughout the dance, one hears the prominent sabar drum that is always present in Senegalese dance. Its joined by three other drums: djembe, djoun-djoun, and tama. The piece was created in 2015 by Oumou D. Faye and Danielle DeLane. Oumou was born in Senegal and performed with Ballet Sinemew and Ballet Bakh Yaye, and was trained in Toucouleur dance tradition. Danielle learned Toucouleur dance from Naomi Diouf, Mariama Basse, and Idy Ciss: she recently traveled to Senegal, and chose this piece to display the variety, beauty, and grace of the Toucouleur people.
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One of my major aims this year is to keep my life as simple as possible, so I can focus on what's important.
Tasty food that's easy to prepare is a big part of that. I rarely have the kind of time it takes to spend hours preparing a meal, but I still want to feel nourished, and to give my family delicious food that's good for them.
This recipe ticks all those boxes in a major way. It's really quick and easy, so it works as a mid-week meal. It has loads of flavour and has us all going "mmm" as we gobble it up.
Like many pre-schoolers, Arty is not keen on chilli, so I just pan fry a piece of chicken for him before doing SJ's and mine. There's no need to dirty more than one pan, and everyone gets what they like. Bam!
Here's how to make it:
Fennel, chilli, and lime chicken with roast vegetables
- 2 chicken breasts, trimmed, and sliced lengthways
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 tbsp chilli flakes (adjust to personal taste)
- Rind of two limes, finely chopped
- 2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1cm thick slices
- 1 large bunch dutch carrots, tops trimmed
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped OR 1 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 2 small cobs of corn, cut into short pieces
- olive oil
- salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 180°c.
- Place all veggies in a large dish (I use a lasagne dish), drizzle with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Put in oven and bake for 30 mins, tossing at 10 minute intervals.
- Combine fennel seeds, chilli flakes, lime rind, and some pepper, then rub all over chicken.
- Pan fry chicken in olive oil over a medium heat, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. This should take 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cut.
- Serve immediately.
So easy. So tasty.
P.S. If you have leftover chicken, it can be refrigerated, then sliced up to top a salad for a delicious lunch.


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STFC is one of the world's leading multi-disciplinary science organisations with a goal to deliver economic, societal, scientific and international benefits to the UK and its people, and more broadly to the world. We are involved in some of the most challenging research programmes in the physical sciences; strategically manage and operate the UK's large-scale research facilities, and fund the UK's involvement in international facilities such as CERN. This puts us right at the heart of scientific thought and experimental innovation, with our scientists and engineers constantly challenging the boundaries of what is possible in the pursuit of knowledge.
This inspirational science and technology has both planned and serendipitous benefits for business. At our Harwell Campus and Sci-Tech Daresbury campuses, high-tech businesses of all sizes – from entrepreneurs with an idea, to established transnational companies such as Unilever looking for inspiration or to reduce costs and their time to market with new products – can harness STFC's facilities, expertise and resources, and those of our partners and other research-based or commercial organisations. This cultivates a thriving innovation eco-system which supports the UK's knowledge economy, creates jobs, develops skills and helps companies grow.
Our campuses, both run as joint ventures between the public sector and private sector property development partners, currently host over 300 organisations and support more than 6,000 jobs. The highest barrier to innovation for early stage businesses is finding the right climate to support and accelerate the company. Sources of funding are scarce, accessing equipment or expertise can be expensive and out of reach, and it can be challenging to identify like-minded individuals who share your dreams and goals.
At Harwell Campus and Sci-Tech Daresbury, companies experience low failure rates, strong growth, high value job creation and high levels of commercial innovation. The closeness to STFC's facilities and expertise, together with the provision of first-rate accommodation and business support services provided on both sites, has attracted the full spectrum of businesses from spin-outs, SMEs and large blue chip industries alike.
Through the strong investment networks built around both campuses, early stage businesses are able to gain easy access to a range of angel networks and venture capital organisations looking to invest in the earliest, and riskiest, stages of technology companies. STFC is a lead partner in the UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (formerly Rainbow Seed Fund), run by private sector fund manager Midven, which enables SMEs on campus to pursue investment. The Fund aims to fill the gap between start-up and the point at which a company can sustain itself through the sales of products and services – the so-called 'Valley of Death'. In 10 years Rainbow has invested around £7 million in nearly 70 ventures.
Companies also get regular opportunities to attend valuable networking events through a programme of business breakfasts, knowledge sharing and professional development events. Being active members of the campus communities enables SMEs to make and leverage new connections. In fact, many companies are actively collaborating with STFC, universities or other companies. At Sci-Tech Daresbury, for example, around 57% companies are working together on projects.
STFC has a strong track record in supporting early stage businesses. We've set up nearly 20 of our own spin-out companies from the intellectual property arising from our national laboratories and we run three incubators which offer unique propositions to the high-tech SME market.
Most business incubators provide affordable office space, some business support and an environment where start-ups can network. Tailored to the needs of the individual start-up, our model of incubation takes this a step further, also enabling access to funding, technologies, intellectual property and 'real-life' technical experts that can solve innovation challenges.
Our business incubators are turning world-class science and technologies into ground-breaking products and services with real-life applications. The Innovations Technology Access Centre (I-TAC) is located across both of our campuses and provides flexible, affordable access to laboratory and office space, equipment and facilities. I-TAC supports companies in a variety of sectors including healthcare, environment, energy and materials sectors.
In partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) we manage the UK ESA Business Incubation Centre (ESA BIC) at Harwell Campus and since its creation in 2010, we have incubated over 50 start-ups transforming space technology into non-space products.
At Sci-Tech Daresbury we established a partnership with CERN to introduce the STFC CERN Business Incubation Centre (STFC CERN BIC), it was the first incubator of its kind and has now been extended to the Harwell Campus.
Both the ESA BIC and STFC CERN BIC look to exploit the technologies and intellectual property (IP) arising from each organisations' research programmes for economic benefit through intensive incubation packages. These include £40,000 of funding, dedicated business support with business plans, marketing and technology development, office space and access to multiple networking and collaborative opportunities.
Following from the success of STFC's Business Incubation, the Campus Technology Hub (CTH) has recently been opened at Sci-Tech Daresbury. The CTH is a purpose-built engineering facility which provides access to an array of technologies, equipment and expertise.
Co-locating the right mix of academic and commercial partners on the campuses has presented SMEs at Harwell and Daresbury with exciting opportunities to join fast-growing themed clusters which offer support networks and collaborations, ingredients that catalyse successful innovation.
Both campuses are home to clusters that are acting as significant attractors of funding from Government and other organisations. The Harwell Space Cluster is cultivating the growing UK space industry, which is expected to be worth £40 billion by 2030, and is attracting an increasing number of international space organisations to Harwell including ESA's Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), the ESA Business Incubation Centre and companies such as Aero Sekur, Magellium, VEGA and MDA Space and Robotics.
Innovate UK established the Satellite Applications Catapult at Harwell to support UK industry and become a world-class centre for the development and commercial exploitation of space and satellite-based products, services and applications. This was strengthened further by Innovate UK's £1 million Harwell Space Launchpad funding competition programme which supported SMEs working in this sector.
Up in Cheshire, SMEs at Sci-Tech Daresbury (and the nearby Runcorn Heath Business and Technical Park) also received a boost through up to £2 million from Innovate UK's Materials and Manufacturing North West Launchpad programme.
Our campuses offer a dynamic environment for innovation. To succeed SMEs need the right mix of ingredients – money, expertise, facilities, connections and location. This makes Harwell Campus and Sci-Tech Daresbury vital catalysts in the journey of taking innovative ideas and turning them into marketable products. By locating at one of the national science and innovation campuses, SMEs can be amongst peers and organisations committed to the same aims.
Through our joint venture partnerships, we will continue growing and developing the campuses to expand the facilities small companies can access. At Daresbury this will see the creation of Techspace (an office and specialist laboratory complex) which is due to open in 2016. At Harwell, there are ambitious plans to deliver a new innovation centre and larger office space to accommodate the great number of companies looking to locate on campus.
To find out more about the national science and innovation campuses please contact:
Last updated: 23 February 2018


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Good Morning, Dee - What I have been seeing the last few years has me so fired up that I want to tell everyone, even before I really KNOW it myself. The understanding of union with Christ has so set me free from many false "struggles of flesh" that I want others that I see struggling to know what I've discovered about the whole Gospel. I suppose that my heart is right, but the way I go about doing something about it is still me-centered, not recognizing Him, no matter how hard I try to stay focused on Him. As I perceive a need to respond to Jons hunger for Truth, I am discovering how much I am still "in my head". I thought I was past that; I HOPED I was. I thought I had finally arrived at the Peace of KNOWing He is my life, and would not have to address it over and over. I guess I haven't come to that point, because I keep going back to seeing Myself needing to accomplish things, handle situations, and generally manage my life. I do have the witness in my spirit, that He IS my life, but old habits of my mind keep me more in struggle than in Peace. When I specifically ask God what to do with various struggles, all I keep hearing is, "Be Still and See the Salvation of God". I really thought I had given up on trying to live my own life. It seems I've come to that point more times than I can count. Yet I STILL pop up and wrestle with things again and again and again and again ............................... I guess I don't know HOW to be still. I'm worn out. I quit. again.Thank you for being there.Alan, the mess of ChristHi Love, RELAX...that's all...just RELAX. Go on and respond. Give what you have to give and say it is He. All we have is our word...say the truth and then "be still." Being still does not mean you are inert...it just means at rest inside...in mind and heart. Norman taught us..."What you take, takes you." we cannot judge how long it will take to be taken, but in pressing us to always look to Him, somehow He does settle us...in ever so quiet ways so that we look back one day and realize we have 'arrived'! Of course there are things needing to be done. Everyday life is full of them. Jesus IS "causing you to walk in His ways" accomplishing all He intends for the day. Rest and say, This is You, Lord over and over! HE will settle you in your knowing
and it will be such a far surpassing knowing than any you have ever experienced. Now...rest...Love, D


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Sarasota, Florida – Cruise Coins are now available to provide cruise guests with a unique commemorative alternative compared to the standard offerings of a T-shirt or drink cup. Cruise Coins has made contact with all major cruise lines and theme cruise companies with the proposal to offer our product. At this stage, all but one company; Al & Chuck.travel~ Drags Stars at Sea, have declined or not responded. Cruise Coins has instead, been producing orders directly for cruise guests, via social media and the response has been very positive.
Similar to the "Challenge Coins" issued by the military, which celebrate a certain milestone event, we have created Cruise Coins to serve the same purpose by offering an affordable coin to commemorate a guest's special cruise.
"It's been a bit of a challenge to educate the cruising community about our product," said John Jordan, President of Cruise Coins. "Quite frankly, I haven't been turned down this much since High School. Fortunately, the cruise guests understand the unique quality and originality of Cruise Coins and continue to place orders."
What sets Cruise Coins apart from the familiar souvenir items currently available is that each custom coin design includes the dates, unique ports of call and the name of the ship. Cruise Coins consist of 2" solid brass coin. A custom velvet display box is also included which allows the coin to be displayed horizontally or vertically. Sample coins can be provided upon request.
About Cruise Coins: Based in Sarasota, Florida. Cruise Coins offers original coin designs to the cruising community. Visit www.cruisecoins.com for more information or contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com. 941-320-5342


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Finally, You'll Have a Step-By-Step Plan For PASSING GK MATH!
Become a GK Math Expert and learn the knowledge, skill and atttude needed to pass your FTCE's on the 1st attempt. Check out this GK Math Boot Camp at our NEW office in Longwood!
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Lunch will be provided.
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Space is LIMITED
About Your Host
Dr. Jason Ampel has taught in the Florida public school system for ten years, plus an additional seven years as a Professor of Education at The University of Central Florida. Jason has worked within the College of Education at UCF since 2009, and teaches courses in Education Theory, Classroom Management, School Law & Safety, Educational Psychology and Assessment. Dr. Ampel has forged dozens of relationships with school districts and universities state-wide in their efforts to provide the most effective and up-to-date FTCE Prep possible.
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