Privacy Act of 1974 essays

Privacy Act of 1974 essays Introduction: The original version of the Privacy Act of 1974 (S. 3418 Public Law 93-579) according to the Department of Justice (www.usdoj.gov/oip/1974intro.htm) was actually singed into law on September 27, 1975. It was called an omnibus (meaning that it packaged together several pieces of legislation in one bill) code of fair information practices and it set out to regulate the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination... of information through and from the federal executive branches that is personal and should be restricted from general circulation. (This directive of course soon related to educational institutions in addition to federal agencies, and that information will be reviewed later in this paper.) The Department of Justice (DOJ) account of why the bill was necessary explains that the bill was passed ...in great haste toward the conclusion of the Ninety-third Congress. Elected officials who streamlined the process for this bill included Senators Sam Ervin (who headed the Watergate hearings in the U.S. Senate) and Charles Percy, and Congressmen Moorhead and Erlenborn. No conference committee was brought together as is nearly always the case; normally there is a House version and a Senate version and a committee convenes to resolve differences between the two bills. But in this case, there was a sense of urgency because the Ninety-Third Congress was about to be dismissed and, the DOJ reports, Congress was concerned with curbing the illegal surveillance and investigations of individuals by federal agencies that had been exposed during the Watergate scandal. In fact, in 1974 President Richard Nixon who had just resigned his presidency in shame following widely publicized examples of abuse of power in his administration had been found to have tapped phones of political opponents (he had an enemies list); and further, Congress was w...

Heritage Quest Online - US Census Records from Proquest

Heritage Quest Online - US Census Records from Proquest Available free through subscribing libraries, Heritage Quest Online packs in an intuitive interface, fast downloads, and crisp census images. If your library doesnt subscribe, youre missing out! Pros Free to members of subscribing librariesEasy to use interface and crisp, enhanced imagesNotebook feature helps you keep track of searches Cons Not available for an individual subscriptionNo soundex or wildcard search optionsHead of household indexes only Description Includes census images for all decades 1790 to 1930.Head of household indexes for 1790 to 1820, 1860, 1870, 1890, 1900 to 1910 and 1920 to 1930 (partial).Available only as a library subscription, but offered free by participating libraries to members.Advanced search options also include state, county, age, and birthplace, but no wildcard or soundex.Census indexes prepared by Heritage Quest are much more accurate than the common AIS indexes.Images appear in an HTML viewer, with no extra software required.Full-screen, enhanced census images load quickly and are easy to read.Black and white enhanced census images make viewing easier, but could possibly affect quality.Census images are also available as negative images as an alternate opportunity for readability.Handy notebook feature allows you to save census images and citations, and take online notes. Guide Review Developed specifically for library patrons, Heritage Quest Online offers an intuitive, easy-to-use interface and clear, crisp census images. Searching is simple and offers a lot of options, although it lacks the ability to use wildcards or soundex to search for misspelled names. Available census indexes are highly accurate - much more so than commonly used AIS indexes. Census images download quickly and appear as full-screen, enhanced images, though some people claim that this enhancement could introduce errors. Images can be quickly downloaded and saved or printed in Tiff (non-compressed) or PDF format. Overall, Heritage Quest Online is the most flexible census offering available, if you can convince your library to subscribe!

Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Argument - Essay Example Therefore, despite Socrates and Crito consider that a death sentence was unjust, nothing unjust can be done in return. Next, Socrates makes Crito confirm, that when one makes a contract, the true way would to keep the contract. Then, Socrates explains, that he willingly made such a contract (social contract) about sticking to Athenians decisions, and philosopher lived a whole life willingly keeping the contract. Now, in refer to the same state laws Socrates is sentenced to death, and despite the death sentence may be unjust, the injustice would be to betray the contract by escaping the prison. Such unjust decision will only confirm that Socrates deserves the sentence, and logically, will deprive Socrates life of value. The conclusion Socrates and Crito come with is that Socrates ought not to escape prison against Athenians will. To argue the matter, Socrates firstly found premises, which Crito cannot deny, and then accurately referred a whole argument to those premises. Since Socrates argument was logical, Crito agreed with Socrates point of

DISCUSSION REPLY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DISCUSSION REPLY - Essay Example Supporters of the Replacement Model do not believe that interbreeding was common or likely and would not be relevant on an evolutionary level (Clarke, 1-2). There is no perfect theory. The only disagreement that I have with this theory is that it so staunchly argues that interbreeding is not a factor in the origins of modern humans and their populating of the planet. I think that may be a bit short sited. This would be entirely believable if the distinction between the African stock was vastly superior to the products of evolution that has occurred in Europe and Asia. However, if there were enough similarities and interaction it seems inevitable that inbreeding would most certainly occur. This favors the Partial Replacement Theory (Clarke 2-3). However, either perspective is stronger than the idea that all human developed only in Africa and is solely the result of mass migration. Most people have been taught that Neanderthals were the quintessential â€Å"cave-man.† Slow moving, slower thinking, and died off due to an inability to adapt, allowing Homo sapiens to become the ultimate dominant species of Hominid. However, modern researchers are changing that perspective and putting the myth to rest that Neanderthals were slow-witted and little or no real interaction with the African Modern humans migrating into Europe and Asia. Recently remains were discovered that confirm that inbreeding between did occur between Homo sapiens and Neanderthal. This lends credence to the theory that Partial Replacement took place. Neanderthal is presently being found in the modern populations of human beings throughout Asia and Europe at a ratio of %1to %4 presences of Neanderthal ancestry (Viegas 1). The skeletal remains found date back 30,000 to 40,000 years ago; they belong to an individual who shows cranial signs of inherited traits of their mixed heritage. For example, the lower jaw is neither jutting as in

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay Example for Free

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay In the poems Not My Best Side, Reports, and You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, U.A Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority through the often satirical analysis of her observations and experiences within society. Fanthorpe uses her poetry as a way of expressing her feelings and opinions, and we can learn a great deal about her attitudes towards authority by reading and analysing the three poems chosen. Each poem shows a different aspect of the way authority affects people, and it becomes clear when reading the poems Fanthorpes belief in the ability of power and authority to corrupt people who possess it, and suppress people under it. In the first poem, Not My Best Side, Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the way people are stereotyped by authority according to their gender or status, and challenges their conventional representation within society. She succeeds in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them very different personalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has forced upon them. Fanthorpe used Uccellos painting of St George and the Dragon as a source of inspiration: I thought it might be interesting to find voices for characters conventionally seen as good, bad or helpless. Fanthorpe chose this painting because it portrays mythological characterisations very clearly, and Fanthorpe wished to challenge these typical fairytale stereotypes. Fanthorpe has attempted to emphasise a point that authority does not allow enough individuality and simply expects people to conform to pre-conceived opinions of how someone should behave, based on their gender or the position society has placed them in. The poem begins with the conventionally bad character, the Dragon, speaking. In this part of the poem Fanthorpe attempts to show the dragon as an articulate and understanding character, as opposed to the fierce and evil character that he is traditionally expected to be. The dragon appears to be upset about the way he is shown in Uccellos painting, as he believes that he has been portrayed in such a way as to make him seem weak and easily conquered. Why, I said to myself, should my conqueror Be so ostentatiously beardless? The dragon feels that he has been made to look inferior to the very young-looking St George by Uccello, in order for the painting to portray the traditional idea that good (St George) always triumphs over evil (the dragon). However, in this poem, the dragon appears to be a considerate, caring character, and in no way evil. He seems to have accepted the fact that he has (unfairly) been stereotyped as bad, but is upset that in addition to being shown by Uccello as evil, he has also been shown to be defenceless. I dont mind dying Ritually, since I always rise again, But I would have liked a little more blood, To show they were taking me seriously. The dragon is of the opinion that he has been unfairly represented in this painting, as his character has been stifled in all aspects of his character. He wasnt even shown to have a dramatic death, and there was little to blood to signify the defeat of such a (supposedly) malicious character. Although upset, the dragon realises that he has no opinion in the way he is portrayed in the painting, or in fact the whole of society, and therefore concedes to the pressure that has been placed on him to be the conventionally bad character. Poor chap, he has this obsession with Triangles, so he left off two of my Feet. I didnt comment at the time, (What, after all, are two feet to a Monster?) Despite the fact that Uccello left off two of his feet was because the art at the time of the painting was experimenting with drawing in 3D, and the dragons feet were left off by accident, Fanthorpe cleverly uses the mistake to make a very valid point that however the character (the dragon in this case) is in actuality, the characterisations that are placed on them by authority are still always prioritised when people are judging the person, causing their individuality to be lost. The next character Fanthorpe chooses to explore is that of the stereotypically helpless character, the maiden. In Uccellos painting, she is depicted as a pale-faced, frail, damsel in distress. However, in Fanthorpes poem, these perceptions are totally contradicted. The maiden appears to be a very independent, pro-active, calculating individual. The maiden begins her monologue by stating that she does not actually want to be rescued, breaking the stereotype immediately. At the time that Uccello painted this image, women were highly pressured within society to marry the person they were made to marry. However, in this poem, the maiden seems to prefer the dragon to St George. Its hard for a girl to be sure if She wants to be rescued. I mean I quite Took to the dragon. The fact that the maiden would have the audacity to make a statement like this would be shocking, as women in medieval society were expected to conform to the instructions they were given. Fanthorpe also uses sexual innuendo as a way of showing that the maiden is not as innocent as she appears. He made me feel he was all ready to Eat me. And any girl enjoys that. By using this, Fanthorpe makes a statement that the apparently virgin maiden is not actually as innocent as Uccello makes her appear to be, and that women have as much right to sexual freedom and free thought as men do, and are not as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve or helpless as authority would like to make them. The final part that Fanthorpe chooses to make in this stanza is that the maiden is very independent and focused on her future. Although the thought of being rescued by the young St George is not a desirable one, she still agrees to him rescuing her, as she knows that the long term prospects of going with St George outweighed the ones of staying with the dragon. The dragon got himself beaten by the boy, And a girls got to think of her future. By showing the pro-active attitude of the maiden, Fanthorpe accentuates the fact that women can be as manipulative and as independent as men, and that they are not simply trophies for men, but intelligent, business minded people. Although she prefers the dragon, she concedes to being rescued by St George, not because she want to be with him, but because she feels it would enable her to achieve this she could not with the dragon. Despite conventionally bein portrayed as a brilliant individual, and the patron saint of England, in the final stanza of this poem, St George appears far from a saintly figure. Fanthorpe has chosen to make St George arrogant and inconsiderate. In doing this, Fanthorpe reveals her own critical voice, and emerges as a highly feminist character. St George appears, from the start of his monologue, as very puerile and boastful. My horse is the latest model with Automatic transmission and built in Obsolescence. St George makes a big deal of showing off his state of the art gadgets, showing how important he is. I feel Fanthorpe has included this because she wanted to emphasise the fact that men often adopt an egotistical attitude over women, and flaunt their superiority by the amount of materialistic possessions they have. As we continue to read the stanza, St Georges attitude changes from that of exhibition to one of arrogance and selfishness. He believes that his inferiors should conform to the roles that they have been given to them in society. Dont you want to be killed and/or rescued In the most contempory way? Dont You want to carry out the roles That sociology and myth have designed for you? By including this, Fanthorpe has succeeded in proclaiming the fact that men are seen as the absolute authority when it comes to judging how a person should act or behave within society, and men have gradually inherited the attitude of superiority over women, which will take a long time to rectify. The poem ends with an emphatic statement of Fanthorpes perception of male attitudes towards women. St Georges real, self-centered personality is revealed when he ends his monologue with these words. What, in any case, does it matter what You want? Youre in my way. Fanthorpes opinion of men in societal authority is truly revealed in these final lines. St George is only interested in his image, and he gives no consideration for the other characters in the poem (the maiden and the dragon), and he simply wants to increase his reputation. This point can be related to wider society, where men will not listen to the opinions of women, and do not consider their ideas, as they are not seen as worthy of a voice. Quintessentially, Not My Best Side is a poem that has been written in order to make the point that societal authoritys expectations do not allow individuality, as people are placed under so much pressure to comply to the particular parameters forced upon them, involuntarily, by factors out of anyones control, such as gender. Similarly to Not My Best Side, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly explores the theme of authority. However, in this instance, U.A Fanthorpe chooses to ridicule the process of attending a job interview. She uses this setting to challenge the authority of the interview panel to make judgements about peoples lives based on prejudices or pre-conceived ideas. The title of the poem, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly immediately indicates that the applicant failed to get the job because the phrase is clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d as a polite let down at the end of an interview. In my opinion, this phrase may also have been placed as the title of the poem because Fanthorpe is attempting to show the reader that the candidate was not going to be successful in getting the job, no matter how successful the interview went. The poem is an ongoing monologue, with new stanzas beginning after the response of the applicant. From the beginning of the poem, it become clear that the interview panel possess a range of prejudices towards the candidate. These appear to have already influenced the panel enough for them to decide that the applicant is not suitable for the job, and it seems as though the interview is being carried out simply as a formality, which must be endured by the applicant. It is evident that the candidates answers are seen as insignificant by the interviewing panel from the very beginning, as their response to the panels questions are not included. I believe Fanthorpe has done this to show that the candidate is voiceless when in an interview, and to display the pointlessness of interviews, when the outcome has been decided before the interview even takes place. The only way we have of knowing the answer to the interviewers questions are by making an educated guess from the response of the panel, which, in most cases, is a single, unenthusiastic phrase such as Ah or indeed It is clear that the interviewers have no interest in the persons justifications for why they are suitable for the job; they simply make impertinent comments on the information displayed on their application form. Let us consider your application form This quote from the poem shows the disinterest in the actual person, and more interest on their class, gender, and other factors displayed on their application form. The panel spend little time discussing the candidates impressive qualifications, and almost immediately moves on to focus on the negative aspect of them, and their possible use within the job for which the applicant is applying. The candidate is asked to justify the use of their qualifications very early in the interview. Would you care to defend their [the applicants qualifications] relevance? This would succeed in belittling the applicant, particularly when the interviewers response to their well though out answer is a sceptical indeed After the polite, (if inhospitable) beginning to the job interview, the meeting soon descends into a personal battering of the applicants self esteem by the authoritative figure of the interviewer. The first matter the interviewing panel broaches is the age of the applicant. Perhaps you feel able to make a comment about that, Too? We are conscious ourselves Of the need for a candidate with precisely The right degree of immaturity These comments, although sugar-coated by the authoritative figure, succeed in alienating the candidate, and forcing them into assent. We can tell that the interviewee has been pressured into agreeing with the panel from the interviewers response after the applicants unheard comments. So glad we agree This indicates that the interviewing panel has repressed the candidate so much that they have simply begun to agree with the rhetoric statements made by the interviewer. Fanthorpe has included this to show that in wider society, authority influences people to conform to its rules and ideas, and does not allow free though or speech. Also, Fanthorpe has arisen the point that authoritative figures abuse the power they have been given, and this leads to corrupting the individual in possession of the power. In the next stanza, the interviewer reveals another prejudice; that of the looks of the applicant. The panel is very rude during this stanza: You do appreciate this work involves Contact with the actual public? Might they, Perhaps, find your appearance Disturbing? This reveals the blunt, inconsiderate nature of the interviewing panel, and, in Fanthorpes opinion, the whole of society. The interviewing panel has succeeded in making the candidate feel small, simply because of the way they are, and I believe that Fanthorpe is trying to illustrate a point that sexism, racism, ageism and other prejudices succeed constantly in repressing often valuable members of society into conforming to authoritys ideals. In the next stanza, the interview panel seem to fire a barrage of questions at he applicant about their background, particularly their accent. Fanthorpe uses the clever technique of making one of the interviewers accidentally use the wrong phrase, to deliver a highly offensive insult. Were you educated? We mean, of course, Where were you educated? This is a comical way of accentuating the prejudice the interview shows when choosing a suitable candidate to take the job. The accent an applicant has obviously influences the choice a lot, although in actuality, the accent of a person has no effect on their intelligence. The panel were evidently considering the reactions of people using their company, who may think that they employ people of a lower intellect, which would make the company look sub-standard. This shows the way that people within society automatically judge others on the way they speak, as the panel simply assumed the candidate had little education because of their accent. In the final stanza, the interview descends yet further into a sequence of offensive statements. The rhetoric questions have ceased, and the true nature of an interview, in Fanthorpes eyes, is revealed; a pointless meeting aimed purely at belittling the applicant, and enforcing authoritys stance on society. In this stanza, it becomes implicit that the candidate is female, as the interview panel focus strongly upon family background. Married, children, We see. The usual dubious Desire to perpetuate what had better Not have happened at all. The fact that the candidate was asked about her family would tend to indicate that the applicant is female, as the panel would then begin to worry about the children, and whether they would need looking after. This may be a problem for the company. The panel are also rude to the applicant in this part of the poem, as they insinuate that they cannot understand why the applicant would even consider having children, when, in fact, it would be better for the world if the candidate had never been born. The poem ends emphatically, with the satirical statement And you were born-? Yes. Pity. This is a witty use of word play by Fanthorpe. The interviewer is actually asking when the applicant was born, but in the absence of any dialogue, it seems as though the interviewer is saying that it is a pity that the candidate was born. With this final stanza, particularly the final line, I feel Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that authoritative figures are of the opinion that anybody who does not fall within their ideals should not even exist. In conclusion, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly is a poem aimed at bringing into relief the discrimination that has been ingrained into society. Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that certain people, particularly women, are considered as useless, and are seen as undeserving of a voice within society by authoritative figures. She successfully proves that people of authority exploit the power they have over the masses, by belittling them, and repressing them to such an extent that they are forced to conform. Authority makes judgement on people not by the way they are individually, but base their judgements on factors that are not, in actual fact, of any relevance. In the poem Reports, Fanthorpe offers yet another aspect to the role of authority and the way authoritative figures exploit people within society. In this instance, the poem is a simulated conversation between an older, more experienced teacher, and a newer teacher, focusing on the correct way to write a school report. Fanthorpe has deliberately written the report very cynically, in an attempt to portray authoritative figures as cold and impersonal. In the final stanza, the poem adopts a tone of irony, when Fanthorpe compares the reports we receive at school to the way we live our lives. Being a former teacher herself, Fanthorpe would have known the perils of report writing, and likewise would have known the attitudes that some teachers take towards who they see as their inferiors, the pupils. Fanthorpes reason for leaving the teaching profession was that I saw that the power was having a negative effect on me. This shows Fanthorpes negative opinions on the authority that teachers have, and the way some of them abuse it. The poem contains several short stanzas, using short, snappy phrases, which all make a separate point. In the first of these, there is a fundamental warning to teachers about the language they should use. The teacher writing the report is advised to use dull phrases so that the report does not generate any unwanted interest or complications from parents. Dont give them anything To take hold of. Even Pronouns are dangerous. The teacher is being warned not to use pronouns because the teacher may mistake the gender of the pupil, therefore exposing the teachers lack of knowledge of individual pupils; essentially, the report could be given to any student. The next stanza focuses on the impersonal nature of the reports once again, when Fanthorpe implies that the good pupils are not necessarily known from the bad. The good have no history Satisfactory should satisfy them. This stanza is included, I feel, to illustrate the fact that the good students are often ignored while the teacher is attempting to control the more disobedient pupils. This would mean that the teacher would have very little knowledge of the pupil, and therefore would not know, in actual fact, whether the pupil was good or not. The teacher is advised, instead of using good, to use a more universal phrase; satisfactory. By using safe phrases such as this, teachers guard themselves from provoking high expectations from parents and higher authorities. Stanza 3 makes another point about the way reports are depersonalised by the teachers. The teacher writing the report is advised to use terms that can relate to any pupil: Fair and quite good, Multi-purpose terms, By meaning nothing, Apply to all. This shows the way teachers make reports appear personal, but are actually simply using universal terms that could relate to a range of students. The reason the teacher has chosen to do this is to prevent any unwanted backlash from parents. In the first three stanzas, I feel that Fanthorpe is proclaiming that the authoritative figure does not see the people placed under their authority as individuals, but as a large group. This emphasises the fact that authority causes the identity and individuality of a person to be lost. The teachers in this poem are also aware of the need to make themselves look as though they are not to blame for the pupils problems at school. Unmanageable oaf cuts both ways. Finds the subject difficult, Acquitting you, Converts oaf into idiot, usher to master. Such phrases as Unmanageable oaf reflect badly on the teacher, and suggests that the teacher may not be able to cope. To avoid this, the teachers use clever euphemisms to make it seem as though it is the pupil failing, and not the teacher. This illustrates the exploitation of the teachers authority over their pupils. The next stanza warns that people will try to read into the reports, so they must remain as simple as possible, to avoid any complications. Set them no riddles, just Echo the common-room clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½: Must make more effort. The teachers are acutely aware of the need to keep the reports similar, as this will avoid confusion. Using common phrases such as Must make more effort means that the parent, head and child accept the report, and they will not feel compelled to question the report further. Although the poem is based around teachers relationships with pupils, in the final stanza, Fanthorpe uses school as a metaphor for life. Remember your high calling: School is the world. Fanthorpe uses irony to indicate that the way we live our lives is similar to our school reports. Born at Sound beginning We move from satisfactory To fair, then Find The subject difficult, Learning at last we Could have done better. In this final part of the stanza, I feel that Fanthorpe is attempting to make a statement that during life, you endeavour to be the best you can be, but ultimately realise that the decisions you have made may not have been the right ones. Moreover, she may be trying to make the point that one is pushed into inconspicuousness by authority, which causes one to feel disappointed, and insignificant. In the poem, we have no way of knowing whether Fanthorpe is referring to herself, or people in general, but the slightly bitter tone in the final three lines, and, indeed, the final stanza, is evident. Stone only, final instructor, Modulates from the indicative With rest in peace. By this, Fanthorpe means that the only time that we avoid the report system of life is when we die, and our epitaph is inscribed onto our grave. To conclude, the poem Reports is illustrating the way that teachers depersonalise pupils, in order to prevent problems for them. The pupils are seen as one whole state, and the fact that the education system does not allow individuality leads to a sense of disappointment later on in life. This shows that individuals are repressed by society, and do not feel able to follow their own paths, as they are constantly being grouped with others. Quintessentially, the poems Not My Best Side, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, and Reports all emphasise that UA Fanthorpe believes that power corrupts, and that people of authority usually use it to their advantage, to belittle others or to make them feel sub-standard. It is also clear that Fanthorpe believes that authority within society leads to depersonalisation of a character, and the stifling of individuals into conformity.

Speech of Pericles :: essays research papers

(63) 'Once more, you are bound to maintain the imperial dignity of your city in which you all take pride; for you should not covet the glory unless you will endure the toil. And do not imagine that you are fighting about a simple issue, freedom or slavery; you have an empire to lose, and there is the danger to which the hatred of your imperial rule has exposed you. Neither can you resign your power, if, at this crisis, any timorous or inactive spirit is for thus playing the honest man. For by this time your empire has become a tyranny which in the opinion of mankind may have been unjustly gained, but which cannot be safely surrendered. The men of whom I was speaking, if they could find followers, would soon ruin a city, and if they were to go and found a state of their own, would equally ruin that. For inaction is secure only when arrayed by the side of activity; nor is it expedient or safe for a sovereign, but only for a subject state, to be a servant. (64) 'You must not be led away by the advice of such citizens as these, nor be angry with me; for the resolution in favour of war was your own as much as mine. What if the enemy has come and done what he was certain to do when you refused to yield? What too if the plague followed? That was an unexpected blow, but we might have foreseen all the rest. I am well aware that your hatred of me is aggravated by it. But how unjustly, unless to me you also ascribe the credit of any extraordinary success which may befall you!36 The visitations of heaven should be borne with resignation, the sufferings inflicted by an enemy with manliness. This has always been the spirit of Athens, and should not die out in you. Know that our city has the greatest name in all the world because she has never yielded to misfortunes, but has sacrificed more lives and endured severer hardships in war than any other; wherefore also she has the greatest power of any state up to this day; and the memory of her glory w ill always survive. Even if we should be compelled at last to abate somewhat of our greatness (for all things have their times of

Coyote Blue Chapter 32~33

CHAPTER 32 A Doctorate in Deception According to Pokey, at the time the white men came, there were seven sacred arrow bundles. Each had been made by four medicine men who had the same vision at the same time. Once the bundles were made, the medicine men vowed never to gather again, afraid that if their combined power were stolen by one, he would become invincible and abuse the power. These bundles contained the most powerful of warrior medicine, able to protect the carrier from an enemy's weapon, give him the ability to travel swiftly, and escape to the Underworld in an emergency, to return later, unharmed. Of the original seven bundles, two had been destroyed by fire, two by flood, two were locked away in museums in Washington, and the last to leave the reservation was in the hands of a private collector in Billings, who had bought it from a family who had been converted to Christianity and thought the bundle might jeopardize their salvation. At first Sam suspected Pokey's story. His choice finally to believe it was based more on heart than logic. Whether the story of the bundles was true or not didn't matter as much as the hope it inspired. Action based on hope just felt better than the paralysis of certainty. When Sam came through the door of the Hunts Alone house, Cindy hardly recognized him. When she had first met him he seemed weak, wasted, and without reason to live. Now he was moving and talking with purpose. Sam said, â€Å"Cindy, I'm sorry about before. I don't want to impose.† â€Å"You're family,† she said, and that was all the explanation needed. â€Å"Thanks,† Sam said. â€Å"We went to see Pokey. He's doing fine.† â€Å"Did they say when he can come home?† â€Å"We're bringing him home tonight, if things go the way they should. Can I use the phone?† Cindy waved toward the kitchen table, where the phone sat amid a stack of cereal boxes and bowls. Sam checked on Grubb, found him sleeping, and went to the phone. The first call went out to the Museum of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Yes, they knew a serious collector of Indian artifacts in Billings; they had bought several pieces from him over the years. His name was Arnstead Houston. The next call was to his office in Santa Barbara. â€Å"Gabriella, I need you to take the key I gave you and go to my house. In my closet there's a corduroy jacket with suede elbow patches. Load it in my garment bag with the khaki pants, a flannel shirt, and that goofy Indiana Jones hat that Aaron gave me for Christmas. Put in my blue pinstripe suit – shirt, shoes, and tie to match. Then grab my briefcase and get it all on the next plane to Billings, Montana. Buy a seat for it if you have to. Put it on the corporate card. And run the name Arnstead Houston through all our companies' client files – go to the Insurance Institute if you have to. It's a Billings address.† He waited while Gabriella put the name through the computer and came back with the name of Houston's home-owner's insurance carrier. â€Å"Give me the agent's number.† Sam scribbled it down. â€Å"Call me back at this number as soon as you confirm the arrival time of my stuff in Billings.† He gave her the Hunts Alone number. He dialed the number of Houston's insurance agent in Billings and spoke in an Oklahoma accent. â€Å"Yes, I'm interested in insuring some valuable Indian artifacts. Arnie Houston recommended you.† Sam waited. â€Å"I didn't figure you handled that sort of thing. Do you remember who you referred Arnie to? Boulder Casualty? You got a number for them? Thanks, pardner.† Sam hung up the phone and it rang immediately. â€Å"Hello. Five today? That's the earliest? Thanks, Gabriella. Oh, I forgot – call and reserve a car at the Billings airport. Something with four-wheel drive. A Blazer or a Bronco or something. White if they have it. I'll pick it up at five. Yes, the corporate card. Fuck Aaron. Tell him I'm on a hunting trip. And Gabby, you are incredible, you really are. I know I've never told you that before. Because it was time I did. Take care.† He disconnected and dialed another number, waited, then spoke with an English accent. â€Å"Yes, Boulder Casualty. This is Samuel Smythe-White with Sotheby's, London. So sorry to bother you, but we've a bit of a problem that you may be able to help us with. It seems we've recently acquired some Red Indian items – a bit unusual for us – and we're at a loss as for someone to authenticate them. The owner, who must remain anonymous I'm afraid, has suggested that you insure this sort of thing and might know of an appraiser. Yes, I'll wait.† Sam held the phone aside and lit a cigarette. â€Å"No, no, location is not a problem. Sotheby's will fly him to London.† Sam scribbled something. â€Å"Jolly good. Yes, thank you.† He disconnected and dialed Arnstead Houston's number. â€Å"Hello, Mr. Houston. This is Bill Lanier. I'm the new head of Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington. Yes. The reason I'm calling is that I just got a call from Boulder Casualty. It seems that there is an item in your collection that has been severely undervalued and they'd like us to take a look at it to make sure the schedule of coverage is in line. Of course, the new appraisal would increase the price if you should ever want to sell it.† Sam paused and listened. He continued, â€Å"A Crow medicine bundle. Yes. This one's a cylinder, a hollowed-out cedar log. That's right. Well, sir, we'll need to take a look at it in person. We happen to have a tribal expert visiting the campus right now. We could be in Billings by five thirty tonight. No, I'm afraid he has to fly to a dig in Arizona tomorrow. It will have to be tonight. Yes, I have your address. Thank you, sir.† Sam hung up, sat back, and let out a long sigh. The whole process had taken less than five minutes. When he turned around both Cindy and Coyote were staring at him. Cindy's mouth was hanging open. â€Å"What was that?† Coyote asked. â€Å"You,† Sam said, â€Å"are now working, indirectly, as an artifacts expert for the Boulder Casualty Insurance Company and I am now a professor of anthropology at the University of Washington,† â€Å"I've been looking for a job,† Cindy said, shaking her head. â€Å"They always make me fill out an application.† Coyote looked at Cindy. â€Å"He has shifty eyes, don't you think?† -=*=- Arnie Houston sat in his den looking at the arrow bundle on the coffee table before him: a hollowed-out log full of junk. But there was nothing quite so exciting as turning junk into money, and he was so excited now he could have peed his Wranglers. God bless archaeology. God bless museums. God bless historic preservation. God bless America! Where else could a piece of oil-field trash with a fourth-grade education be living in a twenty-room house with a new Corvette in the garage, wearing thousand-dollar sea-turtle-skin boots and two pounds of silver and turquoise jewelry? And all of it from buying and selling Indian junk. God bless every eggheaded, gopher-hearted anthropologist that ever wrote a paper or dug a hole. Damn! Arnie got up and went over to his bar, where he poured himself a snifter of Patron tequila – thirty bucks a bottle, but the finest cactus juice ever burned hair off your tongue. And it calms you down. Can't let them think you're in it for the money, the dumb shits: most of 'em could say howdy in thirty-seven dead languages, tell you the time a day a shaman shit two hundred years ago plus the ritual that went with it, but couldn't tell a nickel from a knothole when it came to money. They always went to the tribal council or a medicine man when they wanted to buy something – that was their big mistake. You got to do your research. Find out what family's got something and then find the one in the family who drinks the most. When he's feeling his firewater, you be there with the cash. Presto, you got yourself a priceless Indian artifact for dirt cheap. Arnie had just picked up a whole basket of heirloom beadwork over at the Yakima res – a hundred bucks. The Yakima were just getting into crack cocaine and Arnie was in on the ground floor with investment capital. The beads had been in the families for hundreds of years and he'd already had an offer of ten thousand for them from the Museum of the West – upon authentication, of course. Anthropologists, here's to 'em! Arnie thought. He toasted the fish in the aquarium by the bar and tossed back the Patron, then took a gamble by looking out the front window. A white Blazer pulled into the circular driveway and two men got out, both of them tall – one, an Indian in a suit, and the other in a corduroy jacket and khakis: the anthropologist. The Indian must be the expert he talked about on the phone. City Indian: making a living off of being Indian, going on about exploitation and such. Worthless troublemakers: wouldn't shoot one if I needed to unload my gun. Arnie stashed the snifter under the bar and went to the front door. He brushed back the sides of his hair with his fingers – careful not to disturb the five strands combed over the top – and opened the door. â€Å"Mr. Houston, I'm Dr. Lanier from the University of Washington. This is Running Elk, the gentleman I mentioned on the phone.† The Indian nodded. â€Å"Come on in,† Arnie said, waving them into the tiled foyer. â€Å"I took it out of the safe and put it on the table for you.† He didn't really have a safe, but it sounded good. He led them into the den and stood by the coffee table. â€Å"Here she is.† The Indian moved to the fish tank and peered in. The professor walked around the table looking at the log, as if he were afraid to pick it up. â€Å"Have you opened it?† Arnie had to think. What was the best answer? These fellows liked playing detective, finding their own clues. â€Å"No, sir. The fella I got it from told me what was inside, though. Four arrows, an eagle skull, and some, er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damn, how do you describe it? It was just brown powdery shit. â€Å"And some sacred powder.† â€Å"And who did you get it from?† â€Å"Fellow on the res. Old family, but he didn't want me to say. He's afraid of the Traditionals getting revenge on him.† â€Å"I'm going to have to open it to determine the value.† â€Å"Quite so,† the Indian said, still looking in the fish tank. The anthropologist shot him a nasty look. What was up with these two? An Indian who talks like a Brit; if that didn't just beat the ugly off an ape. â€Å"It's okay with me,† Arnie said. â€Å"Looks like them ends just come off like bottle caps.† That's exactly how they had come off when he opened it. â€Å"Jolly good, old chap,† the Indian said. â€Å"The fish say that it's been opened before.† â€Å"Thank you, Running Elk,† said the professor. He seemed kinda ticked. He set his briefcase on the table next to the bundle, snapped open the lid, and removed some white cotton gloves. â€Å"We don't want to disturb the integrity of the contents,† he said, slipping on the gloves. â€Å"I'd prefer to do this in the lab, but I assure you I'll be careful.† You can blow the damn thing up for all I care, Arnie thought, as long as the price is right. But what was the deal with the Indian and the fish tank? The professor removed the end of the wooden cylinder and placed it on the table. He removed one of the four arrows and studied its length. When he looked at the point his face lit up. â€Å"My God, Running Elk, do you see what I see?† â€Å"What? What?† Arnie said. Was this good or bad? The Indian looked up from the fish tank. â€Å"Oh, capital! He's promised them one of those plastic bubbling scuba divers if he sells it.† â€Å"What?† Arnie said. The professor scowled at the Indian and held the arrow up for Arnie to see. â€Å"Mr. Houston, you see this arrow point?† â€Å"Uh-huh.† â€Å"This is a small-game point, and the flaking is not the pattern you find on Crow points from the buffalo days.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So, I think this bundle is from the time before the Crows split from the Hidatsa. If that's the case, this bundle may be priceless.† Arnie saw a swimming pool appearing in his backyard, with a whole shitpot of girls in bikinis sitting around it, rubbing oil on his back. â€Å"How can you be sure?† â€Å"I'll have to take it back to the university to have it carbon-dated.† The professor put the arrow back into the bundle. From his briefcase he pulled out a sheaf of forms. â€Å"I hope you'll understand, Mr. Houston, the university can't bond something like this for its full value, but I could write a guarantee of perhaps two hundred thousand until the return.† The professor waited, his pen poised over the form. Arnie pretended to think about it. In fact, he was thinking about the new swimming pool. Now it was indoors and had a big hot tub full of dollies. â€Å"I guess that will be all right,† he said. The professor began writing on the form. â€Å"We should have it back to you within the week. I'll see to it personally that it's handled carefully. If you'll just sign here.† He pushed the form over to Arnie. There it was, $200,000.00 in big black numbers. It was all he needed to see. Arnie signed and pushed the paper back to the professor. The professor closed his briefcase and got up. â€Å"Well, I'd like to get this back to the lab by tonight and start the work on it. I'll call you as soon as we know for sure.† He picked up the bundle and headed for the door. â€Å"You take care now. Thanks,† Arnie said, holding the door for them. â€Å"No, thank you, Mr. Houston.† â€Å"Cheerio,† the Indian said as they climbed into the Blazer. â€Å"Oh yes, your mates said they'd like a Flipper video and a bit of brine shrimp to eat.† Arnie watched the Blazer pulling away. Boy, the old professor was sure giving Running Elk hell for something. Eggheads. He wondered for a minute why the Blazer had mud on the license plates when it was so clean everywhere else. Hell with it, it was time to celebrate. A buddy had given him the number of a little dolly who for two hundred dollars would come over in her cheerleader outfit. He'd been saving it for a special occasion and it looked like it was time to dig out that ol' number and see if she really could suck the furniture out of a room through the keyhole. -=*=- As soon as they were out of sight of Arnie's house, Sam took the Indiana Jones hat off and smacked Coyote with it. â€Å"What were you thinking? You almost blew it.† â€Å"The fish said he tricked someone to get that bundle.† â€Å"And what did we just do?† â€Å"That's different. It was a Crow bundle.† â€Å"You wanted to blow it, didn't you? Why didn't you just hump his couch or something? Why didn't you just tell him the truth?† â€Å"Well,† Coyote said, â€Å"if your trick worked it would make a good story.† â€Å"I'll take that as as compliment.† Sam was no longer angry. They had the bundle; now it was time to think about the next part of the plan. He believed what Pokey had told him about the power of the bundle, and all Pokey had ever asked of him was to be believed. He said, â€Å"Coyote, will you help me get Pokey out of the clinic?† â€Å"Another trick?† Coyote asked. â€Å"Of sorts.† â€Å"I'll help, but I won't go to the Underworld with you.† CHAPTER 33 Doors Some of the color had returned to Pokey's face and someone had taken the braids out of his hair and brushed it. He opened his eyes when Sam entered the room. â€Å"You got it?† Pokey said. â€Å"It's in the car,† Sam said. Coyote came in behind him. Pokey grinned. â€Å"Old Man Coyote.† â€Å"Howdy,† Coyote said. â€Å"How many times you died now, old man?† â€Å"A bunch. It's plumb wearing me out,† Pokey said. â€Å"The medicine man got tired of singing the death song and went home. I think he got scared.† Pokey pulled a cassette out from under his covers and held it up. â€Å"I got it on tape for the next time.† Sam said, â€Å"Pokey, we have the arrow bundle. What do we do now?† â€Å"Ask him,† Pokey said, pointing to Coyote. â€Å"I ain't going,† Coyote said. â€Å"He has to go alone.† â€Å"Samson needs a medicine man to sing the bundle song.† â€Å"That's why we're here,† Sam said. â€Å"You want me? I didn't think you believed I had medicine, Samson.† â€Å"Things change, Pokey. I need you.† â€Å"Well then, get me out of here.† Pokey started to sit up. Sam pushed him back. â€Å"I don't think you should be walking.† â€Å"Samson, I done told you, I had my death vision. I don't die in no hospital, I get shot. Now help me get up.† He struggled to a sitting position and Sam helped him turn so his feet hung off the bed. â€Å"You're right, I don't think I can walk.† Sam turned to Coyote. â€Å"You promised to help.† -=*=- The clinic was officially closed for the day, but the skeleton staff of two nurses was still on. Adeline Eats sat in the waiting room with her six children, who were all green with flu, insisting that she wasn't going anywhere until they got treatment, even if she had to wait all night. For the twentieth time, the nurse at the window was explaining that the doctor had gone home for the night, when she heard the hoof beats on the stairs. She dropped her clipboard and ran out of the office to see a black horse coming down the stairs, an old, half-naked man bouncing on its back. She ducked back into her office to avoid being trampled and looked up in time to see a man in a corduroy jacket running behind the horse out the front door. The nurse ran out into the waiting room to the front door, which dangled in pieces on its hinges. She watched the horse stop beside a white Blazer and rear up. The old man, his gray hair streaming in the wind, let out a war whoop and fell into the arms of the man in corduroy. Then, as she watched, the horse started bubbling and changing until it was a man in black buckskins. The nurse stumbled back in shock. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped a foot off the ground. She came down holding her chest. Adeline Eats said, â€Å"You got room for my kids now, or what?† -=*=- Riding in the Blazer, Pokey said, â€Å"Old Man Coyote, how do I send Samson to the Underworld?† â€Å"Just open the bundle and sing the song. He will go.† Sam said, â€Å"What happens then? What do I do?† â€Å"My medicine ends when you get there. You will see the one that weighs the souls. Don't be afraid of him. Just ask him if you can bring the girl back.† â€Å"That's it?† â€Å"Don't worry about the monster. The Underworld is not what you think.† Coyote rolled down the car window. â€Å"I have something that I want to do. I'll be there when you return.† Coyote dove out the car window, changing instantly into a hawk and flying off into the night sky. â€Å"Wait!† Sam said. â€Å"What monster?† He stopped the car. Pokey giggled like a child. â€Å"A horse and a hawk in one night. Samson, do you know how lucky we are?† Sam leaned forward and put his head against the wheel. â€Å"Lucky wasn't the world that came to mind, Pokey.† -=*=- Pokey had called Harlan and the boys down from Hardin. While they prepared the sweat, Sam stood at the door of the Airstream trailer trying to make himself open it. For the first time in years he was aware of his childhood fear of the dead and unrevenged ghosts and he hesitated. Since Pokey had given him hope of bringing Calliope back, he hadn't really thought of her as dead. He wanted to see her before he went to the Underworld, but he was afraid. Strange, he thought, after all these years of selling the fear of death, talking about it every day, now I'm afraid. She's not dead, not really. He threw the door open and stepped into the trailer. Calliope's body was lying on the built-in cot by the door amid camping equipment and fishing rods. Coyote had covered her with a blanket, leaving her face exposed. She could have been sleeping. Sam sat on the cot by her and brushed a strand of hair away from her face. She was cold. He looked away. â€Å"I wanted you to know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't know what to say. There was no face to put on to meet this face. If she would just open her eyes. He swallowed hard. â€Å"I wanted you to know that I would do anything for you. That all this craziness was – will be – worth it if I can bring you back. I've been hiding out for my whole life, and I don't want to live that way anymore. Anyway, I wanted you to know that Grubb will be okay. My family will take care of him. I'll be with you, one way or another.† Sam leaned over and kissed her. â€Å"Soon,† he said. He got up and walked out of the trailer. Across the yard, the fire crackled and licked the sky, heating the rocks for the sweat. Pokey sat on a lawn chair, the arrow bundle in his lap, his eyes glistening orange in the firelight. Harlan was carrying rocks from the fire to the pit inside the sweat lodge. Sam stood by with Harry and Festus, watching. After the initial surprise that Sam was still alive, Harry and Festus simply fell into their normal roles of listening to their father argue with Pokey. Sam noticed that they had the lean, muscular frame of their father, the same square-set jaw. Harlan was a little thinner now, and his hair had gone gray, but otherwise, to Sam, he seemed the same. â€Å"The boys and me have to go to work in the morning,† Harlan said. â€Å"We can't stay late, Pokey. No drinking.† â€Å"I ain't going to drink,† Pokey said. Harlan dropped a hot rock into the pit and wiped sweat from his forehead. â€Å"I can't believe that doctor let you come home. Just yesterday he was puttin' your death on my hands for not moving you to the hospital in Billings.† â€Å"He's a pissant,† Pokey said. â€Å"How's it coming?† Harlan scraped another rock out of the fire and scooped it up with the pitchfork. â€Å"This ought to do it.† He unbuckled his pants and began to get undressed. The others followed his lead, hanging their clothes on Pokey's chair. Sam took the bundle from Pokey and put it in the sweat lodge, then helped the old man out of his hospital gown. Pokey crawled into the sweat lodge, where the others sat in a semicircle facing him. â€Å"Before I drop the door, I got to open this here bundle. It's a real old one, so no one knows the right song. I'm going to have to make it up as I go along. Okay?† Pokey held up the bundle and sang a prayer song, thanking the spirits for the gift of the sweat. He laid out a square of buckskin for the objects in the medicine bundle. â€Å"I don't know what's going to happen here, but Harlan, you and the boys got to pray that Samson has a safe journey. He's going on a kind of vision quest, but he ain't going to the Spirit World.† Pokey looked at Sam. â€Å"You've seen her since you got here, right?† â€Å"Yes,† Sam said. â€Å"And she's still in the trailer?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Who?† Harry asked. â€Å"Never mind,† Pokey said. They hadn't told Harlan and the boys about Calliope or Coyote. â€Å"Here we go.† He threw a handful of sage onto the stones. When the smoke rose he held the bundle in it, then took off the cap. He began singing as he took each object from the bundle and set it on the buckskin. Sam closed his eyes and concentrated on going to the Underworld and what he had to do there. â€Å"Heya, heya, heya, an arrow. Heya, heya, heya, another arrow Heya, heya, heya, another arrow Heya, heya, heya, the last arrow. Heya, heya, heya, an eagle skull. Heya, heya, heya, some brown stuff.† â€Å"Some brown stuff?† Harlan said. â€Å"Well, I don't know what it is,† Pokey said. â€Å"It looks like brown stuff to me.† â€Å"Whatever it is, it's working,† Festus said, pointing to Sam, who was shivering, even in the heat of the sweat lodge. His eyes were open but rolled back in his head, showing no pupils. â€Å"I'm dropping the door,† Pokey said. â€Å"Now pray for his return like you never prayed before.†