DOCSLIB.ORG

Clue to the Economic Labyrinth

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Clue to the Economic Labyrinth Clue to the Economic Labyrinth By Michael Flürscheim Michael Flürscheim Clue to the Economic Labyrinth * Chapter I: Wanted, A new Gospel Chapter II; The Land Digitalized 2012 By grundskyld.dk remaining chapters Chapter III: Money Chapter IV: The effect of Scientific Paper Currency Chapter V: Free Trade or Protection Chapter VI: Banking Chapter VII: Interest Chapter VIII: Capital and Capitalism Chapter IX: Exchange Banks and Co-operation Chapter X: Democracy Chapter XI: Socialism Chapter XII: Conclusion may follow. I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW ZEALAND Michael Flürscheim Progress The time is ripe, and rotten-ripe, for change; Then let it come: I have no dread of what Is called for by the instinct of mankind; Nor think I that God's world will fall apart Because we tear a parchment more or less. Truth is eternal, but her effluence, With endless change, is fitted to the hour; Her mirror is turned forward to reflect The promise of the future, not the past. He who would win the name of truly great Must understand his own age and the next, And make the present ready to fulfil Its prophecy, and with the future merge Gently and peacefully, as wave with wave. The future works out great men's purposes; The present is enough for common souls. Who, never looking forward, are indeed Mere clay, wherein the footprints of their age Are petrified forever; better those Who lead the blind old giant by the hand From out the pathless desert where he gropes, And set him onward in his darksome way. I do not fear to follow out the truth. Albeit along the precipice's edge. Let us speak plain: there is more force in names Than most men dream of; and a lie may keep Its throne a whole age longer, if it skulk Behind the shield of some fair-seeming name. Let us call tyrants tyrants, and maintain That' only freedom comes by grace of God, And all that comes not by His grace must fall; For men in earnest have no time to waste In patching fig-leaves for the naked truth. —James Russell Lowell, 3 CONTENTS CHAPTER I .................................................................... 6 WANTED: A NEW GOSPEL ...............................................6 The Old Gospel...................................................................................6 Change of the Problem........................................................................8 The New Gospel ............................................................................... 15 Help given by Religion....................................................................... 15 CHAPTER II THE LAND .................................................. 17 Bridge Building................................................................................. 17 Principles of Land Reformers .............................................................. 19 Monopoly Character of Land............................................................... 20 Free Trade in Land............................................................................ 24 Defence of the Freehold .................................................................... 25 Peasant Proprietors........................................................................... 25 Concentration of Properties................................................................ 27 Power the Basis of Land Titles ............................................................ 31 Despotism better than Anarchy .......................................................... 32 Equal Division impossible................................................................... 33 What destroyed the Mark .................................................................. 34 Why not make the Community the Owner? .......................................... 35 Difference between the Lease System and that of Mark or Mir................ 36 Distribute the National Rental for Pensions or for the Relief of Taxation ... 36 How to limit Land Accumulations ........................................................ 39 Value .............................................................................................. 41 Improvements a Title to Ownership .................................................... 42 Interest on Improvements ................................................................. 44 The Single-Tax ................................................................................. 45 Principles of Taxation ........................................................................ 46 Income, Mortgage, and Bond Taxes .................................................... 46 Indirect Taxes .................................................................................. 47 Rent not included in Price .................................................................. 48 Shop Rents and Prices....................................................................... 50 Objection......................................................................................... 50 Rating: of Ground Rents .................................................................... 52 Cheapening of unimproved Land changes the Case ............................... 52 Rating on unimproved Values............................................................. 52 Confiscatory Nature of Land Tax......................................................... 53 4. The Abrogration of Private Land Ownership ...................................... 53 Progress and Poverty ........................................................................ 53 Land Taxation is not Land Restoration................................................. 55 Land Taxation would not prevent Land Monopolisation .......................... 56 Land Taxation would not put an End to the Abuses of Landlordism.......... 57 Self-interest does not insure best Use ................................................. 58 The Case changes under Land Nationalisation ...................................... 59 "Cash Payment is not the sole Nexus of Man with Man, ......................... 59 Henry George's Motives..................................................................... 61 Confiscation or Compensation ............................................................ 61 Force against Force........................................................................... 63 The Seller calling his Customer a Thief ................................................ 63 A bad Precedent ............................................................................... 64 4 Honesty the best Policy ..................................................................... 64 Attack against Herbert Spencer .......................................................... 64 Compensation for a Tax .................................................................... 65 A Grievance against Spencer.............................................................. 65 Land Nationalisation a Shock to present Customs and Habits of Thought . 66 Land Nationalisation involves Extension of Government Machinery.......... 66 No fear of Corruption in Tax Collection ................................................ 67 Single-Tax the easiest Method of carrying the Reform ........................... 67 Certainly the most Dangerous ............................................................ 67 Rebate of Rent Bill ............................................................................ 68 Referendum as a Protection ............................................................... 69 Occupation, not Freehold the old Form ................................................ 69 Opposition of Land-owners to Single-Tax............................................. 70 Appeal to the lower Motives ............................................................... 70 Danger of mixing Land and Tariff Problem ........................................... 70 The Mortgage the most serious Obstacle ............................................. 71 Cutting the Dog's Tall piece-meal gives more Compensation than immediate Land Purchase.................................................................. 71 The most Practical and Honest Method ................................................ 72 The State's Right of Pre-emption at present Prices................................ 74 Building Regulations do not affect House Rents, but Land Values ............ 75 Taxing vacant Building Lots ............................................................... 75 Defence of Non-Compensation ........................................................... 76 The Freehold doomed........................................................................ 77 Unearned Increment made by Public Improvements ............................. 78 Limitation of Right of Pre-emption ...................................................... 78 Effects of the Law ............................................................................. 79 Tax and Take ................................................................................... 80 Lease in Perpetuity ........................................................................... 81 Administration of the Public Land........................................................ 82 Length of Leases .............................................................................. 82 City of Wellington Leases................................................................... 83 Risks of the Tenant ........................................................................... 83 Betterment Clause...........................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reality Is Broken a Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World E JANE Mcgonigal
    Reality Is Broken a Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World E JANE McGONIGAL THE PENGUIN PRESS New York 2011 ADVANCE PRAISE FOR Reality Is Broken “Forget everything you know, or think you know, about online gaming. Like a blast of fresh air, Reality Is Broken blows away the tired stereotypes and reminds us that the human instinct to play can be harnessed for the greater good. With a stirring blend of energy, wisdom, and idealism, Jane McGonigal shows us how to start saving the world one game at a time.” —Carl Honoré, author of In Praise of Slowness and Under Pressure “Reality Is Broken is the most eye-opening book I read this year. With awe-inspiring ex­ pertise, clarity of thought, and engrossing writing style, Jane McGonigal cleanly exploded every misconception I’ve ever had about games and gaming. If you thought that games are for kids, that games are squandered time, or that games are dangerously isolating, addictive, unproductive, and escapist, you are in for a giant surprise!” —Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want “Reality Is Broken will both stimulate your brain and stir your soul. Once you read this remarkable book, you’ll never look at games—or yourself—quite the same way.” —Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind “The path to becoming happier, improving your business, and saving the world might be one and the same: understanding how the world’s best games work.
    [Show full text]
  • Dungeon Solitaire LABYRINTH of SOULS
    Dungeon Solitaire LABYRINTH OF SOULS Designer’s Notebook by Matthew Lowes Illustrated with Original Notes Including a History and Commentary on the Design and Aesthetics of the Game. ML matthewlowes.com 2016 Copyright © 2016 Matthew Lowes All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. Interior design and illustrations by Matthew Lowes. Typeset in Minion Pro by Robert Slimbach and IM FELL English Pro by Igino Marini. The Fell Types are digitally reproduced by Igino Marini, www.iginomarini.com. Visit matthewlowes.com/games to download print-ready game materials, follow future developments, and explore more fiction & games. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . 5 Origins . 5 Tomb of Four Kings . 7 Into the Labyrinth . 10 At the Limit . 13 Playing a Role . 15 The Ticking Clock . 16 Encountering the World . 17 Monsters of the Id . 18 Traps of the Mind . 18 Doors of Perception . 19 Mazes of the Intellect . 19 Illusions of the Psyche . 21 Alternate Rules . 22 Tag-Team Delving . 22 On Dragon Slaying . 23 Scourge of the Undead . 24 The Tenth Level . 25 A Life of Adventuring . 26 It’s in the Cards . 28 Extra Stuff . 30 The House Rules . 31 B/X & A . 31 Game Balance . 32 Chance vs Choice . 33 Play-Testing . 34 Writing Rules . 35 Final Remarks . 37 4 INTRODUCTION In the following pages I’ll be discussing candidly my thoughts on the creation of the Dungeon Solitaire game, including its origins, my rationale for the aesthetics and structure of the game, and for its various mechanics. Along the way I’ll be talking about some of my ideas about game design, and what I find fun and engaging about different types of games.
    [Show full text]
  • Internations.Org Seattle - Riga
    InterNations.org Seattle - Riga SHORT STORIES & POESY E-BOOK EDITION 2020 FOREWORD Standing at the start of 2021, we look back at the past year and realize a year ago we were unknowingly perched atop a precipice. None of us knew that in the following weeks and months, life as we knew it—the world as we knew it—would change irrevocably. In many ways the destruction of our previous life is complete; and yet, a phoenix has risen from those ashes of our former existence. At the same time that global lockdowns built up walls to separate and “distance” us, InterNations broke down the walls of geography and brought us together in a new, online community. Our calendars, suddenly empty deserts devoid of commutes, office hours, and in-person socializing, instead offered us a new-found wealth of time, time we used to develop untapped talents and unexpected potentials. The microfiction works contained in this collection are the fruit of these creative explorations. Over the course of 2020 dozens of InterNations members set pen to paper, many for the first time ever, and crafted mini-works around given themes and key words. With limits on length ranging from 250-350 words, together we discovered that writing was something of which we are all capable. We particularly applaud those who bravely shared pieces composed in languages other than their mother tongue. We hope that you will all enjoy reading the stories and poems in this e-book, published exclusively for the authors themselves. And we encourage all the authors to continue nurturing their nascent literary talents as we very much look forward to seeing more of your work in 2021! Margie Banin & Claude G.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from Thomas More's Dilemma of Conscience: Reconciling the Clash Between a Lawyer's Beliefs and Professional Expectations
    St. John's Law Review Volume 78 Number 4 Volume 78, Fall 2004, Number 4 Article 1 Lessons From Thomas More's Dilemma of Conscience: Reconciling the Clash Between a Lawyer's Beliefs and Professional Expectations Blake D. Morant Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.stjohns.edu/lawreview This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at St. John's Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in St. John's Law Review by an authorized editor of St. John's Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ARTICLES LESSONS FROM THOMAS MORE'S DILEMMA OF CONSCIENCE: RECONCILING THE CLASH BETWEEN A LAWYER'S BELIEFS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS BLAKE D. MORANTt TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODU CTION .................................................................................... 966 I. JURISPRUDENTIAL ROOTS OF THE CLASH BETWEEN PERSONAL BELIEFS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS ................................ 972 A. More's Beliefs as Natural Law Conceptualizations................ 975 B. Expectations of the Sovereign-Henry VIII's Proclamationsas PositiveLaw ............................................... 981 C. Contextualism-The Searchfor Accommodation or Compromise Between Conflicting Beliefs and Expectations ..................................................................... 985 D. More's Tacit Embrace of Contextualism................................. 990 II. THE RELEVANCE OF THOMAS MORE'S DILEMMA TO THE CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE OF LAW .............................................. 993 A. Adherence to Conviction Versus Accommodation of the Sovereign-A ContemporaryNarrative .................................. 994 t Professor of Law and Director of the Frances Lewis Law Center, Washington and Lee University School of Law. B.A. and J.D., University of Virginia. The inspiration for this Article was the invitation to deliver a lecture during the July 6, 2003 Saint Thomas More Commemorative Service at St.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sacred Art of Labyrinth Design
    The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library Summer 8-21-2015 The aS cred Art of Labyrinth Design: Optimization of a Liminal Aesthetic Yadina Z. Clark University of Maine - Main, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the Art Practice Commons, Contemporary Art Commons, Environmental Design Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Interactive Arts Commons, Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons, Landscape Architecture Commons, and the New Religious Movements Commons Recommended Citation Clark, Yadina Z., "The aS cred Art of Labyrinth Design: Optimization of a Liminal Aesthetic" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2337. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/2337 This Open-Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. THE SACRED ART OF LABYRINTH DESIGN: OPTIMIZATION OF A LIMINAL AESTHETIC By Yadina Z. Clark B.U.S. University of Maine, 2007 A THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts (in Intermedia) The Graduate School The University of Maine August 2015 Advisory Committee: Owen F. Smith, Director of Intermedia MFA Program, Advisor Amy Stacey Curtis, Assistant Professor of Intermedia Gene A. Felice II, Assistant Professor of Intermedia THESIS ACCEPTANCE STATEMENT On behalf of the Graduate Committee for Yadina Z. Clark I affirm that this manuscript is the final and accepts thesis. Signatures of all committee members are on file with the Graduate School at the University of Maine, 42 Stodder Hall, Orono, Maine.
    [Show full text]
  • \0-9\0 and X ... \0-9\0 Grad Nord ... \0-9\0013 ... \0-9\007 Car Chase ... \0-9\1 X 1 Kampf ... \0-9\1, 2, 3
    ... \0-9\0 and X ... \0-9\0 Grad Nord ... \0-9\0013 ... \0-9\007 Car Chase ... \0-9\1 x 1 Kampf ... \0-9\1, 2, 3 ... \0-9\1,000,000 ... \0-9\10 Pin ... \0-9\10... Knockout! ... \0-9\100 Meter Dash ... \0-9\100 Mile Race ... \0-9\100,000 Pyramid, The ... \0-9\1000 Miglia Volume I - 1927-1933 ... \0-9\1000 Miler ... \0-9\1000 Miler v2.0 ... \0-9\1000 Miles ... \0-9\10000 Meters ... \0-9\10-Pin Bowling ... \0-9\10th Frame_001 ... \0-9\10th Frame_002 ... \0-9\1-3-5-7 ... \0-9\14-15 Puzzle, The ... \0-9\15 Pietnastka ... \0-9\15 Solitaire ... \0-9\15-Puzzle, The ... \0-9\17 und 04 ... \0-9\17 und 4 ... \0-9\17+4_001 ... \0-9\17+4_002 ... \0-9\17+4_003 ... \0-9\17+4_004 ... \0-9\1789 ... \0-9\18 Uhren ... \0-9\180 ... \0-9\19 Part One - Boot Camp ... \0-9\1942_001 ... \0-9\1942_002 ... \0-9\1942_003 ... \0-9\1943 - One Year After ... \0-9\1943 - The Battle of Midway ... \0-9\1944 ... \0-9\1948 ... \0-9\1985 ... \0-9\1985 - The Day After ... \0-9\1991 World Cup Knockout, The ... \0-9\1994 - Ten Years After ... \0-9\1st Division Manager ... \0-9\2 Worms War ... \0-9\20 Tons ... \0-9\20.000 Meilen unter dem Meer ... \0-9\2001 ... \0-9\2010 ... \0-9\21 ... \0-9\2112 - The Battle for Planet Earth ... \0-9\221B Baker Street ... \0-9\23 Matches ..
    [Show full text]
  • Engaged, Multicultural Individualism in the Millennial Works of Maryse Condé and Zadie Smith
    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations Dissertations and Theses March 2019 ENGAGED, MULTICULTURAL INDIVIDUALISM IN THE MILLENNIAL WORKS OF MARYSE CONDÉ AND ZADIE SMITH Nicole Calandra University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2 Part of the Comparative Literature Commons Recommended Citation Calandra, Nicole, "ENGAGED, MULTICULTURAL INDIVIDUALISM IN THE MILLENNIAL WORKS OF MARYSE CONDÉ AND ZADIE SMITH" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations. 1510. https://doi.org/10.7275/nqqg-9021 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1510 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations and Theses at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ENGAGED, MULTICULTURAL INDIVIDUALISM IN THE MILLENNIAL WORKS OF MARYSE CONDÉ AND ZADIE SMITH A Dissertation Presented by NICOLE M. CALANDRA Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY February 2019 Comparative Literature © Copyright by Nicole M. Calandra 2019 All Rights Reserved ENGAGED, MULTICULTURAL INDIVIDUALISM IN THE MILLENNIAL WORKS OF MARYSE CONDÉ AND ZADIE SMITH A Dissertation Presented by NICOLE M. CALANDRA Approved as to style and content by: ____________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • The Fifth Sunday in Lent
    St. Thomas Episcopal Church The Order of Worship for The Fifth Sunday in Lent March 21, 2021 † 8:00 AM Window: The Temptation of Christ Welcome A Penitential Order: Rite One BCP 319 Celebrant Bless the Lord who forgiveth all our sins. People His mercy endureth for ever. Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14, 16 Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Almighty and most merciful father, we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, we have offended against thy holy laws, we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, spare thou those who confess their faults, restore thou those who are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord; and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen. The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord, have mercy upon us.
    [Show full text]
  • I't PERSONA and the RHETORIC of CHARACTER in the PROSE of SIR THOMAS BROWNE Carol D. Stevens
    I’t "THEATER OF THE SELF": PERSONA AND THE RHETORIC OF CHARACTER IN THE PROSE OF SIR THOMAS BROWNE Carol D. Stevens A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 1978 a © 1978 CAROL DADDAZIO STEVENS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED li ABSTRACT Each of Sir Thomas Browne's prose works has its own speaking voice or persona, which is an idealized and conventional composite of characters. This study demonstrates how the personae are created by descriptive methods which are analyzed in classical and Renaissance rhetoric texts and typified by the character sketches of Theophrastus and his English counterparts. While the function of persona varies from work to work, assuming most importance in Religio Medici and Christian Morals and least in Urne-Buriall and Garden of Cyrus, all of Browne's formal masks have one element in common: they show that the final goal of the self is, ideally, always God. This analysis focuses on aspects of persona which reflect conventional types (e.g., physician, antiquarian, moralist) and which are created by methods which approximate those used by the writers of the characters. In some cases, Browne's character- portraiture of himself seems directed at creating ideal or good types in direct contrast to negative stereotypes perpetuated by the character sketches. Such is the case with the ideal Godly physician of Religio Medici. The study stresses the universality of Browne's Ill public personae, providing some guidelines for distinguish­ ing the autobiographical from the conventional where both appear in the first person.
    [Show full text]
  • 14.0 Introduction to Forever War
    2 Labyrinth: Forever War 14.0 Introduction toForever War Labyrinth: The Forever War, 2015 - ? is a 1-2 player card-driven boardgame simulating at the strategic level the ongoing bid by Islamist extremists to impose their brand of religious rule on the Muslim world. It continues where Labyrinth: Awakening, 2010 - ? left off and adds new event cards and rules to cover the last five T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S years of history. Since publication of Labyrinth and its first ex- Game Component List ............................................................... 2 pansion, Labyrinth: Awakening, fans of the game have expressed Credits ........................................................................................ 2 a desire to update it based on more recent events, and a variety 14.0 Introduction to Forever War ............................................ 2 of event card ideas and variants have been freely shared online. 15.0 What’s Changed? ............................................................. 2 This second expansion to the Labyrinth game series fulfills that 16.0 Solitaire Play .................................................................... 4 continuing interest by providing up-to-date event cards and allows Scenarios .................................................................................... 5 the game to continue to serve as an effective strategic level model of the ongoing struggles in the Muslim world. First Time into the Maze: Beginner Strategy in Lab: Awk ......... 10 Designer’s Notes .......................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2006 Labyrinth, the Literary Magazine of the United States Naval Academy
    Welcome to the 2006 Labyrinth, the literary magazine of the United States Naval Academy. Since the mid 1970’s, the Labyrinth has regularly published the creative work of midshipmen. Whether in the form of short stories, poetry, visual art, or music, our magazine has dedicated itself to providing a space for midshipmen expression of the highest quality. Not until last spring, however, through the generous donation of Mr. Larry Brady ’66 and family, did we secure enough funding to ensure annual printing. Knowing we would eventually be able to hold a hard copy of the Labyrinth in our hands energized the staff all year long. We also found the Brigade more responsive than ever to our calls for submissions. Our goal this year was to better illuminate the link between the words on these pages and the careers of the people who write them. LGEN Lennox, the Superintendent of West Point and holder of a Ph.D. in Literature from Princeton University, graciously agreed to introduce the Labyrinth. We have included the service selections for all of the first-class midshipmen, as well as the work of several alumni who have gone on to successful careers in the Navy and Marine Corps. The responses vary, but many of the issues remain the same. - Celidon Pitt ’06 (USMC Pilot) Editor Staff Assistant Editor…………...Michael DeCarolis ‘07 Art Editor…………………..Angela Laird ’06 (Surface Warfare: FFG 60 Rodney M. Davis, Everett, WA) Fiction Editor………………Travis Klempan ’06 (Surface Warfare: CG 59 USS Princeton, San Diego, CA) Poetry Editor………………Jaci Hanna ’06 (Surface Warfare: DDG 86 USS Shoup, Everett, WA) Publicity Manager………...Allysia Hood ‘07 Layout Manager…………..Genevieve Studer ‘08 The Future…………………DeeDee Collins ’07, Kyle Wright ’07, Thomas Newcomb ‘08, Jacob Pitchford ’08, Laura Young ‘08 Faculty Advisor………………………Asst.
    [Show full text]
  • The Solitaire Mystery
    The Solitaire Mystery Jostein Gaarder Translated by Sarah Jane Hails In This Story You Will Meet Hans Thomas, Dad, Mama, Line, Grandpa, The dwarf, A fat lady The old baker A fortune-teller Six years have passed since I stood in front of the ruins of the ancient Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion and looked out across the Aegean Sea. Almost one and a half centuries have passed since Baker Hans arrived on the strange island in the Atlantic Ocean. And exactly two hundred years have passed since Frode was shipwrecked on his way from Mexico to Spain. I have to go that far back in time to understand why Mama ran away to Athens… I would really like to think about something else. But I know I have to try to write everything down while there is still something of a child in me. I am sitting by the living-room window at Hisøy, watching the leaves drift from the trees outside. The leaves sail down through the air and come to rest like a loose carpet on the street. A little girl wades through the horse chestnuts, which bounce and scatter between the garden fences. It’s as though nothing fits together any more. When I think about Frode’s playing cards, it’s as though all nature has come apart at the seams. ACE OF SPADES … a German soldier came cycling along the country road … The great journey to the homeland of the philosophers began in Arendal, an old shipping town on the south coast of Norway.
    [Show full text]