Internet mini case Essay Example for Free

Internet mini case Essay Williams-Sonoma (WSM) was a specialty retailer of products for the home. The company’s products were sold through two channels: the retail channel and the direct-to-customer channel. The retail segment comprised four retail concepts: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and Hold Everything. The direct-to-customer segment sold though eight retail catalogs: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Bed + Bath, PB Teen, Hold Everything, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma Home (which incorporated elements from the previously separate Chambers) as well as through four e-commerce sites. The catalogs reached customers throughout the United States, and the four retail businesses operated 522 stores in 42 states and Washington, DC. The retail segment accounted for 58.9% of total sales; the direct-to-customer segment accounted for 41.1% in fiscal 2003. Charles E. Williams, Director Emeritus of the company in 2003, founded Williams-Sonoma in 1956 to offer high-end culinary and serving equipment in an upscale retail environment. The company entered the direct-to-customer channel in 1972, with the introduction of its flagship catalog, â€Å"A Catalog for Cooks,† which marketed the Williams-Sonoma brand. In 1983, the company internally developed the Hold Everything catalog to offer innovative and stylish storage solutions for home and home office. The success of the catalog led to the opening of the first Hold Everything retail store in 1985. In 1986, the company acquired Pottery Barn, at that time a marginally successful retailer and direct-to-customer merchant featuring a large assortment of casual home furnishings and accessories including furniture, lamps and lighting fixtures, rugs, window treatments, linens, dinnerware, and glassware. In 1989, Williams-Sonoma created Chambers, a direct-to-customer merchandiser of high-quality, premium-priced linens, towels, robes, soaps, and accessories for bed and bath. This case was prepared by Professor Maryanne M. Rouse, MBA, CPA, University of South Florida. Copyright  © 2005 by Professor Maryanne M. Rouse. This case cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder, Maryanne M. Rouse. Reprint permission is solely granted to the publisher, Prentice Hall, for the books, Strategic Management and Business Policy – 10th and 11th Editions (and the International version of this book) and Cases in Strategic Management and Business Policy – 10th Edition by the copyright holder, Maryanne M. Rouse. This case was edited for SMBP and Cases in SMBP – 10th Edition. The copyright holder is solely responsible for case content. Any other publication of the case (translation, any form of electronics or other media) or sold (any form of partnership) to another publisher will be in violation of copyright law, unless Maryanne M. Rouse has granted an additional written reprint permission. In early 1999, the company launched both its Williams-Sonoma Internet wedding and gift registry web site and its Williams-Sonoma e-commerce site. Later that year, the company launched a separate Pottery Barn Kids catalog to offer well-made, stylish children’s furniture and decorative accessories. (Pottery Barn Kids was one of the first concepts to market in what is expected to be a major growth segment during the next decade, as birthrates in the United States. are expected to surpass rates achieved at any time in the past 30 years. Birthrates among older women are soaring, and older moms tend to be wealthier and more willing to splurge on their children.) Pottery Barn Kids stores were opened adjacent to Pottery Barn stores across the United States, and by September 2004, there were 78 stores. Edward Mueller, Williams-Sonoma CEO, expected Pottery Barn Kids to be the primary growth vehicle for the company over the next several years. Williams-Sonoma launched its Pottery Barn web site and created a separate Pottery Barn Bed + Bath catalog in 2000. In 2001, the company added a Pottery Barn Kids web site, and a Pottery Barn online gift and bridal registry, and it opened five new retail stores in Toronto, Ontario. In line with its related diversification growth strategy, Williams-Sonoma tested a new catalog in summer 2002, under the West Elm brand. This new brand targeted young, design-conscious customers seeking to furnish first homes/apartments/lofts with quality furniture and accessories at affordable price points. West Elm product categories included furniture, decorative accessories, and an extensive textiles collection. In 2003, Williams-Sonoma expanded its catalog mailings for West Elm, added a web site, and opened its first retail store. Williams-Sonoma launched PB Teen with a catalog and web site in late April 2003. PB Teen was intended to fill the market space between Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids with hip, exclusively designed furniture, rugs, lighting, bedding, and accessories promoted with its catalog, interactive web site, special sales campaigns, and contests. The company’s newest concept, Williams-Sonoma Home, was introduced in third quarter 2004 to tap into what company Chairman William H. Lester noted had been an empty space between the Pottery Barn demographic and designer home furnishings. Lester hoped to position this brand extension as an upscale furniture concept that would be more classic and less fashion-forward than Pottery Barn. Dave DeMattei, Williams-Sonoma’s President of Emerging Brands, noted that the look of casual elegance was â€Å"aspirational,† using an industry term for a product that helps a consumer trade up without necessarily spending top dollar. This new home collection, put together by Steven Brady, former President for Home Design at Ralph Lauren Home, featured down-plumped sofas ranging from $2,200 to $5,800 and $3,000 leather headboards as well as crystal lamps, cashmere throws, and the upscale linens formerly featured in the company’s Chambers catalog. (The company planned to fold the Chambers catalog into the Williams-Sonoma Home catalog.) Although some industry watchers questioned whether consumers would be willing to buy somewhat pricey furnishing sight-unseen, the company’s alliances with decorators, who would get trade discounts, were expected to help overcome initial resistance. The first Williams-Sonoma Home retail stores were expected to open early in 2 005. Retail Stores As of September 2004, Williams-Sonoma operated a total of 522 retail stores located in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Toronto, Ontario: 242 Williams-Sonoma, 176 Pottery Barn, 82 Pottery Barn Kids, 7 Hold Everything, 1 West Elm, and 14 outlet stores. The company leased rather than owned its retail space. As of September 2004, the company’s gross leased square feet totaled 4,292,000, with 2,705,000 â€Å"selling† square feet. Lease terms ranged from 3 to 23 years. The average square feet per retail location increased from 7,660 in 2002 to 8,200 by August 2004, as the company replaced older, smaller Pottery Barn stores with larger stores carrying a wider variety of merchandise, including furniture. Direct-to-Customer Operations The direct-to-customer segment sold a variety of products through eight catalogs and e-commerce web sites. The company sent its catalogs to addresses from its proprietary customer lists as well as to names it received in exchange (or purchases) from other mail-order merchandisers, magazines, and other companies. The direct-to-customer business complemented the retail business by building customer awareness of the brand and acting as an effective promotional vehicle. Williams-Sonoma also used its catalogs and e-commerce sites as a cost-efficient means of testing market acceptance of new products. As of 2004, of the eight merchandising concepts, the Pottery Barn brand and its extensions had been the major source of sales growth in this segment for the previous several years. A good deal of Pottery Barn’s success was attributed to its ability to create a â€Å"lifestyle brand.† A brand gained â€Å"lifestyle† status via style, innovation, and appeal to customers who wanted to lead a particular style of life; in short, it allowed the company to reach a higher level in terms of the connection it made with the customer. Facilities/Locations Williams-Sonoma leased centralized distribution facilities in Olive Branch, Mississippi (2,152,000 square feet), and Memphis, Tennessee (1,515,000 square feet), and call centers in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and Camp Hill, Pennsylvania (approximately 36,000 square feet in each location). Distribution centers served both the company’s retail locations and fulfillment operations. The company also leased office, warehouse, design/photo studio, and data center space in California, New York, and Florida. In February, Williams-Sonoma purchased headquarters offices in San Francisco. Suppliers The company’s sourcing strategy included relationships with manufacturers in over 40 countries. Approximately 58% of merchandise purchases were from non-U.S. vendors, most of which were located in Europe and Asia. Substantially all of the company’s foreign purchases of merchandise were negotiated and paid for in U.S. dollars. Any event causing a sudden disruption or delay of imports from foreign vendors, including the imposition of additional import restrictions, restrictions on the transfer of funds and/or increased tariffs or quotas, or both, against home-centered items could increase the cost or reduce merchandise availability. No supplier accounted for more than 4% of Williams-Sonoma’s total purchases. Finance In fiscal 2003 (fiscal year ended February 1, 2004), Williams-Sonoma reported a 16.7% increase in net revenues over the prior year, the highest pretax operating margin and earnings per share in the company’s history and an increasing return on assets. Williams-Sonoma’s profit for the quarter ended August 1, 2004, jumped 55% as sales surged at the company’s Pottery Barn and outlet stores. Revenue for second quarter 2004 increased 19%, to $689.6 million, with direct-to-customer sales up an impressive 27%. Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids drove second quarter retail growth with same-store sales increases of 10.2%; however, same-store sales at the company’s Williams-Sonoma stores slid 1.6%. The closing price for Williams-Sonoma stock on October 14, 2004, was $36.33. (Note: Williams-Sonoma’s annual and quarterly reports and SEC filings are available via the company’s web site, www.williams-sonomainc.com, and www.wsj.com ) The Industry The specialty retail business was highly competitive and characterized by a number of challenges, including: Anticipating and quickly responding to changing consumer demands Maintaining favorable brand recognition and effectively marketing products to consumers in diverse market segments Developing innovative, high-quality products in colors and styles that appealed to consumers of varying age groups and tastes Competitively pricing products and achieving customer perception of value Providing strong and effective marketing support Specialty retail exhibited the low entry barriers characteristic of fragmented industries, barriers that may be all but eliminated with the increased popularity of the Internet. Favored products for online shopping included computers, books, CDs, electronics, toys, and housewares. Over time, industry analysts expected catalog retailing to merge with e-tailing as web sites become electronic catalogs. For successful companies with strong brand names, the combination of stores and web sites would be a powerful one; however, expenditures for e-commerce sites would hurt profitability in the short run. Competitors Williams-Sonoma’s specialty retail stores, mail-order catalogs, and Internet web sites competed with other retail stores, other mail-order catalogs, and other e-commerce web sites that marketed similar lines of merchandise. The company competed with national, regional, and local businesses as well as traditional furniture stores, department stores and specialty stores. The substantial sales growth in the direct-to-customer industry within the past decade had encouraged both the entry of new competitors and an increase in competition from established companies. Direct competitors included such national companies as Crate Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Pier 1 Imports, and Bombay Company, as well as regional companies such as the Door Store, Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, Home Elements, and Expressions. Crate Barrel A counterculture story of the 1960s, Crate Barrel opened its first store in Chicago’s Old Town in 1962 and mailed its first catalog in 1967. Privately held Crate Barrel prided itself on designing beautiful store displays that were difficult to copy and worked diligently to find products from smaller, out-of-the way factories that made beautiful products that consumers could afford. Although the company had significantly fewer brick-and-mortar locations (84 retail and outlet stores) than the Williams-Sonoma retail concepts with which it competed, Crate Barrel marketed nationwide via its catalogs and web site. Restoration Hardware Restoration Hardware grew from just 20 stores in 1997 to 104 at the end of 2001, barely 37 behind Pottery Barn in brick-and-mortar locations; however, the company had had a difficult time managing growth. Its aggressive expansion between 1998 and 2000 cost it two years of profits and sank the value of its stock to as low as $.50 a share in December 2000, from $37 a share in 1998, the year it went public. The closing price for its stock on May 19, 2002, was $10.19. Both Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn sold high-dollar, vintage-style furniture and home furnishings and had many other characteristics in common, including significant growth in direct-to-customer sales. Industry observers estimated that while Pottery Barn targeted the wealthiest 20% of Americans, Restoration Hardware targeted the wealthiest 10%. Whimsical nostalgia had been a big seller for Restoration Hardware for several years, with such items as retro tools, steamer chairs that could have come straight from the set of Titanic, shot glasses decorated with optometrists’ eye charts, and down-filled â€Å"foot duvets† proving hugely popular with shoppers. Restoration Hardware’s not-so-secret weapon in the battle for upscale customers could well have been Gary Friedman. In spring 2001, Friedman, who managed Pottery Barn’s explosive growth in the 1990s, was named CEO of Restoration Hardware after having been passed over for the top job at Williams-Sonoma. Pier 1 Imports Pier 1 Imports comprised three chains of retail stores operating under the names Pier 1 Imports, The Pier, and Cargo. Products offered included a wide variety of furniture, decorative home furnishings, dining and kitchen goods, bath and bedding, and other specialty items for the home. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2004 (fiscal 2003), it operated 1,015 Pier 1 stores in the United States and 68 Pier 1 stores in Canada, and it also supported 8 franchised stores in the United States. In addition, it operated 29 stores located in the United Kingdom under the name The Pier and 40 Cargokids stores located in the United States. Pier 1 also supplied merchandise, and it licensed the Pier 1 Imports name to Sears Mexico and Sears Puerto Rico, which sold Pier 1 merchandise in a store-within-a-store format in 20 Sears Mexico stores and in 7 Sears Puerto Rico stores. The Bombay Company The Bombay Company’s retail stores and catalog emphasized classic traditional furniture, wall decor, and accessories. Furniture included both wood and metal ready-to-assemble furniture designed for the bedroom, living room, dining room, and home office. Functional and decorative accessories included lamps, jewelry, baskets, candles, scents, ceramics, frames, and desktop items. Wall decor included prints and mirrors. On January 31, 2004, the company operated 415 stores in 42 states and 56 stores in 9 Canadian provinces, as well as 46 outlet stores. The company viewed the outlets as an opportunity to increase sales to a different customer base, to assist in the orderly clearance of merchandise, and to further capitalize on its strength in designing and sourcing proprietary products. Accessories, the broadest category offered by the company, accounted for 43% of sales in 2003, while large furniture accounted for 31%, and ready-to-assemble products 14%, with wall decor accounting for the remaining 12%. Door Store The privately held Door Store operated nine retail locations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Its products included contemporary and traditional case goods and upholstered furniture; it competed with both Pottery Barn and Hold Everything. The company’s product strategy was to anticipate trends in furniture and to make quality furniture available to style-conscious customers at â€Å"prices almost too good to be true.† The Door Store also marketed via its web site and shipped nationwide. Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium This privately held franchise kitchen and housewares concept, with headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas, had store locations in regional and upscale malls in Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. In addition to retail sales, the company marketed nationwide via catalogs and its web site. The Rolling Pin competed with Williams-Sonoma. Other Competitors Other competitors across retail concepts included local and regional furniture and specialty stores, department stores, and direct-ship manufacturers. Williams-Sonoma’s expansion from the kitchen into the rest of the home with its flagship brand via the new Williams-Sonoma Home concept was expected to reorder a landscape dominated by traditional retailers such as Ethan Allen and Room Board and by â€Å"tastemakers† such as Martha Stewart for Bernhardt and Ralph Lauren Home.

Does the FBI have the right to use Carnivore? :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Does the FBI have the right to use Carnivore? Carnivore is an unnecessary system that should be replaced by one that infringes less on the privacy of Internet users, such as one that records the data of certain subscribers and sends only that information to the FBI. The methods used for intercepting communications, from simple wiretapping to the NSA’s ECHELON satellite surveillance system, have been designed as a means of intercepting information concerning criminal and terrorist plans and using that information to apprehend suspects before they cause any harm. Carnivore, the FBI’s email â€Å"wiretapping† system, is used to scan emails on a specific ISP that is believed to be hosting a suspected criminal. Carnivore was designed to scan packets of information passing through a router in search of suspicious activity. It looks for keywords and names in the headers of emails and other data that may lead to the prevention of crimes or apprehension of suspects. It is believed that Carnivore was derived from commercial online detection software known as Etherpeek. [Tyson] In February 1997, the system known as â€Å"Omnivore† was proposed to run on Solaris X86 computers. In June 1999, it was replaced by the Carnivore system, which runs on Windows NT-based computers. [Konrad] Carnivore is part of a system known as the DragonWare Suite. This system contains three parts: Carnivore, the system that captures information; Packeteer, which is believed to be used as a packet reassembler; and Coolminer, an application that is thought to be capable of analyzing the data collected. [Tyson] It was recommended that Carnivore’s name be changed because its current name caused people to infer that it would aggressively invade their privacy. Because of its job as a â€Å"digital collection system,† it was recently renamed DCS1000. [Luening] It has also been said that the FBI has merely â€Å"dressed its online wolf in sheep’s clothing† [Luening]. When a suspected criminal is detected, a court order for investigation must be issued, and then a Carnivore machine is set up at the suspect’s ISP. It then scans all incoming and outgoing data for every user on that ISP. It is claimed that only the headers of emails are scanned for information and that the contents are left alone, but there are questions as to whether or not this is true and, if it is not, whether citizens can trust the government not to read personal email while searching for their suspect.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 21

Maddie claimed that even Seth's family didn't know where he was. According to her, he'd really just†¦vanished. He wasn't answering his phone. He wasn't showing up at the bookstore. When people disappeared, I immediately jumped to supernatural conclusions, but Maddie then added – through more tears – that she used her key to get her belongings from Seth's place and found a suitcase and some clothing missing. Feeling guilty about having the key anymore, she then shoved it into my hand and told me to return it. Or throw it away. I did my best to comfort her some more and then offered to take her over to Doug's. Roman shot me a warning look as we were about to leave. â€Å"Don't do anything stupid,† he said out of Maddie's hearing. â€Å"I knew your nice bedside manner wouldn't last,† I returned. Despite Doug's slacker rocker-boy lifestyle, I knew Maddie'd be in good hands with him. I dropped her off there and found Doug a mixture of personas. To Maddie, he was astonishingly kind and gentle – the caring brother as opposed to the usual teasing brother. Once she was lying down in the other room, he made sure I knew exactly what he thought of Seth in very explicit detail. There wasn't much I could say to that except that they should call me if they needed anything. I left. In spite of Maddie's words, I drove to Terry and Andrea's anyway. Seth ending things with Maddie so abruptly was crazy – almost crazier than him proposing to her in the first place. But him disappearing without telling his family? No. He wouldn't do that. He was too responsible. Most likely he'd told them not to tell Maddie where he was. Kendall opened the door when I arrived, her face lighting up like Christmas morning. â€Å"Georgina! Georgina's here!† Morgan and McKenna, who had been watching cartoons, came tearing over and each wrapped themselves around a leg. â€Å"Nice to see you guys too,† I laughed. Terry had been sitting on the couch near the twins and came over to me with a little less zeal. â€Å"Hey, Georgina,† he said, face typically friendly. He was shorter than Seth and a few years older, but overall, they bore a notable resemblance. â€Å"Sorry for the mass assault.† â€Å"No problem.† I unwound Morgan from me, but McKenna proved a little more resistant. Glancing back at Terry, I said hesitantly, â€Å"I was wondering if I could talk to you, uh, about something.† Terry wasn't stupid. None of the Mortensens were. â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Girls, let go of Georgina and go back to the cartoons. We're going to go into the kitchen.† â€Å"But we want her to watch TV with us!† â€Å"Can we come?† Terry laid down firm but friendly fatherly law, and with great reluctance, the girls returned to the couch. I was impressed. I wasn't sure I could have refused that group anything. He led me to the kitchen, but before either of us could say anything, Andrea came in from down the hall, smiling in surprise when she saw me. I smiled in surprise right back at her, but it was more from her appearance than anything else. It was the middle of the day, but she wore a robe over pajamas. Her mussed blond hair and dark eye circles suggested she'd been sleeping. Terry had been leaning against the counter but jumped up when he saw her. â€Å"Oh, honey, you should go back to bed.† She shrugged him off. â€Å"I wanted to see who's here. How's it going?† â€Å"Fine,† I said. Then, unable to resist: â€Å"Are you feeling okay?† â€Å"A little under the weather. Fortunately, Terry's manning up today. He does almost as good a job as me with the girls.† I laughed politely at the joke, but it soon faded. We stood awkwardly for a moment, everyone knowing why I was here but no one doing anything about it. Finally, I took a deep breath. â€Å"I've come to ask you where Seth is.† â€Å"Funny,† said Andrea. â€Å"We were going to ask you the same thing.† I was taken aback. â€Å"How would I know?† They both just stared. â€Å"I don't!† â€Å"When this happened a couple days ago†¦this thing with Maddie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Terry glanced uneasily at his wife before continuing. â€Å"We just assumed, well, that it was because of you.† â€Å"Why would it be because of me? I just found out about this today.† â€Å"It's always been because of you,† said Andrea gently. â€Å"There was never anyone else. We like Maddie. He likes her. But that's the problem. Throughout it all, we could just tell that you were always the one. Now, whatever happened between you guys to make it go bad isn't any of our business. We're just not that surprised to see this new development.† â€Å"We would, however, like to know where he is,† said Terry more pragmatically. â€Å"I don't know,† I said helplessly, still a little stunned by Andrea's words. â€Å"Maddie said he'd packed up, and I figured you guys were keeping his location a secret from her.† I eyed them suspiciously. â€Å"And me?† â€Å"No,† said Terry. â€Å"We really don't know.† I didn't have an angel's talent, but I believed he was telling the truth. Andrea nodded in agreement. â€Å"He just called us a couple days ago and said he'd ended things. Didn't give any explanation – but well, you know how he is. He doesn't explain much anyway. Then, when Maddie and no one else had seen him, we started to get worried.† A couple days ago. Seth had ended things with her a couple days ago – when the whole soul retrieval gig had gone down. â€Å"We actually tried calling you,† added Terry. â€Å"But never got an answer.† â€Å"Ah, yeah. I've been sick this week too.† Eyeing Andrea – who looked exhausted – I suddenly felt bad for taking up any more of their time. â€Å"Look, I should go. Thanks for the info. Will you†¦let me know if you hear from him?† Andrea smiled again. â€Å"Something tells me you'll hear from him before we do.† I wasn't as confident. Leaving the house was a little tricky since the other girls didn't want me to go, but I managed to escape their adorable clutches at last and make a break for it. I was walking toward my car when a voice said, â€Å"She's sick, you know.† I turned, startled, and saw Brandy standing near a gate that led to their backyard. She had the same sullen look about her she'd had for so long. â€Å"Hey,† I said in greeting. â€Å"Where'd you come from?† â€Å"I was around. I heard you talking to Mom and Dad.† I replayed Brandy's initial words. â€Å"Your mom†¦you mean she's sick, right? I could tell.† â€Å"No, I mean she's really sick. She's really sick, and they won't talk about it.† Brandy gave a nod toward the front door. â€Å"No one else knows. Not even Uncle Seth knows just how sick she is.† A chilly breeze stirred dried leaves around my feet, but it was nothing compared to the cold starting to fill me. â€Å"Just how sick are we talking, Brandy?† Brandy scuffed her feet against the driveway, eyes averted. â€Å"She has ovarian cancer. It's bad†¦but they're still trying to figure out just how bad it is.† â€Å"She was going to the doctor that day I was here,† I recalled aloud. Andrea had been so bright and cheery, I'd assumed something routine was going on. I also realized I hadn't technically been here; I'd seen it in a dream. Fortunately, Brandy was too distracted to notice my slip. â€Å"She's been at the doctor a lot. Dad's missing tons of work. Uncle Seth's helped out sometimes, and I've been babysitting all the time.† I suddenly felt incredibly selfish. I'd been assuming Brandy's moodiness was all over me and Seth breaking up. But that was only a symptom of the larger problem. Her mother was dangerously ill, and every part of her world was destabilizing. Her own life was probably being put on hold to watch her sisters, and even something like her uncle's romantic life could ripple what she'd regarded as the norm. All the constants in her world were disappearing. â€Å"Brandy, I – â€Å" â€Å"I have to go,† she interrupted, heading back toward the gate, face stony. â€Å"Kayla'll be up from her nap soon. I'm supposed to keep an eye on her today.† Brandy disappeared around the corner before I could say anything. I stood there, feeling lost. I didn't know who I felt worse for: Brandy and Terry for knowing what was going on or the little girls for being oblivious. I felt bad enough for myself because there was nothing I could do. There was never anything I could do. I had powers beyond human imaginings, but they were nothing that could actually help humans. I drove downtown with a heavy heart, trying hard – and failing – not to overreact. Brandy herself had said things were bad but that they were still learning the extent of it. Surely there were more tests, tests that would give some hope. And surely there was treatment. Humans could do that much on their own. Jerome was where I'd hoped he'd be. Really, I decided, the Cellar was nearly as good as him having an office. Carter was by his side at the back table, both of them doing shots from a bottle of Jà ¤germeister. Those two didn't discriminate among their liquor. I wondered if they were drinking away the hardships of the other day or toasting their success over it. It must have been the latter because Jerome almost smiled when he saw me. â€Å"Georgie, out among the living and back to your petite self. Yet†¦so blue. Blue like always.† Yes, they'd been drinking. Angels and demons could sober up at will, and he was apparently indulging in the full effects. â€Å"I got some bad news,† I said, sitting opposite them. â€Å"What, about losing Mortensen?† asked Jerome. â€Å"How do you know about that?† â€Å"I talked to Roman. He recapped your day – the old man checking in, you comforting your romantic rival†¦it was quite moving.† I scowled. â€Å"Great. You have Roman spying on me.† â€Å"It's not spying. I just demand answers from him. If it makes you feel better, he's never very happy to give up those answers.† â€Å"How often do you do it?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"Not that often.† A waiter set down a new bottle. â€Å"Mostly I wanted to see how you were recovering post-dream.† â€Å"Fine. I'm fine.† I glanced at Carter. â€Å"No comments from you today?† â€Å"Leave me out of this,† he replied. â€Å"I'm just drinking.† So he said, but he was also watching and listening very carefully. He was not letting the alcohol affect him. I turned back to Jerome. â€Å"I've come to call in my favor.† The dark amusement in his eyes turned to suspicion. â€Å"What favor?† â€Å"The one you promised me for helping save you from Grace, remember?† Yes, no amusement at all anymore. â€Å"I just rescued you from another plane of existence from creatures who were torturing your mind.† I flinched but pushed on with my words. â€Å"You promised a favor, and I didn't call it in for that. Besides, you would have done it anyway so that you wouldn't get in trouble.† â€Å"That favor offer was brought on by the drama at the time,† he countered. â€Å"I probably said all sorts of things.† â€Å"You promised,† I repeated. â€Å"I can understand you just fine without putting italics in your voice, Georgie,† he snapped. â€Å"You did, though,† pointed out Carter. Demons could lie – and did – but certain deals they were bound to. Jerome had said he'd grant me a favor out on the beach, and it had been a true promise. â€Å"Fine,† he said irritably, gesturing for another shot. â€Å"What is it you want? And I don't have to grant it if it's something totally unreasonable.† â€Å"I want to know – â€Å" â€Å"Careful,† interrupted Carter. I paused, and Jerome glared at the angel. Carter offered no other insight, but those gray eyes were still watchful – and cautious. Which was what I needed to be. Jerome had promised me a favor, and like all demons, he would try to find as many loopholes in it as possible. I had been about to ask where Seth was, but that wouldn't necessarily do me any good. I wouldn't be able to get to Seth. â€Å"I want you to send me to Seth so I can spend a few days with him.† Jerome studied me, expression shrewd. â€Å"There's a couple problems. One is that you've kind of asked for two things. The other is that I'm not omniscient. I don't know where he is.† â€Å"You can find out,† I said. â€Å"At least, if he's flown anywhere, you can find out.† Seth packing indicated serious travel. Maddie had said his car was still at the house, meaning he hadn't driven somewhere. If he had, he'd be harder to track. But airports had records, and Hell had its hand in that kind of thing. Jerome could easily get an imp or lesser demon to access Sea-Tac's records this week and see where Seth had gone. I probably could have asked Hugh to do it, but that wouldn't have gotten me leave to actually go to Seth, hence my wording. â€Å"And we both know it'd be stupid for you to send me right there and right back. Asking for a few days makes it worthwhile or else it's a shitty favor.† â€Å"Debatable,† Jerome replied. â€Å"It could be worse,† said Carter. â€Å"She didn't ask for world peace or anything.† â€Å"Stay out of this,† returned the demon. â€Å"I know what you want.† Carter shrugged and ordered another drink. â€Å"Fine,† said Jerome at last. â€Å"I'll have Hugh check travel records. You know there might not be a paper trail.† â€Å"I know. But if you find him?† â€Å"Then you can go to him. For now, go home. You're ruining my good mood. I'll find you if there's news.† I didn't need to be told twice. â€Å"Soon,† I said. â€Å"You have to search soon.† Jerome's lips quirked. â€Å"You didn't put that into the wording.† Carter elbowed him, and I had to take it on faith that Jerome would act in a timely manner. My words had implied that I wanted to be where Seth was now. One could argue that waiting meant Seth would change locations, meaning I couldn't have what I wanted. I also had to believe that Carter had a point in saying this was a relatively easy favor. I could have demanded more. Simple or not, it was hard to wait to hear back. Roman was gone when I returned to my condo, and I had nothing to do but ruminate. I'd given myself a leave of absence at work and didn't regret it. Still, being alone with my thoughts was never a good thing, and I had far too many to trouble me: the Oneroi, Seth, Andrea†¦ â€Å"Okay, Georgie.† It was four hours later when Jerome appeared in my living room with a pop. I sagged in relief. â€Å"You found him?† â€Å"I did.† â€Å"And you'll send me to him – for a worthwhile amount of time?† â€Å"Three days,† the demon said. He sounded irritable and impatient. I'd wondered if he'd been drinking this entire time and was angry at the interruption. â€Å"I want you back here in seventy-two hours, and you're on your own as to how you do it. Do you understand?† â€Å"Yes,† I said eagerly. â€Å"Just send me to him.† I had to talk to him. I had to find out exactly what had happened. I had to make sure he was okay. â€Å"And that settles the favor. Agreed?† â€Å"Agreed,† I said. There was power in that word, just as there had been in Jerome's initial promise. I could ask for nothing else. â€Å"Then go,† he said. I vanished from my living room†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and reappeared on a busy sidewalk. People swarmed around me, none of them seeming to notice I'd appeared out of thin air. The sun was on its way down, but the sky was bright and clear – and hot. Very hot. The masses around me were dressed in beach clothes and had the feel of tourists. I stepped out of their path and found myself standing in front of a large, resort-type hotel. The abrupt change in location – and discomfort of teleportation – had left me disoriented, and I needed to get my bearings. Taking in more of my surroundings, I could hear people speaking in both Spanish and English. I turned to the closest person near me, a short, deeply tanned man in a hotel uniform who was directing taxis around the building's driveway. I started to ask where I was and decided that would be a little too stupid sounding. I pointed at the hotel and asked him what its name was. I knew tons of languages perfectly, and Spanish rolled off my lips easily. â€Å"El Grande Mazatln, seà ±orita,† he replied. Mazatln? This time, I did ask a stupid question: â€Å" ¿Estoy in M? ¦xico?† He nodded, giving me the are-you-crazy look I'd expected. It was probably made worse by my jaw dropping. Well, I supposed if you were going to run away, you should run away somewhere warm.

The symbols in Chac Mool Free Essay Example, 1000 words

In the story Filbert loses his job because he is believed to have gone insane. For Fuentes, his job represents the influence of European-Christian-bourgeois civilization. â€Å"That influence [of the Chac Mool] frustrates Filbert, who because of it cannot keep his place in the bourgeois economic society† (Wheelock 1980, pp. 430-431). Thus a discourse of Mexican culture and identity is proffered via the character and experience of Filbert. There is also a decidedly psychological meaning and symbolism in the story’s many references to water which serve to both highlight the experiences of Filbert but surely also of Mexico itself. Water is often associated with the unconscious and death, whereas fire and light are associated with consciousness and life. This interpretation is most beholden to the work of Carl Jung. Water is the commonest symbol for the unconscious†¦water is earthly and tangible, it is also the fluid of the instinct-driven body†¦The unconscious is the psyche that reaches down from the daylight of mentally and morally lucid consciousness in the nervous system that for ages has been known as the ‘sympathetic’† (1990, p. We will write a custom essay sample on The symbols in Chac Mool or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now 19). Water and the unconscious for that matter pertain to that which is innate and basic. In the course of life, the individual â€Å"lives life† and encounters fire or the conscious mind. In the story Filbert speaks of his youthful wishes and desires and how things ended up later in life. There paraded past me all the years of big dreams, of happy predictions, and also, all the omissions that impeded their realization†¦but the toy chest is being forgotten, and in the long run, who knows where they’ve come to rest, all the tin soldiers, the helmets, the wooden swords†¦The great payback for the adventure of youth must be death. (Fuentes, p.2) The dreams of his youth are related to the desires of his unconscious. Later before he died, Filbert thought of his youthful wishes and what â€Å"impeded their realization. † That of course was his adult life, his job, and thus modern post-1492 culture. As Jung mentioned, water is associated with the unconscious. In the meta-unconscious of Mexican culture, the Mayan pantheon is the â€Å"repressed† religion of ancient Mexico that lies beneath the modern Christian surface. The death of Filbert is preceded by his experiences with Chac Mool, the symbol of the past pre-Columbian religion. It is also important to link Filbert’s delirium as being connected to his unconscious. Thus water, unconscious, delirium, death all interplay.