Ukrainian Cuisine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ukrainian Cuisine - Essay Example Remote ancestors of modern Ukrainians were farmers and cattle breeders: exceptionally fertile soil and climate of Ukraine created perfect conditions for farming. Thus, the earliest archeological culture discovered on the territory of modern Ukraine, Trypillian culture (4500-2000 B.C.), practiced settled form of life and cultivated variety of crops and bred cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry. Therefore, it is mostly agriculture that had an immense influence on the shaping of traditional Ukrainian cuisine (Artiukh, 1977). The origins of modern Ukrainian cookery can be traced back to the times of Kyivan Rus' that emerged on the land of modern Ukraine around 900 A.D. Historical records of that period contain mentioning of various foods and drinks cooked by the ancestors of modern Ukrainians. Simplicity and economy of cooking were the most characteristic features of those days' cuisine. The most popular dishes were various soups with different vegetables, grains and meat and simple bread. Cooking techniques were not complicated and ensured easiness of cooking (Terlets'ka, 1971). The turn from simple peasant and rural made dishes to more complex and varied cookery occurred in the 17th-18th century during the Cossack period. Development of domestic and international trade resulted in introduction of new plants, foods and new cooking techniques. For example, eggplants and melons were brought from Asia and potatoes that play one of the key roles in traditional Ukrainian cuisine were brought to the country at that time. The list of new plants that became part of Ukrainian agriculture also included tomatoes, corn, beans, various kinds of peppers, and other vegetables, berries and spices. Availability of the new crops contributed to the growing diversity and complexity of Ukrainian foods (Stechishin 1991). However, it was not until the 19th century that cooking developed into a sort of art and formed the foundation of modern Ukrainian cuisine. Rulers and nobles of the Russian Empire Ukrainian lands were part of which began inviting European chefs who brought an entirely new attitude to cooking, new spices and plants uncharacteristic to Ukrainian cooking tradition. Variety, luxury and style of dishes cooked by Europeans had enormous effects on development of both Russian and Ukrainian cuisines. Although some of the dishes that appeared at that time preserved their original form to this day, their numerous variations can also be found in modern Ukrainian cuisine (Stechishin, 1991). The Soviet revolution of 1917 marked a new period in development of Ukrainian cuisine. Perhaps the most characteristic feature of the Soviet period, especially during the first three decades was permanent food shortages that could not but negatively affect cooking patterns and variety of dishes prepared in Ukraine at that time. Shortages of meat, bread, milk, butter, fat, and vegetables which were the most common ingredients of Ukrainian cookery, coupled with high prices on cheese, eggs and other items resulted in simplification of dishes. Ukrainian cuisine of the Soviet times largely returned to its origins: foods based prepared from potatoes, cabbage, and grains (Hordiienko 1979). Cuisines of Ukraine History and geography of Ukrainian lands made the country highly vulnerable to external influences that also affected the

Homework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 20

Homework - Essay Example The employees of a business should be handled with the utmost esteem and terms of their contracts should be met without compromise. These values are absolute, and one must take them seriously enough to dominate human rationale, weakness, ego, or individual faults. Incase of failure one looks back at core values for guidance as there is always disagreement about what values should reign supreme (Dunfee & Nagayasu, 1993). In business, the ones values are the values of the employer, the freedom to choose own ethical values is somewhat limited, but due to corporate scandals, the thought of following the corporation’s values is a problem (Shaw, 2011). The real test of values and communication in business comes from resulting action. Good ethics and communication principles should be noticed at the top levels of management. In addition to that, a corporate values and ethics initiative should be sold throughout the company and customers. A company should practice its ethics and communication values. Training must be provided to everyone So that its principles are known to everyone in the business (Jennings, 2012). The ethics and communication principles should extend to the next generation employees. This is because, the longer it lasts, the more established the principles will be. Conclusively, this article illustrates the importance of business ethics in a business. It gives an insight of how business ethics aids the development of a business and gives the social, political and environmental impact of communication or business ethics in a business

Recruiting, Selection, and Training Essay Example for Free

Recruiting, Selection, and Training Essay The company that I researched is WellPoint (aka Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield). I would love to have a position as a Human Resource Director within the company. As a Human Resources professional at WellPoint, the goal is to lead their workforce and workplace talent strategies into achieving the purpose statement to convert health care with trusted and caring solutions. WellPoint also develop programs that attract individuals with vision and talent to be the future of their industry. Human Resources professionals at WellPoint concentrate on key areas such as talent management, engagement, and Integration to maximize customer focus and efficiency. Analyze the effectiveness of the company’s recruiting efforts and make recommendations for improvement. The HR professionals have a hard time getting qualified applicants to apply for certain positions. So the first challenge is getting enough people to apply to a particular job. In doing so they are able to prepare not to consider those who they deem unfit for the position. It takes a lot of effort to select the applicants that truly qualify for the job. All organizations have to begin with advertising for the position. Other resources used for employment are employee referral, employment agencies, school recruiters, walk-ins, and the internet. To work in human resources, a person must go through an industrial/psychology analysis. WellPoint human resource departments have their own job analysis and all human resource employees must help mangers anticipate and meet changing needs related to gaining deployment, and the utilization of employees. The human resource professionals must estimate the amount and type of employees the organization needs, to keep the business running successfully. Therefore they must hire someone who is qualified to conduct all the important roles as a human resource manager. Human resource departments use multiple aptitude tests to screen potential employees. These tests also determine pay  rates based on these tests. This is due to the quality of demand for a human resource manager. The selection process takes a lot of practice and involves assessing and choosing the right candidates. All selection processes must be legal, technically sound, and must accurately match the people and skills needed f or the position. Analyze the selection process of the company you researched and make recommendations for improvement. The majority of I/O psychologists believe that personality tests are important tools for choosing the right employees. WellPoint and several other big corporations use these tests to measure dimensions of personality and related characteristics. These testing methods are used to foresee insubordinate behaviors, and remove individuals that may cause trouble or hindrance to the organization. WellPoint Corporation has been dedicating numerous amounts of energy into areas such as communication, recognition, and employee retention. They understand that branding the employees doesn’t mean anything if the experience of the individuals does not match. Instead they want to establish higher profits, increased sales, lower turnover, and outstanding customer service to their members. Part of WellPoint’s pre-employment testing includes personality testing and mathematical skills. These tests are based on the individual. Some of these particular measures may be referred to as tempera ments, dispositions, or traits. Also measured in that category are employee reliability, thoroughness, change, trustworthiness, and friendliness. Various personality measures are focused on characterizing people within the standard adult range of functionality while others focus on the identification of psychopathology (Schmidt, Shaffer 2010-2011). The reasons individuals are given a basic math assessment are to measure the accountability for their employees to figure out co-pays and co-insurance amounts are calculated correctly to the claim. WellPoint has spent countless time and money in mastering the art of employee selection, training, and retention. WellPoint has a website for interested candidates to apply for careers within their organization, both online and the corporate offices. During the selection process, candidates are asked to take a variety of assessments that analyze areas ranging from characteristics, skill sets, and basic reading and writing tests. Once a candidate has been selected and has accepted a job offer, there are several types of training encountered within the company. Determine how training and talent management contribute to an  effective labor force of the company you researched. Training is a planned learning experience and it effectively prepares workers for their current and future jobs. Training for human resource managers focuses on the present job industry while development training prepares them for the future growth. Training enhances knowledge and job skills. Methods used to measure the success of the training are performance appraisals. This measures the adequacy of the human resource managers. After their performances are measured their results are discussed with them, and any changes that may need to be made in the training process can be easily detected. These pre-employment tests are used largely in Human Resource and customer service environments for middle paying entry level jobs. Testing is designed to predict proneness for theft and other forms of counterproductive work behavior in job applicants. The organization now proposes quarterly training for employees, and is on the path to training over thousands of new people due to health care reform (wellpoint.com) The whole program is centered on listening to customers, and it recognizes employees who go the extra mile in the name of customer service. Often the new hire will experience on-the-job training, during which he or she will be shown the necessary steps in their assigned tasks. For instance, if a person is assigned to the team and asked to process claims, he or she will be shown how to properly process the claim by the trainer. Other tasks that the new hire will be expected to perform, such as enrolling dependents or ordering ID cards. This training is done in a class room setting environment. Safety courses and other employee training courses are offered periodically. Some of these courses are offered online, while others are done in training sessions within the building. WellPoint corporate employees evaluate the efficiency of nearly every aspect of the training and implementation of new employees. Additional measures are also put in place when a policy or product has changed or a new one has been introduced. The department of Quality Assurance oversees this for their assigned regions. WellPoint takes great care in ensuring that their policies are proficient and products are the best quality. That is why there are several departments in place to oversee these important aspects of the corporations. They include Quality Assurance, Product Development, Legal, Human Resources and Information Services. Another way that WellPoint seeks to improve their employee job satisfaction is career training. A large  majority of WellPoint corporate staff started with the company and took advantage of the leadership training to climb the corporate ladder within the organization. WellPoint takes pride in the training program that the company offers, and this training is held worldwide. They are among many companies who has been certified to grant college credit hours to employees in the training programs. Human Resource managers must be treated ethically like their employees; however there are some cases where they are treated unethically. Human resource managers may face problems involving their employees, promotions, pay, and favoritism. Human resource managers must be very observant of all employees to ensure everyone is treated fairly. It is important that those who qualify for human resource management are the ones hired, not those who look, act, or dress in a certain manner. According to the EEOC, (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), â€Å"Employers are not prohibited from using personality or integrity tests in the workplace. However, the statute is implicated when: (1) an employer uses tests to intentionally discriminate against minorities or (2) the tests have an adverse impact on minorities and are not job-related for the position in question and c onsistent with business necessity. No cases have found that an employers use of personality testing in the workplace resulted in the unequal treatment of protected groups. However, there could be such a cause of action if the tests were used intentionally to exclude members of protected groups. This would usually involve evidence of comparative proof that members of a protected group were treated differently than majority group members. For example, it would obviously be illegal for an employer to test minority applicants, but not majority applicants†. As long as these tests are given in a professional manner, it is not against the law to do such to find out if the individual is the best fit for the job. Employee selection and training will continue to be two of the most important aspects for growing and supporting the workforce for companies in the future. Psychological assessments, such as the ones described in this paper, is one of the many ways that companies can attempt to get the highest quality people and not select people who do not want to be there. While there is speculation of the dependability of using these assessment tools for employee selection and training, the evidence shows that it can be helpful in focusing the time and money into particular areas or people to improve  productivity within the company. WellPoint also uses verbal reasoning, numeracy, spatial awareness battery test. They consist of a number of questions with multiple choice answers, only one of which is right. As a test progresses, the questions may become more difficult, and there are frequently more questions than can comfortably be completed in the time. These tests are designed so that very few people finish the test in the time allowed. The participant’s score is then compared with how other people have done on the test in the past. This enables the selectors to assess reasoning skills in relation to others, and to make judgments about ability to cope with tasks involved in the job. On the flip side, personality inventories are used in order to determine one’s typical reactions and attitudes to a variety of situations. They could be trying to identify how well an individual can get on with others or their normal reaction to stressful situations, or simply their feelings about the kind of people they like to work with (Spector, 2008). Perhaps the biggest challenge related to the use of assessment tools is determining when to use the information obtained to remove an applicant from consideration. References The WellPoint Employee (2008). Retrieved November 13, 2013 from www.wellpoint.com Schmidt, R Shaffer, D. (2010-2011). Personality Testing in Employment. Retrieved November 12, 2013 from http://library.findlaw.com/1999/Dec/22/130153.html. Spector, P. E. (2008). Industrial and Organizational Psychology (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2011) Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964: Employment. Retrieved November 13, 2013 from www.eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/titlevii.cfm Holley, W. H., Jr., Jennings, K. M., Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H. (2012). Employment Labor Relations. (2nd ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Model Of Web Of Causation Health And Social Care Essay

Model Of Web Of Causation Health And Social Care Essay The model of web of causation dates back to 1960, when it was developed to represent different pathways that point on a genesis of a health problem or a disease, giving rise to defined causative risk factors. The model has been used in community health and nursing to explain diseases and disabilities caused by multiple factors and identify possible points for preventive interventions in community health problems. This research paper introduces the conceptual nursing model of the web of causation and uses a community aggregate of children below 18 years diagnosed with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to discuss conceptual nursing web of causation. Introduction Medicineamigo (2007) defines web of causation as a medical term used to represent a complex group of subjects and relationships that can contribute to occurrence and spread of a disease. The model of web of causation shows that diseases are not distributed randomly in any group but isolation of how they are distributed requires one to study several factors. This implies that there are multiple and heterogeneous causes of any disease, symptom or health condition, collectively forming a web of causation. Clark (2008) argues that the model of the web of causation represents pathway factors that point to a genesis of a health problem and gives rise to or mitigate more precisely defined causative risk factors. Based on this model, one can increase the chances of controlling a disease or a health condition by breaking more links within the web of potential factors in the model. The model offers a solution in conceptualizing health problems that have multi- factoral etiologies such as diabe tes. Historical Development of Model of Web of Causation MacMahon, Pugh, and Ipsen (1960) came up with the model of web of causation; whereby it was used explain the occurrence of icterus for a group of patients who were receiving treatment for syphilis. This was followed by a more sophisticated but generalized web of causation that Stallones came up with in 1966. The purpose of his web of causation was to to describe the interrelationships among the 3 main types of cardiovascular disease. After some further research, Friedman developed a web of causation that was more detailed in 1980. His model was based on causation for the classic heart attack. This development marked the beginning for mapping what is today known concerning the etiology of heart diseases. The model of web of causation has continued to gain popularity since its discovery in 1960 and has proved useful in identifying possible factors for preventive interventions in community health. How Concepts Relate Within the Model of Web of Causation Duncan (2007) points out how the model of web of causation emphasizes on agents in explaining causes of diseases, while providing multifactoral causes that traverse various pathways, mirroring reality. In this model, the disease or a health condition is not only seen to be having different causes, but each one of these individual causes is viewed as a consequence that came from the multiple causes, of which each is an effect resultanting to multiple causes. This web is built using arrows of causation, with each arrow of causation implying that the element at the arrow source is somehow an individual cause of the element at that particular point of the arrow. Using type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children under 18 as an example, the disease can be as a result of new potential risk factor within the neighborhood or a variable in the web of causation representing a toxic environment that leads to diabetes or a variable representing lack of health care for possible underlying causes of dia betes such as high blood pressure or obesity, or having genetic predisposition that leads to diabetes (At Health 2005). Model Application to Nursing Process The model of web of causation can be used in nursing process to explain diseases and disabilities caused by multiple factors such as hepatitis and diabetes, which can be explained using complex relationship in the disease agent, host and environment; integrating factors such as genetic factors, environmental factors and race among others (At Health, 2005). American Diabetes Association (2000) highlights the importance of the model of web of causation in monitoring of diabetes in children and adolescents to avoid further complications resulting from the disease. This can be achieved when families work together with health care providers to help set a childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s target for blood glucose levels and develop a personal diabetes plan for healthy meals, regular exercise and oral medication. Duncan (2007) explains how the model can be applied in nursing to address health related threats and conditions such as the problem of teenage pregnancy, which is attributed to complex interaction between several causative and contributing factors such as ignorance, peer pressure and lack of contraceptives among others. Applications Model of Web of Causation to Community Health Problems According to Clark (2008), the model of web of causation is applied in enhancing the understanding of non-communicable diseases. The model has further been used in identifying possible points for preventive interventions in community health problems. Based on this model, prevention of obesity can be used as an intervention measure to protect the target population from being infected with type 2 diabetes. Duncan (2007) explains the importance of the model of web of causation in summarizing community health information for presentation, communication and analysis. He points out the importance of the model in study of distribution of health outcomes in a given population through interpretation of epidemiological relationships. Importance Of Community Partnership In Community Health Projects Community partnership in community health projects brings collaborative efforts to improve health through sharing of resources, combining talents and enhancing opportunities to achieve positive health outcomes (World Health Organization, 2002). According to World Health Organization (2002), involving communities in community health projects is a sign of giving up control and concern about who contributes to success of the partnership. This empowers people to creatively develop skills and build competencies and capacities because better and more sustainable decisions are made by involving communities in decision making. Furthermore, community participation in health projects is a way of extending the democratic process by opening up governance and redressing inequality in power for organizations involved. This offers new opportunities for creative thinking and innovative planning of health projects. Partnership with community in community health project implementation creates dedicated staff in project implementation as communities positively identify with the projects. This ensures ownership and sustainability of the projects, provides a source of information, knowledge as well as experience and eliminates deficiencies in the society, while empowering members to put emphasis on problem solving (WHO, 2002). Conclusion The model of web of causation is an important model that has been used in community health to represent different pathways that point on a genesis of a health problem or a disease, giving rise to defined causative risk factors. It has proved to be a viable model in addressing health problems that have multifactoral causes like the type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Lasting solutions in addressing community health problems can be achieved by involving people at community level in decision making and participation in community health projects.

My Antonia Essay: Weak Structure and Powerful Drama :: My Antonia Essays

Weak Structure and Powerful Drama in My Antonia Much of the earliest criticism of My Antonia focuses on the apparent failure of the narrative. Many critics take the title of the story and its introduction at face value. When the story says it is to be about à ntonia, it must be about her! Therefore, many critics see the stunningly crafted pieces of "variation from a theme" -- the stories of Peter & Pavel (the Russians and their wolves) and the sections of the novel dealing with the hired girls Lena Lingard and others-- as divergences which weaken the overall structure of the novel. In other words, these stories distract us from the real story, that of à ntonia and her relationship with Jim. Other critics talk mostly about the landscape of Cather's stories, the way the pioneer story and the struggle with nature is a vital piece of her work. This is partly why, I think, Cather has been viewed as a minor writer of "local color" for so long. Because she sketches her landscapes with such simplicity and yet detail, many critics do n ot look past the landscape to see the characters and the true drama that they play out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An example of a critique which accepts the critical opinion that the novel is "defective in structure" is James E. Miller's 1958 essay "My à ntonia: A Frontier Drama of Time." I group his essay here because he spends the bulk of the essay arguing that the defect of structure is overcome when we look at the cyclical nature of time in the novel as its unifying theme. This article does seem to be one of the first ones that looks to disprove the "failure" of Cather's narration. Of course, by disproving this argument, Miller is still working within the context of failure/success which I don't think other writers (read male authors) are judged by.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Miller begins his argument by pointing out that many critics "have felt the unified emotional impact of My à ntonia and have grappled with the puzzling problem of the book's actual lack of consistent central action or unbroken character portrayal" (Miller 52). Miller argues that there seems to be no consistent character portrayal, "The action in My à ntonia is episodic, lacks focus and abounds in irrelevancies"(Miller 52). But Miller believes that there is a consistency within the novel, that of the evocation of feelings which the reader has. My Antonia Essay: Weak Structure and Powerful Drama :: My Antonia Essays Weak Structure and Powerful Drama in My Antonia Much of the earliest criticism of My Antonia focuses on the apparent failure of the narrative. Many critics take the title of the story and its introduction at face value. When the story says it is to be about à ntonia, it must be about her! Therefore, many critics see the stunningly crafted pieces of "variation from a theme" -- the stories of Peter & Pavel (the Russians and their wolves) and the sections of the novel dealing with the hired girls Lena Lingard and others-- as divergences which weaken the overall structure of the novel. In other words, these stories distract us from the real story, that of à ntonia and her relationship with Jim. Other critics talk mostly about the landscape of Cather's stories, the way the pioneer story and the struggle with nature is a vital piece of her work. This is partly why, I think, Cather has been viewed as a minor writer of "local color" for so long. Because she sketches her landscapes with such simplicity and yet detail, many critics do n ot look past the landscape to see the characters and the true drama that they play out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An example of a critique which accepts the critical opinion that the novel is "defective in structure" is James E. Miller's 1958 essay "My à ntonia: A Frontier Drama of Time." I group his essay here because he spends the bulk of the essay arguing that the defect of structure is overcome when we look at the cyclical nature of time in the novel as its unifying theme. This article does seem to be one of the first ones that looks to disprove the "failure" of Cather's narration. Of course, by disproving this argument, Miller is still working within the context of failure/success which I don't think other writers (read male authors) are judged by.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Miller begins his argument by pointing out that many critics "have felt the unified emotional impact of My à ntonia and have grappled with the puzzling problem of the book's actual lack of consistent central action or unbroken character portrayal" (Miller 52). Miller argues that there seems to be no consistent character portrayal, "The action in My à ntonia is episodic, lacks focus and abounds in irrelevancies"(Miller 52). But Miller believes that there is a consistency within the novel, that of the evocation of feelings which the reader has.

Lean Thinking and Accounting Issues Essay

Womack and Jones (1990 1-6) famously used the term â€Å"lean† on Toyota Motors Corporation referred to Toyota Production System (TPS) in the book The Machine That Changed the World. In the year 1990, the two authors toured various companies in North America, Europe and Japan advocating for companies to convert their mass production practices to lean practices, through presentation of ideas on how to do the same. A movement of management thinkers then emerged which clearly advocates for organizations to identify and if possible completely cut the huge wastes found in mass production. Lean movement supporters opine that forecasts are always wrong, and therefore they advocate managers to work to reduce order-to-delivery time. They also say that there are no more powerful tools available to companies for eliminating waste and creating value than lean ideas, according to Marchwinski and Shook (2003 21-23). Lean Manufacturing; Toyota Motors Corporation Case Toyota Motors Corporation is the most notable successful company in implementation of lean thinking. As a matter of fact, the motor vehicle maker is often used a reference in studying the operations and triumphs of the Lean Thinking management concept. The company introduced the concept of lean manufacturing in its now famous production system, the TPS (Toyota Production System) in the 1980s. The introduction of the concept of lean manufacturing was a move against the grain of the day as the trend of the day by companies was mass production, as Womack and Jones (1996 82-83) mentioned in their book. Toyota Motors Corp became very successful in the wake of implementation of this shake-up in its processes as to become the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world. One important section where lean thinking was applied by TPS is in processing method. A batch-and-queue system was converted into to a continuous flow, which had the effect of doubling labor productivity, cut 90% through output time, reduced injuries and cut errors by fifty percent. The introducing a lean manufacturing strategy was brought about by the need to eliminate the huge waste that the company’s chief executive Ohno (1988 17-31) had observed in the production processes of the company, which he pointed out as to be in the processes of Inventory, waiting, transportation, overproduction, over-processing, motion and over-processing. Lean Principles; In lean thinking, the first step to understand what lean thinking is and the resources-together with the activities- that are necessary in creation of that value. Everything else becomes waste once value is identified. The job of determining what value is and what activities add value should be done at a high level, because nobody would want to consider what he or she does as waste. If any breakthroughs are to be made in lean thinking the ability to see waste should be strong. Something is waste if it does not add value directly. A Toyota Executive, Taiichi Ohno, identified and described the following seven as the types of wastes that are found in any process: Inventory, waiting, transportation, overproduction, over-processing, motion and over-processing. Some authors have added goods and services that do not meet customer’s needs and underutilization of people. There are five lean principles; Value: This principle deals with the value that an organization offers to its clients. It is the complete package of services and products that a business enterprise makes use of to serve its customers and penetrate the market from the angle of view of the clients. Only the ultimate customer can define value (Womack and Jones 1996 218). In line with accounting practices, for instance target costing approach, the price the client is willing to pay is a reflection of the value he derives from the product/service. In turn, the value translates to the service and product costs the enterprise must achieve for the clients as well as the stakeholders to be satisfied. Value stream: It reckons that the processes of an enterprise crate customer-driven performance as well as excellence. The structures of conventional departmental controls contravene lean thinking as it was it posited by Poppendieck (2002 1-2). A business enterprise must comprehend, control and manage its operations through the value steams or processes of the enterprise. In manufacturing companies, there are three top-level value streams; the design and problem solve value stream, the value stream of the product, and the value stream that encompasses the enterprise’s controls and transactions. These value streams more often than not extend to cover entities outside the enterprise such as suppliers, partner firms and the customers. In general terms, all the actions that are required to bring a product to the customer are what are referred to as the stream values. Flow: The ideas connected to â€Å"flow† have their origins in the Toyota Production System. The lean movement is of the stance that anything that interferes with the flow of services as well as goods out to the customer through the value stream should be designated as waste. The value stream must be studied by an enterprise in order to achieve smooth, uninterrupted flow from production materials to delivered services and products. In this way, an enterprise ruthlessly, eliminates waste from its processes.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 15

A dozen snappy comebacks rose to my lips, but the intense looks on both their faces made me think better of it. Instead, I opted for the obvious next question. â€Å"What do you mean?† The edge of Carter's lips turned into a half-grin. â€Å"My goodness. I thought you'd be up on your lore. Greek mythology especially.† â€Å"Well, ambrosia†¦is called the Food of the Gods,† I offered slowly. I had grown up in a Greco-Roman society, but that didn't mean I was an expert on all the stories. I'd only been exposed to some in my youth. It wasn't until later scholars started compiling tales from all over the Greek world that I learned just how vast the mythology was. â€Å"Yes,† said Carter, nodding at me as one would a child reciting a lesson. Jerome remained tight-lipped, a stormy expression on his face. â€Å"What else do you know?† â€Å"Ambrosia was what gave the gods their immortality,† I continued. â€Å"Although I always thought it was some kind of drink†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stopped myself. The crystals weren't liquid at the moment, but they were meant to be consumed that way. A further alarming thought hit me. â€Å"Are you saying this Greek stuff will make Doug and the others immortal?† I'm downright unstoppable now. A god, babe. â€Å"Not exactly,† said Carter. â€Å"And I suppose I should point out that ambrosia isn't just found in the Greek stories. It appears in almost every culture's legends in one form or another. In King Arthur's world, it was said to have filled the Holy Grail. It gave new perceptions and enlightenment to its drinkers, and promised to heal the land. Some have also suggested the flames that appeared over the apostles' heads at the feast of Pentecost were not flames at all, but rather visions they saw after drinking ambrosia. It made the apostles vivid and charismatic and let them communicate with people of all cultures and languages.† â€Å"I know a number of devout Christians – my good friend Dana included – who would find that offensive.† Jerome couldn't stay silent anymore, despite how disgruntled this topic appeared to make him. â€Å"Imagine her reaction if she knew that some people have speculated the Eucharist has little to do with the blood of Christ and more to do with a lost ambrosia ceremony. Said people argue those who participate today are only mimicking the ancient experience, equating the Holy Spirit with the high from ambrosia.† â€Å"That would upset a lot of people,† I agreed. All three of us knew that many of the rites and beliefs that had been passed down to today were bastardizations of the originals. Some, not all. Carter continued on pleasantly, like he was in an auditorium giving a lecture. â€Å"Ancient Hindu culture called ambrosia soma and even personified it as a god of the same name. His presence was as intoxicating as the drink itself and muddled the senses of those around him. â€Å" â€Å"Soma was also the feel-good drug in Brave New World,† I recalled. â€Å"I didn't realize how widespread this was.† He nodded. â€Å"And these stories are only the tip of the iceberg. A lot more where they came from.† I enjoyed the information. Getting any sort of meaningful explanation from these two was usually like driving through downtown Seattle in rush hour: slow, painful, and fraught with collisions. And yet, forthcoming or not, they weren't exactly giving me what I needed. â€Å"Yeah, but you guys are real careful to say things like ‘some people believe' or ‘they say.' Which is it? What's really going on? Are any of those stories true?† Carter's gray eyes twinkled. â€Å"Ah, I can't spoil the mysteries. Humans spend their lives trying to discern the truth of divinity. Even a succubus can't be in on all the secrets.† I gave him an exasperated look. This was more like their typical behavior. â€Å"Okay, forget the myths. Can you tell me what's up with this stuff, then? Does it make people immortal?† Angel and demon looked at each other. â€Å"No,† they both said in unison. â€Å"But it makes you feel like you are,† said Carter. I thought about Doug's reckless behavior, his overwhelming confidence about everything from performing his music to stage-diving. He had no fear, no concern that anything might be less than perfect. â€Å"So it's like a stimulant or any other mood-altering drug, then,† I said. â€Å"It makes you feel good.† The angel shook his head. â€Å"No. It's a lot more than that. Ambrosia works by†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grasped for the words. â€Å"I guess the best way to put it is that it amplifies your best abilities. It draws out what you're good at, what shines in you. And then it cranks up the volume on that to, well, godly levels, I guess.† â€Å"Yes, of course,† I breathed. That was why the band had suddenly shot off so successfully and rapidly. They were talented already. The ambrosia hadn't given them anything new; they'd just had their natural abilities increased tenfold. A hundredfold. And Casey†¦mathematically talented Casey had been able to do calculations in seconds that would have required a pen and paper for most people. Even Doug's Tetriss kills showed signs of ambrosia enhancement. Ican't wait to see how you react to them, Alec had said. Indeed, how would I react? What good abilities in me would get amplified? What abilities did I have? The obvious joke was that I'd be able to really rock some guy's world in bed. I didn't like that answer, however, partially because I believed I already could rock a guy's world pretty hard-core without the help of creepy crystals, thank you very much. Plus, I hated to think that's all I was. There had to be more to me than just sexual prowess. â€Å"Everyone who was on it crashed,† I reminded Carter. â€Å"Doug, Casey. And when they crashed†¦they really crashed.† â€Å"It does that,† he agreed. â€Å"One might argue that the withdrawal brings out your worst traits†¦or possibly turns your good ones bad. More often than not, it just makes a person depressed†¦and lacking. It's hard to go back to being ordinary. â€Å" That would explain Doug's bleak outlook the other day. I realized too he'd been having a withdrawal reaction on the day I kicked him out of the store. The lack of ambrosia had turned his normally sarcastic tongue and playful behavior into something dark and twisted. And yet†¦ â€Å"It must be nice to feel like a god. I guess I can understand wanting that. â€Å" â€Å"Well,† said Jerome, speaking up at last, â€Å"as we all know, you can't get something for nothing.† Carter nodded. â€Å"At a basic level, it's an addictive substance, and everything addictive has a cost – mainly that it enslaves you and makes you feel horrible when you don't have it. But, the other truth is that humans are not meant to be perfect. That's what humanity is: a series of successes and failures, a testing of one's own nature and aptitude. Neither the body nor the soul can sustain such a state. Eventually it consumes a person.† I pointed at the crystals. â€Å"What would have happened if I'd taken them?† â€Å"Isn't it obvious?† asked Jerome, his tone suggesting the same sexual possibilities I'd wondered about earlier. Carter gave me a straight answer. â€Å"Similar superficial effects. Enhance your good qualities. Immortals wouldn't fall prey to the addictiveness so quickly; they can sustain it for quite a while since in some ways, they already feel like gods. But in the long run, the consequences are still the same. You can't function at such high levels. Now, the ambrosia couldn't destroy your body, of course, but it'd still cause other serious problems if you took it for a long time.† â€Å"It'd probably just make you go insane,† explained Jerome helpfully. â€Å"Until the end of time.† â€Å"That's horrible,† I said. â€Å"Don't worry, Georgie. If it happens to you, we'll put you down first.† Ignoring him, I looked over at the crystals, suddenly feeling more repulsed by them than I had before. This time, my reaction had nothing to do with the creepy aura. â€Å"The real question, of course,† said the archdemon more seriously, â€Å"is where the hell did you get these?† â€Å"I told you. From Alec.† The two higher immortals exchanged glances once more. â€Å"Tell us about this guy again,† ordered Jerome. â€Å"Everything you know.† I did. When I finished, they looked at each other once more, having a mental conversation I was not privy to. God, they were annoying. â€Å"Alec's not the one,† said Carter finally. â€Å"The one who†¦?† â€Å"The one who this is coming from,† explained Jerome. â€Å"Well, I got it from him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Doesn't matter, Georgie. Some twenty-year-old blue-haired punk is not the source here. He's getting it from someone else. He's a peon in the chain. Besides, you never felt anything off him, did you? Something like the crystals but not quite like them?† â€Å"No, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But I had felt something from another person. Someone who spent time with Alec. The last card in my head flipped over. â€Å"I know who it is. It's him. That guy.† â€Å"Of course,† said Carter dryly. â€Å"I knew it was that guy. It's always that guy.† â€Å"Hold on, and I'll explain.† I turned to Jerome. â€Å"Remember that funny immortal I told you about? The really romantically dressed good-looking one? He's got to be the one. Alec's supplier. I've seen them talking together and even saw Alec sort of having a breakdown with him. † I added a little more background for Carter's benefit, explaining how GQ Poet Guy and I had sensed each other. Jerome and Carter considered this in silence. At last, the demon said, â€Å"Yes, that sounds like him.† Nobody said anything for a while after that. I was dying to ask who â€Å"he† was exactly, but recognized that angel and demon would take their own time on this. â€Å"So what are we going to do?† Carter asked a few minutes later. Jerome cut him a narrow-eyed glance. â€Å"Why do we have to do anything?† â€Å"Because it's the right thing to do.† â€Å"I don't know where you've been since the beginning of the universe, but the ‘right thing' isn't really on my list of priorities.† â€Å"He's poisoning mortals.† Jerome crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"He's doing it in your territory. Right under your nose.† â€Å"Stop trying to bait me. He's not involved with us. He can do whatever the fuck he wants to mortals.† Once again, I was dying to jump in but restrained myself. Listening to Carter and Jerome argue always unsettled me. Mostly, it just didn't happen that much. Usually they stood together in an exasperating wall of solidarity, good and evil notwithstanding. And, of course, watching them argue always made you wonder if something terrible might happen if tempers got out of control. Tables tipping over. Glasses exploding. The Four Horsemen showing up. Nonetheless, I felt confident Carter wouldn't let this matter go unattended. He would win. As I had noted earlier, I didn't know if I could trust him, but I did respect him – and his powers of persuasion. â€Å"It's a power play,† warned Carter. â€Å"He shouldn't even be trying it. His time is past; we're the ones who control the game now. Doing this insults us – especially you, since you guys are the ones who actually draw territorial lines. It's an unannounced challenge.† This, I saw, had an effect on the demon. He recognized Carter's attempts to draw him in, but it was working nonetheless. Pride wasn't one of the Seven Deadly Sins for nothing. Jerome, as a faithful servant of hell, couldn't help but be susceptible. I'd seen his pride come into play before; he didn't like others messing with his reputation. And while the demon naturally had many weaknesses, I'd say it was this more than anything else that would make him take action. â€Å"We can't intervene,† he said flatly. â€Å"You know that. Even if we are in control, we'd start an outright war. I for one don't want to deal with the repercussions of that.† â€Å"Agreed,† murmured the angel, lapsing into silence again. I looked back and forth between their faces, waiting for one of them to offer a brilliant plan. A brilliant plan which involved the angel and demon fighting in awesome, smiting glory to destroy Alec and his bastardly supplier friend. â€Å"Georgina could do it,† said Carter suddenly. â€Å"What?† I squeaked. That wasn't how the fantasy went. They turned their eyes on me. Dark outrage flashed in Jerome's eyes, then it faded as quickly as it had arrived. â€Å"Hmm. Perhaps.† â€Å"What are you guys talking about? I'm not doing any smiting.† â€Å"It wouldn't exactly be smiting,† said Carter, face promptly sobering. â€Å"But it could be dangerous if not done the right way. â€Å" â€Å"Why do I have to do it?† â€Å"Because you, Georgie, are a lesser power than we are. You are less subject to scrutiny and ramifications than us. It's the difference between a country declaring war and a small rebel faction striking out.† â€Å"Great,† I said, sinking back in my chair. â€Å"I'm a faction.† Carter was smiling again. â€Å"Don't you want to help Doug?† A moment passed. â€Å"You know I do.† â€Å"I meant it when I said it'd be dangerous, but if we're careful, you'll come out okay.† I thought about Doug's black despair and reckless behavior. The thought of this ambrosia â€Å"destroying† him clinched it for me. â€Å"Yeah, okay. I'll do it. Whatever it is. Dangerous or not.† I paused. â€Å"Um, what is it?† Neither answered. â€Å"Oh come on! You can't expect me to do this and not know what it is.† â€Å"It'll take some prep work,† Carter told me, apparently enjoying my consternation. But there was another expression on his face too†¦pride, I thought. The good kind of pride, like when you thought someone was doing the right thing. Not the bad kind of pride that made you do rash things. â€Å"As soon as it's in place, we'll let you know. I'll come find you.† I made a face. â€Å"You'll understand if I don't really find that a satisfying answer. † â€Å"And you'll understand,† retorted Jerome, â€Å"that it's the best one you're going to get.† Carter was a bit nicer. â€Å"What you can do in the meantime, however, is try to get access to the supplier. He's the one you'll ultimately have to deal with. Keep schmoozing with Alec. Do what you've got to do.† I nodded. Schmoozing I could do in my sleep. I felt relieved to be back in familiar waters. After leaving them, I put the ambrosia assignment on hold and went over to Seth's to play Scrabble, in keeping with a prearranged date. I'd vowed I wouldn't cheat this time, but I supposed that would depend on how desperate the game became. When I arrived, however, I found Seth in no condition to play. He sat at the desk in his bedroom, brow adorably furrowed as he stared at his computer screen, apparently willing it do something for him through mental determination alone. His condo had an office, I knew, but unpacked boxes currently filled it, making this room the combination office-bedroom. All his essentials in one place. If it had had an attached bathroom, he would have probably never emerged. â€Å"Can you give me†¦like†¦another hour?† he asked absently when he realized I had walked in, not looking at me. â€Å"I've just got to finish this chapter.† It was a moot request. Even if I hadn't been willing to give him another hour, he still would have kept writing. Mountains moved more easily than Seth in the middle of a story line. Happily accommodating, I kissed his cheek and wandered off to the office to find something to read. Sifting through those boxes made it difficult, however. By the time I had several of them emptied, I decided I might as well just go the whole way and do the job right. I unpacked all of the boxes – even the ones in his living room. I didn't know how many books that left me with, but it was a lot. My bookstore instincts made me sort them into categories, and that alone was time-consuming. Looking up at one point, I realized almost three hours had passed. I stood up, stretched, and returned to the bedroom. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"We're way past your hour.† He kept typing. I slipped my foot out of its sandal, shape-shifted the toenail color to burgundy and ran it up his leg. He jumped. â€Å"Hey!† â€Å"Hey yourself. Sorry to interrupt, but you need food, or you're going to pass out on your keyboard.† â€Å"Wouldn't be the first time,† he said. His eyes strayed, threatening to return to the computer, so I poked him again with my foot. He arched an eyebrow, then grabbed my foot, nearly making me fall over as he pulled me onto his lap. â€Å"You know, your toes aren't that compelling. It's not like I want to have sex with them or anything weird like that. I just think they're pretty. So don't think you can have your way on everything now. â€Å" I wiggled out of his grasp. â€Å"Say whatever you want. I've got new leverage with you. So, look, can you tear yourself away long enough to go get food?† It turned out he couldn't, toes or not. Disappointed, I ended up ordering pizza. We ate together and talked, but both of us were in our own worlds. He was with his characters in places I couldn't follow, and I was thinking about the ambrosia. Suddenly, I started laughing. â€Å"What?† he asked, startled. I told him about the ambrosia and what it did. The news obviously astonished him, but Seth had had some time now to accept the many unseen, supernatural things occurring in the world. I ended my story by saying Carter and Jerome were going to do something about it. I did not mention I would be taking on a large and possibly dangerous role too. There I was, holding back again, but it seemed pointless to get him worried when I had no concrete details yet. â€Å"So, anyway, I was laughing because I was trying to imagine what you'd be like on ambrosia,† I told him. â€Å"Why is that funny? Maybe I could churn out a book a week.† â€Å"Yeah, but I'd never see you again. You'd never bathe or cut your hair. It'd grow down to your waist – so would your beard – and you'd be sitting here in the dark, hunched over, wasting away in your Punky Brewster T-shirt. â€Å" â€Å"That's not funny. That's how I plan to spend my retirement. Besides, if I were going to wear the same shirt for the next fifty years, it'd be my Flash Gordon one.† His features shifted to a frown as he chewed. â€Å"The entire concept of Doug's problem being ‘magically' induced†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"It's crazy. And scary. Will they really be able to help him?† â€Å"They will if they can. Carter especially.† â€Å"You always put a lot of faith in him. Seems ironic, given the circumstances.† I supposed it was, and again, it was kind of new for me. I guess I was just starting to realize that although I might be on Jerome's side, it was Carter who was on my side lately. I smiled for Seth. â€Å"Well. If you can't put faith in an angel, who can you put faith in?† The muse called to him after dinner, and I let him go, unable to stand against her. I wondered if it would be possible for Seth to date someone who didn't love his books. Few women would be able to handle the competition. And yeah, sometimes it was hard for me to handle the competition too. It was hard enough that Seth wasn't into the livelier things I liked to do, like dancing. But also being denied the low-key things poked at me on occasion. Knowing his neglect was for the greater good, I returned to my book sorting, which allowed half of my brain to churn over the Alec problem and how I was going to get to GQ Poet Guy. Getting a hold of Doug in the evening was never easy, but I'd see him at work tomorrow. He'd offered Alec's number to me once; hopefully he'd be as obliging this time. I finished my cataloging and shelving job around two in the morning. All the books had homes on either the office or living room shelves, and all the books were indexed by genre and author in a way Emerald City might have lauded. The office now had room for the desk. In the bedroom, Seth still typed in the dark, lit by the glow of his monitor. I kissed his cheek once more and fell asleep in his bed, exhausted. I awoke hours later to someone kissing my cheek. â€Å"Hey,† I murmured drowsily, trying to pull Seth into bed with me. â€Å"You're giving me funny ideas.† He leaned over me and planted a kiss on my nose. Morning sunlight lit up the coppery highlights in his messy hair and perpetual five o'clock shadow. He regarded me fondly, those luscious lips smiling. â€Å"You put my books away. All of them.† â€Å"I had to. Good grief. If anyone at Emerald City found out I was letting that slide, they'd fire me.† He curled up beside me and put an arm over me. â€Å"You're pretty good to me, Thetis, considering what an idiot I am sometimes.† â€Å"Stop making fun of my favorite author, or I'll have to deck you.† â€Å"I mean it. I've lost girlfriends for less than what I did last night.† â€Å"You weren't that bad. I've seen you worse.† I sat up a little. â€Å"Hey, how many girlfriends have you had anyway?† Laugh lines appeared around his eyes, making him even cuter. â€Å"It was all research for the books, I swear.† It was ironic, I realized, that I kept ending up with artistic types. A very long time ago, I'd been married to a man I swore loved his music more than me sometimes. I had loved him for that musical passion and hated it at the same time. Similar scenarios with other mortals had repeated over the centuries. Remembering my thoughts from last night, I worried that Seth might bring out the old green-eyed monster again. â€Å"How'd the chapter turn out?† I asked, mussing his hair further. â€Å"Good. Great even.† He gave me a sweet, bemused look. â€Å"I don't suppose†¦I don't suppose you'd ever want to read the manuscripts as I work on them, would you? See how the process works?† I froze, realizing just what a precious gift he was offering me. Seth had told me once he never let anyone read the early drafts. He didn't want feedback that might influence his own creative flow. It wasn't until he had a complete manuscript and he felt the books were nigh-perfect that he finally allowed his publishing posse to take a look. That he would offer this to me both thrilled and touched me. â€Å"No,† I said softly, smiling. â€Å"But thank you. I don't want to interrupt your normal cycle. But maybe†¦maybe when you've got a fairly polished draft ready to send off, I'll take a look then.† He nodded, returning my smile. Something passed between us then that had nothing to do with manuscripts or book sorting but was fired by both of them nonetheless. â€Å"Here,† he said, standing up. Turning to a nearby chair, he picked up a tray I hadn't even noticed. â€Å"Since you fed me last night.† I looked down as he set the tray across my lap. Pancakes – with smiley faces – drowning in maple syrup. Good strong coffee. Even a little vase with two stems of purple irises. Seth had a thing for purple flowers. I touched one of the velvety soft petals. â€Å"You didn't get these from your kitchen. You must have gotten up pretty early to go out.† He shook his head, looking sheepish. â€Å"I never went to bed.† I therefore wasn't surprised when Seth lay down beside me while I ate and promptly fell asleep. I finished the exquisite breakfast, did the dishes, and left for work, leaving him a note that promised I'd call later. At the bookstore, I was getting so used to Paige and Warren's absence, it was like they didn't even work there anymore. I found Doug when he arrived, and as hoped, he did indeed give me Alec's number – though not without a few jokes at my expense. I called Alec on my lunch, unsure if he'd be home. He was there and sounded overjoyed to hear from me. Yes, yes, of course he could get more. He was so glad I'd liked it. Giving me the address of a coffee shop he'd be at, he told me to stop by right after work. I showed up there five minutes after my shift ended. The coffee shop was perfectly ordinary, nothing dark or sinister. Hardly the stereotypical rendezvous for a drug transaction. I spotted Alec sitting at a table in the back, but someone was with him. Not wanting to interrupt, I stood in line to order a mocha. Alec's companion was a young man, younger than him even. Eighteen, if I had to guess. And he was beautiful. He had swept his thick, dark-blond hair into a short ponytail at the nape of his neck, and his face was all clean, strong lines. When he smiled at some comment of Alec's, perfect white teeth showed against the tanned skin. I expected to see this guy in an Abercrombie & Fitch ad soon. Or maybe not, since he too was apparently wasting his life away. Alec reached into his pocket and gave the guy one of the telltale bags. Happiness and relief shone on the golden boy's face, making him look – if possible – even more attractive. He left. Angrily gripping my drink, I took his chair and forced a cheerful attitude. â€Å"Hey,† said Alec in greeting, clearly in a good mood. â€Å"You have no idea how glad I am to see you. You look hot, as always. â€Å" â€Å"Thanks. How's it going?† â€Å"Awesome, now.† He grinned broadly. â€Å"Fabulous day.† He leaned toward me. â€Å"So? What did you think?† I set my cup down heavily and acquired some little-girl wonder. â€Å"You were right†¦it was amazing. It was like I was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I decided a lack of words was better than trying to describe something I hadn't experienced. He was only too happy to help fill in the blanks. â€Å"Better than ever? Who you were meant to be?† â€Å"Yes,† I said breathlessly. â€Å"You – you've got to give me more.† â€Å"Can do.† His hand reached into the magic pocket. One of the lethal bags appeared, and that ugly feeling snaked down my spine. He held the crystals teasingly out of my reach. â€Å"You know, they get better the more you do it. You up for that?† I stared at the bag longingly, then up at him. â€Å"Don't you have more than this? I mean, I want that one†¦but it's not going to be enough. I need a lot of this.† â€Å"Slow down. You don't want to take more than one bag.† â€Å"I know that, but this is good for what, a day or two?† His eyes glinted. â€Å"Big plans already, huh? Most people don't get quite so fired up this fast.† I chewed on my lower lip, not wanting to raise any alarms. Assessing my self-inventory, I tried to think of something nonsexual the ambrosia would have affected. Alec's earlier visitor gave me the answer. â€Å"It's weird. I know this guy at a modeling agency, and he always gives me the runaround. But I saw him yesterday when I took this†¦and it was like, I don't know. He couldn't get enough of me. He wants me to come back for some major shoots.† I gripped Alec's arm. â€Å"I don't get how this could be doing it†¦maybe it's coincidence. I don't know. But I want more. I think I need it to make this gig work out. You've got to help me. Or take me to wherever you get this. I'll pay. I'll do anything.† His face told me I had said exactly the right thing. â€Å"It's not coincidence,† he told me smugly. â€Å"And I'll get you more.† I exhaled with palpable relief. â€Å"Promise? Like a big supply?† â€Å"I promise. Here, take this one.† â€Å"What do I owe you?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Come on! They can't all be free.† My hold on his hand changed to something softer and more suggestive. â€Å"I told you before†¦I'm happy to pay†¦however you want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed, regarding me wistfully as he briefly ran his fingers over my hand and then pulled away. â€Å"I know. You want a big batch of it? That you'll have to pay for. I'll take you to the guy who gets it for me, and you can pay him.† â€Å"What'll it cost? How much am I going to need?† Something unreadable flashed in his eyes. â€Å"You've already got exactly what you need. Can you meet me tomorrow night?† I hesitated. Carter had said we needed some prep time before I faced the supplier, time in which I had been told to arrange the meeting with him. This was too soon. â€Å"I'm busy,† I told him, trying to put heavy regret into my words. â€Å"What about the next night?† He didn't seem happy about that, just as he hadn't liked the delay in me drinking my first batch. But where his urgency had been underscored with an eager curiosity last time, he now displayed an almost panicked anxiety. I wondered just how demanding his master was. â€Å"Sooner would be better. You aren't going to be able to go that long anyway, not if you want it this bad already. â€Å" I stayed firm. â€Å"I don't have a choice.† He agreed after a little more wheedling, and we set a time and place to meet in two days. As I stood up, he warned me, â€Å"Call me sooner if you can't hold out, okay? Here's my cell.† â€Å"Okay, thanks.† â€Å"Hey,† he called as I started to walk away. â€Å"Good luck with the shoot.† For a minute, I didn't remember what he was talking about. Then I recalled my alleged modeling gig. I smiled and thanked him, chuckling to myself as I left. In all of the lies I'd just told him, there had been a kernel of truth. I did have a photo shoot. Tonight was the night Bastien and I were going to take the pictures for Seth.