Airbus and its activities whithin the civil aircraft manufacturing Essay

Airbus and its activities whithin the civil aircraft manufacturing industry - Essay Example The paper examines the extent to which Airbus has recognized and succeeded in meeting the critical success factors defined by the industry as well as industry analysts prior to 2005. In addition, Porter’s generic strategies model will be used to assess the choices that the Airbus management team and Board made, and whether these choices succeeded in giving Airbus a competitive advantage. This analysis compares the performance of Airbus over the past five years to its major industry competitors, Boeing and Embraer. The paper concludes with a discussion of the feasibility and sustainability of the company’s strategic direction over the next five years. As early as the mid1990s, industry analysts such as R.W. Mann and Company identified several factors that were seen as critical for companies hoping to succeed in the aircraft manufacturing industry (www.rwmann.com). In their strategic planning documents and in annual reports to shareholders, the companies also recognized that rapidly changing market factors would require that they adapt their business strategies to address these emerging challenges. Birnbaum (2004) defines a critical success factor as a strategic area where successful performance must be achieved to accomplish the business goal. The phrase â€Å"must be achieved† is highlighted because as the analysis will show, Airbus either misread the critical success factors that were identified at the time, or they simply were unable to implement strategies to achieve their strategic goals. My review of the industry analysts’ predictions as well as my review of the company websites for Airbus, Boeing and Embraer, have identified the following five common critical success factors for the aircraft manufacturing industry back in 2005: 1. Companies must expand into international markets. The number of new airlines is projected to grow through 2010 to meet increased demand for passenger travel. This growth was projected to take place

THE ENGLISH SYSTEM OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS Essay

THE ENGLISH SYSTEM OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS - Essay Example ligation to make contributions to the cost of their education once they are in work†¦ The Inquiry favours a combination of student tuition fees (on a loan basis) and the continuation of means-tested maintenance grants and student loans as the best way to seek contributions from higher income families and graduates in work†¦ to make a flat rate contribution of around 25 per cent of the average cost of higher education tuition, through an income-based mechanism." (Dearing) The removal of up-front fees and the limited return of grants are insufficient to offset the experience of student debt, especially by low-income families. Many poor families are positively deterred from entering HE due to the fees and concern of getting into debt. â€Å"We have neither the quantity nor the quality of necessary vocational skills†¦ Our skills base compares poorly and, critically, all of our comparators are improving. Being world class is a moving target.† (Leitch) Many of the initiatives other than those dealing with funding are positive for the UK higher education system. The thorny issue remains funding. The Leitch review published in 2006 also makes some suitable recommendations for the present-day UK HE system. These were made in response to the government’s concern in 2004 to engender greater skills in adults due to demographic changes in the workplace. 1. Students from poorer backgrounds would not be at a disadvantage, otherwise they may not be have the means to acquire HE at all, or they may feel obliged to opt for cheaper degree courses instead of selecting on the basis of academic considerations. High student fees are the single biggest obstacles to continuing their studies into higher education. 2. Enabling contributions by students should only be directed at students who are able to afford to pay for their own studies. Even then, students should only be expected to pay if and when they have obtained employment, and earning more than a minimum amount of

Enzyme Catalysis Essay Example for Free

Enzyme Catalysis Essay Enzymes are proteins that act as catalysts to regulate metabolism by selectively speeding up chemical reactions in the cell without being consumed during the process. During the catalytic action, the enzyme binds to the substrate – the reactant enzyme acts on – and forms an enzyme-substrate complex to convert the substrate into the product. Each type of enzyme combines with its specific substrate, which is recognized by the shape. In the enzymatic reaction, the initial rate of activity is constant regardless of concentration because the number of substrate molecules is so large compared to the number of enzyme molecules working on them. When graphed, the constant rate would be shown as a line, and the slope of this linear portion is the rate of reaction. As time passes, the rate of reaction slowly levels with less concentration of the substrate. This point where the rate starts to level is called the Kmax, in which the peak efficiency of enzymes is reached. In order to start the reaction, reactants require an initial supply of energy called activation energy. The enzymes work by reducing the amount of free energy that must be absorbed so that less required energy leads to faster rate of reaction. The rate of catalytic reactions is affected by the changes in temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and substrate concentration. Each enzyme has an optimal temperature at which it is most active; the rate of reaction increases with increasing temperature up to the optimal level, but drops sharply above that temperature. Most enzymes have their optimal pH value that range from 6 to 8 with exceptions, and they may denature in unfavorable pH levels. An increase in enzyme concentration will increase the reaction rate when all the active sites are full, and an increase in substrate concentration will increase the rate when the active sites are not completely full. The enzyme used in this lab is catalase, a common catalyst found in nearly all living organisms. Catalse is a tetramer of 4 polypeptide chains, each consisting of more than 500 amino acids. Its optimum pH is approximately 7, and optimum temperature is about 37 Â °C. The primary catalytic reaction of catalase decomposes hydrogen peroxide to form water and oxygen as shown by the equation: 2 H2O2 2 H2O + O2 . Within cells, the function of catalase is to prevent damage by the toxic levels of hydrogen peroxide by rapidly converting them to less dangerous substances. In this lab, we will show how catalase from 2 different sources (pure and potato extract) affects the rate of reaction by using titration to measure and calculating the decomposition rate of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to water and oxygen gas with enzyme catalysis. Part II Material and Methods In Part 2A, I tested for catalase activity by using the seriological pipette to transfer 10mL of H2O2 into a beaker. The serological pipette was utilized in all transfer of substances in this lab because of its high quality and accuracy in measurement, especially with delicate control of volume and graduations that extend all the way to the top. Then, I used another serological pipette to add 1mL of catalase in the beaker. After observation, I analyzed and recorded the results. The above procedure was repeated with the boiled catalase solution using another beaker and serological pipette. I analyzed and recorded the results after examination. In Part 2B, I established the baseline to determine the amount of H2O2 present in the nominal solution without adding the enzyme. I used serological pipettes (for the same reason mentioned above) to transfer 10mL of H2O2 in a beaker previously labeled as baseline and 1mL of distilled H2O into the same beaker after that. Next, I added 10mL of 1. 0M H2SO4 into the beaker and mixed the solution by gently swirling the beaker. The sulfuric acid was used to lower the pH and thereby stopping the catalytic activity. Using the serological pipette, I removed 5mL of the mixture into a different beaker to assay for the H2O2 amount through titration. This was done particularly through the titration technique because it can determine the concentration of a reactant – in this case, remaining amount of H2O2 – with volume measurements. After recording the initial burette reading, I placed the assay beaker underneath a burette containing KMnO4 and gradually added the titrant with controlled drops while gently swirling the beaker until the color of the mixture turned permanently pink or brown. Then, I recorded the final burette reading. The potassium permanganate was specifically used because its excess amount will cause the solution to change color, and the amount used to change the color is proportional to amount of remaining H2O2. In Part 2D, I measured the rate of H2O2 decomposition with enzyme catalysis in 5 different time intervals of 10, 30, 60, 120, and 180 seconds. After labeling 5 beakers with each time interval, I transferred 10mL of H2O2 to each beaker with the serological pipette (for the same reason mentioned in Part 2A). For the 10 second time interval, I added 1mL of catalase extract and swirled the beaker for 10 seconds. Next, I added 10mL of H2SO4 to stop the reaction. I repeated the above procedure 4 more times, varying the 10 second time interval to 30, 60, 120, 180 seconds. Then, using the serological pipette, I removed 5mL sample from each of the 5 beakers and found the amount of remaining H2O2 by titration with KMnO4. The reason and procedure for titration was identical to those in Part 2B. Part IV – Discussion In Part 2A, the enzyme activities of catalase and boiled catalase were observed. According to the data, the bubbles began to form in the mixture when the catalase was poured into H2O2. The bubbles are the O2 that results from the breakdown of H2O2 as the catalase takes effect. In the case of boiled catalase, there were no bubbles, which points to the absence of oxygen. This absence shows that unlike previous catalase, boiled catalase had no effect on the rate of reaction. The data supports the background information provided in the Introduction. The boiling of the catalase will alter its temperature above its optimal level, and that explains the significantly decreased reaction in the boiled catalase mixture compared to the catalase mixture. In Part 2B, the data represents the amount of H2O2 used in the reaction without enzyme catalysis, hence establishing the baseline. The collected data of initial reading and final reading was used to calculate the baseline of 4. 7mL KMnO4, which is proportional to the amount of H2O2. The 4 groups combined data as a class and took the average of the 4 baselines by liminating the highest and lowest number and taking the average of remaining 2 numbers. The established baseline was 4. 4mL. In the Charts A1 through B2 of Part 2D, the collected data of initial reading and final reading was used to calculate the amount of KMnO4 by subtracting the initial from the final. Since the amount of KMnO4 is proportional to the amount of H2O2 remaining, it was used to calculate the amount of H2O2 used in the reaction by subtracting it from the baseline. The computed data and the time intervals were graphed into 2 scatter plots separated by the type of catalase (pure and potato extract) with the lines of best fit drawn. The trend that should have shown in all 4 graphs was a steady increase from zero in the beginning and a gradual leveling off into a horizontal line towards the end. However, the actual results did not exactly come out as expected. In Graph A1, the data of Group 1 did steadily increase in the beginning, but the amount in 120 seconds was off and the data of Group 3 started with a negative amount, which went up and down throughout the time intervals. In Graph B1, the data of Group 2 started with a steady increase and slightly declined towards the end although the graph started at a negative number. In the same graph, the data of Group 4 also started negative and declined further, but it increased rapidly in the time intervals of 30-120 seconds and slightly declined at the end. Out of all the groups, the data of Group 2 was the most closest to the expected and the data of Group 4 was the most skewed. Overall, most groups had a line of best fit that began with a steady line that gradually smoothed out into a curve after, which matched the expected graph. Generally, the rate was the highest in the beginning from 0 to 120 seconds because that was when the H2O2 and catalase were first combined and the substrate molecules outnumber the enzyme, allowing the enzyme to collide with substrates more frequently. The rate was lowest towards the end after 120 seconds because that is a while after the hydrogen peroxide began to be decomposed and there is less of the substrate to bind with the enzyme, which means slower rate of reaction. This corresponds to the both graphs line of best fit, which relatively supports the background information. The rate of enzyme activity on the reaction would decrease with lowered temperature since the lowered average kinetic energy of the molecules decrease the chances of the enzyme colliding and binding with the substrate. Also, the enzyme may be denatured with low enough temperature. The function of catalase is inhibited by sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid removes the enzymes function as a catalyst by transfiguring the protein conformation, which is critical to the binding of the enzyme to its substrate because the specificity is entirely dependent on the structure. Part V – Error Analysis The data from Part 2D did not completely support the background information, which could be explained by errors that was made in the lab. One major error in the data was the negative amount of H2O2 used in the 10 second time interval with exception of Group 1. This may be the result of a human error made in the process of titration. A student may have had trouble controlling the amount of KMnO4 with the burette, unable to record the exact amount at which the color of the mixture changed and adding too much KMnO4. This would have resulted in larger amount of KMnO4 used, thus, leading to a smaller amount of H2O2 used in the solution, which could result in a negative number. Another major error was the up and down fluctuation in the graph drawn from the data of Group 3 and Group 4. This could be due to any measurement error made during the lab, such as the measurement for the sample used in the assay. The directions called for 5mL of the mixture to be titrated; however, students may have measured wrong or mistaken the amount to more or less than 5mL. The assay of more than 5mL would result in a smaller amount of H2O2 used and the assay of less than 5mL would result in a larger amount of H2O2 used, which would account for the incorrect fluctuation of the graphs. Part VI – Conclusions In this lab, I conclude the following: Part 2A: ?Catalase reacts with H2O2 and produced H2O and O2 while boiled catalase does not engage with the substrate. This is shown by the formation of bubbles in the catalase mixture and the absence of bubbles, which indicates absence of oxygen, in the boiled catalase mixture. The function of catalase is affected by temperature because the boiling of the catalase denatured its catalytic ability, thus leading to absence of bubbles in the boiled catalase mixture. Part 2B: ?The amount of H2O2 remaining in the catalyzed reaction is generally less than that in the established baseline due to faster rate in the decomposition. In the data of Group 1, the amount of KmnO4 (proportional to the remaining amount of H 2O2) is 4. 4mL, 4. 2mL, 3. 9mL, 4. 2mL, and 3. 9mL over different time intervals. They are less than or equal to the baseline of 4. 4mL. Part 2D: ?The rate of catalytic reaction changes over time; the rate is constant in the beginning and gradually decreases towards the end, leveling off into a curve from a line. This is best illustrated in the best fit line of Group 2 data in Graph B1. ?The rate is highest when the reaction begins and becomes lower as time passes. The slope of the linear portion of all graphs in the data is greater than the slope of the gradually curving graph with increasing time interval.

State Bank Of India Marketing Essay

State Bank Of India Marketing Essay The banking industry is highly competitive. The financial services industry has beenaround for hundreds of years and just about everyone who needs banking servicesalready has them. Because of this, banks must attempt to lure clients away fromcompetitor banks. They do this by offering lower financing, preferred rates andinvestment services. The banking sector is in a race to see who can offer both the bestand fastest services. 2.Buyer Power: High With the emergence of larger number of players in the Banking Industry, the switchingcost of the buyer has gone done significantly. The bonus is now on the effectiveness and speed with which the services are provided to the customers. Financial institutions byoffering better exchange rates, more services, and exposure to foreign capital markets -work extremely hard to get high-margin corporate clients. Options in the Auto FinanceSector also give the customers more power to decide upon the kind of financing.Introduction of specialized products for Women and Students etc also show that thebuyer power is high in this Industry. 3.Supplier Power: Low The suppliers of capital do not pose a big threat, but the threat of suppliers takingaway the human resource. If a talented individual is working in a smaller regionalbank, there is the chance that person will be enticed away by bigger banks,investment firms, etc. 4.Threat of New Entrants: Low Starting a bank in a country like India is not as easy as any other industry, but if anew bank is started that is mainly targeted on Niche Segments might pose a threat to SBI. The new entrants from a different country are always discouraged to takepart. BCG MATRIX BCG growth share matrix uses relative market shares and annual rate of market growth as criteria to quick investment decision . It can be subdivided into the following 1.CASHCOWHere mature and successful business that generates excess cash with low investment 2.DOGSlow market share generating very low cash 3.QUESTION MARK?low market share in high grow market requiring substantial market 4.STARfast growing industry with high market share which requires investment CUSTOMER VALUES THE VALUE CHAINIt is a tool for identifying the ways to create more customer values through various activity perform to design. MARKETING PLAN: Institution for advanced learning: To provide state of the art training in financial products to middle level and senior level executives. Internal consultant/change agent:To act as a catalyst for change in attitudes and orientation of banking staff and to provide expertise and consultative support. Feedback supplier:Capture and structure feedback from the trainees and the market. Think tank:To provide expert and informed suggestions, model business suggestions, analysis of market development from a bankers perspective. Research and development:To carry out research on contemporary subjects which are relevant to banks medium and short term operational needs and policies. Overlapping staff training centres:Monitoring and validating staff training centres. Strategies employed by State Bank of India To counter the intense competition from private and foreign banks, SBI carried out amajor Organizational restructuring exercise. The key aspects involved: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Redesigning of Branches. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Technological upgradation (Core  Banking System). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Providing alternate channels. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚  Focus on a  lean structure.The objective being to increase customer satisfaction convenience, simplifyingprocesses for employees, enhancing SBIs competitiveness in the market and in turn increasing the profitability through higher market share and improved processefficiency. MACRO MICRO ENVIRONMENTS OF SBI: For any decisions there are number of factors which influences the decisions.The factors which influences the decision are also termed as its environment.The environment can be internal,can be controlled by the organisation.Micro specific to industry and is different for different industry and Macro generic in nature and is intented for business environment. Macroenvironment of SBI are:- 1.Demographic 2.Economic 3.Socio-Cultural 4.Natural 5.Technological 6.Political-Legal Micro environment factor closed to business that have a direct impact on its business operation and success.The factors are:- 1.Customers 2.Employees 3.Suppliers 4.Shareholders 5.Media 6.Competitors CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR: Since SBI has a large number of banking outlets all over the nation, its consumers do transactions to a great extent. MARKETING RESEARCH (SALES FORECASTING): As of August 27 2012,the concensus format amongst 48 polled investment analysts covering SBI advises investors to hold their position in the company. The previous consensus forecast advised that SBI would outperform the market. Share Price Forecast-the 45 analysts offering 12 month price target s for SBI have a median target of 2121 with a high estimate of 2881 pts. BASES AND LEVELS OF SEGMENTATION: Segmentation:To identify groups of buyers within a market place,which are distinguished by varying needs and behaviour. BASES: Geographic:eg:Biometric ATM Demographic:eg:Kisan Credit Card Behavioural:eg:Saving Banks Account Psycographic:Credit Card,Platinum Card,Smart Card,Vishwa Yatra LEVELS:Local Marketing:Tailored to the needs and wants of local customer groups. Mass Marketing:Done through Radio,Television and Newspapers. Niche Marketing:Meant for the elite class(Platinum Cards) Segment Marketing:Recognizes that buyers differ in needs,perceptions and buying behaviour. TARGETING DONE BY SBI: Product Specialization:Car/Auto Loans,Consortium Advances Market Specialization:Home Loans Full Market Specialization:Home Loans,Education Loans POSITIONING: Positioning strategies can be conceived developed in avariety of ways.It can be derived from the object attributes,competition,application,the types of consumers involved,or the characteristics of the product class. Strategies based on:- 1.Customer benefits 2.Pricing 3.Applications 4.Product Process 5.Product Class 6.Cultural Symbols 7.Competitors Some of the Positional Strategies taken by SBI are of the following: 1.Launched new products and services to enhance its image as a customer friendly Bank. 2.SBI has also entered into several alliances and tie-ups with automobile insurance,mutual fund,project finance and medical equipment companies. 3.Marketing initiatives to improve its reach,eg:aggressive marketing through print and television media. QUESTIONNAIRE Name ____________________________________ Occupation ________________________________ Contact Detail ______________________________ Age: Less than 21 22-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 60+ 2. Gender: Male Female 3. Marital Status Single Married Others 4. On which bank you depend for your regular transaction? SBI Allahabad Bank PNB Other Bank, please specify (_______________) 5. Are you aware of the products services provided by SBI? Yes No 6. If yes are you aware of the advance products(Loan Segments) of SBI ? Yes No 7. Which bank you prefer for taking loans ? SBI Allahabad Bank PNB Others, specify(____________) 8. If you prefer SBI for taking loan then what inflence you to take loan from SBI ? _____________________________ _____________________________ 9. Which loan product of SBI have you used ? Home Loan Education Loan Car Loan Personal Loan Other Loans, Specify (_____) 10. What do you feel about the services provided by SBI in advance product ? Bad Satisfactory Good Excellent 11. Which features you like most in loan segments of SBI ? Less paper work Attractive Interest Rate Transparency Simple and Fast processing Flexibility to choose an EMI base loan or an overdraft Longer tenure loan for ease of repayment Specially designed product for self employed Any other feature, specify (______) 11. Mention that account type you are having currently ? _________________________________________ 12. How far are you satisfied with the current services of the bank ? Very satisfied Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 13. The most frequently used service by you is of ________. Banking Outlets Internal Banking Mobile ATM Others 14. Any suggestion you want to give for the betterment of SBI products ? ________________________ ________________________

Use of Doubles in the Film, Shadow of A Doubt :: Movie Film Essays

Use of Doubles in the Film, Shadow of A Doubt The film Shadow of A Doubt uses doubles, a film concept in which a shot is created and then later exposed once again in another frame. There are various scenes in the movie where doubles are used to imply different ideas. Three concrete examples of this effect include the scenes where Uncle Charlie and young Charlie wake up, the scenes where both Charlie’s say that telling Emma about Uncles evildoings will be hurtful, and the scene of the trains going in opposites directions of each other. First and foremost, the scene where Uncle Charlie wakes up parallels directly to the scene of little Charlie waking up. The director makes it obvious that these two characters will be linked in some way through this use of doubles. Later in the film, we find that these two characters are closely connected but have a contrasting relationship. Their relationship was one of much love when Uncle first arrived to the family, and suddenly turned sour when little Charlie told Uncle that there was something inside him that no one knew. Next, Shadow of A Doubt uses the two different scenes where both Uncle Charlie and little Charlie say that telling Emma about Uncle will be hurtful are both combined into a double. The director does this in order to let the viewer see that both Uncle and little Charlie have common thoughts even though they have different perceptions on life. They have a common goal and that is for no one else to hurt from Uncles hidden evils. Lastly, this film uses doubles in the final scene of the movie where the two trains cross each other. This sequence is important due to the fact that Uncle was thrown under one of the trains to his death.

Speech On Black Panthers :: American History

The purpose of the speech I will give today is to make you folks trust government less, any government. (tell them about Canada) I. How much do you guys know about the civil rights era? Well today I will tell you some startling news about the black panthers, one of the people that gave their life for the cause, and Cointelpro, the FBI program that killed him. II. I am not an expert, but have am in love with the topic. I. The Black Panther Party. A. The Black Panther Party was originally named The Black Panther Party for Self-defense. 1. The Black Panther Party was founded by Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, and Richard Aoki in October 1966. 2. The name came from a voting drive that was organized. Alabama law required that there is an emblem for illiterate voters, so the mascot for Clark Collage was chosen. 3. They started out in the California bay area as a reaction to the growing crooked cops, blacks not having rights, and the war in Vietnam. 4. They did not fallow passive protest like Martian Luther king; instead they modeled themselves after the Black Nationalism preached by Malcolm X. Also they separated from non-violence and took up arms, being influenced by Robert F. Williams book Negroes with Guns. 5. After Getting out of prison for an assault charge Huey P. Newton returned to Oakland city collage in 1965. He and Bobby Seale grew dissatisfied with the inertia of the Afro-American Association. They began to feel more and more that the political and social climate at the time called for militancy. B. The Black panthers created the ten point program and platform. 1. The program was a list of needs for the survival and advancement in the United States 2. One Survival Program was called "Breakfast for Kids." This program was one of the most effective, it began from a church in San Francisco and spread, the program fed thousands of children throughout the party's history 3. Other services offered were: Clothing, classes about politics and economics, medical clinics, and lessons on self defense. 4. The first draft was adopted in 1966 and went through several revisions the last being finished in 1972, near the end of the Black Panther Party. 5. The Ten Point Program was also adopted by White Panther Party, The Young Lords Party, and The Brown Berets.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 37

Elena had been tied, like someone in a B-movie who will soon be released, standing upright against a pillar. Digging on the field was still going on in a dilatory way as the vampires who had put her up to this fetched an ash stick they had brought, and allowed Damon to inspect it. Damon himself was moving in slow motion. Trying to find points to kibitz about. Waiting for the rattling of coach wheels that would tell him the carriage was back. Acting brisk, but inside feeling as sluggish as half-cooled lead. I've never been a sadist, he thought. I've always tried to give pleasure – except in fights. But it should be me in that prison cell. Can't Elena see that? It's my turn beneath the lash now. He had changed into his â€Å"magician clothes,† taking as long as he dared without looking as if he wanted to put this off. And now there were somewhere between six and eight hundred creatures, waiting to see Elena's blood spill, to watch Elena's back cut and miraculously heal again. All right. I'm as ready as I'll ever be to do this. He came into his body, into the now of what was happening. Elena swallowed. â€Å"Share the pain† she'd said – without in the least knowing how to do it. But here she was, like a sacrifice tied to a pillar, staring at Bloddeuwedd's house and waiting for the blows to come. Damon was giving the crowd an introductory speech, talking gibberish and doing it very well. Elena found a particular window of the house to stare at. And then she realized that Damon was no longer speaking. A touch of the rod against her back. A telepathic whisper. Are you ready? Yes, she said immediately, knowing that she wasn't. And then hearing, against dead silence, a swish through the air. Bonnie's mind floating into hers. Meredith's mind flowing like a stream. The blow was a mere cuff, although Elena felt blood spill. She could feel Damon's bewilderment. What should have been a sword slash was a mere slap. Painful, but definitely bearable. And once again. The triumvirate portioned out the pain before Damon's mind could receive it. Keep the triangle moving. And a third. Two more to go. Elena allowed her gaze to wander over the house. Up to the third floor where Bloddeuwedd had to be enraged at what had become of her party. One more to go. The voice of a guest coming back to her. â€Å"That library. She has more orbs than most public libraries, and† – with his voice dropping for a moment – â€Å"they say she has all sorts of spheres up there. Forbidden ones. You know.† Elena hadn't known and still could still hardly imagine what might be forbidden here. In her library, Bloddeuwedd, a single, lonely figure, moved in the brilliantly lighted great sphere to find a new orb. Inside the house music would be playing, different music in each different room. Outside, Elena could hear nothing. The last blow. The triumvirate managed to handle it, allotting agonizing pain amongst four people. At least, Elena thought, my dress was already as red as it could be. And then it was over, and Bonnie and Meredith were quarrelling with some of the vampire ladies who wanted to help bathe the blood from Elena's back, showing it once again unblemished and perfect, glowing golden in the sunlight. Better keep them away, Elena thought rather drowsily to Damon; some of them may be compulsive nail-biters or finger-lickers. We can't afford for anyone to taste my blood and feel the life-force in it; not when I've gone through so much to conceal my aura. Although there was clapping and cheering everywhere, no one had thought to untie Elena's wrists. So she stood leaning against the pillar, gazing at the library. And then the world froze. All around her was music and motion. She was the still point in a turning universe. But she had to get moving, and fast. She yanked hard at her bonds, lacerating herself. â€Å"Meredith! Untie me! Cut these ropes, quick!† Meredith obeyed hastily. When Elena turned, she knew what she would see. The face – Damon's face, bewildered, half-resentful, half-humble. It was good enough for her, right then. Damon, we need to get to the – But then they were engulfed by a riot. Well-wishers, fans, skeptics, vampires begging for â€Å"a tiny taste,† gogglers who wanted to make sure that Elena's back was real and warm and unmarked. Elena felt too many hands on her body. â€Å"Get away from her, damn you!† It was the primal savage roar of a beast defending its mate. People backed away from Elena, only to close in†¦very slowly and timidly†¦on Damon. All right, Elena thought. I'll do it alone. I can do it alone. For Stefan, I can. She shouldered her way through the crowd, accepting bunches of hastily dug-up flowers from admirers – and feeling more hands on her body. â€Å"Hey, she really isn't marked!† At last, Meredith and Bonnie helped her to get out – without them she would never have made it. And then she was running, running into the house, not bothering to use the door that was near to Saber's barking place. She thought she knew what was there anyway. On the second floor she spent a minute being bewildered before seeing a thin red line in nothingness. Her blood! See how many things it was good for? Right now it highlighted the first of the glass steps for her, the one she had stumbled into before. And at that time, cradled in Damon's strong arms, she hadn't been able to imagine even crawling up these steps. Now she channeled all the Power she had into her eye nodes – and the stairs lit up. It was still terrifying. There were no handholds on either side, and she was woozy from excitement, fear, and loss of blood. But she forced herself up, and up, and up. â€Å"Elena! I love you! Elena!† She could hear the cry as if Stefan were beside her now. Up, up, up†¦ Her legs ached. Keep going. No excuses. If you can't walk, hobble. If you can't hobble, crawl. She was crawling as she finally reached the top, the edge of the nest of the owl Bloddeuwedd. At least it was still a pretty, if insipid-looking, maiden who greeted her. Elena realized at last what was wrong with Bloddeuwedd's looks. She had no animal vitality. She was, at heart, a vegetable. â€Å"I am going to kill you, you know.† No, she was a vegetable with no heart. Elena glanced around her. She could see outside from here, although in between was the dome that was made of shelves and shelves upon shelves of orbs, so everything was weirdly distorted. There were no hanging creepers here, no flagrant displays of exotic, tropical blooms. But she was already in the center of the room, in Bloddeuwedd's owl nest. Bloddeuwedd was nowhere near it; she was on the contraption that let her reach her star balls. The key could only be buried in that nest. â€Å"I don't want to steal from you,† Elena promised, breathing hard. Even as she spoke, she plunged two arms into the nest. â€Å"Those kitsune played a trick on both of us. They stole something of mine and put the key to it in your nest. I'm just taking back what they put in.† â€Å"Ha! You – human slave! Barbarian! You dared to violate my private library! People outside are digging up my beautiful ballroom, my precious flowers. You think you're going to get away again this time, but you're not! This time you're going to DIE!† It was an entirely different voice than the flat, nasal, but still maidenlike tones that had greeted Elena before. This was a powerful voice, a heavy voice†¦ †¦a voice to go with the size of the nest. Elena looked up. She couldn't make anything of what she saw. An enormous fur coat in a very exotic pattern? Some huge stuffed animal's back? The creature in the library turned toward her. Or rather, its head swiveled toward her, while its back remained perfectly still. It rotated its head sideways and Elena knew that what she was seeing was a face. The head was even more hideous and more indescribable than she could have imagined. It had a sort of single eyebrow which dipped from the edge of one side of its forehead down toward the nose (or where the nose should have been) and then went up again. The feature was like a gigantic V-shaped brow and below it were two huge round yellow eyes that often blinked. There was no nose or mouth like a human's, but instead there was a large, cruel, hooked black beak. The rest of the face was covered in feathers, mostly white, turning mottled gray at the bottom, where the neck seemed to be. It was also gray and white in two hornlike projections that shot up from the top of the head – like a demon's horns, Elena thought wildly. Then, with the head still staring at her, the body turned toward Elena. It was the body of a sturdy woman, covered in white and grizzled feathers, Elena saw. Talons peeked out from under the lowest feathers. â€Å"Hello,† the creature said in a grating voice, its beak opening and closing to bite off the words. â€Å"I'm Bloddeuwedd, and I never let anyone touch my library. I am your death.† The words Can't we at least talk about it first? were on Elena's lips. She didn't want to be a hero. She certainly didn't want to take on Bloddeuwedd while searching for the key that must be here – somewhere. Elena kept on trying to explain while frantically feeling inside the nest, when Bloddeuwedd extended wings that spanned the room and came at her. And then, like a streak of lightning, something zipped between them, giving out a raucous cry. It was Talon. Sage must have given the hawk orders when he left her. The owl seemed to shrink a little – the better to attack, thought Elena. â€Å"Please let me explain. I haven't found it yet, but there is something in your nest that doesn't belong to you. It's mine – and – and Stefan's. And the kitsune hid it the night you had to chase them off your estate. Do you remember that?† Bloddeuwedd didn't answer for a moment. Then she showed that she had a simple, one-size-fits-all-situations philosophy. â€Å"You set foot into my private quarters. You die,† she said and this time when she swooped by Elena, Elena could hear the clack of her beak coming together. Again something small and bright dove at Bloddeuwedd, aiming for her eyes. The great owl had to take her attention off Elena in order to deal with it. Elena gave up. Sometimes you just needed help. â€Å"Talon!† she cried, unsure of how much human speech Talon understood. â€Å"Try to keep her occupied – just for a minute!† As the two birds darted and wheeled and shrieked around her, Elena tried to search with her arms, while ducking when she needed to. But that great black beak was always too close. Once it sliced into her arm, but Elena was on an adrenaline high, and she hardly felt the pain. She kept searching without a pause. Finally, she realized what she should have done from the beginning. She snatched up an orb from its transparent rack. â€Å"Talon!† she called. â€Å"Here!† The falcon dove down toward her and there was a snap. But afterward Elena still had all her fingers and the hoshi no tama was gone. Now, now, Elena truly heard a shriek of rage from Bloddeuwedd. The giant owl went after the hawk, but it was like a human trying to slap a fly – an intelligent fly. â€Å"Give that orb back! It's priceless! Priceless!† â€Å"You'll get it back as soon as I find what I'm looking for.† Elena, mad with terror and soaked in hormones, climbed all the way inside the nest and began searching the marble bottom with her fingers. Twice Talon saved her by dropping orbs with a crash to the ground as the huge owl Bloddeuwedd was headed toward Elena. Each time, the noise of the crash caused the owl to forget about Elena and try to attack the hawk. Then Talon snatched another orb and swept at great speed right under the owl's nose. Elena was beginning to have a nightmare feeling that everything she had known just a half hour before was wrong. She had been leaning against the canopy pole, exhausted, staring up into the library and the maiden who inhabited it and the words had simply flowed into her mind. Bloddeuwedd's orb room†¦ Bloddeuwedd's globe room†¦ Bloddeuwedd's†¦star ball room†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Bloddeuwedd's ballroom. Two ways to take the same words. Two very different kinds of rooms. It was just as she was remembering this that her fingers touched metal.