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This edition includes the entire text of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Also included are a Foreword by author/actor Jon Koons; an Afterword by actor Danielle Manente; and information and photos about THE MAKING OF THE AUDIOBOOK....

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An epic tale of adventure that features Aaricia; a young woman having being betrayed by a loved one, lost her family and her home, must find a way to raise an elite army to help reclaim all she’s lost. Bestowed with a remarkable gift to communicate with a rare kind of beast, and armed with a handful of mercenaries, she must rise to face the most revered ruler in all the lands; the evil Queen, and swayer of the great kingdom of Azzodonia....

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"You? A woman?!" Dirty Simo laughed. "You want to fight the great Azzodonian army?" He mocked the lady standing in front of him, who was dressed in a long, hooded cape. His belly, grotesquely obese, pushed forward as he almost choked on laughter before asking the next question. "Are you mad?" A teardrop formed in the corner of his eye, and saliva dribbled down his chin as he spoke. Dirty Simo's attire consisted of an old, torn doublet that was indicative of his lowly status. "With a face like yours, woman, you don't need an army to conquer a kingdom! Present yourself at any banquet! Watch how kings and their entire subjects shall yield to your beauty!" His beard was stroked a few times as his eyes leered at the beautiful woman. “A great reward shall befall upon all you men, if you help me fight,” she said, dressed in a long hooded white cape, “I am Aaricia, the…” ...

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Acknowledgment Dedication Just a Woman The Noland Army Perfidious Ghourakan Blood The Feathered Friends The Queen of Azzodonia

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paranormal, adventure, speculative, fantasy, romance, mystery, literary

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If you can read the mind and sense the feelings of anyone near, it might come in handy, I suppose, but at what cost? What if someone you love is smiling at you, but thinking something else, so you know the smile is false? Would you really want to know the truth, or would you rather be oblivious? Would you not rather cover the truth with pretence in order to spare your feelings?...

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Away from the gang rivalry, politics, and bloodshed that prevailed in the main Chambal area, in one corner of the Chambal region itself, was a village named Robbers’ Hill. Kailash Pandey lived there. The twenty-year-old young man looked like any other young man. He was five feet eight inches tall, fair, and had a well-built body. He was not educated, but he had learned how to read and write Hindi. Kidnapping for ransom was his profession. Since childhood, he has grown up seeing his father doing it....

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He asked Parvati casually, "Whom will you marry? Shakti Singh, or me?" Parvati got up and looking at Kailash, retorted, “I will not marry any robber.” ...

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Saving Rose Green is a short story that tells the tale of Rose Green, who is an inch away from unravelling the truth when the key witness to exposing one of the ugliest crimes committed is killed. Thinking she is backed by the most trusted organisation, she got caught up in the never-ending war between two worlds and their idea of a free world....

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“Hi, do you speak English?” said the white slim lady to the nurse at the reception. “No, I did not go to Harvard because I am an Arab woman whose parents are low income earners!” answered the nurse. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way!” responded the white lady. “Maybe an identification and a ‘please’ added to your question would make your approach benign, don’t you think?” said the female nurse with a straight face staring straight into her eyes. “I am Rose Green, please I am here to see Doctor Abbas Hassan?” she replied smiling, a bit embarrassed by her first approach. “Now that, my sister is called courtesy. Our parents spend most of their precious time teaching us these things here!” remarked the nurse. She dragged a desk phone on the counter and picked the headset, dialled a number and spoke in Arabic mentioning Rose Green to the person she called then hung up, “Fifth floor, second office on your left!” “Thank you!” said Rose, she looked up the clock hanging on the wall behind the nurse as she walked away. “You’re welcome, Rose Green!” responded the nurse. “Excuse me?” said Rose as she turned. “ána úhibbu fustaanuk!...

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Dedication Name tag Janice Carpenters Tear drops from the moon.

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Following the fall of the most guileful witch in all the lands, young Otheris set on a journey for a much bigger task. This task was nothing other than to bring the heads of the Serpents of Qhudrus, after the king made him an offer he could not refuse....

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“Let go of me Otheris!” cried the old witch in her black cloak as she struggled to free her neck from his grip, he kept walking and didn’t care to look back as he dragged her down the village, “Let me go!” she barely choked struggling with mucus all over her face and his hand. Other than her creaky old voice, only the chirping of the crickets and the hooting of the owls could be heard. Otheris uttered no words as he tugged her. “Please Otheris son of Delial, have mercy and free me,” she pleaded, “I shall not come near thy household again!” still struggling for air to breathe. “You shall be free. I have no plans of taking your life oh great witch of Moughdug. You should know that by now, the village folk need to see you in your true form,” replied Otheris. ...

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Acknowledgments Dedication The great witch of Moughdug Otheris Devourer The road to Qhudrus The Serpents of Qhudrus

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this is a interest book

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Dedicated to Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, William Faulkner and James Joyce, this new novel (2016) has been praised by many readers as a post-modern 21st century classic. Structured as a triptych (a painting with Three Panels), it is an intriguing novel about an English Literature teacher being locked up by a sculptor and the strange events of their lives. It is rich in metaphors and filled with symbolic significance on the meaning of life and the importance of the Arts. It has been positively compared to the best writings of Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, William Faulkner and James Joyce. Acclaimed by teachers of literature as a 21st century classic treasured by lovers of literature and the arts for years to come....

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One would expect a young man whose single mother skipped town a couple of hours after his birth, to have a few problems, but Mortaumal [Mort] doesn’t seem to, thanks to his grandfather. However, when that support is gone and foster parents fail, and there are nasty people demanding he do evil deeds...things begin to look pretty desperate. From the age of ten to eighteen Mort lives with and meets an extraordinary variety of people, gets himself into and out of very hot water, sees rather too many people die, learns to defend himself both physically and mentally, and ends up unimpressed with humanity in general, while loving the few who come up to scratch. This is a light-hearted, not too serious tale about death and dying, affection and callous indifference, independence and love somewhere in tropical Queensland. There’s sentiment but not sentimentality, social criticism, excitement, fun and a bit of everything else in a fast paced yarn that suggests ways to live that are more interesting and natural than those we see on our screens. ...

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1 Mortaumal According to his grandfather, Mortaumal was a smart kid. According to Mortaumal, Simon was a brainless bully. So why wasn’t it Simon lying on his belly, face pressed into the dust, scarcely able to breathe? Surely twice as big should be beaten by twice as clever? Obviously not, or Mortaumal wouldn’t have had his head flushed in a toilet bowl yesterday, and he wouldn’t have had to endure six months of increasingly unpleasant torment. On this relentlessly sunny afternoon, Simon had ambushed Mortaumal from behind a billboard advertising the benefits of ‘Jezebel’s Gymnasium for Fabulous Fitness’, dragged the object of his unwanted attention behind it, thrown him on his face in the dust and sat on his legs. When fruitless flailing of arms failed to free him, Mortaumal had just decided to humiliate himself by screaming for help when Simon dragged his shorts down. Shocked, or perhaps excited at the absence of underpants, the bully allowed his grip to slacken enough for his victim to slither away and tear down the street, school bag flying, shorts barely back in their usual place when he was stopped by a busy road. A q...

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Table of Contents 1 Mortaumal 2 Leon 3 Shrude Aywun 4 Confidences 5 Death 6 Mrs. Pettie 7 Dying 8 The lawyer. 9 Self Defence. 10 Pissed Off 11 Leon and Hugh 12 Family life 13 Fystie 14 A day at the river 15 School 16 School work 17 Mr. Brawn on Women 18 A visit 19 Beach Bully 20 Debriefing 21 Abuse 22 Rescue 23 Marshall on Childhood 24 Paying for It 25 Fystie Returns 26 Life with a lawyer 27 Further Education 28 Sergei 29 Zoltan’s Mother 30 The God Question 31 On Top of the Mountain 32 Marshall meets Angelo 33 Perdita 34 The Beach 35 Bullies 36 Ultimatum 37 Farewells 38 A Change of plans 39 Impersonation 40 Julian 41 The Truth 42 Elbert 43 A Social Occasion 44 A Room With a View 45 School 46 Mr. Preggy 47 The Basement Flat 48 The cop 49 Miss Bussty 50 Brawl 51 Perdita’s present 52 Stefan 53 Perdita Perdue...

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A revolution replaces the Queensland government with a coalition of religious fundamentalists who have strong ideas on how their subjects ought to live, and how to enforce compliance with their draconian laws. Readers have asked what happened to Robert and Bart, the heroes of Rough Justice. They thought I had left them in a bad place…and so I had. Others wanted to know what happened to Sebastian and Jarek between the end of Jarek and the beginning of NumbaCruncha. A good question that requires an answer because what happened could all too easily be the political future for us. So, Fidel is a prequel to NumbaCruncha, and a sequel to my other five novels—Rough Justice, Dome of Death, Sebastian, Jarek and Mortaumal. Fidel is fifteen when the story begins sometime in the near future. He’s running away from home to the big city where he falls into trouble, then miraculously falls out again, and grows into a sturdy, well-liked young man. Like most people he is too busy living to notice that a relatively quiet revolution is taking place, replacing the government with a coalition of religious fundamentalists who have strong id...

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1 Fidel Fidel was scared. Shit scared. He felt like throwing up and probably would have if he'd had any breakfast. He had to stop thinking about it or he’d chicken out. His whole life had been one long worry that he’d done something wrong and would be punished…but this was sharper, more urgent, more exciting too if he could only stop thinking about all the possible consequences. Taking a deep breath he shouldered the backpack that had been hidden in a corner for weeks, let himself out of the shed, crossed the back lawn and tapped on his brother’s open window. Hylas appeared, rubbing at sleepy eyes. ‘Fidel! What’s the matter?’ ‘I’m off.’ ‘Now? But you…’ ‘Shhh! You'll wake Mum. I just wanted to say goodbye and tell you I love you.’ ‘Where are you going? I love you too! Will you write?’ ‘Brisbane. Of course I’ll write. Don’t tell Mum anything. Pretend to be surprised I've gone.’ With a cheery wave that even Hylas knew was fake, Fidel adjusted his pack and ran off before his courage ran out. Twenty minutes later he was sticking out his thumb on the David Low Way. Almost immediately an elderly couple in a battered T...

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Contents 1 Fidel 2 City Centre 3 The Karims 4 What to do? 5 Bart’s enterprise 6 Arnold Jurgenz 7 Bart and Robert 8 Lance 9 Luck 10 Arnold’s Gym 11 Natural Fitness 12 Hylas 13 Brothers in Brisbane 14 Hylas Meets Natural Fitness 15 And Hylas Makes Five 16 JECHIS 17 Lance Returns 18 Disintegration 19 Inspection 20 Plans 21 The Administrator 22 Ciao Natural Fitness 23 Peter and Jon 24 A Forest Retreat 25 On The Run 26 Unpleasantness 27 Travelling On 28 A Meeting 29 Justice 30 F.N.Q. 31 Protectors 32 A Blast From The Past 33 Oasis 34 Tests 35 Developments 36 Job Interview 37 The Vote and After 38 Sanity – Insanity 39 Nothing Lasts Forever 40 Decisions 41 Ciao Oasis 42 Research 43 Solutions 44 The Institute 45 Settling In 46 Endgame ...

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A savage race whose main source of food is humans are fast running out of supplies and so must attack their rival race, who they believe are the cause of their growing food shortages....

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It was late at night, I held firm with such tight grip the weapon I carried then I heard screams and as I looked around, all I could see was a burning bush; the entire place licked up by flames, the moon light blocked by a thick smoke that mantled the surroundings. All of a sudden, about three of them ran out of the bush with their body enshrouded with fire, something burst in the flames like big drums accompanied by a hissing sound which irrupted. The smell of sulphur and burning flesh took my nose hostage but for some reason, I stood and watched the horror with my feet grounded defensively. The invaders took siege of the bush holding their torches as they continued to set it ablaze. I went round and saw people being butchered by the invaders, anyone that jumped out of the burning bush was instantly killed. The sight was awful and it seemed there was nothing I could do. I also noticed the invaders were bigger in size compared to the ones that were being hunted, burnt and killed. The sound of their voices and cries in the fire weakened my heart. I could not fathom why I was there or why I could not do anything. The attack was...

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Acknowledgments Dedication I am Buga The dead Purican prince The brides Head on a platter The sun sets on the Redicans Tempest The guardian Friends and foes ...

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This book was written after having an epiphany. I literally woke up from a dream and began writing. This story is appropriate for any reader age 9 and above. You'll find no gratuitous violence, foul language or nightmarish scenes. What you will discover on these pages is an adventure unlike anything I had ever dreamed about before; a fantasy tale worthy of reading aloud and a cast of characters that could only have come from deep within a creative mind. In The Hero's Chamber, two young men take a reluctant journey to find something that hasn't existed in thousands of years. Their guide may not be trustworthy, their fate is almost certain death but without this effort their world, the original Earth, will die. Our adventurers are led by a young woman who must remain unseen, she is forbidden to speak and yet without her there can be no success. Join this unforgettable group as they struggle through an epic journey that none of them expected, none of them asked for and none of them may survive....

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In the early morning hours of July 5th 2006, I woke up from a dream. Since then, I’ve tried to write down what I experienced; to express what I saw, to tell the story of my dream. The reason for my effort and the purpose of this book is to get the images, the story, the characters, and the emotions out of my head. With my dream finally down on paper, at least the first half of it, I know that I will be able to put aside the unreasonably detailed visions that have danced through my head for years. After you read it, I hope you understand why I had to write it down. ...

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FRAYED EDGES FRIENDS MR. MILLER THE KINGDOM AS IT WAS FIRST STEPS AN EARLY DEPARTURE THE WASTELANDS HEAVY BURDENS DAYS TURN TO WEEKS KNOWLEDGE AND PERSPECTIVE CONSEQUENCES FIRST IMPRESSIONS EASY TRAVELING BASE CAMP A SLIPPERY SLOPE THE HERO’S CHAMBER STRANGE ATTRACTORS THE WANDERER’S WAY PROMISES FULFILLED UNEXPECTED GIFTS SUNRISE 275 THE CALL WISDOM 292 ...

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Sarah is travelling to rural Maine to visit an old friend, Midge Parker, who disappeared under peculiar circumstances almost a decade earlier. She drives 400 miles only to discover that Midge has moved on again without leaving any forwarding address. But the journey's end offers an unexpected revelation....

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《铁血除弊事》是一部精彩万分的悬疑谍战网络文学，故事之所以精彩，除了人物塑造较为成功之外，关键在于本书的时代背景：1950年6月，朝鲜战争爆发，美国出兵朝鲜，杜鲁门下令第七舰队进驻台湾海峡。 故事就是在这一历史关键转折点铺展开来的，局势对当时的国民党非常不利，五月舟山、海南相继沦陷，若战事无法继续扭转，台湾就岌岌可危了。山雨欲来风满楼，此刻的台湾岛内民众要求反腐消除积弊的声浪此起彼伏，蒋总裁为了挽回民心，同年下令枪毙了陈仪，把228事件的历史罪责都归咎于陈仪一人。 为了挽救濒临灭亡的国民党政权，蒋建丰结合当年自己在上海打老虎时期的失败教训，重新组建起了一支铁血救国会，目的是希望铁血救国会能够在香港反腐缉私事务中发挥积极作用，找到国民党内部大老虎们在香港走私洗钱的确凿证据，自己也好借此机会在岛内开展整顿党务工作，从而肃清党内的腐败分子和内奸，净化党员队伍。唯有如此，台湾岛内新的币值改革才有成功的一线生机。 为了推行新的币值改革，铁血救国会不惜远赴香港搜集情报，然而一场看不见的血雨腥风正在等待着他们，在朝鲜战争疑云密布下，各路人马在香港这座弹丸之地粉墨登场，展开了一场你死我活的殊死较...

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《铁血除弊事》是一部精彩万分的悬疑谍战网络文学，故事之所以精彩，除了人物塑造较为成功之外，关键在于本书的时代背景：1950年6月，朝鲜战争爆发，美国出兵朝鲜，杜鲁门下令第七舰队进驻台湾海峡。 故事就是在这一历史关键转折点铺展开来的，局势对当时的国民党非常不利，五月舟山、海南相继沦陷，若战事无法继续扭转，台湾就岌岌可危了。山雨欲来风满楼，此刻的台湾岛内民众要求反腐消除积弊的声浪此起彼伏，蒋总裁为了挽回民心，同年下令枪毙了陈仪，把228事件的历史罪责都归咎于陈仪一人。 为了挽救濒临灭亡的国民党政权，蒋建丰结合当年自己在上海打老虎时期的失败教训，重新组建起了一支铁血救国会，目的是希望铁血救国会能够在香港反腐缉私事务中发挥积极作用，找到国民党内部大老虎们在香港走私洗钱的确凿证据，自己也好借此机会在岛内开展整顿党务工作，从而肃清党内的腐败分子和内奸，净化党员队伍。唯有如此，台湾岛内新的币值改革才有成功的一线生机。 为了推行新的币值改革，铁血救国会不惜远赴香港搜集情报，然而一场看不见的血雨腥风正在等待着他们，在朝鲜战争疑云密布下，各路人马在香港这座弹丸之地粉墨登场，展开了一场你死我活的殊死较...

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· 第一节蒋建丰驱车探病房谢穆澜病榻思情人 · 第二节 前线战事沦陷频传 重整币值事在人为 · 第三节梁复生掀怒骂狂潮蒋建丰谈孤臣孽子 · 第四节行辕会议众说纷纭出兵朝鲜意见不合 · 第五节谢国栋后海逢玉英白发红颜续写佳话 · 第六节精锐部队蓄势待发以战养战计划泡汤 · 第七节梁复生抒郁勃之气蒋建丰论黄埔精神 · 第八节谢梁二人喜结良缘训练中心开筵设酒 · 第九节谢穆澜枕边莺声泣露梁复生灯下验对枪伤 · 第十节徐寅贬谪基隆监狱CC派系势如危卵 · 第十一节梁复生冷嘲热讽徐寅蒋建丰过问行总舞弊 · 第十二节黄蒲诚甄别洪门中人蒋建丰灯下阅批点将 · 第十三节前线急缺运输工具谢老率众战略南下 · 第十四节谢国栋感慨武装和平梁复生一行劈波斩浪 · 第十五节宋子亮诧异戏园突访谢国栋设计巧献金条 · 第十六章 宋子亮携美眷参加晚会 战斗同盟酝酿绑架计划 · 第十七章 壮汉夜袭铁血救国会 谢穆澜孤胆勇夺手枪 · 第十八节 梁复生损兵折将受阻香港 蒋建丰摘埴索涂临危受命 · ​第十九章 铁血救国会全军覆没 谢穆澜为爱命丧黄泉...

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Science fiction adventure predicting future after few centuries.

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A journal on one of Florentin Smarandache's adventures!

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În Vestul Sălbatic ..................................................................... 5 Oraşul fantastic ........................................................................ 8 În ţara lui Pelé ........................................................................ 15 Florentin la Florenţa ............................................................... 87 Cu „carozza” spre Veneţia ................................................... 126 Turnul din Pisa ..................................................................... 134 Eterna Eladă ......................................................................... 154 Civilizaţia incaşă .................................................................. 200 The Wild West ....................................... 5 Fantastic city ................................... 8 Pele country ................................. 15 Florence Florentine .......................................... 87 With "Carozzi" to Venice ............................. 126 Tower of Pisa ............................................... 134 Elad Eterna ................................................ 154 ...

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О добре и зле

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 Глава 1. Конец света, как и обещали. Провинциальный городок, каких не счесть в России. Тихая улочка с магазинами и кинотеатр Родина. Мир затих, глубокая осень. А, где то бушуют страсти,и льется кровь. Войны. И огромные свалки , результат прогресса человечества. Где то в опере идёт представление , ставят Гамлета,где то выставка картин, спортивное состязание. Человечество живёт на полную катушку.   Молодой человек, по имени Михаил, читает книгу о болезнях крови. В комнате горит лампа. Вечер.Его родители мирно на кухне ведут беседу. Как твоя работа? - спрашивает отец. Да, ничего , устала очень, эти проверки,люди с ума посходили- говорит мать. Понятное дело , край на первом месте по сельскому хозяйству, надо же соответствовать- заключает папа....

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все здесь

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Agitalancia has no time for consistency or determined outcomes, at least those planned by human mortals. He frequently calls on saints and philosophers to support his own views, though to do so he is usually obliged to mangle or invert the meanings of the words he quotes. An example of his manipulation of philosophers occurs when he cites Epicurus: Recall the teachings of Epicurus, the philosopher whose reasoning is least tarnished by error,” directed Gregorio. “The first principles of the universe are atoms and empty space ; everything else is merely thought to exist. The worlds are unlimited ; they come into being and perish. Nothing can come into being from that which is not nor pass away into that which is not. Further, the atoms are unlimited in size and number, and they are borne along in the whole universe in a vortex, and thereby generate all composite things: fire, water, air, earth; for even these are conglomerations of given atoms. And it is because of their solidity that these atoms are impassive and unalterable. The sun and the moon have been composed of such smooth and spherical masses made up of atoms, and so also the...

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As he spoke he beheld a light in the heavens and a glitter of lamps, but nothing else. His hearers were amazed at what had occurred. His usual caution left him and he walked out into the storm. When he returned, he was wearing a purple robe, tied with a golden girdle. He wore bronze slippers on his feet and a wreath of laurel crowned his head. He found there was a general consternation regarding his whereabouts. He bade them take no further trouble, for things beyond expectation had happened to him, and it was their duty to sacrifice to him since he was now a god. He comforted them, saying, “The storm may continue and destroy all of you, but I will not be harmed. There is no need for any of you to be worried. There is no reason to worry about yourselves if I am safe.” "We cannot guard against god-sent catastrophes," said Celinda piously. "That would be blasphemy. If Gregorio were the one and only god we could give thanks. He would be too frightened to antagonise his worshippers. He would never visit us with catastrophes."...

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Chapter One: Gregorio Agitalancia and his admiring acolytes consider the virtues of cowardice and seek alternatives to danger. Guglielmo loses his oar but finds Rosa who ultimately proves more troublesome than a lost oar. 12 Chapter Two: Giustina considers the value of heroism, the relative benefits of heroic cowards and poetic poltroons in the putative bowels of the Trinity, whether the Trinity shares a bowel or each person has its own bowel. The company on the gondola discuss the relative merits of vulgar and noble love and the proximity of fresh corpses to lovers. Arriving in Venice, Guglielmo meets Betto, and they consider the value of memory in exploiting the sick and dying. 58 Chapter Three: Gregorio Agitalancia is required for a more onerous task than battle, though he is willing to courteously believe it is less onerous. Panfilo Cateruzzi offers Gregorio two illicit, acceptable commissions. 82 Chapter Four: The arrival of the Doge's niece, Paolina and her lover, Rambaldo causes much toing and froing across water. Caterina is condemned and then pardoned owing to her useful, criminal connections. A storm brews and Gregor...

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This photoalbum contains photographies made during a trip to Yellowstone National Park in October 2009. The title-lines are words and expressions in Latin, describing instant feelings, thoughts and impressions....

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A few titles: fulminare: to flash with thunderbolts in posse: potentially januis clausis: with closed doors lex loci: law of the place non obstante: notwithstanding prima facie: at first sight ex mero motu: out of pure simple impulse quieta non movere: don't move the settled vis inertiae: power of inaction punctatim: point by point fons et origo: source and origin nunc pro tunc: now for then apricus: full of sunlight rebus sic stantibus: things thus standing pari passu: at equal pace ecce signum: behold the sign...

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În ciuda coronavirusului – virus cunoscut sub numele științific de 2019-nCov apoi COVID-19 (…) – și a riscului călătoriei externe, nu m-am putut abține de la un nou voiaj: de data aceasta, în Chile. (…) M-am pornit spre Chile cu treburi științifice, dar și cu ideea că orice nouă călătorie înseamnă o nouă învățătură. În doar câteva zile, planurile mele au fost date peste cap de COVID-19. Conferința științifică a fost anulată și era să rămân blocat în Chile, de unde m-am strecurat cu greutate și după peripeții, printre viruși – biologici și ideologici – spre domiciul american din New Mexico. (Florentin Smarandache)...