Impact of ICT on Accounting

Impact of ICT on Accounting Effect  of  ICT in the Accounting Records Keeping and how ICT features in todays organization in Sierra Leone 1.  Introduction Information and communication technology (ICT) connectivity (PCs and Internet) is very widespread in businesses of all sizes in Sierra Leone. As is the case with all technologies, small businesses are slower than large ones to adopt new ICTs. Potential small business benefits and firm and sector-specific strategies drive the adoption and use of ICTs. Furthermore, sectors are increasingly global and dominated by large firms and the structure of their values chains and operations shape opportunities for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). Principal reasons for non-adoption are lack of applicability and little incentive to change business models when returns are unclear. SMEs also face generic barriers to adoption including trust and transaction security and IPR concerns, and challenges in areas of management skills, technological capabilities, productivity and competitiveness. The issues for governments are to foster appropriate business environments for e-business and ICT uptake (e.g. Sierratel to diffuse broadband, enhance competition), and target programmes to overcome market failures to the extent that they are needed in particular areas (e.g. Skill formation, specialized information). Advancement in technology has affected the way things are done in various domains. Accounting is no exception. The traditional books are being replaced by computers. Accounting staff are required to be computer literate and spend more time in front of a computer screen than writing on papers and in books. Information and communication technology (ICT) and e-business applications provide many benefits across a wide range of intra- and inter-firm business processes and transactions. ICT applications improve information and knowledge management inside the firm and can reduce transaction costs and increase the speed and reliability of transactions for both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. In addition, they are effective tools for improving external communications and quality of services for established and new customers. For small firms to adopt e-business and e-commerce strategies and tools, benefits must outweigh investment and maintenance costs. Commercial considerations and potential returns drive adoption. Beyond a certain level of connectivity (PC, Internet access, on-line information or marketing), not all SMEs will necessarily catch up with large firms, simply because e-commerce may not bring large benefits and SMEs will stay with traditional business processes. Other barriers have been seen to be the availability of ICT competencies within the firm, and availability and cost of appropriate interoperable small-firm systems, network infrastructure and Internet-related support services. Lack of reliable trust and redress systems and cross-country legal and regulatory differences also impede cross-border transactions. 2. Why Have So Few SMEs Adopted ICT in Sierra Leone? Given the benefits that ICT can bring to SMEs, SMEs in Sierra Leone have been slow to adopt it. For example, 90 percent of SMEs still use basic communication technology such as fixed phone line and fax, and approximately 10% percent use CRM software. Meanwhile, their counterparts in developed countries are using advanced ITs. One cause of limited adoption is the lack of dynamism between ICT firms and SMEs outside of the ICT sector. ICT firms have not provided goods and services tailored to SMEs in the past because demand from SMEs has been low. However, their demand is low in part because ICT products available in the market are too complex and expensive. The result is a vicious cycle of limited supply and limited demand that ultimately excludes SMEs from the benefits of ICT. Other factors also contribute to the limited supply and demand of ICT for SMEs: Supply Side 1. Poor communications infrastructure results in limited access and higher costs.Sierra Leone have poor communications infrastructure. Outdated equipment and state-owned monopolies often result in expensive charges and limited coverage, especially in rural areas. This discourages SMEs from adopting even the basic ICT of fixed lines or mobile phones. 2. Most advanced ICT products are designed for larger firms and not SMEs.ICT firms used to target large enterprises because they had a larger budget and were willing to pay for more complex ICT services. Their products are often too expensive and too complex for SME users. However, competition in this market is making firms both large and small turn their attention towards the untapped SME market. Rosetta, for example, is pushing to capture SME customers by lowering prices by 50 percent and increasing awareness. Demand Side 1. Limited ICT literacy of SME owners hinders their ability to choose the appropriate technology and understand the concrete benefits it can bring to their business. Many SME owners in Sierra Leone are unfamiliar with operating a computer, are skeptical of the concrete benefits to its core business, and have the stereotype that ICT is only for larger companies. Even if they have the will and financial resources to integrate ICT into their core business, SME owners are often at a loss when needing to choose the most appropriate and cost-efficient product. 2. Limited ICT literacy of employees in SMEs hinders ICT adoption. Even if SME owners have a strategic understanding of why they should adopt ICT, their staff is often untrained. Training costs both time and money resources that SMEs usually lack. 3. Adopting ICT is an adaptive challenge, not a technical challenge. Adopting ICT is a difficult task for companies of all sizes, whether they are in developed or developing countries. In fact, a lot of management literature focuses on the organizational changes that firms must go through in order to effectively adopt ICT because they change the way firms do business. While the changes may be beneficial in the long run, they often hurt one department and strengthen another. For example, Zhang Hongwei, senior consultant with DLong International Strategic Investment, comments that in order to make ERPs cost-saving and efficiency-building features work, managers must be willing to take measures that can be anathema in the state-owned sector, such as selling businesses, laying off workers, and changing longstanding vendor relationships. All of this can be tough to do. Thus, SME owners are often reluctant to bring their firm through a learning curve that may be difficult and costly. 4. Lack of financing options limits SME ability to purchase ICT. Lack of financing and appropriate technology is clearly a major handicap to developing country producers and exporters, and it inhibits developing countries from deriving full benefits from their trade rights. Rubens Ricupero, Secretary General of UNCTAD, 18 February 2002, Geneva SMEs in Sierra Leone usually have limited ability to make larger investments in their firm due to the lack of financing options. Given the financial squeeze, IT budgets are usually small or nonexistent. In addition, adopting ICT is not a one-time cost because there are ongoing costs of maintenance, upgrading, and human capacity building. 3. Why Should SMEs Adopt ICT? SMEs are often the main driver for a countrys economic growth. However, as the number of SMEs increases, competition increases, which then results in a decrease in prices, customer base, or both. This in turn will erode existing profits, creating less incentive for people to start SMEs. This dynamic is captured by balancing feedback loops where the greater the number of SMEs, the greater the competition, resulting in a slower rate of growth for SMEs. To counter the increasing competition, firms can lower prices, increase promotion of their product, improve their product, add new distribution channels, and/or improve their internal processes. The challenge is to counter competition when the firm still has the financial resources to do so. Otherwise, once the pressure of competition sufficiently erodes the SMEs profits, it will no longer have resources to counter the competition and will have to exit the market. Foreign firms in both the import and export markets further add to competi tive pressures, especially if they react faster to improve their product, process, promotion, or distribution channels. This is the problem of the Digital Divide. When firms in developed countries adopt ICT, firms in developing countries like Sierra Leone will lose out on the competition. This in turn can slow the growth rate of SMEs and hurt the economy as a whole. ICT can thus play a very important role because it can help SMEs both create business opportunities and combat pressures from competition. Appropriate ICT can help SMEs cut costs by improving their internal processes, improving their product through faster communication with their customers, and better promoting and distributing their products through online presence. In fact, ICT has the potential to improve the core business of SMEs in every step of the business process. In Sierra Leone where SMEs already have basic ICT, adopting more advanced ICT still brings enormous benefits. Advanced communication technologies such as email can help firms communicate faster and cheaper with both its suppliers and clients. In 2000, an organization that uses paper took on average 7.4 days to move a purchase from request to approval, but if done electronically, only took 1.5 days. Advanced ITs such as ERP software can capture cost savings. Beyond cost savings, SCM software can also help increase productivity, efficiency of inventory controls, and increase sales through closer relationships and faster delivery times 4. Conclusion ICT has been now boon to every modern system to perform all its operations with computer as the middle principle. The application of ICT in Financial management has also accounted a lot more success and efficiency in performing various operations related to different activities to commit a financial transaction. So for as the efficiency and effectiveness of ICT is concerned it has notably produced better throughputs which were acceptable and reliable. The need of the hour is the plan and develops more security measures to ensure authentic and secure client and server communication. Sierra Leone SMEs in addition to dont having required expertise and knowledge and also lack of familiarity with technology is also beginning to use ICT with face fixed costs very high in comparison to their size, while for large businesses, this is not so. These costs include costs such as creation website, using e-commerce and costs associated with projects of electronic auctions, search engines and similar cases. While the costs associated with deploying advanced ICT technologies for industries and big businesses are not very significant. These are issues that a broad group of SMEs doesnt know digital technologies related to their business and their goods and services do not know appropriate for e-commerce (E-Business Policy Group 2002). SMEs often have to accept market conditions and they are not in a situation like the big companies that form the market conditions (this issue is concerned follow and leader companies in the market). Moreover, instability (such as financial insecurity in SMEs) and potential risks in e-commerce, many SMEs may be inclined to risk aversion and the choice of conservative policies and in fact they adopt policy of wait and observed in acceptation of digital technology. For many SMEs, there is considerable uncertainty about the opportunities and benefits of ICT adoption, this opportunities for them is still unproven. This problem causes that they are reluctance to complete the adoption of new business models and technology. 3. Small and medium companies due to limitations such as low investment, lack of laboratories, capacity less for communicating with and external consultants is facing to experiment with more serious problems for testing new procedures of business. Although financial cons traints are the most important limitations but factors such as less time, fewer resources and also imposed to these enterprises. Using modern ICT technology is In fact new ways that SMEs will face a substantial risk. Accordingly, we can say that the use of ICT in enterprises depends on the size of the firm. References [1] Aliyu A.A, Tasmin R.B.Hj (2012), The Impact of ICT on Bank Performance and Customer Service Delivery in Banking Industry, InternationalJournalofLatestTrendsinFinance,Economicsand Science, 2(1): 80-90. [2] Adwin A.M, Opkara A, Mike A.O, Francis A.O (2014), The Impact of ICT in The Strategic Management of Financial Institutions, International Review of Management and Business Research, 3(3):1588-1602 [3] Adesola M.A, Moradeyo O.A, Oyeniyi K.O (2013), Impact of ICT on Nigeria Banks Operations: A Study of United Banks for Africa (UBA) Plc, International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 2(9): 7-12. [5] Ashrafi, Murtuza. M (2008), use of impact of ICT on SMEs in Oman, Electronic Journal Information SystemandEvaluation, 10: 125-138. [6] Gichoya D (2006), Factors Affecting the Successful Implementation of ICT Projectsin Government, Electronic Journal of EGovernment, 3(4): 175-184. [7] Binuyo A.O, Aregbesola R.A (2014), the impact of ICT on Commercial Bank Performance: Evidence from South Africa, Problems andPerespectives in Management, 12(3): 59-68. [8] Curristine T, Lonti Zsuzsanna, Jaumard I (2007), Improving Public Sector Efficiency: Challenges and Opportunities, OECD Journal of Budgeting, 7(1): 1-42. [9] Gadamsetty Sai Arun (2013), understandin financial inclusion in India and role of ICT in ICT, InternationalJournal of InnovativeResearch andDevelopment, 2(12): 198-201.

All the Wrong Moves Case Essay

What’s the right decision –making process for Nutrorim? I think, it is necessary to change democratic management for authoritative management. Because Mr. Don nobody takes. It is very democratic, loyal to employees, he tries to listen to all and make the right decision. And his employees do not perceive it. You need to change his style of management. The democratic leadership style is a very open and collegial style of running a team. Ideas move freely amongst the group and are discussed openly. Everyone is given a seat at the table, and discussion is relatively free-flowing. Some managers adopt democratic leadership to please their subordinates but fail to follow the technique in its entirety. They might simply take in all the ideas and end up never implementing them. Disadvantages: Employees might take advantage of the situation, The decision making process is very time consuming due to the need for consensus and agreement and this can be risky in the situations when a quick decision needs to be taken. One way, and one way only. That is the nature of the style of the authoritarian leader. Employees must do precisely what they are told to do by the leader, without any questions or creative input. This style of leadership is most often used when a company needs to make a quick decision, or with a large number of workers who are poorly skilled and who need to be controlled. The authoritative style of leadership carries many disadvantages, including a high risk of hostile divisions, lack of motivation and absence of new and diverse ideas in a team. But for Don currently need this style of management. From this it can make a quick decision. Or he can in the process of developing the decision to use the democratic style of management, and in the decision is the authoritarian style.

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-One

MIXING WHAT I NEEDED TO was easy. Getting it to where I needed took a couple of days. I first had to pay attention to what kind of shampoo Laurel used in the PE showers. The school provided shampoo and conditioner, of course, but she wouldn't trust her precious hair with anything so commonplace. Once I knew her brand, I hunted it down at a local beauty supply store and emptied its expensive contents down the drain. I filled bottles with my homemade concoction instead. The next step was switching it with Laurel's own bottle. I recruited Kristin for this. Her locker was next to Laurel's in PE, and she was more than willing to help me out. Part of it was that she shared our dislike of Laurel. But also, ever since I'd saved her from the tattoo reaction, Kristin had made it clear that she was indebted to me and had my back in whatever I needed. I didn't like the idea of her owing me, but her assistance did come in handy. She found a moment when Laurel looked away from her unlocked locker and covertly made the switch. We then simply had to wait for the next time Laurel used the shampoo to see the results of my handiwork. Meanwhile, my other lab experiment wasn't receiving quite the reaction I'd expected. Ms. Terwilliger accepted my report but not the amulet. â€Å"I have no use for it,† she remarked, glancing up from the papers I'd handed her. â€Å"Well†¦ I certainly don't either, ma'am.† She set the papers down. â€Å"This is all true? You followed every step precisely? I'd certainly have no way of knowing if you'd, ah, fudged some of the details.† I shook my head. â€Å"Nope. I followed every step.† â€Å"Well, then. It looks like you have yourself a fire-making charm.† â€Å"Ma'am,† I said, by way of protest. She grinned. â€Å"What do the directions say? Throw it and recite the last incantation? Do you know it?† ‘†Into flame, into flame,'† I said promptly. After having typed the spell initially for her notes and then re-creating it, it was hard not to have picked it all up. According to the book – which was an English translation of a Latin text – the language didn't matter so long as the words' meaning was clear. â€Å"Well, there you go. Give it a try one of these days and see what happens. Just don't light any school property on fire. Because that's not safe.† I held up the amulet by the string. â€Å"But this isn't real. This is nonsense. It's a bunch of junk thrown together in a bag.† She shrugged. â€Å"Who are we to question the ancients?† I stared, trying to figure out if she was joking. I'd known she was eccentric from day one, but she'd still always come across as a serious scholar. â€Å"You can't believe that. Magic like this†¦ it's not real.† Without thinking, I added, â€Å"Even if it was, ma'am, it's not for humans to mess around with powers like that.† Ms. Terwilliger was silent for several moments. â€Å"You truly believe that?† I fingered the cross around my neck. â€Å"It's how I was raised.† â€Å"Understood. Well, then, you may do what you like with the amulet. Throw it away, donate it, experiment with it. Regardless, this report's what I need for my book. Thank you for putting in the time – as always, you've done more than was required.† I put the amulet in my purse when I left, not really sure what to do. It was useless†¦ and yet, it had also cost me a lot of time. I was disappointed it wasn't going to have a more meaningful purpose in her research. All that effort gone to waste. The last of my projects showed development the next day, however. In AP Chemistry, Greg Slade and some of his friends scurried into class just as the bell rang. Our teacher gave them a warning look, but they didn't even notice. Slade was preening over his eagle tattoo, baring it for everyone to see. The ink was gleaming silver again. Next to him, one of his friends was also proudly showing off another silver tattoo. It was a pair of stylized crossed daggers, which was only slightly less tacky than the eagle. This was the same friend who had been worrying earlier this week that he wouldn't be able to get a tattoo. Apparently, things had worked out with the supplier. Interesting. Part of holding off on reporting to the Alchemists had been to see if Nevermore would replenish what I'd stolen. â€Å"It's amazing,† Slade's friend said. â€Å"The rush.† â€Å"I know.† Slade gave him a fist bump. â€Å"Just in time for tomorrow.† Trey was watching them, his expression dark. â€Å"What's tomorrow?† I whispered to him. He eyed them contemptuously for a few more moments before turning back to me. â€Å"Do you live under a rock? It's our first home game.† â€Å"Of course,† I said. My high school experience wouldn't be complete without the quintessential football hype. â€Å"A lot of good it'll do me,† he muttered. â€Å"Your bandages are off,† I pointed out. â€Å"Yeah, but Coach is still making me take it easy. Plus, I'm kind of deadweight now.† He nodded toward Slade and his friend. â€Å"How come they don't get in trouble for those? They're not making any effort to hide them. This school has no discipline anymore. We're practically in anarchy.† I smiled. â€Å"Practically.† â€Å"Your brother should be on the team, you know. I've seen him in PE. He could be a star athlete if he bothered trying out for anything.† â€Å"He doesn't like drawing attention to himself,† I explained. â€Å"But he'll probably go watch the game.† â€Å"Are you going to go to the game?† â€Å"Probably not.† Trey arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Hot date?† â€Å"No! But I'm just†¦ well, not into watching sports. And I feel like I should stay with Jill.† â€Å"You won't even go to cheer me on?† â€Å"You don't need my cheers.† Trey gave me a disappointed look as a response. â€Å"Maybe it's just as well,† he said. â€Å"Since you really wouldn't get to see me performing to my full level of awesomeness.† â€Å"That is a shame,† I agreed. â€Å"Oh, stop with the sarcasm already.† He sighed. â€Å"My dad's going to be the most upset. There are family expectations.† Well, that was something I could relate to. â€Å"Is he a football player too?† â€Å"Nah, it's less about football itself than keeping yourself in peak physical shape. Excelling. Ready to be called upon in a moment's notice. Being the best on the team's been a way to keep him proud – until these tattoos started.† â€Å"You're good without any tattoo help. He should still be proud,† I said. â€Å"You don't know my father.† â€Å"No, but I think I know someone just like him.† I smiled. â€Å"You know, maybe I do need to go to a football game after all.† Trey simply smiled back, and class started. The day passed calmly, but Jill ran up to me as soon as I entered the locker room for PE. â€Å"I heard from Lia! She asked if I could come by tonight. She's had regular practices with the other models but thought I could use a special session of my own since I don't have any experience. Of course, the thing is, I†¦ you know, need a ride. Do you think†¦ I mean, could you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"It's what I'm here for.† â€Å"Thank you, Sydney!† She threw her arms around me, much to my astonishment. â€Å"I know you don't have any reason to help me after everything I've done, but – â€Å" â€Å"It's fine, it's fine,† I said, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. I took a steadying breath. Think of it as Jill hugging me. Not as a vampire hugging me. â€Å"I'm glad to help.† â€Å"Would you two like to be alone?† sneered Laurel, striding in with her entourage. â€Å"I always knew there was something weird about your family.† Jill and I split apart, and she blushed, which only made them laugh more. â€Å"God, I hate them,† she said when they were out of earshot. â€Å"I really want to get them back.† â€Å"Patience,† I murmured. â€Å"They'll get what's coming to them someday.† Eyeing Laurel's locker, I thought that â€Å"someday† might come sooner rather than later. Jill shook her head in amazement. â€Å"I don't know how you can be so forgiving, Sydney. Everything just rolls right off of you.† I smiled, wondering what Jill would think if she knew the truth – that I wasn't quite as â€Å"forgiving† as I appeared. And not just when it came to Laurel. If Jill wanted to think of me that way, so be it. Of course, my facade as a kindly, turn-the-other-cheek person was shattered when Laurel's shriek's filled the locker room at the end of class an hour later. It was almost a repeat of the ice incident. Laurel came tearing out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. She ran to the mirror in horror, holding her hair up to it. â€Å"What's wrong?† asked one of her friends. â€Å"Can't you see it?† cried Laurel. â€Å"There's something wrong†¦ it doesn't feel right. It's oil†¦ or I don't know!† She took out a blow dryer and dried a section while the rest of us watched with interest. After a few minutes, the long strands were dry, but it was hard to tell. It really was like her hair was coated in oil or grease, like she hadn't washed it in weeks. That normally gleaming, bouncy hair now hung in lank, ugly coils. The color was also off a little. The bright, flaming red now had a sickly yellow hue. â€Å"It smells weird too,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Wash it again,† suggested another friend. Laurel did that, but it wasn't going to help. Even when she figured out that her shampoo was causing the problem, the stuff I'd made wasn't going to come out of her hair easily. Water would continue fueling the reaction, and it was going to take many, many scrubbings before she fixed the problem. Jill gave me astonished look. â€Å"Sydney?† she whispered, a million questions in my name. â€Å"Patience,† I assured her. â€Å"This is just the first act.† That evening, I drove Jill down to Lia DiStefano's boutique. Eddie went with us, of course. Lia was only a few years older than me and nearly a foot shorter. Despite her tiny size, there was something big and forceful about her personality as she confronted us. The shop was filled with elegant gowns and dresses, though she herself was dressed ultra-casual, in ripped jeans and an oversized peasant blouse. She flipped on the closed sign on her door and then confronted us with hands on her hips. â€Å"So, Jillian Melrose,† she began. â€Å"We have less than two weeks to turn you into a model.† Her eyes fell on me. â€Å"And you're going to help.† â€Å"Me?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I'm just the ride.† â€Å"Not if you want your sister to shine in my show.† She stared back up at Jill, the difference in their heights almost comical. â€Å"You have to eat, drink, and breathe modeling if you're going to pull this off. And you have to do it all – in these.† With a flourish, Lia grabbed a nearby shoe box and produced a pair of glittery purple shoes with heels that had to be at least five inches high. Jill and I stared. â€Å"Isn't she tall enough already?† I asked at last. Lia snorted and thrust the shoes at Jill. â€Å"These aren't for the show. But once you master these, you'll be ready for anything.† Jill took them gingerly, holding them up to study them. The heels reminded me of the silver stakes Eddie and Rose used to kill Strigoi. If Jill really wanted to be prepared for any situation, she could just keep these around. Self-conscious of our scrutiny, she finally kicked off her brown flats and fastened the many elaborate straps of the purple shoes. Once they were on, she slowly straightened up – and nearly fell over. I hastily jumped to catch her. Lia nodded in approval. â€Å"See? This is what I was talking about. Sisterly teamwork. It's up to you to make sure she doesn't fall and break her neck before my show.† Jill shot me a look of panic that I suspect was reflected on my own face. I started to suggest that Eddie be Jill's spotter, but he had discreetly moved off to the side of the shop to watch and seemed to have escaped Lia's notice. Apparently, his protective services had limits. While Jill simply attempted not to topple over, I helped Lia clear space in the store's center. Lia then spent the next hour or so demonstrating how to properly walk for fashion, with emphasis on posture and stride in order to display clothing to its best effect. Most of those fine details were lost on Jill, though, who struggled to simply walk across the room without falling. Grace and beauty weren't concerns as much as staying upright. Nonetheless, when I glanced over at Eddie, he was watching Jill with a rapt look on his face, as though every step she were taking was pure magic. Catching my eye, he immediately resumed his wary, protective guardian face. I did my best to offer Jill words of encouragement – and yes, stop her from falling and breaking her neck. Halfway through the session, we heard a knock at the glass door. Lia started to scowl and then recognized the face on the other side of the door. She brightened and went to unlock it. â€Å"Mr. Donahue,† she said, letting Lee in. â€Å"Come to see how your starlet's doing?† Lee smiled, his gray eyes instantly seeking out Jill. Jill met his gaze, grinning just as widely. Lee hadn't been around at the last feeding, and although they talked constantly on the phone and IM, I knew she had been pining to see him. A glance at Eddie's face showed me he wasn't nearly as delighted by Lee's presence. â€Å"I already know how she's doing,† said Lee. â€Å"She's perfect.† Lia snorted. â€Å"I wouldn't go that far.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, inspiration striking me. â€Å"Lee, do you want to be in charge of keeping Jill from breaking her neck? I need to run an errand.† Unsurprisingly, Lee was more than willing, and I knew I didn't need to fear for her safety with Eddie on watch. I left them, hurrying two streets over to Nevermore. Ever since I'd heard Slade and his friends confirm the tattooists were in business again, I'd wanted to pay an in-person trip. Not a covert one, though. My stolen goods had already yielded their evidence. Except for the clear liquid, I had identified all the other substances in the vials. All the metallics were exact matches for Alchemist compounds, meaning these people either had an Alchemist connection or were stealing. Either way, my case got stronger and stronger. I just hoped it'd be enough to redeem me and keep Zoe out of here, particularly since the clock was ticking on her arrival. We were almost a week away from when my father had said she'd be replacing me. My plan was to see how willing Nevermore was to give me a tattoo. I wanted to know what warnings (if any) they gave out and how easy it was in the first place. Adrian's conversation hadn't yielded much info, but probably his on-fire-biker-skelet-on-with-a-parrot tattoo request hadn't done much to help his credibility. I was armed with cash today, which I hoped would get me somewhere. As it was, I never needed to flash any. As soon as I walked in, the guy behind the counter – the same one Adrian had spoken to – looked relieved. â€Å"Thank God,† he said. â€Å"Please tell me you have more. These kids are driving me crazy. When we got into this†¦ I had no idea it was gonna get this big. The money's good, but Christ. It's crazy to keep up with.† I kept my confusion off of my face, wondering what in the world he was talking about. He was acting as though I was in on his scheme here, which made no sense. But then his eyes flashed to my cheek, and suddenly, I understood. My lily tattoo. It was uncovered, since school was over. And I knew then, with absolute certainty, that whomever he was working with to get his supplies was also an Alchemist. He'd assumed my tattoo made me an ally. â€Å"I don't have anything with me,† I said. His face fell. â€Å"But the demand – â€Å" â€Å"You lost the other batch,† I said haughtily. â€Å"You let it get stolen right out from underneath you. Do you know how much trouble we go to in order to get that?† â€Å"I already explained that to your friend!† he exclaimed. â€Å"He said he understood. He said he'd taken care of the problem and that we didn't have to worry anymore.† There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. â€Å"Yeah, well, he doesn't speak for all of us, and we're not sure we want to continue. You were compromised.† â€Å"We're careful,† he argued. â€Å"That theft wasn't our fault! Now, come on. You have to help us. Didn't he tell you? There's a huge demand for tomorrow because those private school kids have a game. If we can deliver, we'll make double the money.† I gave him my best icy smile. â€Å"We'll discuss it among ourselves and get back to you.† With that, I turned around and began to leave. â€Å"Wait,† he called. I spared him a haughty glance. â€Å"Can you make that person stop calling?† â€Å"What person?† I asked, wondering if he meant some persistent Amberwood student. â€Å"The one with the weird voice who keeps asking if any tall, pale people are showing up around here. Ones that look like vampires. I figured it was someone you knew.† Tall, pale people? I didn't like the sound of that but kept my face blank. â€Å"Sorry. Don't know what you're talking about. Must have been a prank.† I left, making a mental note to investigate that further. If someone was inquiring about people who looked like vampires, that was a problem. It wasn't, however, the immediate problem. My mind raced as I processed what else the tattooist had told me. There was an Alchemist supplying Nevermore. In some ways, that shouldn't be a surprise. How else were they going to get ahold of vampire blood and all the metals necessary for their tattoos? And apparently, this rogue Alchemist had â€Å"taken care of the problem† that led to the theft of their supplies. When had my father called saying I was being pulled because of Keith's reports? Right after I'd broken into Nevermore. I knew who the rogue Alchemist was. And I knew that I had been â€Å"the problem.† Keith had taken care of me, making moves to get me out of Palm Springs and bring in someone new and inexperienced who wouldn't interfere with his illicit tattoo operation. It was why he'd wanted Zoe in the first place. I was aghast. I didn't have a great opinion of Keith Darnell, not by any means. But never, never had I thought he'd stoop to this level. He was an immoral person, but he'd still been raised with the same principles I had about humans and vampires. For him to abandon those beliefs and expose innocents to the dire side effects of vampire blood for his own material gain†¦ well, it was more than a betrayal of the Alchemists. It was a betrayal of the whole human race. My hand was on my cell phone, ready to call Stanton. That's all it would take. One call with the kind of news I had, and Alchemists would swoop in on Palm Springs – and on Keith. But what if there was no hard evidence to connect Keith? It was possible another Alchemist might go in and play the same game I had, getting the tattooist to think that they were part of Keith's team. Keith was the one I wanted to bust, however. I wanted to ensure that there was no way he could slip out of this. I made my decision, and rather than the Alchemists, I called Adrian. When I arrived back at Lia's shop, I found the training session winding down. Lia was giving Jill some last-minute instructions while Eddie and Lee lingered nearby. Eddie took one look at my face and instantly knew something was wrong. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"Nothing,† I said blandly. â€Å"Just a problem I'm going to fix soon. Lee, would you mind taking Jill and Eddie back to the school? I have a couple errands I need to run.† Eddie frowned. â€Å"Are you okay? Do you need someone to protect you?† â€Å"I'll have someone.† I reconsidered, seeing as I was about to meet up with Adrian. â€Å"Well, kind of. Anyway, I'm not in trouble. Your job's to keep an eye on Jill, remember? Thanks, Lee,† I added, seeing him nod. A thought suddenly struck me. â€Å"Wait†¦ I thought this was one of the days you had a night class. Are we keeping you†¦ or†¦ well, what days do you have class?† I hadn't thought much about it, only noticing that some days Lee was around and other days he was in Los Angeles. But in looking back, there was no real pattern. I saw realization light Eddie's face as well. â€Å"That's true,† he said, eyeing Lee suspiciously. â€Å"What kind of schedule are you on?† Lee opened his mouth, and I sensed a ready story coming. Then he stopped and cast an anxious look at Jill, who was still talking to Lia. His face fell. â€Å"Please don't tell her,† he whispered. â€Å"Tell her what?† I asked, keeping my voice low as well. â€Å"I'm not in college. I mean – I was. But not this semester. I wanted some time off but†¦ didn't want to disappoint my dad. So, I told him I was just going part-time, which is why I was around more.† â€Å"What do you do in LA during all that time, then?† asked Eddie. That was an excellent question, I realized. â€Å"I still have friends there, and I need to keep my cover.† Lee sighed. â€Å"It's stupid, I know. Please – let me be the one to tell her. I wanted so badly to impress her and to prove myself to her. She's wonderful. She just caught me at a bad time.† Eddie and I exchanged glances. â€Å"I won't tell,† I said. â€Å"But you really should let her know. I mean, I guess there's no harm done†¦ but you shouldn't have that kind of lie between you.† Lee looked miserable. â€Å"I know. Thank you.† When he stepped aside, Eddie shook his head at me. â€Å"I don't like him lying. Not at all.† â€Å"Lee trying to save face is the least weird thing going on here,† I said. I found out then that Jill could walk from one side of the store to the other and back without falling over. It wasn't pretty, but it was a start. She was still a long ways from looking anything like the runway models I saw on TV, but considering she hadn't been able to stand in the shoes at first, I supposed she'd made considerable progress. She started to take off the heels, but Lia stopped her. â€Å"No. I told you. You have to wear these shoes all the time. Practice, practice, practice. Wear them home. Wear them everywhere.† She turned to me. â€Å"And you – â€Å" â€Å"I know. Make sure she doesn't break her neck,† I said. â€Å"She's not going to be able to wear those all the time, though. Our school has a dress code.† â€Å"What if they were in a different color?† asked Lia. â€Å"I don't think it's just the color,† Jill said apologetically. â€Å"I think it's the stiletto part. But I promise to wear them outside of class and practice in our room.† That was good enough for Lia, and after a few more words of advice, she sent us on our way. We promised to practice and come back in two days. I told Jill I'd meet up with her later, but I don't know if she heard. She was so caught up in the idea of Lee driving her home that pretty much everything else went past her. I drove over to Clarence's and was met at the door by Adrian. â€Å"Wow,† I said, impressed at his initiative. â€Å"I didn't expect you to be ready so quickly.† â€Å"I'm not,† he said. â€Å"I need you to see something right now.† I frowned. â€Å"Okay.† Adrian led me deeper into the house, beyond where I normally went, which made me nervous. â€Å"Are you sure this can't wait? This thing we've got to do is kind of urgent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So is this. How did Clarence seem the last time you saw him?† â€Å"Weird.† â€Å"But health-wise?† I thought about it. â€Å"Well, I know he's been tired. But usually he seemed okay.† â€Å"Yeah, well, he's not ‘okay' now. It's gone beyond just tired. He's weak, dizzy, and confined to his bed.† We reached a closed wooden door, and Adrian stopped. â€Å"Do you know what caused it?† I asked, alarmed. I'd been worried about the complications of a sick Moroi but hadn't expected to deal with it so soon. â€Å"I have a pretty good idea,† said Adrian, with surprising fierceness. â€Å"Your boy Keith.† â€Å"Stop saying stuff like that. He's not ‘my boy,'† I exclaimed. â€Å"He's ruining my life!† Adrian opened the door, revealing a large, ornate canopied bed. Walking into a Moroi bedroom wasn't something I was comfortable with, but Adrian's commanding look was too powerful. I followed him in and gasped when I saw Clarence lying on the bed. â€Å"Not just yours,† said Adrian, pointing at the old man. Clarence's eyes fluttered at the sound of our voices and then closed again as he shifted into sleep. It wasn't his eyes that held my attention, though. It was the pale, sickly pallor of his skin – that, and the bloody wound on Clarence's neck. It was small, made with just one prick, like it had come from a surgical instrument. Adrian looked at me expectantly. â€Å"Well, Sage? Do you have any idea why Keith would be draining Clarence's blood?† I swallowed, scarcely able to believe what I was seeing. Here was the last piece. I knew that Keith had been supplying the tattooists, and now I knew where Keith was getting his â€Å"supplies.† â€Å"Yes,† I said at last, my voice small. â€Å"I have a very good idea.†

Virgil and Dante Essay - 1908 Words

Virgil and Dante In the note to Canto V regarding Francesca and Paulo, the Hollanders exclaim that â€Å"Sympathy for the damned, in the Inferno, is nearly always and nearly certainly the sign of a wavering moral disposition† (112). Indeed, many of the touching, emotional, or indignation rousing tales told by the souls in Hell can evoke pity, but in the telling of the tales, it is always possible to derive the reasons for the damned souls’ placement in Hell. However, there is a knee-jerk reaction to separate Virgil and, arguably, some of the other souls in limbo from this group of the damned, though, with careful perusal of the text, the thoughtful reader can discern the machinations behind their damnation. Although the dynamic between†¦show more content†¦Arguably, like the fathers of the Old Testament, he foresaw what would occur though not precisely knowing the saving details. Also, like the Hebrew prophets, his work is filled with an underlying sadness. The Aeneid ends, not with the joy or inevitably glory and majesty that would be Rome, but with the bitter, angry Aeneas plunging his sword into the breast of Turnus, howling for revenge for the dead Pallas. Thus, it is not surprising that Virgil ends up in precisely the same place as the writers of the Old Testament: Limbo. While in the first circle of the damned, a list is given of these souls which include Moses, Noah, Abel, â€Å"the patriarch Abraham† (IV.58), etc. However, â€Å"Out of our midst [Christ] plucked [these shades]† (IV.55) shortly after the poet’s death. These are not the only similarities between Virgil and the old prophets: as many came to reach goodness in and through the Old Testam ent, so did the poet Satius, who appears in Purgatorio reach Christianity only by the help of Virgil. True, there is some awkwardness when Statius confesses this fact to Virgil, but this awkwardness translates also to the rift between the old prophets and the new, as depicted in the Earthly Paradise in Purgatorio: Go read Ezechiel whoShow MoreRelatedPurgatory, By Dante And Virgil1122 Words   |  5 Pagesqualities. That is why Dante have written the world of Purgatory. Purgatory is a place after earth is a transformation process that helps every saved soul to perfect themselves for God. Through this process of transformation in Purgatory, a soul must accept, forgive, and learn from their sin in order to be in Heaven. †¢ 1st Paragraph Dante is truly a great poet. When he describes a place, he goes truly deeply than what’s on the surface. In Purgatory, when Dante and Virgil are walking through theRead MoreThe Divine Comedy By Virgil And Dante1036 Words   |  5 PagesRelationships come in many forms with varying troubles and blessings. 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Virgil is very protective of DanteRead MoreVirgil Analysis of Dante Inferno Essay example2202 Words   |  9 PagesVirgil Virgil came to be regarded as one of Romes greatest poets. His Aeneid can be considered a national epic of Rome and has been extremely popular from its publication to the present day. Virgil- Beatrice sends Virgil to Earth to retrieve Dante and act as his guide through Hell and Purgatory.   Since the poet Virgil lived before Christianity, he dwells in Limbo (Ante-Inferno) with other righteous non-Christians.   As author, Dante chooses the character Virgil to act as his guide because he admiredRead MoreThe Inferno, By Virgil s Guidance And Support Dante1575 Words   |  7 PagesIn the Inferno, through Virgil’s guidance and support Dante becomes more confident and self-sufficient. Dante developing in this matter in turn changes the dynamic in their relationship from teacher-student to equal companions in Dante’s eyes. How their interactions change shows this evolution. When the two meet, it is obvious Dante is lost and Virgil can see this. Virgil asks But you, why are you turning back to misery?/ Why do you not climb the peak that gives delight,/ origin and causeRead MoreComparing Dante s Inferno And Virgil s The Aeneid1016 Words   |  5 Pagescharacterizations or descriptive imagery, but foremost in their ideas of what the afterlife consisted of. Each each epic hero in the works here have descended in to the depths of hell, with The Inferno depicting Dante’s descent into the depths of hell and with Virgil in Book VI of The Aeneid depicting Aeneas’s decent into hell. It can be argued that although different, the knowledge acquired by each character’s descent was equally important to accomplishing their greater tasks at the ends of their journey. 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He makes a God of Beatrice, sees her as the ultimate good towards whichRead MoreInfluence Of The Classical World Upon Dante s The Inferno1320 Words   |  6 PagesThe Influence of the Classical World Upon Dante’s The Inferno Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet and writer of the 13th century, creates a fictional account of his visions of his journey through Hell. His background as a Catholic influences his life and his writings, including The Inferno. He uses the historical and political events of his lifetime to influence his writings as well. Dante is educated and very familiar with the history and literature of the classical world. In The Inferno, he expresses