Bag of Bones CHAPTER SEVEN

The little girl actually she wasn't much more than a baby-came walking up the middle of Route 68, dressed in a red bathing suit, yellow plastic flip-flops, and a Boston Red Sox baseball cap turned around backward. I had just driven past the Lakeview General Store and Dickie Brooks's All-Purpose Garage, and the speed limit there drops from fifty-five to thirty-five. Thank God I was obeying it that day, otherwise I might have killed her. It was my first day back. I'd gotten up late and spent most of the morning walking in the woods which run along the lakeshore, seeing what was the same and what had changed. The water looked a little lower and there were fewer boats than I would have expected, especially on summer's biggest holiday, but otherwise I might never have been away. I even seemed to be slapping at the same bugs. Around eleven my stomach alerted me to the fact that I'd skipped breakfast. I decided a trip to the Village Cafe was in order. The restaurant at Warrington's was trendier by far, but I'd be stared at there. The Village Cafe would be better if it was still doing business. Buddy Jellison was an ill-tempered fuck, but he had always been the best fry-cook in western Maine and what my stomach wanted was a big greasy Villageburger. Now this little girl, walking straight up the white line and looking like a majorette leading an invisible parade. At thirty-five miles per hour I saw her in plenty of time, but this road was busy in the summer, and very few people bothered creeping through the reduced-speed zone. There were only a dozen Castle County police cruisers, after all, and not many of them bothered with the TR unless they were specifically called there. I pulled over to the shoulder, put the Chevy in PARK, and was out before the dust had even begun to settle. The day was muggy and close and still, the clouds seeming low enough to touch. The kid a little blondie with a snub nose and scabbed knees stood on the white line as if it were a tightrope and watched me approach with no more fear than a fawn. ‘Hi,' she said. ‘I go beach. Mummy ‘on't take me and I'm mad as hell.' She stamped her foot to show she knew as well as anybody what mad as hell was all about. Three or four was my guess. Well-spoken in her fashion and cute as hell, but still no more than three or four. ‘Well, the beach is a good place to go on the Fourth, all right,' I said, ‘but ‘ ‘Fourth of July and fireworks too,' she agreed, making ‘too' sound exotic and sweet, like a word in Vietnamese. ‘ but if you try to walk there on the highway, you're more apt to wind up in Castle Rock Hospital.' I decided I wasn't going to stand there playing Mister Rogers with her in the middle of Route 68, not with a curve only fifty yards to the south and a car apt to come wheeling around it at sixty miles an hour at any time. I could hear a motor, actually, and it was revving hard. I picked the kid up and carried her over to where my car was idling, and although she seemed perfectly content to be carried and not frightened a bit, I felt like Chester the Molester the second I had my arm locked under her bottom. I was very aware that anyone sitting around in the combined office and waiting room of Brooksie's Garage could look out and see me. This is one of the strange midlife realities of my generation: we can't touch a child who isn't our own without fearing others will see something lecherous in our touching . . . or without thinking, way down deep in the sewers of our psyches, that there probably is something lecherous in it. I got her out of the road, though. I did that much. Let the Marching Mothers of Western Maine come after me and do their worst. ‘You take me beach?' the little girl asked. She was bright-eyed, smiling. I figured that she'd probably be pregnant by the time she was twelve, especially given the cool way she was wearing her baseball cap. ‘Got your suitie?' ‘Actually I think I left my suitie at home. Don't you hate that? Honey, where's your mom?' As if in direct answer to my question, the car I'd heard came busting out of a road on the near side of the curve. It was a Jeep Scout with mud splashed high up on both sides. The motor was growling like something up a tree and pissed off about it. A woman's head was poked out the side window. Little curie's mom must have been too scared to sit down; she was driving in a mad crouch, and if a car had been coming around that particular curve in Route 68 when she pulled out, my friend in the red bathing suit would likely have become an orphan on the spot. The Scout fishtailed, the head dropped back down inside the cab, and there was a grinding as the driver upshifted, trying to take her old heap from zero to sixty in maybe nine seconds. If pure terror could have done the job, I'm sure she would have succeeded. ‘That's Mattie,' the girl in the bathing suit said. ‘I'm mad at her. I'm running away to have a Fourth at the beach. If she's mad I go to my white nana.' I had no idea what she was talking about, but it did cross my mind that Miss Bosox of 1998 could have her Fourth at the beach; I would settle for a fifth of something whole-grain at home. Meanwhile, I was waving the arm not under the kid's butt back and forth over my head, and hard enough to blow around wisps of the girl's fine blonde hair. ‘Hey!' I shouted. ‘Hey, lady! I got her!' The Scout sped by, still accelerating and still sounding pissed off about it. The exhaust was blowing clouds of blue smoke. There was a further hideous grinding from the Scout's old transmission. It was like some crazy version of Let's Make a Deal.' ‘Mattie, you've succeeded in getting into second gear would you like to quit and take the Maytag washer, or do you want to try for third?' I did the only thing I could think of, which was to step out onto the road, turn toward the Jeep, which was now speeding away from me (the smell of the oil was thick and acrid), and hold the kid up high over my head, hoping Mattie would see us in her rearview mirror. I no longer felt like Chester the Molester; now I felt like a cruel auctioneer in a Disney cartoon, offering the cutest li'l piglet in the litter to the highest bidder. It worked, though. The Scout's mudcaked taillights came on and there was a demonic howling as the badly used brakes locked. Right in front of Brooksie's, this was. If there were any old-timers in for a good Fourth of July gossip, they would now have plenty to gossip about. I thought they would especially enjoy the part where Mom screamed at me to unhand her baby. When you return to your summer home after a long absence, it's always nice to get off on the right foot. The backup lights flared and the Jeep began reversing down the road at a good twenty miles an hour. Now the transmission sounded not pissed off but panicky please, it was saying, please stop, you're killing me. The Scout's rear end wagged from side to side like the tail of a happy dog. I watched it coming at me, hypnotized now in the northbound lane, now across the white line and into the southbound lane, now overcorrecting so that the left-hand tires spumed dust off the shoulder. ‘Mattie go fast,' my new girlfriend said in a conversational, isn't-this-interesting voice. She had one arm slung around my neck; we were chums, by God. But what the kid said woke me up. Mattie go fast, all right, too fast. Mattie would, more likely than not, clean out the rear end of my Chevrolet. And if I just stood here, Baby Snooks and I were apt to end up as toothpaste between the two vehicles. I backed the length of my car, keeping my eyes fixed on the Jeep and yelling, ‘Slow down, Mattie! Slow down!' Cutie-pie liked that. ‘S'yo down!' she yelled, starting to laugh. ‘S'yo down, you old Mattie, s'yo down!' The brakes screamed in fresh agony. The Jeep took one last walloping, unhappy jerk backward as Mattie stopped without benefit of the clutch. That final lunge took the Scout's rear bumper so close to the rear bumper of my Chevy that you could have bridged the gap with a cigarette. The smell of oil in the air was huge and furry. The kid was waving a hand in front of her face and coughing theatrically. The driver's door flew open; Mattie Devore flew out like a circus acrobat shot from a cannon, if you can imagine a circus acrobat dressed in old paisley shorts and a cotton smock top. My first thought was that the little girl's big sister had been babysitting her, that Mattie and Mummy were two different people. I knew that little kids often spend a period of their development calling their parents by their first names, but this pale-cheeked blonde girl looked all of twelve, fourteen at the outside. I decided her mad handling of the Scout hadn't been terror for her child (or not just terror) but total automotive inexperience. There was something else, too, okay? Another assumption that I made. The muddy four-wheel-drive, the baggy paisley shorts, the smock that all but screamed Kmart, the long yellow hair held back with those little red elastics, and most of all the inattention that allows the three-year-old in your care to go wandering off in the first place . . . all those things said trailer-trash to me. I know how that sounds, but I had some basis for it. Also, I'm Irish, goddammit. My ancestors were trailer-trash when the trailers were still horse-drawn caravans. ‘Stinky-phew!' the little girl said, still waving a pudgy hand at the air in front of her face. ‘Scoutie stink!' Where Scoutie's bathing suitie? I thought, and then my new girlfriend was snatched out of my arms. Now that she was closer, my idea that Mattie was the bathing beauty's sister took a hit. Mattie wouldn't be middle-aged until well into the next century, but she wasn't twelve or fourteen, either. I now guessed twenty, maybe a year younger. When she snatched the baby away, I saw the wedding ring on her left hand. I also saw the dark circles under her eyes, gray skin dusting to purple. She was young, but I thought it was a mother's terror and exhaustion I was looking at. I expected her to swat the tot, because that's how trailer-trash moms react to being tired and scared. When she did, I would stop her, one way or another distract her into turning her anger on me, if that was what it took. There was nothing very noble in this, I should add; all I really wanted to do was to postpone the fanny-whacking, shoulder-shaking, and in-your-face shouting to a time and place where I wouldn't have to watch it. It was my first day back in town; I didn't want to spend any of it watching an inattentive slut abuse her child. Instead of shaking her and shouting ‘Where did you think you were going, you little bitch?' Mattie first hugged the child (who hugged back enthusiastically, showing absolutely no sign of fear) and then covered her face with kisses. ‘Why did you do that?' she cried. ‘What was in your head? When I couldn't find you, I died.' Mattie burst into tears. The child in the bathing suit looked at her with an expression of surprise so big and complete it would have been comical under other circumstances. Then her own face crumpled up. I stood back, watched them crying and hugging, and felt ashamed of my preconceptions. A car went by and slowed down. An elderly couple Ma and Pa Kettle on their way to the store for that holiday box of Grape-Nuts gawked out. I gave them an impatient wave with both hands, the kind that says what are you staring at, go on, put an egg in your shoe and beat it. They sped up, but I didn't see an out-of-state license plate, as I'd hoped I might. This version of Ma and Pa were locals, and the story would be fleeting its rounds soon enough: Mattie the teenage bride and her little bundle of joy (said bundle undoubtedly conceived in the back seat of a car or the bed of a pickup truck some months before the legitimizing ceremony), bawling their eyes out at the side of the road. With a stranger. No, not exactly a stranger. Mike Noonan, the writer fella from upstate. ‘I wanted to go to the beach and suh-suh-swim!' the little girl wept, and now it was ‘swim' that sounded exotic the Vietnamese word for ‘ecstasy,' perhaps. ‘I said I'd take you this afternoon.' Mattie was still sniffing, but getting herself under control. ‘Don't do that again, little guy, please don't you ever do that again, Mommy was so scared.' ‘I won't,' the kid said ‘I really won't.' Still crying, she hugged the older girl tight, laying her head against the side of Mattie's neck. Her baseball cap fell off. I picked it up, beginning to feel very much like an outsider here. I poked the blue-and-red cap at Mattie's hand until her fingers closed on it. I decided I also felt pretty good about the way things had turned out, and maybe I had a right to. I've presented the incident as if it was amusing, and it was, but it was the sort of amusing you never see until later. When it was happening, it was terrifying. Suppose there had been a truck coming from the other direction? Coming around that curve, and coming too fast? A vehicle did come around it, a pickup of the type no tourist ever drives. Two more locals gawked their way by. ‘Ma'am?' I said. ‘Mattie? I think I'd better get going. Glad your little girl is all right.' The minute it was out, I felt an almost irresistible urge to laugh. I could picture me drawling this speech to Mattie (a name that belonged in a movie like Unforgiven or True Grit if any name ever did) with my thumbs hooked into the belt of my chaps and my Stetson pushed back to reveal my noble brow. I felt an insane urge to add, ‘You're right purty, ma'am, ain't you the new schoolteacher?' She turned to me and I saw that she was right purty. Even with circles under her eyes and her blonde hair sticking off in gobs to either side of her head. And I thought she was doing okay for a girl probably not yet old enough to buy a drink in a bar. At least she hadn't belted the baby. ‘Thank you so much,' she said. ‘Was she right in the road?' Say she wasn't, her eyes begged. At least say she was walking along the shoulder. ‘Well ‘ ‘I walked on the line,' the girl said, pointing. ‘It's like the cross-mock.' Her voice took on a faintly righteous tone. ‘Crossmock is safe.' Mattie's cheeks, already white, turned whiter. I didn't like seeing her that way, and didn't like to think of her driving home that way, especially with a kid. ‘Where do you live, Mrs. ?' ‘Devore,' she said. ‘I'm Mattie Devore.' She shifted the child and put out her hand. I shook it. The morning was warm, and it was going to be hot by mid-afternoon beach weather for sure but the fingers I touched were icy. ‘We live just there.' She pointed to the intersection the Scout had shot out of, and I could see surprise, surprise a doublewide trailer set off in a grove of pines about two hundred feet up the little feeder road. Wasp Hill Road, I recalled. It ran about half a mile from Route 68 to the water what was known as the Middle Bay. Ah yes, doc, it's all coming back to me now. I'm once more riding the Dark Score range. Saving little kids is my specialty. Still, I was relieved to see that she lived close by less than a quarter of a mile from the place where our respective vehicles were parked with their tails almost touching and when I thought about it, it stood to reason. A child as young as the bathing beauty couldn't have walked far . . . although this one had already demonstrated a fair degree of determination. I thought Mother's haggard look was even more suggestive of the daughter's will. I was glad I was too old to be one of her future boyfriends; she would have them jumping through hoops all through high school and college. Hoops of fire, likely. Well, the high-school part, anyway. Girls from the doublewide side of town did not, as a general rule, go to college unless there was a juco or a voke-tech handy. And she would only have them jumping until the right boy (or more likely the wrong one) came sweeping around the Great Curve of Life and ran her down in the highway, her all the while unaware that the white line and the crossmock were two different things. Then the whole cycle would repeat itself. Christ almighty, Noonan, quit it, I told myself. She's three years old and you've already got her with three kids of her own, two with ringworm and one retarded. ‘Thank you so much,' Mattie repeated. ‘That's okay,' I said, and snubbed the little girl's nose. Although her cheeks were still wet with tears, she grinned at me sunnily enough in response. ‘This is a very verbal little girl.' ‘Very verbal, and very willful.' Now Mattie did give her child a little shake, but the kid showed no fear, no sign that shaking or hitting was the order of most days. On the contrary, her smile widened. Her mother smiled back. And yes once you got past the slopped-together look of her, she was most extraordinarily pretty. Put her in a tennis dress at the Castle Rock Country Club (where she'd likely never go in her life, except maybe as a maid or a waitress), and she would maybe be more than pretty. A young Grace Kelly, perhaps. Then she looked back at me, her eyes very wide and grave. ‘Mr. Noonan, I'm not a bad mother,' she said. I felt a start at my name coming from her mouth, but it was only momentary. She was the right age, after all, and my books were probably better for her than spending her afternoons in front of General Hospital and One Life to Live. A little, anyway. ‘We had an argument about when we were going to the beach. I wanted to hang out the clothes, have lunch, and go this afternoon. Kyra wanted ‘ She broke off. ‘What? What did I say?' ‘Her name is Kia? Did ‘ Before I could say anything else, the most extraordinary thing happened: my mouth was full of water. So full I felt a moment's panic, like someone who is swimming in the ocean and swallows a wave-wash. Only this wasn't a salt taste; it was cold and fresh, with a faint metal tang like blood. I turned my head aside and spat. I expected a gush of liquid to pour out of my mouth the sort of gush you sometimes get when commencing artificial respiration on a near-drowning victim. What came out instead was what usually comes out when you spit on a hot day: a little white pellet. And that sensation was gone even before the little white pellet struck the dirt of the shoulder. In an instant, as if it had never been there. ‘That man spirted,' the girl said matter-of-factly. ‘Sorry,' I said. I was also bewildered. What in God's name had that been about? ‘I guess I had a little delayed reaction.' Mattie looked concerned, as though I were eighty instead of forty. I thought that maybe to a girl her age, forty is eighty. ‘Do you want to come up to the house? I'll give you a glass of water.' ‘No, I'm fine now.' ‘All right. Mr. Noonan . . . all I mean is that nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I was hanging sheets . . . she was inside watching a Mighty Mouse cartoon on the VCR . . . then, when I went in to get more pins . . . ‘ She looked at the girl, who was no longer smiling. It was starting to get through to her now. Her eyes were big, and ready to fill with tears. ‘She was gone. I thought for a minute I'd die of fear.' Now the kid's mouth began to tremble, and her eyes filled up right on schedule. She began to weep. Mattie stroked her hair, soothing the small head until it lay against the Kmart smock top. ‘That's all right, Ki,' she said. ‘It turned out okay this time, but you can't go out in the road. It's dangerous. Little things get run over in the road, and you're a little thing. The most precious little thing in the world.' She cried harder. It was the exhausted sound of a child who needed a nap before any more adventures, to the beach or anywhere else. ‘Kia bad, Kia bad,' she sobbed against her mother's neck. ‘No, honey, only three,' Mattie said, and if I had harbored any further thoughts about her being a bad mother, they melted away then. Or perhaps they'd already gone after all, the kid was round, comely, well-kept, and unbruised. On one level, those things registered. On another I was trying to cope with the strange thing that had just happened, and the equally strange thing I thought I was hearing that the little girl I had carried off the white line had the name we had planned to give our child, if our child turned out to be a girl. ‘Kia,' I said. Marvelled, really. As if my touch might break her, I tentatively stroked the back of her head. Her hair was sun-warm and fine. ‘No,' Mattie said. ‘That's the best she can say it now. Kyra, not Kia. It's from the Greek. It means ladylike.' She shifted, a little self-conscious. ‘I picked it out of a baby-name book. While I was pregnant, I kind of went Oprah. Better than going postal, I guess.' ‘It's a lovely name,' I said. ‘And I don't think you're a bad mom.' What went through my mind right then was a story Frank Arlen had told over a meal at Christmas it had been about Petie, the youngest brother, and Frank had had the whole table in stitches. Even Petie, who claimed not to remember a bit of the incident, laughed until tears streamed down his cheeks. One Easter, Frank said, when Petie was about five, their folks had gotten them up for an Easter-egg hunt. The two parents had hidden over a hundred colored hard-boiled eggs around the house the evening before, after getting the kids over to their grandparents'. A high old Easter morning was had by all, at least until Johanna looked up from the patio, where she was counting her share of the spoils, and shrieked. There was Petie, crawling gaily around on the second-floor overhang at the back of the house, not six feet from the drop to the concrete patio. Mr. Arlen had rescued Petie while the rest of the family stood below, holding hands, frozen with horror and fascination. Mrs. Arlen had repeated the Hail Mary over and over (‘so fast she sounded like one of the Chipmunks on that old ‘Witch Doctor' record,' Frank had said, laughing harder than ever) until her husband had disappeared back into the open bedroom window with Petie in his arms. Then she had swooned to the pavement, breaking her nose. When asked for an explanation, Petie had told them he'd wanted to check the rain-gutter for eggs. I suppose every family has at least one story like that; the survival of the world's Peties and Kyras is a convincing argument in the minds of parents, anyway for the existence of God. ‘I was so scared,' Mattie said, now looking fourteen again. Fifteen at most. ‘But it's over,' I said. ‘And Kyra's not going to go walking in the road anymore. Are you, Kyra?' She shook her head against her mother's shoulder without raising it. I had an idea she'd probably be asleep before Mattie got her back to the good old doublewide. ‘You don't know how bizarre this is for me,' Mattie said. ‘One of my favorite writers comes out of nowhere and saves my kid. I knew you had a place on the TR, that big old log house everyone calls Sara Laughs, but folks say you don't come here anymore since your wife died.' ‘For a long time I didn't,' I said. ‘If Sara was a marriage instead of a house, you'd call this a trial reconciliation.' She smiled fleetingly, then looked grave again. ‘I want to ask you for something. A favor.' ‘Ask away.' ‘Don't talk about this. It's not a good time for Ki and me.' ‘Why not?' She bit her lip and seemed to consider answering the question -one I might not have asked, given an extra moment to consider and then shook her head. ‘It's just not. And I'd be so grateful if you didn't talk about what just happened in town. More grateful than you'll ever know.' ‘No problem.' ‘You mean it?' ‘Sure. I'm basically a summer person who hasn't been around for awhile . . . which means I don't have many folks to talk to, anyway.' There was Bill Dean, of course, but I could keep quiet around him. Not that he wouldn't know. If this little lady thought the locals weren't going to find out about her daughter's attempt to get to the beach by shank's mare, she was fooling herself. ‘I think we've been noticed already, though. Take a look up at Brooksie's Garage. Peek, don't stare.' She did, and sighed. Two old men were standing on the tarmac where there had been gas pumps once upon a time. One was very likely Brooksie himself; I thought I could see the remnants of the flyaway red hair which had always made him look like a downeast version of Bozo the Clown. The other, old enough to make Brooksie look like a wee slip of a lad, was leaning on a gold-headed cane in a way that was queerly vulpine. ‘I can't do anything about them,' she said, sounding depressed. ‘Nobody can do anything about them. I guess I should count myself lucky it's a holiday and there's only two of them.' ‘Besides,' I added, ‘they probably didn't see much.' Which ignored two things: first, that half a dozen cars and pick-em-ups had gone by while we had been standing here, and second, that whatever Brooksie and his elderly friend hadn't seen, they would be more than happy to make up. On Mattie's shoulder, Kyra gave a ladylike snore. Mattie glanced at her and gave her a smile full of rue and love. ‘I'm sorry we had to meet under circumstances that make me look like such a dope, because I really am a big fan. They say at the bookstore in Castle Rock that you've got a new one coming out this summer.' I nodded. ‘It's called Helen's Promise.' She grinned. ‘Good title.' ‘Thanks. You better get your buddy back home before she breaks your arm.' ‘Yeah.' There are people in this world who have a knack for asking embarrassing, awkward questions without meaning to it's like a talent for walking into doors. I am one of that tribe, and as I walked with her toward the passenger side of the Scout, I found a good one. And yet it was hard to blame myself too enthusiastically. I had seen the wedding ring on her hand, after all. ‘Will you tell your husband?' Her smile stayed on, but it paled somehow. And tightened. If it were possible to delete a spoken question the way you can delete a line of type when you're writing a story, I would have done it. ‘He died last August.' ‘Mattie, I'm sorry. Open mouth, insert foot.' ‘You couldn't know. A girl my age isn't even supposed to be married, is she? And if she is, her husband's supposed to be in the army, or something.' There was a pink baby-seat also Kmart, I guessed on the passenger side of the Scout. Mattie tried to boost Kyra in, but I could see she was struggling. I stepped forward to help her, and for just a moment, as I reached past her to grab a plump leg, the back of my hand brushed her breast. She couldn't step back unless she wanted to risk Kyra's slithering out of the seat and onto the floor, but I could feel her recording the touch. My husband's dead, not a threat, so the big-deal writer thinks it's okay to cop a little feel on a hot summer morning. And what can I say? Mr. Big Deal came along and hauled my kid out of the road, maybe saved her life. No, Mattie, I may be forty going on a hundred, but I was not copping a feel. Except I couldn't say that; it would only make things worse. I felt my cheeks flush a little. ‘How old are you?' I asked, when we had the baby squared away and were back at a safe distance. She gave me a look. Tired or not, she had it together again. ‘Old enough to know the situation I'm in.' She held out her hand. ‘Thanks again, Mr. Noonan. God sent you along at the right time.' ‘Nah, God just told me I needed a hamburger at the Village Cafe,' I said. ‘Or maybe it was His opposite number. Please say Buddy's still doing business at the same old stand.' She smiled. It warmed her face back up again, and I was happy to see it. ‘He'll still be there when Ki's kids are old enough to try buying beer with fake IDS. Unless someone wanders in off the road and asks for something like shrimp tetrazzini. If that happened he'd probably drop dead of a heart attack.' ‘Yeah. Well, when I get copies of the new book, I'll drop one off.' The smile continued to hang in there, but now it shaded toward caution. ‘You don't need to do that, Mr. Noonan.' ‘No, but I will. My agent gets me fifty comps. I find that as I get older, they go further.' Perhaps she heard more in my voice than I had meant to put there people do sometimes, I guess. ‘All right. I'll look forward to it.' I took another look at the baby, sleeping in that queerly casual way they have her head tilted over on her shoulder, her lovely little lips pursed and blowing a bubble. Their skin is what kills me so fine and perfect there seem to be no pores at all. Her Sox hat was askew. Mattie watched me reach in and readjust it so the visor's shade fell across her closed eyes. ‘Kyra,' I said. Mattie nodded. ‘Ladylike.' ‘Kia is an African name,' I said. ‘It means ‘season's beginning.† I left her then, giving her a little wave as I headed back to the driver's side of the Chevy. I could feel her curious eyes on me, and I had the oddest feeling that I was going to cry. That feeling stayed with me long after the two of them were out of sight; was still with me when I got to the Village Cafe. I pulled into the dirt parking lot to the left of the off-brand gas pumps and just sat there for a little while, thinking about Jo and about a home pregnancy-testing kit which had cost twenty-two-fifty. A little secret she'd wanted to keep until she was absolutely sure. That must have been it; what else could it have been? ‘Kia,' I said. ‘Season's beginning.' But that made me feel like crying again, so I got out of the car and slammed the door hard behind me, as if I could keep the sadness inside that way.

Epic Hero and the Values of the Society Essay

The hero of an epic is characterized by their extraordinary abilities and strength which helped them to meet all the challenges they need to face along their journey. They are the main subjects of these long narrative epic poems. The epic hero is separated from the rest of the people. They are being admired by others for their ability to do what ordinary man would not attempt to do. The birth of these heroes was taken account into. These men are destined to play an important role in their society. They also became the reflection of the values of their society. Epic heroes are mythical characters taken from the ancient times. These heroes are larger-than-life because of their impressive and heroic deeds that can surpass what ordinary man can do. More specifically an epic hero must posses certain qualities to recognize him as a real epic hero. They must possess great physical strength. They are more clever and cunning than the ordinary. They are adventurous and brave. They are not easily intimidated or frightened by the challenges ahead of them. They have goals and are highly determined to attain their quest for something they believed is of great value for him and to his people. They are victorious most of the time with the battles they encounter. Their success gave them recognition. Their society may choose him to be their rightful leader or ruler because of the marvelous thing they proved they can do. After learning this things about an epic hero one can observed among epic poems this pattern of the heroes characteristic. They seem to be similar in many ways. Along with other epic heroes of all times are the names like Beowulf, Gilgamesh and Odysseus. Looking at how each of the heroes had transformed themselves through the various test and preparation they undertake before they are recognize as heroic leaders. They come from different backgrounds and culture which they typically embodies. Beowulf: the Old English Epic Who is Beowulf? What was his exploits? What values where important in his society? These are the questions that will guide us to discover more about the epic hero Beowulf. This epic poem had been written in England though the setting of the story could have been in Scandinavia. Beowulf as many knew is one of the most important surviving Anglo-Saxon classic literatures. This epic was believed to have been written between the 8th and 11th centuries. (Foster, 2003) Beowulf was recognized as a Geat. He was known by others as a super human. One of his greatest achievements was when he defeated Grendel in an encounter. Beowulf fought one-on-one with Grendel which was known as a monster an enemy of the people of that time. Beowulf came to rescue the people of that kingdom from Grendel. To show his successful defeat of Grendel he brought home Grendel’s head. During the struggle, he won because of the help of a magical giant sword. Beowulf then also battle with Grendel’s mother who was plunge deep into the earth. He faced alone the monster found in the underworld. After he won in this adventure he didn’t become immediately the new king. He fought for the throne along with King Hygelac. King Hygelac died during a raid and was then offered the throne but he refused and let the king’s son inherit the throne. Because of his many heroic acts the Danes were please. The Danes and the Geats are then united. The people now anticipated Beowulf to be their new king. He must face other more dangers to prove himself worthy to be called the King of the Geats. His last battle involved a fight with a dragon. By that time he was in old age and has been ruling the Geats when the dragon came and threatened his kingdom. He needs to defeat this dragon to save his people from danger. He must risk his own life to achieve his goal of saving the kingdom. In this battle he successfully killed the dragon but it left him seriously wounded. He then had to face his death. Odysseus: The Greek Mythical Hero After Beowulf is another famous epic hero by the name of Odysseus. Odysseus also with Latin name Ulysses was the reigning ruler of the island kingdom of Ithaca. (Hunter, 1997) unlike Beowulf this man was already enthroned as a king. In the Trojan War he was the key heroic figure meaning he was among the well known leaders of the Trojan War. Odysseus was actually reluctant to join the expedition. Even if he doesn’t want to join the battle he still fought heroically in the Trojan War. He even led the dangerous nocturnal raid together with Diomedes. It was believed that Odysseus was one of the originators of the Trojan horse which were used by the Greeks to finally take over the city of Troy. His journey was specially guided by divine intervention. After the Trojan War Odysseus next quest is to successfully return home with his family. Now returning back on his family was his main goal but the journey is very difficult and there are many things he needed to pass through. He also needs to face the underworld just like Beowulf who fought in the world of the dead. The difference with Odysseus is that he didn’t fight but rather talk and ask some questions. In this journey he came to the point that he need to choose between mortality and immortality. He chose mortality because he wants his home together with his wife Penelope. Going back home he encountered various tragedies like when his ship was destroyed by a thunderbolt and a storm and when he was trapped in island of the Nymph Calypso. Many things have happened after the war and on the way home. When Odysseus came at last he found that there were problems in Ithaca also. It took about twenty years before he successfully returned to his home. He found out that his wife Penelope had remained faithful to him all through those years even though there are pressures for her to get married again. He arrived at the palace and found the suitors of his wife. He pretended to be a beggar and destroyed all of them afterwards.

Binary Relation and Woman

The movement for the emancipation of woman has gained ground all the over. In some western countries woman have more rights than in India. But still every where even In the most advanced countries of the world, they suffer from a number of disabilities and are regarded a social inferiors of man. It is a man-made society and man continues to dominate and exploit woman.There should be a better and fuller understanding of the problems peculiar to woman, to make a olution of those problems possible. As these problems centre round the basic problem of Inequality, steps should be taken to promote equality of treatment and the full Integration of woman In the total development efforts of the country. Woman should get equal pay for the same work, and she be treated as an equal partner in the task of strengthening world peace. Suitable steps should be taken to secure these ends.These are near unanimity on the urgency and signifi rise of democracy, the movement for the emancipation of oman has gained ground all the over. In some western countries woman have more rights than In India. But still every where even In the most advanced countries of the world, they suffer from a number of disabllltles and are regarded a social inferiors of man. It is a man-made society and man continues to dominate and exploit woman. There should be a better and fuller understanding of the problems peculiar to woman, to make a solution of those problems possible.As these problems centre round the basic problem of inequality, steps should be aken to promote equality of treatment and the full Integration of woman in the total the urgency and signifl India. But still every where even in the most advanced countries of the world, they taken to promote equality of treatment and the full integration of woman in the total rights than in India. But still every where even in the most advanced countries of the world, they suffer from a number of disabilities and are regarded a social inferiors of the urg ency and signifi

Monaco grand prix economic impacts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Monaco grand prix economic impacts - Essay Example They are typically organized by variable combination of national governmental and international non-governmental organizations (Sylt and Reid, 2010).† The Monaco Grand prix has great economical impacts; first and foremost it leads to technological development of mass communication especially satellite television. This development means that revenues from television to host the events increase overwhelmingly. The television rights are sold very highly like the rights to host Olympic games in 2000 in Sidney was over US$1 billion (Sylt and Reid, 2010). There is also a lot of corporate sponsorship which provide huge sums of money to the host countries. The event is also useful in marketing products and showcasing various country attractions hence attracting tourism and foreign investments. This event is one of the most significant events ready to transform the country. This leads to an increase in the volumes of tourists who come to the event for various reasons (Sharkey, 2011). In return, the huge visitor or tourist volumes increase the revenue received from the tourist and hence boosts the local trade. To host such an event, a lot of marketing and publicity has to be done, this leads to the host country being known world wide and having a positive image which in return boost tourism even during the non pick periods (Sharkey, 2011). Hosting such a mega event gives the host country a chance to be put on the world map, by providing significant exposure to the world. They serve as a platform to show the cultural, economical and political power of the host. By hosting such a significant event it shows that the country has entered the international scene as a major figure. This has been the case for countries like Singapole, Japan which hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup, South Korea etc which little was known about them but after hosting sporting events their economies emerged and the political status became known

Company Law and Business Client Research Proposal

Company Law and Business Client - Research Proposal Example A company on incorporation is a legal entity or person distinct from its members and its property is not the property of the members. The national and domicile of the company is determined by its place of registration. A company incorporated in the U.K will normally have British Nationality as well as English or Scottish Domicile. In general, residence depends upon the place where central control and management of the company is located. A company registered under the companies act 1948, is not entitled to carry on business in such a way or under such a name, as to represent that its business is the business of any other company or firm or person and the absence of fraud is immaterial A corporation or a limited company which is incorporated has a corporate existence apart from the members constituting the same. A corporation has been defined as a collection of individuals united into one body under a special denomination having perpetual succession under an artificial form and vested by the policy of law with the capacity of acting in several respects as an individual. In particular, a corporation should have the capability of taking and granting properties, of contracting obligations and of suing and being sued in the course of transacting its business. The ideas inherent in the definition of a corporation are: 1. It should have continuous identity. 2. It is intangible. 3. It is an entity distinct from its constituent members. Contents of the Articles of Association. The articles of association set out rules for the internal management of the company. Great care must be taken in drafting the Articles of Association. The Articles of a company may be altered by a special resolution. Where Articles of Association are not registered, or if the Articles are registered in so far as they do not exclude or modify the regulation in Table A , those regulations so far as applicable are the regulations of the company in the same manner and to the same extent as if they were contained in duly registered articles. If the company intends to issue shares or stock warrants, special authority for that

Analyses of the Articles about Animal Ethics Research Paper

Analyses of the Articles about Animal Ethics - Research Paper Example Animals do not have rights since they do not have moral reasoning and moral judgment. Use of animal as research subjects in medical research has been condemned widely criticized and condemned on two grounds: that it wrongly violates the animal rights and that it wrongly imposes much avoidable suffering on sentient creatures. According to Cohen (575), these arguments are not valid the first one relies on an understanding of rights which is mistaken, and the second is based on calculations of sequences which is mistaken. A right is a claim that can be exercised by one party against another (Cohen 576). The target of the right claim can be a human being, community or even the entire humankind but not to animals. For, any genuine right to be fully comprehended the person who holds the claim against the other party must be known and to what it is a right. Rights arise, according to Cohen (576), and they can be â€Å"intelligently defended, only among beings†¦.† Only human beings can make claims and rights beings claims, animals do not have rights since they can not make any moral claim against any person or group. The attributes of human beings from which, moral capability arises, have been discussed by philosophers at all times; ancient and modern, the inner consciousness of a free will. Animals do not have the ability to reason using a free will, and this denies the animals rights. Human beings defend other human beings lives and animals’ by treating them, and this can only be done through the use of animals in research. According to Cohen (579), â€Å"every disease eliminated, every vaccine developed†¦virtually every modern medical therapy is due†¦ to experimentation using animals.† For human and animal welfare to be enhanced, research has to be done using the animals. The article the case for the use of animals in biomedical research, by Carl Cohen, looks at the importance of animals in biomedical research to both animals  and humans, as well. This paper fully supports Cohen in his argument about animals not having rights, his definition of rights.  

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN - Compare & contrast humanitarian & Essay

LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN - Compare & contrast humanitarian & business supply chains. Provide anD analysis of similarities & d - Essay Example Though the supply chain strategies in both the cases aim at efficiency, there are differences arising due to the objectives, nature and goals of the operations, the management structure and management style. Blecken, A. (2010, p. 8) states â€Å"Thomas and Kopezak (2006) see the lack of recognition of importance of supply chain management and logistics in humanitarian organizations as a challenge to efficient and effective logistics and supply chain management†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This observation is in contrast to the recognition of its importance given by the private businesses, though an encouraging trend is evolving in humanitarian supply chain. I Factors differentiating humanitarian and business supply chains Factors differentiating humanitarian and business supply chains are discussed in this section. Though the operational strategy in the case of both humanitarian and business supply chain basically involves procurement, storage, transportation and distribution, similarities and dif ferences relative to these functions in respect of humanitarian and business supply chains are discussed separately under section II for understanding of the operational issues in proper perspective. Stakeholders The primary stakeholders in the humanitarian supply chain are the people affected by earth quakes, floods and other natural calamities; afflicted by epidemics, poverty or other events. Unlike the customers or suppliers of a business organization who comes to do business with the corporations or associate with them as employees, the humanitarian organizations are involved in the rescue or rehabilitation operations of unknown people from different parts of the world in need of assistance and support. These people are not related to other stakeholders like donors, service providers, NGOs or other agencies and the service to humanity is the cornerstone of these humanitarian organizations. Management structure The management structure of humanitarian organizations is not uniform as in the case of private corporations with a defined hierarchy and chain of command. Lack of accountability is a systematic problem in the charitable organizations. However, Tomasini & Wassenhove (2004, p. 446) noted that in the case of humanitarian supply management system (SUMA) developed by Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in El Salvador a public-private commission was set up, including Price Waterhouse and KPMG Peat Marwick to audit the reception and distribution of goods as well as the management of funds. SUMA has successfully overcome the inherent weakness in the management structure of the humanitarian supply chain. Coordination with the Stakeholders Humanitarian operations are complex with different stakeholders such as government agencies, local authorities, private sector corporations, service providers, goods suppliers, large and small aid agencies and NGOs apart from the communities involved. Adherence to the humanitarian principles in the activities at all lev els and ensuring relief without partiality or discrimination is very important for sustaining the confidence level and trust of the donors and other stakeholders for their continued assistance and support. Infrastructure facilities Problems faced by a typical humanitarian orga

Funding Sources for Terrorist Organizations Essay

Funding Sources for Terrorist Organizations - Essay Example According to Ehrenfeld (2002), terrorist operations such as selling illegal drugs, prostitution, and donation, in most cases, takes place in countries far away from their area of operation. Therefore, funds made must be channeled to them without being detected. Funds from drugs are obtained either by directly distributing the drugs or extorting drug traffickers. Drug money can be channeled either by carriers that ship money notes together with other goods or distributing funds to various wire transfers and registering them as processing expenses incurred in the transfers. The second method of extorting funds from businesses, farms, schools, as well as, other drug traffickers, is said to be taxation fee or payment for protection and security provided to hide its true purpose. These funds are given to individuals that relay the amount collected to the organization. The third method, on donations or charity, involves making multiple deposits to a single account consistent with donations made to a private charity firm (FATF, 2015). Forth methods on money laundering, funds are channeled using mechanisms such as fabricated invoices and loans, purchase of luxurious items, company shares, estates, or investing in casinos and hotels. Finally, funds obtained through prostitution are channeled through an individual that collects from them. Some prostitutes could be victims of human trafficking. Fatf. (2015). Financing Of the Terrorist Organization Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) FATE.  

Philadelphia Healthcare System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philadelphia Healthcare System - Assignment Example The Philadelphia healthcare system can be termed as one the most developed health care system. The hospitals in this area are equipped with more than 300 beds which gives them a capacity of over 300 inpatients. A large number of beds in hospitals indicates that the hospitals in these regions are well equipped with facilities to take good care of inpatients. The capacity of a health care system is a critical factor in any region in a country. A large capacity allows the hospitals to respond to emergency matters and guarantee the patients of quality health in a time of need. The availability of these facilities ensures better health care, lower mortality rate and a healthier public in the country. The high capacity of the medical hospitals in Philadelphia indicates that the hospital has the capacity to take care of the health needs of the society. Also, the availability of this capacity indicates that the health system has enough medical personnel to take care of the health needs of th e society. Judging from this capacity, it is possible to regard Philadelphia as one of the best medical health systems in the United States. The hospital care intensity index is one the ratios that are used to measure the quality of healthcare within a health system. This figure provides the ratio between the number of days that a patient stayed in hospital and the number of times that they received attention from the medical staff within the hospital. In essence, this ratio is a representation of the availability of medical staff which in turn indicates the degree to which a healthcare system is equipped with medical personnel.  

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Example for Free

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Essay Imagine staying away from everybody, isolating yourself form someone you love, a family member or colleague because they seem to be sick. Imagine not being able to shake hand, kiss, or hug anybody because you are concerned that you might get some bacteria form them. Imagine not being able to open a door or pressing a button in the elevator with your hand because so many people have touched it before you. Imagine if you repeatedly check if the door of your apartment is locked even though you know for sure that you have locked it and you have checked several times. These are some symptoms of an anxiety disorder known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which is characterized by uncontrollable, unwanted thoughts and repetitive, ritualized behaviors you feel compelled to perform. I have read about this disorder a long time ago because I noticed it with the Canadian comedian Howie Mandel. I noticed that Howie has mysophobia, so he does not shake hands with anybody. But I didn’t think about it as a mental illness, I thought it was just a fear that developed in his mind because of an incident that happened to him and I thought it would go away easily by facing that fear. But after watching the movie Back Form Madness, I realized that it is more complicated than what I thought it was. Glen, the photographer, was the person who got most of my attention, mainly because I am a photographer and I have done wedding photography for a while. So I know how hard it is for a photographer to take a perfect picture and the different aspects that should be focused on while taking a picture. Having OCD would defiantly make it much harder because you will be checking so many things in the camera and will take a long time to take a picture which will cause you anxiety because the customers will be mad. In this case, I will stop shooting and I will do the cingulotomy surgery even though, as Glen said, it is very dangerous and very painful. After the surgery, Glen was hopeless because he thought that he would die without getting cured. I cannot really talk about how I would feel because I believe that we cannot feel the whole pain of others unless we are in their shoe. But all I can say is, hope is in the horizon as the sun keeps rising every day with new opportunities to everybody.

Definition Of Industry And Porter Economics Essay

Definition Of Industry And Porter Economics Essay This chapter presents a basic explanation of how the pharmaceutical industry will be defined and which models will be used to analyse it. 2.1 Definition of Industry The most important definition of industry was given by Michael Porter in 1979: a group of competitors producing substitutes that are close enough that the behavior of any firm affects each of the others either directly or indirectly.  [1]  Later, Porter defined the term more precisely as a group of companies offering products or services that are close substitutes for each other, that is, products or services that satisfy the same basic customers needs.  [2]  This new definition emphasizes the importance of industry borders and industrys role as a market supplier or producer of goods and services, as distinguished from a market, defined as a consumer of goods and services. Furthermore, inside every industry there are groups of companies that follow similar strategies, defined by Michael S. Hunt in his unpublished 1972 Ph.D. dissertation as strategic groups.  [3]  Between these groups there are differences in entry barriers, bargaining power with buyers and suppliers and skills and resources  [4]  . Strategic groups compete against each other within the industry as a result of these differences. 2.2 Models to Analyze the Industry and Its Environment The literature agrees that comprehension of the industry structure is essential to developing a firms strategy and has a greater effect on the firms performance than whether it is business-specific or corporate-parent.  [5]  The comprehension of the structure requires analyses of the industrys life cycle. It also requires step-by-step political, legal, technological, social and economic analyses as well as the five driving forces of business, provided by Michael Porter. By utilizing these analysis techniques, it is also possible to anticipate changes in industry competition and profitability over time. 2.2.1 Industry Life Cycle Analysis During its development an industry passes through different phases, each characterized by a different environment that obliges competition to assume different forms. Through studying the life cycle, the industry realizes its stake in the market and its influence on consumers. The industry life cycle model includes four different phases: introduction, growth, maturity and decline.  [6]   The introductory phase is characterized by low demand, resulting in higher prices as a consequence of the firms inability to realize economies of scale. This situation gives rise to low profit margins and losses are expected due to substantial investments in new categories. Market penetration may be obstructed by a lack of technologies and competencies. Strategy is focused mainly on RD and production, with the goal of enhancing novelty and quality. Competitors, attracted by the rising demand, attempt to replicate the new product.  [7]   In the second phase, growth, the use of the product is extended, demand grows, prices decline due to economies of scale, barriers to entry are lower and the threat of new entry is high. At this phase the technology is usually not exclusive property of one or more firms, and the primary reaction to competition is marketing expenditure and initiatives; profits are not very high because prices decline as competitors enter the market. There is a transition period, or shakeout, between the second and the third phases. The shakeout involves finding and using all investment opportunities, because the market is near saturation and demand grows more slowly.  [8]   In the third phase, maturity, market growth is low or nonexistent, and the focus shifts to gaining market share; demand is represented only by the substitution of products, investment in RD decreases and there is little innovation. In this phase firms seek cost reductions, and competition is based primarily on advertising and quality because of the low differentiation between products. Big firms acquire smaller players, while others are forced to exit. As a conseguence of high barrier to entry, the threat of new entrants are low.  [9]   The last phase is decline, so called because of the continued decline in demand. Industries arrive at this stage for a variety of reasons. These include a change in social behaviors, demographic changes, international competition, technological innovations and increased customer knowledge. The buying process is based primarily on price rather than innovation. As a result, profit and revenues decline, and the industry as a whole may be supplanted.  [10]   2.2.2 PEST Analysis The term PEST is an acronym of several factors Political, Economic, Social and Technological that influence business activities at any given moment. Due to the fact that each aspect may have an independent impact on the industry, it is essential that each be individually identified and analyzed through the PEST Analysis.  [11]   The political aspect of analysis encompasses various factors that influence business activities in a given country at several levels: national, subnational and supranational levels.  [12]  These include trade policies control imports, exports and international business partners, government ownership of industry, attitude toward monopolies and competition and trade policies. Hence, failure to consider these policies may result in loss of revenue due to taxes or penalty fees. Government stability is also very important, because it eradicates the risks associated with wars and conflicts. For an industry to thrive, political stability must be uncompromised; otherwise, sales and business activities will be uncertain, and investors will lose interest. The internal political issues in any country influence the running of industries. Politics based on race or religion may define the course for certain industries, especially if an industry falls short of political expectations. Elections and changes in leadership also influence an industrys strengths and opportunities and thus should be considered during the analysis. In addition to internal issues, international pressures and influences may affect some industries, such as environmental degradation or product safety. Another factor is terrorism. Though uncommon in many countries, poor or unstable governance may attract terrorist activities, vengeful or otherwise, which can have adverse effects on the industries operating in that country. All these issues may stunt industrial growth and discourage stakeholders from making significant investments.  [13]   The economic aspect of analysis includes many factors. The first factor to consider is the current economic situation and trends in the country in which the industry is based. Companies should note inflation and economic decline so that when it comes to investing, they can avoid being financially affected. Failure to do this results in an economically blind platform that may cause the industrys sudden collapse. Another factor to consider in analysis is taxation rates. When there are high taxation rates in a given country, price-based competition may affect a given industry in the international market. International economic trends are also very important, because they define currency exchange rates, imports and exports. Other factors to consider are consumer expenditure and disposable income and, finally, legal issues, including all trade legislation in a given country and other legal regulations that inhibit or encourage expansion of business activities. Also to be considered are co nsumer protection laws, employment laws, environmental protection laws and quality standardization regulations. Law regulating industrial competition, market policies and guidelines also have a significant impact on the stability of industry and future expansion opportunity.  [14]   When considering the social aspect, factors including demographic changes, shifts in values and culture and changes in lifestyle are important to note so as to strategize on expansion and growth  [15]  . Certain factors, such as media and communities, influence an industrys growth and returns. Brand name and corporate image are also very important in influencing growth and returns since they shape customer loyalty and shareholder investment. The medias views on certain industrial products should be incorporated into the analysis, as should consumer attitudes and sensibility to green issues, that is, issues that affect the environment, energy consumption and waste and its disposal. A companys information systems and internal and external communications should also be analyzed to ensure that it keeps pace with its competitors. Other factors are the policies regulating education, health and distribution of income, all of which, in the long run, influence consumer use of products   [16]  . The technological aspect of analysis encompasses a variety of factors. In addition to developing technologies, all associated technologies, along with their innovation potentials, speed of change and adoption of new technology, should be analyzed for a proper evaluation of the industry. Other technological factors are transportation, waste management and online business. The level of expenditure on RD should also be considered in order to secure the industrys competitive position to prevent losses and collapse  [17]  . 2.2.3 Porters Five Competitive Forces Analysis Porters model, as described by Kay, is an evolution of the Structure-Conduct-Performance paradigm conceived by Edward Mason at Harvard University in the 1930s and detailed by Scherer in the 1980s.  [18]  ,  [19]  The model aims to determine the intensity of industry competition, major issues in determining strategy and whether an industry is attractive or not.  [20]  Porter identified five competitive forces that act on an industry and its environment: threat of entry, intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, threat of substitutes, bargaining power of buyers and bargaining power of suppliers.  [21]   The first competitive force, threat of entry, refers to the threat of new entrants in an established industry or acquisition to gain market share. Reactions of participants and barriers to entry are the main factors used to establish whether the threat is high or low. Six major entry barriers have been identified: capital required to compete in the industry (especially in risky industry, such as advertising or RD) switching costs access to distribution channels economies of scale cost disadvantages independent of scale, such as patents, access to know-how, access to limited resources, favorable locations, government subsidies or policies and learning or experience curves product differentiation expected retaliation from existing firms against the new entrants Strong barriers to the entry of new firms enable a few firms to dominate the market and thereby influence prices. The second force is intensity of rivalry among existing competitors. Rivalry takes place when one or more firms inside an industry try to improve their position using tactics such as price competition, new product introduction or new services. Rivalry depends on several factors: number and size of competitors, industry growth, product characteristics (which determine whether the rivalry is based on price or differentiation), cost structure, exit barriers, diverse competitors, operative capacity and high strategic stakes. If an industry is inhibited, then firms will experience difficulties when trying to expand. The growth of foreign competition and the corporate stakes should also be included in the analysis. Threat of substitutes is the third forces. Substitutes are those products manufactured by other industries but serving the same purposes as the initial product. These substitute products cause the demand to decline. The implications are reduced profits and reduced market command by the original capital investor. This is of particular importance when the buyer has no switching costs and can easily compare products in terms of price and efficiency. Bargaining power of buyers is the fourth force. High bargaining power positions weak firms inside the industry, forcing price down, enhancing competition between industry players and resulting in bargaining for higher quality or services. This power is particularly high under certain conditions, such as few and specific buyers, undifferentiated products, low switching costs, the possibility of backward integration and information about demand and the availability of market price to the buyers. Furthermore, bargaining power is high if product quality is not a crucial factor of decision-making and if what the buyer is acquiring is a modest fraction of his total costs. Bargaining power is even higher when the buyer is a retailer or a wholesaler able to influence the consumers purchasing decision. The fifth and last force is the bargaining power of suppliers. This can act on the industry in several ways: raising prices, lowering quality or privileging some buyers. Supplier power can be divided into several elements. One of these elements is supplier concentration. Suppliers are in a stronger position when there are few suppliers, switching costs are high, the industry they are serving account for a small fraction of their business or their products are an important part of the buyers business. The bargaining power of suppliers is low or nonexistent when there are substitute products. Lastly, purchase volume and the suppliers influence on cost are very important.