In the UK ethical businesses are not as successful as less ethical Essay

In the UK ethical businesses are not as successful as less ethical businesses - Essay Example Sex industry mints billions of pounds and far leads other industries with respect to making money. The sex industry is normally, a 57+ billion annual global business. This is because of the fact that the demand of porn has always been increasing. The fact that prostitution is illegal in many countries further opens more doors to profit from the sex industry. The business has to be done in a secretly, companies and people taking part in sex industry do not have to pay the fees required for getting themselves registered nor do their earnings get cut due to tax deduction. Everything takes place secretly and all possible means of losing out money that are witnessed in ethical businesses are absent in the case of such business (Carrigan & Attalla 2012). In order to operate a business decently in the UK, the employer has to give first preference to the local workers. However, local workers ask the employers a lot of money in salary. On the other hand, if the employers instead employ illegal migrants, it becomes an equally advantageous association between the employer and the employee. While the employer manages to hire the same or even better services that a local worker would have offered, the employee finds employment and a means of continued existence in the UK. Furthermore, the prosperity of business rises as the internal cost is reduced (Amnable 2003). Starbucks is one of the most well-liked and the most money-making chains in the UK. Branding the companies on 19 diverse classes, Ethical Consumer recognized Starbucks as the worst with respect to their stand on political activities as well as workers’ rights. Co-editor of the magazine, Dan Welch provided these reasons for this finding; â€Å"We’ve uncovered a record of unethical behaviour that runs completely counter to Starbucks image as an environmentally friendly, bohemian Seattle coffee shop†¦It covers everything from serving up genetically engineered growth hormone in

The Cuban Missile Crisis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

The Cuban Missile Crisis - Research Paper Example This contest had been going on since the conclusion of World War II in 1945 (The Belfer Center, 2012). This variable game of â€Å"one- upsmanship† continued, resulting in the Soviet government successfully launching Sputnik into space and being the first to put a man into orbit. This outcome terrified Americans. They feared that the Soviets had gained the advantage in technological advancements and that the Russians were winning the Cold War. This only heightened the United States’, nearly, universal fears concerning communism (Thompson, 2010). Tensions were already high when John F. Kennedy came to the office of President of the United States in 1961 and would soon find himself in a crucial position while nuclear war hung in the preverbal balance. In early October 1962, an American U-2 spy plane was able to capture photographs showing a potential Soviet missile base on the island of Cuba. To date, there had been no known military installations in this rather remote an d sparsely populated area – an area where the Cuban citizens had been evacuated and the area labeled â€Å"restricted† (Yale Law School, 2008). The President opted to keep this knowledge quiet while he conferred with his select group of advisors, who would be called ExComm, the Executive Committee. The decision made was to place a blockade of ships, ringing the Cuban island, which would prevent the Soviets from reaching their military site. This â€Å"quarantine† came with the demands for the removal of the missiles and the destruction of the base. This did not happen immediately. In fact, the Soviets had been working very hard to keep the location of the Cuban base a secret, even from its own lower-ranking officers. The secret project had been titled ANADYR, which also happened to be the name of a river near the Bering Sea where a known Soviet bomber base was located. Even after the pictures were presented, they continued a volley of denials and misinformation, which is referred to as â€Å"disingenuous diplomacy† (Hansen, 2008). The President then alerted the American people, in a public broadcast, detailing the presence of the missile site in Cuba, the blockade that had been implemented, and that, as of that moment, no resolution had been reached (John F. Kennedy, 2012).

Theories of Motivation in Business Management

Theories of Motivation in Business Management Motivation is the factors that determine the grounds for engagement in a particular behavior by a person or persons. It attached with the beginning, route, the level of involvement and the sustaining at a particular level of behavior of a person. The grounds for a particular behavior may include the determinants which are varying from basic human needs to higher level of social needs. Motivation can be reflected through the energy and commitment of the individual or group to perform a certain task or tasks (Joseph 1989). The employee motivation is a crucial factor for every business at a same or sometimes at a higher level with compared to other businesses. It affects the every aspects of the business. The basic level of the motivation is reflected by the hard working work force. At this stage the productivity will be high and hence the cost of labor per unit will be reduced. However the mere improvements in productivity will not be the single factor that a firm can achieve by motivating its workforce. Motivated employees are performing to a high standard level of performance where favorable impacts over the customer satisfaction and the shareholder value can be gained. The motivated employees are less likely to engage in industrial actions or such other violence actions against the company. The employee conflicts and grievances may lower. Further the motivated employees would work effectively under minimum supervision. They will be enthusiastically learning new things relating to their jobs that wou ld enhance the quality of performance. Building or creating motivated employee force is a difficult task by which a high amount of effort and money are absorbed. More importantly the culture, leadership style and the management style affect the employee motivation. Therefore the motivated employee force is becoming a competitive source to the company. There are various theories that are built regarding employee motivation. Various philosophers have presented various models on employee motivation. Their efforts and numerous case studies on this topic show the importance of the subject matter to the todays business context. This assignment will present an introduction of those theories and the practice of those theories in the todays business environment with relevant case studies. Motivation Theories There are several theories of motivation of various philosophers such as Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory, Herzbergs Two Factor Theory, Douglas McGregors Theory X and Theory Y, Kurt Lewins Force Field Theory, Victor Vrooms Expectancy Theory, F.W. Taylors Scientific Management, etc. At lower levels of the Maslows hierarchy of Needs theory the monetary benefits are considered to be the motivation factor. At the higher level of the hierarchy factors such as social respect, recognition, sense of belonging and empowerment are powerful than the monetary factor of motivation. Accordingly Maslow suggested that the money is a lowest important factor as a motivator of employees. McGregor has included money in his Theory X category and explained it as a poor motivator and in theory Y category he has placed social recognition and praise suggesting that they are strong motivators other than money. This section of the assignment will present explanations of those important theories of motivation before understand the practical usage of those theories to generate a motivated workforce (Werther and Davis 1985). Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory This theory composed of two parts; classification of human needs and relating classes to each other. The classes of needs are as follows. The theory explains the order of the fulfilling needs as follows. Person begin from the bottom line of the hierarchy and will try to satisfy the very basic physical needs of hunger, thirsty, shelter, etc. When he has satisfied these needs then they are not motivators further. Hence he moves upward of the hierarchy. Then the person would seek for the safety at work, job security, etc to ensure his survival at workplace. Having ensured that he is safe his curiosity then will search for social needs such as belongingness, love, friendships, etc. the person would seek for colleagues to work with, share information, team work, communication, etc. Then the esteem needs will come forward. This is the need for being praised, given recognition or evaluation for a job well-done. The people normally seek for respect of others while sharing the happy and sorrow. Self-actualization is the way a person perceives himself. It measured by the extent of success and the amount of challenge of work. There are several problems attached with this model where as it has greater potential to appeal in the business world such as, It is no clear when would be a certain level is considered as satisfied Individuals may respond differently regarding the same need Sometimes individual behavior reflects the reaction for more than one need Model has ignored several conditions such as bearing a low-pay by an employee expecting future benefits Some critics argue that this model explain the behavior of middle-class workers in UK and USA (Forshaw and Korn 2010) Herzbergs Two Factor Theory This is a content theory of motivation whereas the main theory is the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs. Herzberg carried out a research utilizing 200 engineers and accountants. They were asked to memorize the situations when that they felt positive or negative feelings at their job and the reasons there of. According to his findings he presented a two-steps approach to understand employee motivation and satisfaction which are called as Hygiene factors and Motivator factors. There are several factors that can be used to eliminate the unpleasant working conditions at work. These fcators are called a Hygeine factors. These factors may include one or all of the following factors. Working conditions Company policies Administration Quality and the way of supervision Eetent of inter-personal relationships Salaries, wages and other financial benefits The job security The individuals need for personal growth determines the motivaor factors of the particular person. Motivator factors actively create job satisfaction when they exist. If those factors are effective then the individuals performance would be of above-average. The motivator factors may, Opportunity for growth in the job Entrusted responsibility Social status Recognition among others Challenging work Sense of achievement (Stephen 2002) Herzberg model more identical to the Maslows theory yet it focus specially on the higher levels of the hierarchy of needs. The factors in the lower level of the hierarchy are considered as generating dissatisfaction only when they are not met with. Motivator factors are specific to the job itself such as how interesting the work is and how much of responsibility whether it assumes. The hygiene factors are considering the factors that are related to the environment of the job such as the safety working environment and the resources to complete the job assigned. These factors facilitate or able the employees to perform the job rather motivate to do the job with an extra effort and interest. Herzberg identified pay as a Hygiene factor. According to his theory the businesses are required to adopt the democratic approaches to motivate employees. These approaches may include one or more of the followings. Job Enlargement: Employees are given a range of tasks that are in various areas of the business or fields. However these tasks must not assume much responsibility if so the motivation to the tasks would less. Job Enrichment: this assigns the employees with more complex tasks which are attached with the completion of full work unit. The tasks will be of more challenging and interesting. And at the end the employee will feel a sense of achievement. Employee Empowerment: Here the employees are delegated with more power to make decisions on the areas attached to their jobs. The responsibility of the decisions made also to be held by them. (Musselwhite 2004) F.W. Taylors Scientific Management Taylor has formed several assumptions about the human behavior at work base on observations of the research he carried out participating US steelworkers. Man is a rational economic animal who concerned with maximizing his economic growth. People respond as individuals and not as groups. People can be treated as standardized machines Taylor simply described that the motivation factor of people at work is money. He suggested that the pay based on the rates produced by an each worker will induce him to produce more and more to earn more. Further the employees who do not achieve target of a daily production should be paid less in order to induce them to meet daily target. And the employees who exceed the target production should be paid more to induce them to keep that productivity and to motivate others. Accordingly managers job is to tell the employees what to do and the employees target is to complete that and to be paid according to their production (Tripathi 1991) When presenting this theory Taylor has ignored that there are many individual differences which would affect the motivator factors of the employees. However his methods were highly implemented by the business world which experienced a higher productivity and lower unit cost. It also gave the beginning kick to the mass production. Workers were unhappy with the Taylors methods since it assigned them with boring, repetitive work that required them to effort greatly to maximize the earnings. The employees were treated as machines and business people redounded employees as the productivity grew. These situations lead many industrial disputes and industrial actions by the workers (Mathis and Jackson 2000). This model is closely related with the autocratic leadership style. Douglas McGregors Theory X and Theory Y This theory presents two extremes of the behavior of people at work as theory X and theory Y. No individual would be necessarily categorized into one category but the whole behaviors will be in between the ends of X and Y. The characteristics of the two categories are as follows. Theory X Workers Theory Y Workers Dislike Work and avoid working as much as possible Who are lackof ambition Willing to be led by someone else than taking risk Highly seek for security and self-survival Managers will have to impose a management system of coercion, control and punishment to achieve the business objectives through such employees Highly interested in working and enjoy it Interested in taking risks and responsibilities Like to try new things and take challenges Work is considered as a source of satisfaction or punishment depending on the working conditions The management would face a challenge of creating a working environment that enable these employees to show their creativity and responsibility Elton Mayo Mayo suggested that employees are not mere considering the money and can be better motivated by giving them the opportunity to meet the social needs of the individuals. This is the Human Relationship Scholl of thought by which the managers are focused on considering more about the peoples relationship aspect understanding the how workers enjoy interactions. Mayos theory based on the extended research carried out in the Hawthorne factory of the Western Electric Company in Chicago. From that research Mayo came into conclusion that employees can be better motivated by; Effective communication among managers and workers Greater manager involvement in employees working life Working in groups or teams Accordingly it is suggested that the greater use of team work, high involvement of managers in the workers working life, and encouraged two way communication would be benefiting the companies. The Mayos theory is more closely running with the paternalistic management style. (www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Definition_Employee_Motivation.html(Accessed on 03/05/2011) Role of Other Factors It is highly considered that the way of motivating employees is the financial rewards. However there are many other aspects of the scenario that would be considered by the managers and executives to motivate their subordinates. The factors would be different on the individual basis which will need to put more effort into their work. Such factors may include followings. Organization Culture The organizational culture has a direct relationship with the employees performance and level of motivation. If the elements of the culture fit with individuals background, values, beliefs, norms and expectations then the employees are automatically willing to work in the organization. If the corporate culture is built on the teamwork, encouragement, collaboration, evaluation, then the employees is likely to be motivated to put more efforts to bring the organizational objectives accomplished. More often employees seek for their leaders direction and support, and at the same time they look for the collaboration of teammates and co-workers (Werther, Davis, Shwind, Das and Miner 1985). Relationship with Leaders The leadership style can be significantly influence the motivation of employees. The qualities of the leader will determine the extent to which the e employees are contributed to the organization. If the leader is unfair, do not provide clear instructions, and negatively look at the things then the employees will lose their desire to work hard to accomplish the goals. The organizations leaders must communicate with its employees openly so that the employees are clear about the things that they are required to do. (Source: http://tutor2u.net.business/people/motivation, (Accessed on 01/05/2011) Management Style The organizational culture, the situation and the expectations and personality of the subordinates will determine the suitable style of a manager. The characteristics of the managers style would be of no fit with the changes in the organization and the cultural changes accompanied by that change. As an example in past the authoritarian style of the managers was appreciated with the bureaucratic organizations, but today the interest is more focused on participative or empowered managers who admire the democratic policies of management. Many of the management theories are supporting the that sort of management styles such as Total Quality Management, Management by Objective, employee empowerment, self-managed work teams, etc. A comprehensive review of the management styles and their contribution to motivated work force will be presented below. Management Style Participative Management Description:Â   Share information with employees and participate them in the decision making process Employees are entrusted with the responsibility of running their own departments and determine the appropriate policies and procedures Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â   Not suitable to adapted by every organizations and at every levels This is a remedy to the poor morale and low productivity that gain the results very soon to the organization Redistributed power will enhance the willingness to work If the culture supports and if the employees are competent enough then the participation will result in effective decisions and productive operations. Giving the employees recognition as they are important as the mangers and the stakeholders will satisfy their esteem needs. Theory X and Theory Y Description:Â   These theories are based on several assumptions. It explains two extremes of the involvement and utilizing efforts and energy to accomplish tasks by the employees Theory X explains the negative side of the performance and theory Y represents the positive side of the performance Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â   Considering the poor performance as the total fault of the employee by Theory X and therefore employees are motivated by the extrinsic rewards such as money, promotion, appraises, etc. The low productivity is considered as the fault of the management. Theory Z Description:Â   It represents the good characteristics of the both Japanese management and the Western management styles. The theory has combined those features of the management at every level of the organizations. The characteristics of this theory included long-term employment, less specialized career path, group decision making, informal control, etc. Concerns the all levels of needs of the employees. Concerning the employee well-being satisfies the physical and security needs of the employees. Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â   Team work and group decision making satisfy the social needs Encouragement to take risks and responsibilities will satisfy the higher level of needs such as self-esteem and self-actualization Management By Walking Around Description:Â   Managers can gather as much as possible information regarding the policies, procedures, employee matters, and other work related information Manager can maintain proper relationship with employees so that he would be considered as a counselor or advisor by the employees Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â   Leaving decision making responsibility with the employees will achieve the fastest response time Close relationship with manager will let the employees to present their suggestions, complaints and grievances as soon as they occur Self-Managed Work Teams Description:Â   This is a derivation of the employee empowerment Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â  The teams will comprise of about 10-15 employees who require minimum supervision Delegates the authority to decide on simple work related aspects such as how to spend money, what work to undertaken, etc Total Quality Management Description:Â   The all functions of the management are integrated to achieve a high quality product Quality is the responsibility of all employees and teamwork Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â   The customer satisfaction is highly recognized Recognition is given from CEO to lower level employees to maintain quality Shared commitment to achieve the organizational objectives Encourages employees to grow, learn and participate in the business operations actively Encourages the continuing change and adaptation to the changing environment Management by objective Description:Â   Employees are participated in the establishing goals and objectives Overall organizational objectives are converted into employee objectives Steps are setting goals, participative decision making, implementing plans and performance feedback High involvement of the employees in decision making and goal setting related to their jobs Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â   Managers are empowered to implement, control their plans and performance. This motivate the managers to work hard for the company Periodical review of the employees performance will give the employees a sense of completion and will let them know what the areas to be improved more are. This will induce them to take more efforts to achieve the goals established with their participation Employee Empowerment Description:Â   The organization structures are change and the decision making is lapsed with the lowest levels of the organization The objectives of the empowerment is to speed up the decision making and giving solutions to problems regarding the business operations, give employees the opportunity to grow, and to lower organizational cost to managers by assigning them to various other projects Contribution to Motivated Work Force:Â   Employees will be trained to take high responsibilities and make more accurate, effective decisions quickly A sense of belongingness of the work they are engaged in will generate within the employees They think that the company is their own one and work hard to attain day-to-day work successfully www.ehow.com/about 5387352 definition-employee-motivation.html, (Accessed on 02/05/2011) The managers are obliged to select the suitable style for managing their subordinates and work which is suited to them, their subordinated personalities and general characteristics, the department they are assigned with and in general to the whole organizational setting and its culture. Management style highly correlated with the level of performance of the employees and outcome of the operations under their control. Managers must be delegated with the certain amount of authority and then their role becomes a nature of a leader. Then he must use suitable leadership traits to motivate and direct their subordinates to achieve the departmental/organizational objectives or outcome (Mathis and Jackson 2000). Reward System A properly designed reward system must be there in the organization by which the employees can attain such benefits. Employees must have the confidence that they can be rewarded with established performance criteria of the job. Further the rewards must be fairly distributed so that the employees can clearly identified that there is no any discrepancy over them. If the rewards are based on the performance evaluation procedure then all processes may transparent and the employees must clearly see that the evaluations are put on regularly and fairly (Joseph 1989) Job Title The job title will give the respective employee an idea about his role within the company, the extent to which he can contribute the accomplishment of organizational objectives. When the employees are aware about their importance to the organization they are automatically motivated to work hard to make their job effective (Deming 1986) Monetary Benefits Whether the money is being derecognized as a positive motivator it has proven to be more effective in practice. Selecting the right remuneration package for the employees is a challenge for nowadays. A number of ways are in use to motivate employees over their work such as; Time-rate pay Peace-rate pay Performance related pay Shares and share options Bonuses Commissions Pension There are several aspects of money to be an important motivator such as; Pay helps to satisfy many other needs of person such as esteem needs, safety needs, etc It is an important cost to the company It helps to attract competent employees It helps to retain skilled and competent employees It is subjected to various legislations such as National Minimum Wage (Cherrington 1994) Motivation in Practice Case Examples The Tesco Plc The UK giant retailer, Tesco Plc has provided its large workforce to join the company as prospective shareholders. Staff is enabled to be a part of the Tescos profit by share allocation based on their performance. The number of shares allocated to each employee is determined by the number of days worked in an each period. The Department of Education The UK Departmental Education Sector is in the view that the teachers pay must be linked to their performance. In 2002 the British government introduces a performance based bonus scheme to give rise to the teachers pay and to retain the existing staff and to attract new staff to the teaching sector. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority The NDA has utilized many theoretical perspectives of the employee motivation to motivate its employees. The NDA Way shows that several phenomena which is based on the fulfillment of Maslows Hierarchy of Needs as follows. Always acting safely and responsibly Building talent and teams Challenging themselves Learning from experience Being open and transparent Confronting problems Delivering whet they promised The NDA implemented the strategies like job enrichment, job enlargement, and job rotation, empowerment to effectively affect the employees motivation to carry out the organizational objectives effectively and efficiently. Its focus was to ensure that the employees are acquiring a range of skills and proficiency making the work is more interesting and challenging. Further the company introduced the flexibility into the workforce. The NDA involved in wide range of projects which are each project is of a unique challenge. Hence the authority required people with flexible people to work in teams and willing to learn continually and to take responsibility. Their team work and relationships were based on the Mayos Human Relations School of motivation. The NDA build relationships on a win-win basis. The staff encouraged to build necessary skills and competencies to adapt the variety of the work involved by the authority. The employees are delegated with Personal Development plans with SMART objectives and provide the path to professional development as well. Conclusion Motivation is crucial factor of the success of the organization these days. There are various theories have been presented by various philosophers regarding the motivation of employees. Management, leadership, and organizational culture are key determinants among the factors affecting employee motivation. Every job has the probability of motivation or demotivation the employee. Motivation affects the every aspects of the business and strongly affects the level of productivity. Whether some philosophers have considered money as a low motivator it has a high influence of persons life and hence still it is valid as motivator. The reward system, job title, periodical performance reviews can also be considered as motivators. Many organizations have adapted the teachings of theories like Mayo, McGregor to create a motivated employee force. A motivated employee force would benefit the company by lowering the unit cost, high productivity, maintaining quality, etc. the motivation is simply the work harder to accomplish the organizational goals effectively and efficiently by its workforce. Only a motivated workforce will be able to bring the organization to a successful position in the todays dynamic competitive market environment.

Historians Perspectives :: History Historical Essays

Historians' Perspectives Every situation can be looked at from so many different angles that it is very difficult for any two people to agree on what is going on. Ten people could look at the same situation and create ten different theories or assumptions as to what is occurring. This is because no two people have the same backgrounds, no two people have the same experiences, and no two people think exactly the same. These factors come together to distinguish each person as an individual. Every person has the ability to interpret the same situation in a different way. This occurs more often then not, when one historian has a theory about a time period or a historical event. One historian could look at the assassination of John F. Kennedy and think that it was a governmental conspiracy, while another may look at it merely as an ex-marine that went mad and killed the President. Still on the same subject a third historian may combine facts from both arguments to create a whole new view of his own. This is exactly what occurred after Richard Hofstadter wrote his book The Age of Reform. He made an argument on progressivism in his book in 1955, which was not written as fact but more as opinion. After that three different articles were written on the same topic from different angles. Richard L. McCormick, Paula Baker, and Peter G. Filene, all wrote articles which either agreed or disagreed with Hofstadter. At points they completely disagreed with points that Hofstadter made, but then in the same article they agreed and support a point Hofstadter made. All four people wrote on the same topic but all four took different views. This was their right as individuals to do and at some points they had similarities but then at others they went to other sides of the spectrum. Hofstadter in his book, The Age of Reform, broke down the age of reform as a time period from 1896 to the 1930’s. Within this time period, he then divided it into three separate sections or movements. The first section being that of the populist movement, the second was the progressive movement, and third was the reforms made during the New Deal. He begins with the populist movement and how it started based on the agrarian myth in rural and southern areas. This myth had the farmers thinking that they held an important part in society and that their job has a special value.

Rachel Carson Environment Essay

â€Å"The Influence and Growth of the Environmental Movementâ€Å" In today’s fast-paced society, people seem to ignore one of the most important factors of why we are alive: planet earth! It provides us with water, â€Å"fresh† air, and a limited supply of natural resources. Mother earth has been a gracious host but it seems as if humans might be overstaying their visit. Modern day greedy businessmen try to squeeze every last drop of juice from earth. But soon, the earth will be all dried up with no more juice to offer.Fortunately, thanks to the work of many environmentalists all around the world from the present day, the world may be able to recover from all its injuries caused by the insatiable human race. Rachel Carson’s book â€Å"Silent Spring†, which spurred the environmental movement, helped raise awareness for the environment, warn humans of the dangers of using pesticides such as DDT, preserve several plant and animal species, and make the atmo sphere cleaner Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, which was published in 1962, was undoubtedly a critical turning point in history which prompted attention to environmental issues.Some say that Carson’s book was a â€Å"marker for the beginning of the modern American  environmental movement† (Geary). Carson was a revolutionary and had an astounding influential power. Silent Spring highlighted many of the damages done to the environment by the use of pesticides (Kelly). This of course, attracted many scientists to begin researching the issue but had other benefits as well. Her work was so intriguing and influential that â€Å"the vibrations of  [her] work resounded not only in academia but in the mind of the public as well† (Kelly).Truly, Carson’s concerns caught the attention of many people, both scientists and the public. Because of her efforts, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created in 1970 (Kelly). Rachel Carson spearheaded the En vironmental campaign and helped raise awareness about the growing risks of damages caused to the environment. In addition to the growth of awareness during the environmental movement, some dangers to animal life also grew. In her book, Rachel Carson explores the effects of pesticides.The most famous of these was dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), which had been used to control pest insects, like mosquitoes and lice, in many countries (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). Although Carson warned of the dangers of using these long-lasting pesticides, some insisted on the continuation of their usage. Farmers liked DDT because it helped to control insect damage to their crops (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). Obviously, there are effects to the use of such pesticides. Carson explains that, overtime, DDT and other long-lasting pesticides had become part of the food chain.This is due to â€Å"the chemicals, remaining on plants and   water after sprayings, were inge sted by small animals, which were then eaten by larger animals, including humans† (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). Carson definitely foresaw the dangers of using pesticides towards animal life and had a kind heart towards the lives of those several animal species that were being affected. She pointed out that these pesticides killed not only harmful insects like mosquitoes but also the ones that were innocent, such as bees, fish, and birds (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†).The environmental movement helped to preserve numerous species on planet earth. The earth is home to a vast variety of plants and animals. But, even with the slightest change to the environment, can completely devastate an ecosystem (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). Protecting and preserving this rich animal life on earth was an important part of the environmental movement. In fact, â€Å"one of the most significant issues of the  environmental movement  has been the fight to protect animal and plant species from becoming extinct† (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†).This concern for animal extinction and preservation had several positive effects. For example, Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1966 in hopes of lowering the extinction rate (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). This law was a huge improvement for animal extinction rights and preservation. However, this law only applied to fish and wildlife, and only to species native to the United States (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). A few years later, another law would be passed to further help the preservation efforts.This law was The Endangered Species Conservation Act, passed in 1969, which broadened coverage to offer greater protection to larger numbers of animals (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). Another law passed in 1973, the Endangered Species Act, further strengthened protections for endangered species. This law helped define t he term ‘endangered' species as â€Å"one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range† (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). With the help of many federal agencies, combined with the efforts of other organizations as the World Wildlife Fund, a significant impact was made to elp preserve the lives of several plant and animal species throughout the environmental movement. During the environmental movement, some environmental hazards became the focus of attention and posed a severe threat to planet earth’s well-being. An important focal point of the environmental movement was global warming. Global warming is the warming of the earth’s climate due to the increase of harmful gases caused by human activity—such as carbon dioxide, methane, and CFCs (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†).One of the ways to decrease greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions is to reduce the world's dependence on fossil f uels. Fossil fuels are oils that are created inside the earth but that are not renewable— which include coal, natural gas, and oil CFCs (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). The process of extracting these fossil fuels can be dangerous and devastating. Mining for coal can have a devastating impact on the landscape, leaving scars like deep holes and mountains with their tops shaved off as well as produce toxic waste that pollutes waterways (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†).There are drastic results that can occur to the burning of fossil fuels. The danger in burning natural gas results in emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). Of course, fossil fuels are an important cause in pollution, but another factor comes from the daily life of humans. Humans use their cars as an everyday transportation method but, the truth is, that it also increasing the CO2 levels in the air. Another factor of pollution come s from deforestation. Deforestation is the clearing of forests in order to make room for new development projects.Unfortunately, the logging of forests also results in increases in carbon dioxide (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†). Clearly, the world would be much cleaner if it weren’t for all these damaging emissions from gasses and fossil fuels. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, helped to spearhead the important environmental movement that would change the way people look at the environment forever. Through her efforts, she was able to give people knowledge about the environment, warn humans of the risks of using harmful pesticides, protect many different plant and animal species, and, most importantly, make the earth a healthier place to live.Maybe if humans work together a little harder, they might be able to keep the earth juicy for just a view more centuries. Environmental activist  Rachel Carson  speaks in favor of curbing the use of chemical pesticides and the aerial spraying of crops, before a Senate subcommittee on June 4, 1963. AP/WIDE WORLD PHOTOS. REPRODUCED BY PERMISSION. (â€Å"Silent Spring†) A fogger machine sprays the pesticide DDT through residential streets while people watch from their porches in 1949. At one time, people thought that DDT was not harmful to humans, only to disease-causing insects.The Library of Congress. (â€Å"The Environmental Movement†) Bibliography Durbin, Paul T. â€Å"Conservation and Preservation. †Ã‚  Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics. Ed. Carl Mitcham. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 418- 420. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. â€Å"The Environmental Movement. †Ã‚  American Social Reform Movements Reference Library. Ed. Carol Brennan, et al. Vol. 1: Almanac. Detroit: UXL, 2007. 151-190. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 Nov. 2012 Geary, Daniel. â€Å"Environmental Movement.   Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 226-231. Gale Virtual Library. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. Kelly, Evelyn B. â€Å"The Rise of Environmental Science. †Ã‚  Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 7: 1950 to Present. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 83-87. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Silent Spring. †Ã‚  American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 7: 1960-1969. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 553-556. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. Silent Spring. †Ã‚  Literature and Its Times:  Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. Joyce Moss and George Wilson. Vol. 4: World War II to the Affluent Fifties (1940-1950s). Detroit: Gale, 1997. 337-342. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. Works Cited â€Å"The Environmental Movement. †Ã‚  American Social Reform Movements Reference Library. Ed. Carol Brennan, et al. Vol. 1: Al manac. Detroit: UXL, 2007. 151-190. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. Geary, Daniel. â€Å"Environmental Movement.   Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 226-231. Gale Virtual Library. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. Kelly, Evelyn B. â€Å"The Rise of Environmental Science. †Ã‚  Science and Its Times. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. Vol. 7: 1950 to Present. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 83-87. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Silent Spring. †Ã‚  American Decades Primary Sources. Ed. Cynthia Rose. Vol. 7: 1960-1969. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 553-556. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Nov. 2012.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 1

This wasn't the first time I'd worn a foil dress. It was, however, the first time I'd done so in a family-friendly setting. â€Å"Vixen!† Santa's voice rang out above the mall crowd, and I hurried away from where I'd been corralling a group of Burberryclad kids. It wasn't actually Santa Claus calling me, of course. The man sitting in the holly-and-light-bedecked gazebo was named Walter something-or-other, but he asked that those of us working as his â€Å"elves† refer to him as Santa at all times. Conversely, he had christened all of us with either reindeer or Seven Dwarves names. He took this job very seriously and said the names helped him stay in character. If we questioned that, he'd start regaling us with tales of his extensive career as a Shakespearean actor, one that he claimed had come to an end because of his age. We elves had our own ideas about what might have cut his career short. â€Å"Santa needs another drink,† he told me in a stage whisper, once I reached his side. â€Å"Grumpy won't get me one.† He inclined his head toward another woman dressed in a green foil dress. She was holding back a squirming boy while Santa and I conducted our conversation. I met her pained expression and then glanced down at my watch. â€Å"Well, Santa,† I said, â€Å"that's because it's only been an hour since the last one. You know the deal: one shot in your coffee every three hours.† â€Å"We made that deal a week ago!† he hissed. â€Å"Before the crowds picked up. You have no idea what Santa endures.† I didn't know if it was part of his acting method or just a personality quirk, but he also referred to himself in the third person a lot. â€Å"A girl just asked for SAT scores good enough to get her into Yale. I think she was nine.† I spared him a moment's sympathy. The mall where we were earning holiday pay was in one of Seattle's more affluent suburbs, and the requests he got sometimes went beyond footballs and ponies. The kids also tended to be better dressed than me (when I wasn't in elf-wear), which was no small feat. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. Tradition or not, I sometimes thought putting children on an old guy's lap was already creepy enough. We didn't need to mix alcohol into it. â€Å"The deal stands.† â€Å"Santa can't take much more of this!† â€Å"Santa's got four hours left of his shift,† I pointed out. â€Å"I wish Comet was still here,† he said petulantly. â€Å"She was much more lenient with the drinks.† â€Å"Yes. And I'm sure she's drinking alone right now, seeing as she's unemployed.† Comet, a former elf, had been generous with Santa's shots and also partaken of them herself. Since she was half his weight, though, she hadn't held her liquor as well and had lost her job when mall officials caught her taking off her clothes in The Sharper Image. I gave a curt nod to Grumpy. â€Å"Go ahead.† The little boy hurried forward and climbed onto Santa's lap. To his credit, Santa switched into character and didn't pester me (or the boy) further about a drink. â€Å"Ho ho ho! What would you like for this nondenominational winter holiday season?† He even affected a slight British accent, which wasn't really necessary for the role but certainly made him seem more authoritative. The boy regarded Santa solemnly. â€Å"I want my dad to move back home.† â€Å"Is that your father?† asked Santa, looking toward a couple standing near Grumpy. The woman was pretty and blond, with the look of someone in her thirties who'd been preemptively hitting the Botox. If the guy she was plastered all over was old enough to be out of college, I would have been very surprised. â€Å"No,† said the boy. â€Å"That's my mom and her friend Roger.† Santa was silent for a few moments. â€Å"Is there anything else you'd like?† I left them to it and returned to my post near the line's start. Evening was wearing on, increasing the number of families turning out. Unlike Santa's, my shift ended in less than an hour. I could get in a little shopping time and miss the worst of the commuting traffic. As an official mall employee, I got a considerable discount, which made drunken Santas and foil dresses that much easier to bear. One of the greatest things about the happiest time of the year was that all the department stores had extensive cosmetics and fragrance gift sets out right now, gift sets that desperately needed a home in my bathroom. â€Å"Georgina?† My dreams of sugarplums and Christian Dior were interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice. I turned and felt my heart sink as I met the eyes of a pretty middle-aged woman with cropped hair. â€Å"Janice, hey. How's it going?† My former co-worker returned my stiff smile with a puzzled one. â€Å"Fine. I . . . I didn't expect to see you here.† I also hadn't expected to be seen here. It was one of the reasons I'd chosen to work outside the city, to specifically avoid anyone from my old job. â€Å"Likewise. Don't you live in Northgate?† I tried not to make it sound like an accusation. She nodded and rested her hand on the shoulder of a small, dark-haired girl. â€Å"We do, but my sister lives over here, and we thought we'd visit her after Alicia talks to Santa.† â€Å"I see,† I said, feeling mortified. Wonderful. Janice was going to go back to Emerald City Books and Cafe and tell everyone that she'd spotted me dressed as an elf. Not that that could make things worse, I supposed. Everyone there already thought I was the Whore of Babylon. It was why I'd quit a few weeks ago. What was an elf dress on top of that? â€Å"Is this Santa any good?† asked Alicia impatiently. â€Å"The one I saw last year didn't get me what I wanted.† Over the buzzing of the crowd, I just barely heard Santa saying, â€Å"Well, Jessica, there's not much Santa can do about interest rates.† I turned back to Alicia. â€Å"It kind of depends on what you want,† I said. â€Å"How did you end up here?† asked Janice, with a small frown. She actually sounded concerned, which I supposed was better than her gloating. I had a feeling there were a number of people at the bookstore who would have loved the idea of me suffering – not that this job was so bad. â€Å"Well, this is just temporary, obviously,† I explained. â€Å"It gives me something to do while I interview for others, and I get a mall discount. And really, it's just another form of customer service.† I was trying hard not to sound defensive or desperate, but with each word, the intensity of how much I missed my old job hit me more and more. â€Å"Oh, good,† she said, looking slightly relieved. â€Å"I'm sure you'll find something soon. Looks like the line's moving.† â€Å"Wait, Janice?† I caught hold of her arm before she could walk away. â€Å"How . . . how's Doug?† I'd left behind a lot of things at Emerald City: a position of power, a warm atmosphere, unlimited books and coffee . . . But as much as I missed all of those things, I didn't miss them as much as I missed a single person: my friend Doug Sato. He, more than anything, was what had spurred me to leave. I hadn't been able to handle working with him anymore. It had been terrible, seeing someone I care about so much regard me with such contempt and disappointment. I'd had to get away from that and felt I'd made the right choice, but it was still hard losing someone who'd been a part of my life for the last five years. Janice's smile returned. Doug had that effect on people. â€Å"Oh, you know. He's Doug. The same, wacky Doug. Band's going strong. And I think he might get your job. Er, your old job. They're interviewing for it.† Her smile faded, as though she suddenly realized that might cause me discomfort. It didn't. Not much. â€Å"That's great,† I said. â€Å"I'm happy for him.† She nodded and told me good-bye before hurrying forward in line. Behind her, a family of four paused in their frantic texting on identical cell phones to glare at me for the holdup. A moment later, they hunched back down again, no doubt telling all their Twitter friends about every inane detail of their holiday mall experience. I put on a cheery smile that didn't reflect what I felt inside and continued helping with the line until Sneezy, my replacement, showed up. I got him up to speed on Santa's drinking schedule and then abandoned the holiday nexus for the mall's back offices. Once inside a bathroom, I shape-shifted out of the foil dress, trading it for a much more tasteful sweater and jeans combo. I even made the sweater blue so that there would be no confusion. I was off the holiday clock. Of course, as I walked back through the mall, I couldn't help but notice I was never off the clock for my main job: being a succubus in the illustrious service of Hell. Centuries of corruption and seduction of souls had given me a sixth sense for spotting those most vulnerable to my charms. The holidays, while ostensibly being a time of cheer, also tended to bring out the worst in people. I could spot the desperation everywhere – those hoping to frantically find the perfect gifts to win over the ones they loved, those dissatisfied with their ability to provide for their loved ones, those dragged along on shopping trips to create a â€Å"perfect† holiday experience they had no interest in. . . . Yes, it was everywhere if you knew how to look for it: that sorrow and frustration tucked in amongst the joy. Those were exactly the kinds of souls that were ripe for the taking. I could have picked off any number of guys if I wanted to tonight and taken care of my quota for the week. My brief exchange with Janice had left me feeling strange, however, and I couldn't muster the energy to go strike up a conversation with some discontent suburban businessman. Instead, I consoled myself with impulse purchases for myself and even found a couple of much-needed gifts for others, proving that I wasn't totally and completely selfish. By the time I left, I felt confident traffic had died down and would give me an easy drive back to the city. As I walked past the center of the mall, I heard Santa ho-ho-ho-ing loudly while waving his arms energetically around, much to the terror of a small child on his lap. My guess was that someone had cracked and broken the drinking rule. On the way home, I noticed I had three voice mail messages, all from my friend Peter. Before I could even attempt to listen to them, the phone rang. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Where are you?† Peter's frantic voice filled up the small space of my Passat. â€Å"In my car. Where are you?† â€Å"At my apartment. Where else? Everyone's here!† â€Å"Everyone? What are you talking about?† â€Å"Did you forget? Damn it, Georgina. You were a lot more punctual when you were unhappy and single.† I ignored the jab and scanned through my mental calendar. Peter was one of my best friends. He was also a neurotic, obsessive compulsive vampire who loved hosting dinners and parties. He usually managed to throw something together at least once a week, never for the same reason, so it was easy to lose track. â€Å"It's fondue night,† I said at last, proud of myself for remembering. â€Å"Yes! And the cheese is getting cold. I'm not made of Sterno, you know.† â€Å"Why didn't you just start eating?† â€Å"Because we're civilized.† â€Å"Debatable.† I pondered whether I wanted to go or not. Part of me really just wanted to get home and snuggle with Seth, but I had a feeling he'd be working. I likely couldn't expect snuggling for a while, whereas I could appease Peter right now. â€Å"Fine. Start without me, and I'll be there soon. I'm just getting off the bridge now.† Wistfully, I drove past Seth's exit and instead set my sights on the one that would take me to Peter's place. â€Å"Did you remember to bring wine?† he asked. â€Å"Peter, until a minute ago, I didn't even remember I was supposed to be at your place. Do you really need wine?† I'd seen Peter's wine cabinet. On any given day, he had a dozen each of reds and whites, both domestic and international. â€Å"I don't want to run out of the good stuff,† he said. â€Å"I seriously doubt you're going to – wait. Is Carter there?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Okay. I'll pick up some wine.† I showed up at his apartment ten minutes later. His roommate and apprentice, Cody, opened the door and gave me a broad, fang-filled smile. Light, music, and the scent of fondue and potpourri washed over me. Their home put Santa's gazebo to shame and had decorations filling every square inch. And not just Christmas ones. â€Å"Since when do you guys have a menorah?† I asked Cody. â€Å"Neither of you are Jewish.† â€Å"Well, we're not Christian either,† he pointed out, leading me toward the dining room. â€Å"Peter wanted to take a multicultural slant this year. The guestroom is all done in Kwanza decorations, if you know someone looking for a truly tacky overnight experience.† â€Å"It is not tacky!† Peter stood up from a table where our other immortal friends sat around two tubs of melted cheese. â€Å"I can't believe you're so insensitive to other people's religious views. Jesus Christ! Is that boxed wine?† â€Å"You said you wanted wine,† I reminded him. â€Å"I wanted good wine. Please tell me it's not blush.† â€Å"Of course it's blush. And you didn't tell me to bring good wine. You said you were worried Carter would drink all your good wine. So I brought this for him instead. Your wine is safe.† At the mention of his name, the only heavenly creature in the room looked up. â€Å"Sweet,† he said, accepting the box from me. â€Å"Santa's little helper delivers.† He opened up the box's dispenser and looked at Peter expectantly. â€Å"Do you have a straw?† I sat in an empty seat beside my boss, Jerome, who was contentedly dipping a piece of bread in molten cheddar. He was the archdemon of all of Seattle and chose to walk the earth looking like a circa 1990 John Cusack, which made it easy to forget his true nature sometimes. Fortunately, his brimstone personality always came out the instant he opened his mouth. â€Å"You're here less than a minute, Georgie, and already you've made this get-together fifty percent less classy.† â€Å"You guys are eating fondue on a Tuesday night,† I retorted. â€Å"You were well on your way without me.† Peter had settled himself back down and was trying to appear calm. â€Å"Fondue is very classy. It's all in the presentation. Hey! Where'd you get that?† Carter had set the wine box on his lap, dispenser on top, and was now drinking from it with an enormous straw that I suspected had been literally conjured from thin air. â€Å"At least he's not doing that with a bottle of Pinot Noir,† I told Peter good-naturedly. I helped myself to a fondue fork and speared a piece of apple. On the other side of Jerome, Hugh busily typed away on his phone's keyboard, reminding me of the family at the mall. â€Å"Telling the world about this lowbrow party?† I teased. Hugh was an imp, a type of hellish administrative assistant, so he could have actually been buying or selling souls via his phone for all I knew. â€Å"Of course,† said Hugh, not looking up. â€Å"I'm updating Facebook. Do you know why Roman won't answer my friend request?† â€Å"No clue,† I said. â€Å"I've barely spoken to him in days.† â€Å"When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,† Peter explained, â€Å"but that we should go ahead and draw for him.† â€Å"Draw?† I asked uneasily. â€Å"Oh Lord. Tell me it's not Pictionary night too.† Peter sighed wearily. â€Å"Draw for Secret Santas. Do you even read the e-mails I send?† â€Å"Secret Santas? Seems like we just did that,† I said. â€Å"Yeah, a year ago,† said Peter. â€Å"Just like we do every Christmas.† I glanced over at Carter who was quietly drinking his wine. â€Å"Did you lose my hat? You look like you could use one.† The angel's chin-length, blond hair was even more unkempt than usual. â€Å"Tell us what you really think, Georgina,† he replied. He ran a hand over his hair, but it somehow only made things worse. â€Å"I'm saving it for a special occasion.† â€Å"If I get your name again, I'll buy you two hats so you don't have to ration yourself.† â€Å"I wouldn't want you to go to the trouble.† â€Å"No trouble at all. I get a discount at the mall.† Jerome sighed and set down his fork. â€Å"Are you still doing that, Georgie? Don't I suffer enough without having to endure the humiliation of a succubus who moonlights as a Christmas elf?† â€Å"You always said I should quit the bookstore and find something else to do,† I reminded him. â€Å"Yes, but that was because I thought you'd go on to do something respectable. Like become a stripper or the mayor's mistress.† â€Å"This is just temporary.† I handed Carter the elegant crystal wineglass that had been sitting by my plate. He filled it with wine from the box and gave it back. Peter groaned and muttered something about despoiling Tiffany's. â€Å"Georgina doesn't need material things anymore,† teased Cody. â€Å"She's paid in love now.† Jerome fixed the young vampire with a cold stare. â€Å"Do not ever say anything that saccharine again.† â€Å"You're one to talk,† I said to Cody, unable to hide my smile. â€Å"I'm surprised you could drag yourself away from Gabrielle tonight.† His face immediately grew dreamy at the mention of his ladylove. â€Å"That makes two of us,† observed Peter. He shook his head bitterly. â€Å"You guys and your perfect love lives.† â€Å"Hardly perfect,† I said at the same time Cody said, â€Å"It is perfect.† All eyes fell on me. Hugh even looked up from his phone. â€Å"Trouble in paradise?† â€Å"Why do you always assume that? And no, of course not,† I scoffed, hating myself for the slip. â€Å"Things are fantastic with Seth.† And they were. Just speaking his name sent a flood of joy through me. Seth. Seth was what made everything worthwhile. My relationship with him was what had caused the rift between me and my former co-workers at the bookstore. They saw me as the reason for his breakup with Doug's sister. Which, I suppose, I was. But no matter how much I'd loved that job, giving it up was a small price to pay to be with Seth. I could endure being an elf. I could endure the quotas he and I put on our sex life, to ensure my succubus powers didn't suck him dry. With him, I could handle anything. Even a future of damnation. There were just a couple of teeny-tiny things about my relationship with Seth that gave me pause. One had been eating at me for a while, one I kept trying to ignore. But now, suddenly, with my immortal friends watching me, I finally drummed up the courage to address it. â€Å"It's just . . . I don't suppose any of you told Seth my name, did you?† Seeing Peter open his mouth in confusion, I immediately amended, â€Å"My real name.† â€Å"Why would that ever come up?† asked Hugh dismissively, returning to his texting. â€Å"I don't even know your real name,† said Cody. â€Å"Are you saying it's not Georgina?† I regretted the words already. It was a stupid thing for me to worry about, and their reactions were just proving that point. â€Å"Do you not want him to know your name?† asked Hugh. â€Å"No . . . it's fine. I just, well. It's just weird. A month or so ago, when he was half-asleep, he called me by it. Letha,† I added, for Cody's benefit. I managed to say the name without tripping over it. It wasn't a name I welcomed. I'd shed it centuries ago, when I became a succubus, and had been taking assumed names ever since. In banishing that name, I'd banished that former life. I'd wanted to erase it so badly that I'd sold my soul in exchange for everyone I'd known forgetting I existed. That was why the conversation with Seth had totally blindsided me. There was no way he could've known that name. You are the world, Letha . . . he had told me drowsily. He hadn't even remembered saying it, let alone where he'd heard it. Don't know, he'd told me, when I questioned him about it later. Greek myths, I guess. The River Lethe, where the dead go to wash away the memories from their souls . . . to forget the past. . . . â€Å"That's a pretty name,† said Cody. I shrugged noncommittally. â€Å"The point is, I never told it to Seth. But somehow, he knew it. He couldn't remember anything about it, though. Where he heard it.† â€Å"He must have heard it from you,† said Hugh, ever practical. â€Å"I never told him. I'd remember if I had.† â€Å"Well, with all the other immortals traipsing through here, I'm sure it came up from one of them. He probably overheard it.† Peter frowned. â€Å"Don't you have an award with your name on it? Maybe he saw that.† â€Å"I don't really leave my ‘Best Succubus' award lying around,† I pointed out. â€Å"Well, you should,† said Hugh. I eyed Carter carefully. â€Å"You're being awfully quiet.† He paused in drinking from the wine box. â€Å"I'm busy.† â€Å"Did you tell Seth my name? You've called me it before.† Carter, despite being an angel, seemed to have a genuine affection for us damned souls. And like an elementary school boy, he often thought the best way of showing that affection was by picking on us. Calling me Letha – when he knew I hated it – and other pet names was one such tactic he used. Carter shook his head. â€Å"Sorry to disappoint you, Daughter of Lilith, but I never told him. You know me: model of discretion.† There was a slurping sound as he neared the wine's end. â€Å"Then how did Seth find out?† I demanded. â€Å"How'd he know the name? Someone must have told him.† Jerome sighed loudly. â€Å"Georgie, this conversation is even more ridiculous than the one about your job. You already got your answer: either you or someone else slipped up and doesn't remember. Why does everything have to be so dramatic for you? Are you just looking for something to be unhappy about?† He had a point. And honestly, I didn't know why this had bugged me so much for so long. Everyone was right. There was no mystery here, nothing earth-shattering. Seth had overheard my name somewhere, end of story. There was no reason for me to overreact or assume the worst – only a tiny, nagging voice in my head that refused to forget about that night. â€Å"It's just weird,† I said lamely. Jerome rolled his eyes. â€Å"If you want something to worry about, then I'll give you something.† All thoughts of Seth and names flew out of my head. Everyone at the table (except Carter, who was still slurping) froze and stared at Jerome. When my boss said he had something for you to worry about, there was a strong possibility it meant something fiery and terrifying. Hugh looked startled by this proclamation too, which was a bad sign. He usually knew about hellish mandates before Jerome did. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. â€Å"I had a drink with Nanette the other night,† he growled. Nanette was Portland's archdemoness. â€Å"Bad enough she still won't let me forget the summoning. She was also going off on some bullshit about how her people were more competent than mine.† I glanced briefly at my friends. We weren't exactly model employees of Hell, so there was a very good chance that Nanette was right. Not that any of us would tell Jerome that. â€Å"So,† he continued, â€Å"when I denied it, she demanded we step up and prove what superior Hellish minions we are.† â€Å"How?† asked Hugh, looking mildly interested. â€Å"With a soul pledge drive?† â€Å"Don't be ridiculous,† said Jerome. â€Å"Then with what?† I asked. Jerome gave us a tight-lipped smile. â€Å"With bowling.†