Customer Relationship Management Systems Education Essay

Customer Relationship Management Systems Education Essay Seeing that the companys business strategies turn out to be more customers based with the modification and personalize overhaul, the (IT) information technology are make use of not only to provide services and products within and business, but also to supply end-users of the organizations items for consumption and services. Specially, the manipulation of IT adjoins as a new aspect to relationship marketing, recognized as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and at its interior, is about obtaining customer, providing services, knowing them well, and looks forward to their needs (L.Ryals and A. Payne.2001). Conventional marketing concentrated on the four Ps (price, place, product and promotion) for escalating market share from side to side increase in the quantity of transactions among the buyers and sellers. Although customer relationship management converge on using strategies, tolls and technology for encouragement the relationship among the seller and customer focusing on increas ing sales profits, procedures, customer satisfaction and profitability. However, to answer the core question I will cover up the following steps: The Main CRM Systems Definition of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Advantage and Disadvantages of CRM with example And Conclusion The Main CRM Systems: Finnegan, (2007) defined CRM system as A CRM system is an information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and post-sales activities in an organizations. CRM comprise all part of dealing with existing and potential customers: Sales, marketing and service or technical support etc. sometimes its call back office and front office systems because they are the edge with the customer. CRM systems are self-possessed of analytical and operational parts. Operational CRM The bellow diagram (figure-1) are shown based on the three basic parts of the CRM which contains SFA (sales force automation) Sales CRM entail assessment about telephone sales, web sales, retail store sails, and field sales; CSS (customer service and support) Service CRM entail customer conventional applications related to call centre data, web self-service data, and wireless data; And EMA (enterprise marketing automation) marketing CRM involves campaign data, content data and data analysis. Definition of Customer Relationship Management (CRM): According to core requirement and as an essential component of CRM we should make clear about what dose digital firm mean is. Keneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon (2007) defined digital firm as A digital firm is one where nearly all of the organizations significant business relationships with customers, suppliers and employees are digitally enables. However it is an interior business procedure are achieved in the course of digital networks across the whole organization or connecting numerous organizations. There are many definitions of CRM have been explicated and illuminate by different authors in different perspective. Pancucci (2002) observes that there are a number of definitions of CRM, even taking the regulation into the sphere of social science where the psychology, behaviour patterns of group of people, and socio-economic status are seen as vital manipulation of buying determination. Some are shown bellow: Gronroos, (1999) defined CRM is a direct outgrowth of the marketing Concept: he explained as; CRM is a commitment to simultaneously boost customer satisfaction and shareholders value by providing consistent, seamless, high-quality experiences for valued customer. Christopher, Payne and Ballantyne, (1991) defined CRM as it is the integration of customer service quality and marketing, which has as its concern the dual focus of getting and keeping customer. Strauss and Frost, (2001) defined CRM as it is a holistic process of identifying, attracting, differentiating and retaining customer. Grtner Group, (1999) CRM is a discipline a philosophy even that requires business to recognise and nurture their relationship with customers. With CRM, an individual customers needs and preferences are available to anyone in the business working at the customer interface, regardless of channel. Each customer is treated as an individual in a relationship that feels like one-to-one. However, idea behind the CRM is set up individual association with customers, pleasuring different customers in a different way based on the information acquired on their favourites, first choices, and spending blueprints; activates a business executes to identify, develop, acquire, and retain increasingly profitable and loyal customers by delivering the exact product or service, to the exact customers at the right time, through the precise channel, and the right cost in the store planning and supply chain roles through business procedure automation, technology solution and information possessions to make the most every customer contact. Advantages of Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Customer relationship management helps the business firms which have determined to implement CRM strategy can facilitate with numbers of following advantages: Build up customer retention and loyalty: Customer loyalty can be defined according to Mcllroy and Barnet (2000) as customers commitment to do business with a particular organisation, purchasing their goods and services repeatedly, and recommending the services and products to friends and associated. Therefore, the core benefits of the customer retention and loyalty are build up long term relationship and guide eventually to boost profits and sales, making intellect of belonging, in the opinion of Uncles (1994) according to consumer loyalty programmes apprehension is willing to innovate on behalf of customers, a feeling that the vendor is get ready to listen, is caring and concerned and consideration methods. The effect we can recognize as a retention and loyalty is an important aspect for customer relationship management; according to Byrom (2001) there are more than 150 loyalty schemes and approximately 40 million loyalty cards in the UK. For example Tesco loyalty Club-card, introduce 1995 was to offer as benefits to regular shoppers whilst helping the company discover more about its customer needs (Tesco, 2004). The achievement of Tesco Club-card had been successful and famous in the grocery world as Smith, (2004) according to Club-card achievement rating a third of UK homes use the program. Improved Customer acquisition Rates: Customer acquisition is an idiom used to explain the tactics and systems to manage customer viewpoint and inquiry typically allocate to the organizations to enumerate the effectiveness of consequence to choice of promotional activities through out the customer lifecycle. However, customer acquiring rate helps to the organizations with follow up customer relationship management (CRM) opportunity for cross-selling, repeat purchasing, up-selling and generating advanced revenue growth. For example Tesco Personal Finance (TPF) reached acquisition rates December 2008 for cash consideration of around 950m pound and acquire 6m Tesco Finance Customer accounts with successfully followed by customer relationship management. (Andrew Higginson, 2008) Improve Cross Selling and up-selling: Cross selling refers to selling things that are correlated or can be included with the items being sold. And up selling is the techniques of offering customers a product in supplement to the product are presently purchasing. For example if they sell digital mobile, it makes sense to propose linked products to their customer: more long life battery, cover, charger etc. or if they are up sell to their customer they can offer nearly anything in supplement to the items customers are previously paying attention. However, it is encourage to customer to come again in the store with buying intention to time, and enhance to making long term relationship as a part of customer relationship management activity. Boost the contract or Call centre effectiveness: Taylor and Bain (1999) has been defined call centre as it is a dedicated operation with employees focused entirely on customer service functions, employees are using telephone and computer simultaneously, and where call process controlled and processed by an automatic distribution system. There has been coherent recent expansion in call centre overhaul world-wide, with the call centre of the contemporary expected to advance into the customer admittance centre of the future, and providing a new economical basis for various organizations. The activity and effectiveness of a call centre are gaining customer orientation, service priority, growth of turnover, and contribute completely on the customer service function. For example UK largest mobile networking company o2 has given responsibly to maintain customer service activity through various call centres such as: Active Business Communication call centre, Active Digital call centre, Aerial call centre and so on(www.o2.co.uk [accessed-16/01/10]). And they are determined to give excellent customers feedback on-behalf of o2 mobile network to maintain good customer relation. However, customer relationship management has being bearing a great advantage for boost the contract or call centre effectiveness with the entrepreneur and standard customer service. Deliver a single, knowledgeable view of the customer: A stream advantages for a company bring out by following customer relationship management system are identifying and target the superlative customers and generation of eminence of excellence directed for the sales force, create management of sales and marketing crusades more effectual by setting precise goals, established characteristics relationships with the customers with the vision to make the most firms profits and progress customer satisfaction, Understanding the desires of employees and uphold a sound co-relationship with them. Disadvantages of Customer Relationship Management System (CRM): Not only CRM system has advantages so far it can be such a limitation as follows: High Software Cost: For the most part situation insist software support for customer relationship management matter but the cost of such software is usually elevated. For example Wendy Close, research director at Stamford, Conn.-based Garthner Inc., allocated the cost for most favourite SIEBAEL CRM software at $16000 to $25000 per user, a amount that includes software, training, services and hardware. However, this cost might not be affordable where fewer number of seats and not having frequently economies of scale convey the price down to $12000 for each user. (www.searchcrm.techtarget.com ) [Accessed-16/01/10] Handling Data: It is not easy to cope with ins and outs of data warehousing and data disfigurement technologies. It entails a lot of historical data to scrutiny analysis and study the tapping of information up-and-coming out of it. For example the article says on regard Tesco Data Swapping with Oil of Olay and raises a big question This is going to be big, and not just in fast moving consumer goods. Alan Mitchell (2002) Not Easy to Process: The assessment of CRM process and its functioning is not an easy mission. It requires multidimensional performance, and multifactor customer behaviour which are difficult to characterize. Even if they are described in some situation mostly score card or in metric format, which is often difficult to practise and understand them. A survey found that conducted by research and advisory firm Gartner (Zimmer, 2006) more than half of the organizations who have implemented the CRM have difficulties after implementation. According Pries, C. Stone, M. (2004) Aberdeen Group CRM Spending and Satisfaction report (February, 2003) identified that on a user ranged among of somehow satisfied and satisfied range from one (not satisfied) and to five (completely satisfied) which are depends on Area/ location. Approaches of past buying behaviour of consumer mightnt be same in the future too! : Majority of CRM move towards with collect data on the past purchasing behaviour of customer and undertaking it as the probable behaviour in further too. This could be an immoral supposition in a number of perspectives. Customer constrains keep on shifting and varies upon the criticality of the purpose and the level of disappointment with the existing alternatives. For example, an article report says Tesco broadband dissatisfaction rate due to poor customer service and experience 2009 churn rates of around 20% per annum. However the 20% are used to regular customer of Tesco. (www.phone-shop.tesco.com/latest-news) [Accessed-17/01/10] Conclusion: Nevertheless in the end of the report it is explicable that, In spite of that, the customer relationship management has become a maximum priority for numerous of companies. Bohling et al. (2006) comments on journal of CRM implementation as; in many competitive markets, business invest substantially in CRM implementation lately though, companies have become increasingly displeased with customer relationship management apply, as the majority of them are falling short of the expectations that precede them and are therefore considered failures. Conversely, though it has being first prioritized for many companies but not all companies are being success based on compare to advantage and disadvantages of customer relationship management in digital firms. Kumar and shah (2008) argued that CRM offers firm strategic benefits, such as greater customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Anders (1996) comments as it is a higher response cross-selling efforts and better word-of-mouth publicity. However, though some disadvantages and argument has been placed but it is should be remind that CRM assists a company concentrate on the customer as an assets side by side consumers are not forced to by necessity in the same organization. Many companies waste a lot of money obtain new customers and squander it by failing to acquire to know and comprehend their customer, retain and keep in handle with them. Therefore, Company should setup CRM system based on allow to customers to handle their relationship with multiple suppliers rather than the other way encompassing. Bibliography: L. Ryals, and A. Payne, (2001) Customer relationship management in financial services: towards information enabled relationship marketing, journal of strategic marketing, vol.9, pp. 4-27. Anderson, Eugene W. (1996) customer satisfaction and price tolerance, marketing letters, vol.7. (July), pp.265-74 Kumar, V. (2008), managing customer for profit. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Wharton School Publishing. -and Denish Shah (2004), building and sustaining profitable customer loyalty for the 21st Century, Journal of Retailing, 80 (4), pp.317-30 T.Bohling, D.Bowman, S.Lvalle, V.Mittal, G. Ramani et al. (2006), CRM implementation: Effective issues and insights, Journal of Service Research 9 (2), pp.184-194. Performance of Customer Relationship Management with Diagram http://www.kssi.ae.wroc.pl/~mowoc/Dydaktyka/MIS/Lect5.pdf [Accessed- 09/01/10] Strauss, J. Frost, R. (2001), E-marketing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Gronroose, C. (1999). Relationship marketing: Challenges for the organization. Journal of Business Research, vol.46, pp.327-355. Gartner Group, (1999), defining CRM: available at : C. Pries M. Stone (2004) Managing CRM implementation with consultants- CRM or change management?, journal of change management, vol.4, No.4, (December), pp.352-370 Christopher, M. Payne, A. and Ballantyne, D. (1991) Relationship Marketing- bringing quality, Customer Service, and marketing together, Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd., Oxford. Keneth C. Laudon and Jane P. Laudon (2007) managing the digital firm, 9th edi. Upper saddle river, NJ: Prentice Hall. Finnegan, D Willcocks, L (2007) Implementing CRM: from technology to knowledge, jhon willy and sons LTD. Wet Sussex, England. Mcllroy, A., Barnett, S. (2000), building customer relationships: do discount card works? managing the service quality, Vol. 10 no. 6. Pp.347-55 Uncles, M. (1994) Do you or your customer need a loyalty scheme?, journal of Targeting, measurement and analysis for marketing, vol. 2 no.4, pp.335-50 Byrom, J. (2001) the role of loyalty card data within local marketing initiatives, international journal of Retiling Distribution Management, vol. 29 No. 7.pp.333-42 Tesco, (2004), Corporate information, p. 1-3 available at: www.tescocorporate.com [accessed-17/01/2010] Smith, J. (2004), Every little helps, The Ecologist, vol. 34 No.7, pp.1-9 Higginson, A (2008), can Tosco really offer the same value as my bank, p.1-4 available at: www.tescoplc.com/annualreport09/storage/pdf/retailing_services.pdf [accessed- 17/01/10] O2 Centre of excellent partner- http://www.o2.co.uk/sme/whyo2/o2partners/excellence-centre [accessed-16/01/10] Taylor, P. and Bain, P. (1999), An assembly line in the head: work and employee relations in the call centre, Industrial Relations Journal, vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 101-17 Cost of Siebel CRM software: http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/tip/Siebel-CRM-software-costs [accessed- 16/01/10] Alan Mitchell (2002), Can company affords to share CRM schemes? p.1-1 available at www.marketlocation.com [accessed-14/01/10] Zimmer, J. (2006), Be ready to take the heat, Destination CRM, Viewpoint available at : www.destinationcrm.com [accessed-14/01/10] Tesco Telecom, cable warless: (November, 2009), available at: http://phone-shop.tesco.com/latest-news/Tesco%20Telecoms%20CW%20release%20FINAL.pdf [accessed: 17/01/10] Pries, C. Stone, M. (2004), Managing CRM implementation with consultants- CRM or change management problem with CRM implementation, journal of change management vol. 4. No.4, pp.350-370.

Relations between Venezuela and the United States Essay

To create a speech/presentation about Venezuela-United States relations, with a focus on the regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Topic: Relations between Venezuela and the United States, with a focus on the Chavez administration. Purpose: To be able to analyze the roots of the current state of Venezuela-United States relations as well as its future, given the existence of the Chavez government. To say that relations between Venezuela and the United States are very shaky is already an understatement. This is because the foreign policy of the US in Latin America is a â€Å"rhetorically concealed fusion between popular elections and imperial appointments† (Landau 29). The US has a long history of overthrowing Latin American governments that show even the slightest hint of favoring the poor. As soon as they get word about a pro-poor Latin American leader, the US government would flex its political, economic and military muscles in order to replace him or her with a pro-US head of state. The end of the Cold War did not change this scenario. Since 1999, seven Latin American leaders were overthrown due to their pro-US stance. Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned from the Bolivian presidency in 2005 due to massive popular revolts over his pro-US economic strategies. Paraguay’s Raul Cubas stepped down in 1999 due to charges of corruption and involvement in the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria Argana. Ecuadorian President Jamil Mahuad was toppled from power in 2000 because of his adherence to free trade (Landau 29). The regime of Peru’s Alberto Fujimori ended prematurely in 2000 mainly due to his bloody suppression of anti-US political dissent. The collapse of the Argentine economy in December 2001 because of neo-liberal policies resulted in popular revolts that forced President Fernando de la Rua to resign (Landau 29). But Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is a Latin American leader that can be hardly described as a Washington lapdog. His pro-poor policies earned him immense respect and support from the Venezuelan masses, three consecutive presidential terms and harassment from the White House. The relationship between the US and Latin America has traditionally been that of a master and a slave. Since its first arrival on Latin America in the 19th century, the US clearly wanted nothing more from the continent but unlimited access to its natural resources (O’Brien 180). But changing political realities in the 20th century prompted the US to attain this objective in a more subtle fashion. For most of the 20th century, therefore, the US projected itself to Latin America as the â€Å"good neighbor† (Gilderhus 71) – an indispensable ally in the continent’s struggle against the Great Depression, the Axis Powers and Communism. But it was not until the postwar era that this â€Å"good neighbor† facade of the US became even more pronounced. Intensifying Latin American nationalism in the 1950s threatened US political and economic interests in the continent. The US, needing all the resources and allies it could get in order to challenge the Soviet Union in the global contest known as the Cold War, looked for an excuse to intervene in Latin America. Thus, American policymakers associated nationalism and Communism (O’Brien 181). This association between nationalism and Communism on the part of American lawmakers is valid to a certain extent. Prevailing economic conditions during and immediately after World War II led to the emergence of leftist politics and labor militancy throughout Latin America. In Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, for instance, postwar economic recovery and programs promoting industrialization resulted in the growth of manufacturing workers from about 50 to 60 percent. Increasing urban workforces, in turn, translated to larger and more militant labor movements that called for better working conditions and greater economic benefits. Furthermore, Communist parties in Cuba, Chile and Brazil obtained considerable gains in terms of membership and voter support (O’Brien 182). The aforementioned developments did not sit well with Latin America’s elite, who were fearful that leftist politics and labor militancy would make them lose their firm hold over the continent’s politics and economy. They therefore took advantage of the reemerging anti-Communist militancy of the US, using it as an excuse to roll back political reforms, outlaw Communist parties and crack down on independent unions (O’Brien 182). The American government, meanwhile, rewarded them by bestowing on them the political and economic leadership of their respective countries. A bloody, CIA-engineered coup in 1973 toppled the socialist regime of Chile’s Salvador Allende and ushered into power the pro-US Augusto Pinochet (Menjivar and Rodriguez 35). The US-backed Somoza dynasty ruled Nicaragua from 1937 to 1979, robbing the country blind and brutally suppressing all forms of legitimate political opposition (Leonard 1134). Francois and Jean-Claude Duvalier became the dictators of Haiti from 1957 to 1986, living off generous amounts of political and military aid from the US (Leonard 243). The dictatorship of the Dominican Republic’s Rafael Trujillo lasted from 1930 to 1961, primarily due to his exploitation of US fears of Nazism during the 1930s and Communism during the Cold War (Leonard 244). Although socialism in Latin America declined in the 1990s, certain economic developments in Venezuela led to its resurgence in the country. Venezuela had abundant oil resources, but its oil industry was developed at the expense of equally important non-oil industries. As a result, the value of the Bolivar fuerte was dependent on fluctuating oil prices. Dropping oil prices forced the Venezuelan government to take out foreign loans and to debauch the currency. Inflation ensued, plunging the Venezuelan economy into poverty (Reid 161). Since Chavez was first elected President in 1998, Venezuela’s oil policy had represented â€Å"a dramatic break from the past† (Ellner and Salas 54). This was mainly because he used the country’s oil profits to come up with numerous social programs that were intended to help the most marginalized sectors of Venezuelan society (Ellner and Salas 54). One of Chavez’s first programs was â€Å"Plan Bolivar 2000,† a civilian-military program that included road building, house construction, mass vaccinations, land reform, the lowering of infant mortality rates, the implementation of a free state-subsidized healthcare system and a system of free education up to the tertiary level (Peet and Hartwick 192). By the end of 2001, the aforementioned program led to an increase in primary school enrollment by 1 million students (Peet and Hartwick 193). Chavez preserved his administration by using oil as a means of forging alliances with like-minded leaders. In 1999, he announced that the Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company PDVSA and the Brazilian state-run oil and gas giant Petroleo Brasileiro were reviewing plans of forming a larger joint oil company. The result of these plans would be Petrosur, an enterprise that was situated on the southern cone of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Petrosur was intended to supply oil to countries under preferential financial terms, encourage large-scale infrastructure such as pipelines and refineries and coordinate oil distribution, exploration and processing. The profits of Petrosur would be used to subsidize social programs for education, healthcare and employment (Kozloff 105). Chavez’s populist reforms earned him a second term in 2000 and a third in 2006. But his manner of using Venezuela’s oil reserves did not sit well with Washington and the Venezuelan elite. Prior to Chavez’s regime, Venezuela was the second largest supplier of oil to the United States (Noreng 74). In addition, PDVSA was controlled by the Venezuelan elites (Ellner and Salas 122). Thus, it was no longer surprising if these two parties joined forces in order to expel Chavez from power. On April 9, 2002, the CTV (Venezuela’s largest trade union organization), Fedecamaras (Venezuela’s largest business federation) and board members of the PDVSA carried out a general strike against Chavez’s oil policies. Three days later, CIA-backed elements of the Venezuelan armed forces staged a coup against him. The coup succeeded in temporarily ousting Chavez and replacing him with Fedecamaras president Pedro Carmona Estanga. Widespread popular protests, however, forced Estanga to resign from the presidency to make way for Chavez (Trinkunas 206). But the CTV, Fedecamaras and the PDVSA would not allow themselves to be defeated. On December 2, 2002, they called for the resignation of Chavez by staging another general strike. The strike lasted for 63 days – the aforementioned parties were forced to finally call it off due to subsequent detrimental effects on the Venezuelan economy. The strike was said to have devastated the Venezuelan economy by costing the latter about 7. 6% of its GDP (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). Venezuelan politics remained turbulent until Chavez consolidated his power by winning a 2004 referendum. Having obtained tremendous political support and immense oil-generated wealth, he then proceeded to strengthen pan-American socialism. He openly established strong political and economic ties with other Leftist leaders in Bolivia, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil. Despite being ridiculed by Bush’s officials as â€Å"Castro’s little buddy† (Landau 30), Chavez won about 63% of the vote in Venezuela’s 2006 national elections (Kohnstamm, Bao, Porup and Schechter 28). At present, it is very obvious that majority of the Venezuelan people continue to support Chavez. In February 2009, 54% of Venezuelans (O’Neill n. pag. ) supported an amendment that would scrap presidential term limits in their country (Llana n. pag. ). Simply put, he would finally be allowed to run for the presidency in 2012. This development is ironic, considering that they rejected in 2007 a constitutional referendum which included the said issue. Moreover, Chavez’s regime was recently criticized for its failure to address acute urban problems such as transport, crime and waste disposal (O’Neill n. pag. ). But the very existence of Chavez’s administration showed Latin Americans that it is possible for them to freely elect their own representatives, as well as choose the form of government which they deem appropriate (O’Neill n. pag. ). His open defiance of Washington’s dictates proved that a Third World nation, with sheer political will and unity of the part of its citizenry, can actually assert itself to the powerful nation on earth. Through Chavez, Venezuela showed that democracy is not measured in terms of how long a leader stays in power. Rather, it is whether or not this head was in fact chosen by the people and would truly serve their interests.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 24

Once I'd assured Evan I wasn't calling him a son of a bitch, I got off the phone and turned to Roman. â€Å"The vessel's not anywhere around here. It's up in BC.† Roman's eyes had followed my finger to White Rock on the map. â€Å"Okay, you get points for the compelling name, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.† â€Å"Yes! It means everything. The Army's been a distraction from the beginning, when the seal was created, when Ephraim talked to Cedric†¦and when Jerome was summoned. They staged their event on the Space Needle- here , but they didn't actually do anything until Jerome was taken. As soon as he was, they acted out to draw Cedric's attention here, away from his own territory.† Realization lit Roman's features. Sociopath or not, he'd always been smart. â€Å"Because Grace then hid the vessel in Cedric's territory.† I nodded. â€Å"That's where it's at. She needed Cedric gone, in case he noticed its presence before it was hidden. I think he's down here for the thing with Ephraim, but if I call now and tell him-â€Å" â€Å"No,† said Roman quickly. â€Å"We can't tell anyone.† â€Å"What is up with you?† I exclaimed, standing up. â€Å"The clock's ticking. We may not have time for a leisurely drive before the stasis ends.† â€Å"Chance we've gotta take, love.† He rose as well. â€Å"Grab your keys. Let's go.† I started heading toward my bedroom, then hesitated. â€Å"Damn. I told Seth I'd consider taking him with me. Too late now.† Roman considered. â€Å"No, do it.† â€Å"Why?† I asked in surprise. â€Å"I'll go invisibly. I don't know if anyone'll notice you leaving, but if they're tracking you, better they think you're on a romantic getaway. Even masked, I don't want anyone in power seeing my face yet.† That put me in a weird situation. Roman's entire reasoning throughout all of this was increasingly bizarre. There was also the debate I'd had last night, about whether I should let the balcony date shine on us as my last beautiful moment with Seth or if I should eke out a few more seconds. Letting it end at last night would have been the poetic thing to do†¦but I was made of baser stuff. I called him as soon as I was on the road and picked him up shortly thereafter. He rode in the front with me while Roman lounged invisibly in the back, which was creepy, to say the least. Fortunately, none of my talk with Seth was sappy or romantic. He sensed the urgency crackling around me and asked questions about my reasoning for the trip. I answered as thoroughly as I could, all the while trying to drive the speed limit. I couldn't risk the delay of a ticket-or count on supernatural charms to get me off. It took a little less than two hours to get there. We'd accidentally left the atlas at home but had all but memorized the directions anyway, which were straightforward. When we'd almost reach the park where the aforementioned rock was, I had the sense to call Peter and tell him not to go outside. â€Å"You think I'm stupid?† he asked. â€Å"I know as well as you the stasis is about to end.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"But it might not end like you're thinking.† We disconnected. â€Å"This is it, isn't it?† asked Seth. A sign directed us to the beach's parking lot, and I turned toward it. â€Å"Yeah, I think so.† I could feel myself starting to panic. â€Å"God, I'm afraid†¦I don't know what'll happen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Seth reached over and patted my shoulder. â€Å"Easy, Thetis. This'll end the way it's supposed to. Do what you have to do, and we'll manage the best we can.† I parked the car and looked over at him. So much burned between us, it was a wonder it didn't suffocate Roman. Seth was right. This was the end, and we would face it and do what needed to be done, no matter how hard. That was one of the wonderful things about Seth. He knew what the right thing was. We got out of the car. Seth and I headed off down the beach, hand in hand. It was low tide, and the receding waters had revealed a landscape that had almost as much gravel as sand. Once you moved farther inland, though, the terrain turned green and grassy-probably the result of park maintenance crews. Semiahmoo Bay itself stretched off into a dark, choppy vastness that would have probably been blue and beautiful on a nicer day. Heavy gray clouds obscured most of the land surrounding the far sides of the bay, and I thought I heard a rumble of thunder, something that wasn't so common in the mild Pacific Northwest. I hoped we'd find what we needed soon because it looked like a storm was about to break out. Ah, metaphor. Seth interrupted my ponderings. â€Å"That,† he said, â€Å"is a white rock.† I came to a halt, turning my attention from the larger panorama to the path in front of me. There, about eighty feed ahead of us, was a white rock-a huge, white rock. And from the looks of it, Evan hadn't been exaggerating when he'd said it was about five hundred tons. â€Å"I kind of feel stupid wasting my time with scraps of white gravel,† I mused, brushing hair out of my eyes. The wind promptly whipped it back. â€Å"It was so obvious†¦and yet not. Shall we?† I nodded, and we approached the rock, our steps filled with both eagerness and apprehension. After all this time and all the failed efforts, it didn't seem possible that we'd really done it. Something was going to happen. Something had to happen. â€Å"Whoa,† I breathed, staring up at the rock's top when we reached it. It was so massive that it covered us in shadows. â€Å"I can see why people thought this came from the gods.† Seth was looking down. â€Å"Unfortunately, we've got to direct our attention to less lofty places. How are we supposed to find this? Just dig at random?† If Seth and I were alone, that would have been the method. Now, I was hoping Roman would reveal some insight about where the vessel was-if it was even here. A small part of me panicked that us ending up here might have been the biggest misdirection of all. I scanned the ground around the rock, but there was nothing indicative of a recent digging. On a beach like this, all of the ground was uneven. â€Å"Something like that,† I said, needing Roman to pick up on his cue. Seth had let go of my hand when we reached the rock, but now he caught hold of it again and pulled me to him. â€Å"Georgina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I dragged my eyes from the ground and met his. My adrenaline was up, ready for the conclusion to this adventure†¦and yet, my heart was heavy, knowing what the consequences of this would be. I squeezed Seth's hands and stepped closer, resting my head against his chest. His heart beat heavy within. No doubt his emotions were tangled up as well. â€Å"I know,† I said softly. â€Å"I feel the same way.† He held me tight and kissed my forehead. â€Å"When we find Jerome†¦when you free him†¦it'll go quickly, won't it?† â€Å"Yeah. I don't know how long it'll take, but†¦well, I think it'll be pretty fast. That's how it was when he was taken.† â€Å"And that's it.† â€Å"I guess.† We stood there, both of us hurting and confused. I didn't think anything could be worse than when Seth had forcibly ended things back in December. I understood now that he'd done it because he thought it would be for the greater good, but it still smarted. And this†¦this was a pain of a different type. When Seth and I first kissed back at my apartment, I thought this could all be a vacation for me, just as it was for the vampires. Seth would be my sunshine, something I could have a brief fling with before returning to my dreary immortality. I could take the memories with me, and that would be enough. Only now, standing with him, I realized it wouldn't be enough. It would only hurt more now, knowing exactly what I could never have again. I would never make love with Seth again, never have these intimate moments of comfort and rapport. He wasn't mine anymore. He never could be again. â€Å"I don't know what to do,† Seth said, kissing my forehead. â€Å"What do you mean? We don't have a choice.† â€Å"We always have a choice, Thetis. After this, even when you're a succubus again†¦I don't know. I wanted so badly to protect you from all the world's hurts. I still do. But after being with you this last week, I'm starting to wonder if-â€Å" â€Å"You have got to be fucking kidding me.† Seth and I looked up in surprise. I would have expected Roman to come bust up our romantic interlude or maybe even Grace, in defense of her prize. What I was not expecting, however, was Dante. I didn't know where he'd come from. He stepped around the side of the rock like he'd been lurking behind it, but I suspected he'd just walked up to us unnoticed in our moment of lovers' angst. Anger radiated off him, and his eyes were as dark and stormy as the sea beyond us. And as soon as I saw him, I needed no drawn-out questioning, no build-up to a revelation. I didn't need to ask what he was doing there because I suddenly knew. â€Å"You're the summoner,† I said. â€Å"Of course.† There was a dismissive tone to his voice as he said that, like it was an insult that anyone else could have played that role. â€Å"Who else? I wasn't kidding when I told you I was the best in the area. I can't honestly believe you never even considered me. No, scratch that. Of course I can believe that. No matter how jaded or sorrowful you get, there's still that Pollyanna piece of you that wants to believe the best in those you care about.† â€Å"You say that like it's a bad thing,† I said, feeling my own anger grow. Being played this whole time was bad enough. But being played by my own boyfriend? Unacceptable. And yet†¦he was right. It had been stupid of me not to consider him, yet I couldn't believe he would have subjected me to all this torment. â€Å"It is a bad thing. I was hoping I could break you of it, but I guess not.† His eyes flicked to Seth's face and then back to mine. â€Å"Of course, I can't really talk about naà ¯vet? ¦ since you were screwing me over this whole time. Or, well, screwing him.† There wasn't really anything I could respond with. I could hardly say, â€Å"It's not what you think,† because†¦well, it was exactly what he thought. Regardless of his role in Jerome's summoning, the fact remained that I had cheated on Dante, and I'd been caught. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said lamely, my hand still clutching Seth's tightly. He'd taken a step forward. He wasn't blocking me from Dante, but there was definitely a protective stance going on. â€Å"Yes, yes, I know.† Dante gave an exasperated sigh. â€Å"Damn it, Georgina. What does it take with you? I never gave you shit about your job. I was trying to make a good life for us. And yet†¦you still went back to him . As soon as you could fuck him without hurting him, you jumped right on it.† â€Å"Trying to make a good life†¦is that why you did all this?† I remembered Greg's comments about how anyone assisting a demon in this affair would be getting paid in concubines and TVs. In Dante's case, it had been much more basic. He'd simply been paid in money, enough to buy me jewelry and flowers and start talking about sharing a home with me. â€Å"Succubus, what else was I supposed to do?† He was still speaking to me in a mocking tone, but I could see the raw anguish on his features. It tore at my heart. â€Å"You can enslave kings and rock stars. There was no way you were going to stick with me forever, not where I was going. The palms barely pay the bills, and the window for when my spells could really pay off has passed.† â€Å"None of that mattered,† I said resolutely. â€Å"I would have stayed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Yet, even as I spoke, I recognized the contradiction. So did Dante, as he gestured at a thus-far silent Seth. Seth seemed very intent on something. Dante rolled his eyes. â€Å"Yes. Clearly.† â€Å"I never wanted this†¦never wanted you to literally make deals with the devil.† â€Å"What did you expect from me? You know what I am. You got involved with me because you wanted to walk on the dark side. This deal was my biggest chance-the biggest payoff I was going to get for my power. She needed the best, and she could pay for my services.† â€Å"She†¦Grace.† Dante gave me a twisted smile. â€Å"I should have known you'd figured that part out too and had been sitting on it. Even when you trusted me†¦you still didn't really trust me. Maybe you aren't as oblivious as I thought. And when I got to your place and saw the atlas-well, that's when I knew I'd underestimated you. You're lucky Grace just sent me up here and didn't come herself. We might get you out of here alive after all.† Seth and I still stood close, close enough that when he spoke into my ear, he barely had to raise his voice at all. â€Å"The watch,† he breathed. â€Å"It's in the watch.† I had no time to process that further because suddenly, Seth broke from me and advanced on Dante. â€Å"Look, just leave her alone, okay? You caught her. She caught you. Call it even, and let us go.† I stared. It was uncharacteristically aggressive for him. â€Å"Even?† exclaimed Dante. â€Å"It is not even. I did what I did because I love her.† Seth's voice was level yet hard. â€Å"Love her? You got her caught up in that cult mess. You nearly got her killed by a demon.† Dante glowered and took a step toward Seth. â€Å"That wasn't supposed to happen. Jerome came up with the Canada thing on the fly. She wasn't supposed to be caught in the middle of this. The plan was for her to wait out the stasis like everyone else, and then return to normal once Grace was in power. Grace messed up when she told Nanette about her meddling, but then Grace made sure Nanette wouldn't fuck with her again. I worked to keep Georgina safe.† Cedric had told the truth. He really hadn't told Nanette about my theories; Grace had. â€Å"Yeah, you did a great job.† â€Å"It's not my fault!† yelled Dante. â€Å"Say what you want about me, my reasons were noble. Whereas hers†-he pointed at me-â€Å"were in keeping with the selfish little whore she's been her entire life.† And then†¦the unexpected truly happened. Seth sprang forward and punched Dante. I didn't know what was more surprising, that Seth would be so aggressive or that he could throw such a clean punch. He'd thrown himself at a mugger once, and while it had been wonderfully brave, it hadn't been nearly as precise or coordinated. I had no idea where he'd learned that. Dante appeared as startled as me. He staggered back from the blow and took a moment to recover. Then, with a snarl, he leapt toward Seth. Seth only partially dodged the blow-on purpose, it seemed-and fell back with the impact, causing both men to collapse to the ground. They grappled around a bit, trying to get leverage and blows in, and for a moment, I was too stunned by it all to react. Then, finally, Seth's words hit me. The watch . I hurried over to them, careful not to get hit by a flailing limb. Seth caught a glimpse of me and did his best to grab a hold of Dante's wrist and thrust it toward me. Dante kept squirming, however-I had a feeling he'd been in a few more fights in his life than Seth had-and increased his struggles once he realized what was happening. The watch. It made sense, really. Grace wore her part of the seal around her neck. Dante would want to keep his safe as well, and why not hidden in the only accessory that he-by his own admission-ever wore? At last, Seth managed to immobilize Dante's wrist just long enough for me to get my fingers under the watch's straps. I gave a hard jerk, using more strength than I thought possible, and the strap broke. The watch came away in my hand, and I scurried back as Dante yelled in rage. Seth eased up on restraining Dante, now that our goal was achieved. As soon as he was free, however, Dante came after me, and Seth shot up to catch a hold of him. I continued backing up, the watch clutched in my hand, until I hit something-or rather, someone. I turned and found myself staring into Grace's cold, hard eyes. Whereas Dante had seemed to appear out of nowhere, I knew Grace actually had. I froze, and behind me, the sounds of fighting stopped. I think the guys were just as surprised as me to see her-or maybe not. Dante had all but said he'd told Grace we were here. â€Å"Georgina,† she said. â€Å"You are such a good employee†¦and yet, you're also a bad one.† Her voice was as flat and emotionless as ever, except unlike in the past, I had a feeling she was actually planning to kill me now. â€Å"Why?† I asked, playing for time. â€Å"You had a good job under Jerome.† â€Å"Under being the operative word. I wasn't going to spend the rest of my existence as someone's second-in-command and certainly not their co-second-in-command.† â€Å"She has the seal,† I heard Dante say behind me. â€Å"I know she does,† Grace replied. â€Å"You gave it to her.† â€Å"Hey, I-â€Å" She raised her hand, and Dante screamed. Jerking my head around, I saw him writhing in pain, like he was suspended by strings that she controlled. After enduring Nanette's wrath, I knew how truly excruciating demonic torture was, and I couldn't stand to see anyone else go through that. Seth looked from me to Dante, clearly unsure what to do. Fistfights might be out of his comfort zone, though they were something he could do. But this? Totally different. â€Å"Let him go!† I said. As stupid as it was, I reached out and tried to shake her, but I would have had as much luck budging the huge glacial rock beside her. â€Å"I should never have relied on someone who was close to-â€Å" Her words were cut off when she suddenly went flying through the air, slamming into the rock. The impact seemed to surprise more than it hurt her, and mercifully, her torture of Dante stopped. She looked around, eyes wide and confused. â€Å"What the-â€Å" Roman materialized out of the air and strode toward her, fierce and frightening. Finally, I thought. Without my immortal senses, I couldn't feel his aura or signature, but something told me he was wielding a considerable chunk of his power as he advanced. Doing so was risky. It would make his identity known to any greater immortals nearby, though with all the drama in Seattle, there probably weren't any in the area to sense him. Cedric certainly wasn't around. Grace gave a sharp intake of breath. â€Å"You†¦I remember your signature.† That was all the warning she gave before fire streaked from her hands toward Roman. He didn't move or bat an eyelid, but the fire hit an invisible wall. It arced around him, leaving him unscathed. â€Å"Georgina,† he said, not taking his eyes off Grace. â€Å"The vessel's over by the north side of the stone's base.† I wasted no time in hurrying over to the spot he'd indicated. I heard Grace's outrage and caught her moving toward me in my periphery. But then, her anger turned to pain. Roman had blasted her with something, and her attention returned to him. My own attention was on the rocky ground as I began digging with my bare hands. In my zeal, I'd once again forgotten a spade. Seth was by my side in an instant, clawing at the sandy surface with me. Large, fat drops of rain began falling on us, but I didn't have time to care. â€Å"Who's stronger?† he asked as the sounds of fighting raged behind us. If Roman's appearance startled him, he was ignoring it for now. â€Å"I don't know,† I said. The ground was getting harder to dig in. It was damp and caked together from a recent rain, and I could feel it building up under my nails. â€Å"Roman can theoretically be as strong as Jerome, and I'm guessing she's less powerful than Jerome. I don't know for sure, and he might be holding back. The more power he uses, the more he alerts others that he's here.† My fingers hit something hard, and Seth and I both worked to pry it out. It was a wooden box, an old cigar case from the looks of it. I managed a good hold on it, and it began lifting out. â€Å"Here,† I said, pausing. I tossed him my purse and then immediately returned to my digging. â€Å"Get my phone. Look in the numbers, and you'll find Mei. Call her. Tell her where we're at.† The cigar box came up out of the earth. â€Å"You want me to call a demon?† he asked in shock. â€Å"We need her. Tell her where we're at. Then get away from here. Get in my car and go.† â€Å"Georgina-â€Å" â€Å"Go!† I shouted. Seth hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then got up and ran with my purse, keeping well away from the combatants. I didn't know if Mei would react to a call from a mortal. I didn't even know if she'd answer, nor did I know if she could be trusted. I was relying on instinct-and that na;ve hope about everyone's good side-that she and Grace weren't collaborating. Roman's scream caused me to look up sharply. He was on his back, Grace advancing. What looked like lightning crackled toward him, though just with the fire, it split away. Only, it got a lot closer to him than before. He was weakening. Frantically, I scraped sand off the cigar box. It looked deceptively easy to open, but when I attempted to pry the lid up, nothing happened. It wouldn't budge, and I knew no efforts of mine would make it happen. Turning to the watch I'd taken from Dante, I peered at it. The face was a pale brown marbleized pattern-one that easily blended in with the seal. It was an ingenious hiding spot. I smashed the watch against the cigar case, and on the third try, the glass cracked. I plucked away the pieces and tried to pull up the face. It was embedded firmly. Taking a small shard of the watch's surface, I slipped it under the seal's edge, and after a few moment's pressure, everything fell apart, and†¦there was no seal. I stared. Gears, watch hands, pieces of glass, and the face†¦but no seal. Seth had been certain. I had been certain. Dante had no other place on him that he would keep it. Carter had said it was possible that the summoner might hide the seal elsewhere, and if Dante had done that, we were screwed. â€Å"Fuc-â€Å" I cut my own profanity off and stared at my wrist, at the glittering watch winking up at me. No. Surely it wasn't this obvious. Dante had given me the watch before Jerome had been summoned, and then I'd lost it right around the time of the summoning. I'd blamed it on myself, but was it possible that Dante had actually briefly taken it back†¦? Jerking the watch off my wrist, I didn't hesitate to give it the same treatment as Dante's watch. It killed me to shatter that beautiful gold-and-glass piece of work, but when the filigree face popped out, I found a piece of smoky quartz that complemented Grace's. Dante needed more credit. He'd kept the seal close to him and hidden it where no one who was looking for it-i.e., me-would ever think to search. The seal was useless, though, without the other half. Looking up, I saw that Grace had her hand around Roman's neck and was lifting him off the ground. He was completely limp. I didn't quite understand, but something told me he'd completely shut off all his power. Why? It was suicide. I wanted to scream, to run over and save him, but there was nothing I could do. Her back was to me, but I could imagine the gleam in her eyes. â€Å"When I kill you,† she hissed, â€Å"my position will be secured.† Suddenly, she jerked her head back toward me. For a moment, I thought I'd attracted her attention, but she wasn't looking at me. She was looking beside me, having sensed what I no longer could: the signature of another greater immortal. Mei stood there, hard and grim. I'd always considered her stone-faced, but the look she wore was truly terrifying, and I cringed. She and Grace locked gazes, and then a few seconds later, Grace flung Roman away. He landed with a hard thud and lay still for a moment. Then, he lifted his head and slowly began crawling across the sand toward me, every movement seeming to cause him agony. â€Å"You have seriously screwed things up,† said Mei. â€Å"I have improved my situation,† said Grace evenly. â€Å"And I can improve yours.† â€Å"I don't need your help-especially when I reveal that you were behind all this. The others will reward me. Jerome will reward me.† â€Å"You're an idiot! Do you want to spend the rest of eternity working for someone else?† â€Å"My time will come,† Mei returned smoothly. â€Å"And I'd rather work for him than you.† And without any more banter, they lunged at each other. It was a bizarre fight. Half of it seemed very human, complete with physical blows and grappling. At the same time, there was definitely a supernatural element to it, as they wielded the same kind of elements and invisible blows Grace and Roman had. The rain was pouring down, drenching both of them. With their abilities, they could have remained impervious, but they were too distracted by each other. Roman was still crawling toward me. Holding onto the seal and the box, I hesitantly moved to meet him half-way. â€Å"Can you open it?† I asked, handing him the box. His breathing was heavy and pained, but he gripped the box like I had and tried to pry the lid open. His fingers clenched the wood, and I saw exertion on his face, both of a physical and magical level. At last, he grimaced. â€Å"No. Not a greater immortal power I inherited.† I looked up at the demonesses. There was a slight shimmer around both of them. As the battle intensified, they were in danger of shifting to their true immortal forms, which would be bad for me to see. â€Å"Who's stronger?† I asked. â€Å"They're evenly matched,† said Roman, following my gaze. â€Å"Grace is a little worn down, though.† I hoped it would be enough. Hugging the box to my chest, I watched them fight, ready to look away if they totally shifted form. I'd always thought they had a hard sort of beauty, but now, it was all hardness and no beauty, and it wasn't difficult to see that under their human facades, they were truly demons of hell. I could also see what Roman meant about them being evenly matched. Each time one gained an advantage, the other took it back. Until, just when it seemed Grace might be getting the better of Mei, Mei suddenly came on full force with an attack of unseen blasts that caught Grace off-guard and made her stumble back. With inhuman speed, Mei reached forward and ripped the choker from Grace's neck. Equally fast, she threw it toward me and then turned back to block Grace, who seemed to realize the end was near. I grabbed hold of the necklace with trembling fingers and pulled off the crescent-shaped piece of the seal. I placed it next to Dante's half, unsure what to do, but as soon as they were close enough, they merged together into one whole disc. â€Å"Put it on the box,† said Roman. â€Å"Hurry.† I pressed the seal onto the box's top, and again, it seemed to know what to do, embedding itself in the wood's surface, almost like it melted. And with that, there seemed to be no other option. I opened the lid. The power that blasted out of it knocked both Roman and me backward, and at the same time, I felt a different sort of power snap into my body. The strings that bound my soul to Hell reattached. My immortal essence coursed through me, and with it, I felt all the other abilities Hell had granted me return. I felt strong. Charged. Invincible. My senses tuned back in to the unseen world, and the blast of powerful immortal auras filled the air. And there, in the rain, light and color slowly coalesced out of the box and into a man-shaped form. A few minutes later, it took on a completely human appearance. One that looked like John Cusack. Grace and Mei halted their attack, both staring. Carefully, hesitantly, Mei then took a few steps back. Jerome paid her no attention. He was focused on Grace. â€Å"Oh man,† I said softly. â€Å"You are so fucked.†

The Ten Regions Of Canadas Ten Provinces - 716 Words

Canada’s Ten Provinces In Canada Quebec is a highly populated province. To begin, the population in Quebec is 7,432,005. Many industries for this province is manufacturing, electric power, mining, pulp and paper, and transportation equipment. The major cities are Toronto, Ontario, and Montreal. Quebec is located on the other end of the bridge. The other fertile region is located in the southern side of Quebec near the American border. The name Quebec means Algonquin Ward meaning where the river narrows originally referred to the area around Quebec city. One fun fact about Quebec is that the border between Ontario and itself is the Ottawa River. Ontario is populated as 11,977,360. Ontario’s main industries are manufacturing, construction,†¦show more content†¦The name Manitoba is believed from the Cree, Ojibwe or Assiniboine languages. Also meaning â€Å"Straits of manitou, the great spirit†. The location of Manitoba is by the Hudson Bay wish high volume of the water going into Lake winnipeg and north to Nelson River to Hudson Bay. The population of Manitoba is 1.282. The main cities is Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach, Thompson, and Winkler. They have dry climates and temperatures get really hot in the summers. One fun fact is that the bear Winnie the Pooh was named after his hometown (Manitoba). New Brunswick is located on the east coast of Canada. It is also named after the town Saxony. The population is 753,914. The climate there is warm in summers and cold for winters. Main industries are mining, forestry, manufacturing, building, transportation, and products. Main cities are Bathurest, Combelltan, Deppe, and Edmundston. One fun fact is that since they have lots of oceans they have the wildest tides in the world. Nova Scotia is populated as 942,926. Main industries are Fishing, Mining, Forestry, and Natural Gas. Their climates are usually mid temperature and humid. Major cities are Cape Breton, Halifax, Kentville, and New Glasgow. The name Nova Scotia means â€Å"New Scotland†. Its located in the eastern side. One fun fact is that Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia. Prince Edward Island is populated as 146,283. Charlottetown, Summerside, and Stratford are the main cities. SpringShow MoreRelatedCanadian Culture Essay examples1469 Words   |  6 Pagesthe United States and constitutes the northern part of the country, excluding Alaska. Over the years Canadas culture has been influenced by European culture and traditions, mainly that of the French and British. Canadian culture has also been influenced by the countries first people, the Aboriginals, as well as the newer immigrated population (Wikipedia, 2007). Canada consists of ten provinces and three northern territories, almost all of which are rich in land and natural resources (Bailey,Read MoreThe Canadian State Of Canada Essay1375 Words   |  6 PagesBritain. 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