MADMAXs Home Automation System Essays - Microcontrollers

MADMAX's Home Automation System Anosa, Tiara Kristy S. Ma. Jessica Catipunan Garillo, Abigail Joy B. Jainar, John Benedict T. Perez, Joanna Micaela S. Engr. Gil R. delas Alas Jr. CPE Faculty Jose Rizal University Mandaluyong City Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u CHAPTER 1 PAGEREF _Toc500277596 \h 3 1.1. Project Description PAGEREF _Toc500277597 \h 3 1.2 Project Objectives PAGEREF _Toc500277598 \h 3 1.3 Project Scope and Limitation PAGEREF _Toc500277599 \h 3 CHAPTER 2 PAGEREF _Toc500277600 \h 4 2.1 Design Framework PAGEREF _Toc500277601 \h 4 2.2 Design Constraints and Trade Offs PAGEREF _Toc500277602 \h 4 2.3 System Development Process PAGEREF _Toc500277603 \h 4 2.4 Design Standards PAGEREF _Toc500277604 \h 5 CHAPTER 1 The Project 1.1. Project Description This automation project will allow the user to control and monitor his home with the aid of a website. The user will be able to know his energy consumption, garbage container status and the amount of his laundry ahead of time. 1.2 Project Objectives The main objective of this project is to design and implement a home automation system that is capable of monitoring, controlling and automating the house through an easy manageable web interface. Develop a monitoring system by using Arduino which acts as an interface between the user and the devices. Design a laundry basket which will calculate the weight for the laundry price to be determined. Implement a garbage container which will automatically open if it detects a hand and will have an indicator for the user to know if the container is already full. Test and evaluate based on functionality and accuracy of the system. 1.3 Project Scope and Limitation The user can monitor the energy consumption and bills from the webpage, control the switches on it and also retrieve reports or logs that has been done. The prototype will consist of two floors. The ground floor will be the basement and the second one will be the user's bedroom. The minimum pricing for the laundry is 25 pesos per kilo. One of the limitations of this project is that the user cannot control the light intensity coming from the bulb to low, medium or high. Another limitation that this project has is that the load cell sensor has a maximum weight capacity of 3kg. CHAPTER 2 Conceptual Framework 2.1 Design Framework 1 . Analyze the materials to be used - Microcontroller - Sensors (weight and ultrasonic sensor) - Motor - Bulb . Software/s to be used 2 - Arduino IDE - HTML - CSS INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT 1 . Circuit design implem entation . 2 Hardware and so ftware interface with one another Home Automation System 1 . Analyze the materials to be used - Microcontroller - Sensors (weight and ultrasonic sensor) - Motor - Bulb . Software/s to be used 2 - Arduino IDE - HTML - CSS INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT 1 . Circuit design implem entation . 2 Hardware and so ftware interface with one another Home Automation System 2.2 Design Constraints and Trade Offs PIR Sensor Instead of using this, the project will make use of an ultrasonic sensor. PIR sensors detect occupants' presence by sensing the difference between heat emitted by moving people and background heat. Ultrasonic sensors detect the presence of people by sending out ultrasonic sound waves into a space and measuring the speed at which they return. Load Cell Sensor This project will make use of a Piezoresistive because it is cheaper than a load cell sensor. 2.3 System Development Process Define Code Test Iteration Final Project Figure 2.3 Agile Method Define Code Test Iteration Final Project Figure 2.3 Agile Method 2.4 Design Standards This section will discuss the specifications of the hardware materials to be used during the project development. Arduino Uno R3 ATmega328P Microcontroller 5V Operating Voltage 7-12V Input Voltage (recommended) 7-12V 6-20V Input Voltage (limit) 14 (of which 6 provide PWM output) Digital I/O Pins 6 PWM Digital I/O Pins 6 Analog Input Pins Ultrasonic Sensor Detecting range: 3cm-4m Best in 30 angle Electronic brick compatible interface 5VDC power supply Breadboard friendly Dual transducer Arduino library ready Load Cell Sensor Model: YZC-131 Dimensions: 60x13x13mm/2.36 x 0.51 x 0.51(L x W x H) Rated Load: 3 (kg) Rated output: 1.0 0.15mV / V Operating temperature range:

How To Pass Your NCLEX-RN Exam

How To Pass Your NCLEX-RN Exam Nursing school is hard. And the stress of passing your â€Å"boards,† or the NCLEX exam, is intense. Not to mention that the test itself is expensive, at $300 or more per shot. This comprehensive test for  professional licensure is  difficult- and is required to enter a career as an RN or LPN. Instead of stressing, which will be counterproductive, here are some strategies to help you pass.1. Relax- you’ve got this.You just finished nursing school, which was was hard enough. The material you covered on your school exams will be harder than about 70% of what you’ll encounter on the NCLEX- really. If you put in the time throughout your studies, you should be well on your way to a passing score.2. Understand that you can’t cram.Don’t even bother taking the test if you can’t budget yourself some time before to study. Get yourself an NCLEX Review Study Guide book, join a study group, take review quizzes and practice tests. Pay special attention to areas you had trouble with in nursing school. There are a ton of great products available online (NRSNG.com, the Medmaster course, the Lab Values course, the Cardiac Essentials course, Picmonic, Brilliant Nurse, Board Vitals, RNQuiz.com, and Kaplan’s nursing materials are a few to check out).3. Use your phone/tablet to its advantage.There are a ton of apps that you can use to study and prepare while on the go. Try NCLEX Mastery, NCLEX PREP, ATI RN Mentor- NCLEX Exam Preparation, UWORLD Qbank, RN Crush!, and the NCLEX ® Prep App. There are also lots of practice question resources out there, from NRSNG, GraduateX, Lippincott, and BoardVitals.4. Don’t overstudy.Once you’ve got something down, move on. Do general review from time to time to keep older material fresh. But put the books down the night before the test. Get a good night’s sleep, and don’t crack the books open again on test day. Just trust your gut and your preparation will get you th rough.5. Don’t second guess yourself.The computer adaptive testing module (CAT) is predictive, giving you questions at different levels based on your correct or incorrect answer to the previous question. Don’t freak out about the level of your next question. Just focus on getting the right answer. Don’t try to overthink what the system is giving you.6.  Know that you’re ready and able to ace this thing.Don’t go into the test thinking it’s an obstacle. Instead, use it as an opportunity to show the world what you’ve learned. Ace it!7. Practice active studying.Rather than just copying notes or reading through texts, rewrite those notes and texts in your own words. Take practice tests. Really stretch yourself to make sure the information sticks.8. Memorize where you have to.On the NCLEX-RON, you’ll mostly you’ll need to engage your best critical thinking skills. But there are a few things you’ll have to have memoriz ed cold. Get started on these early: disease symptoms, normal lab values, and drug side effects.9. Come prepared and relaxed.Show up early, in comfortable clothing, with all the things you’ll need to take the test: your ID, a snack, a water bottle. Make sure you aren’t chewing gum, and plan to leave your bag and electronics outside the testing room. Make sure you’ve eaten and rested and are mentally prepared.10. Stay cool.Try first to visualize the situation. Let your muscle memory help you get the answer. Next, eliminate all the answers you know to be false. Then take a deep breath, and go with your gut.Remember to prepare and believe in yourself. You’ve got this!

Dose Trade with Low-Wage Countries Cause a trade Deficit in the Assignment

Dose Trade with Low-Wage Countries Cause a trade Deficit in the High-Wage Country - Assignment Example This is because; absorption of U.S domestic demand for goods by exporters in china and oil exporting countries has widely suppressed domestic job creation in the U.S. In 2011 and 2010, the increasing U.S trade deficit with China led to 2.8 million jobs displacement in U.S (Bordon, 2011). Other factors that have led to the shrinking of the manufacturing sector include rising technological changes which have increased labor productivity, forcing firms to hire few workers. It is incorrect for the Business and Industry Council to blame imports alone for the international imbalance that have led to manufacturing crisis. Manufacturing crisis refers to the long-run trend of falling employment in the manufacturing sector in the United States. The macroeconomic policies that China has adopted of currency devaluation, increasing U.S dollar holding and, subsidies advancement to a range of industries are the major cause of the high trade deficit. By 2011, China had accumulated $3.26 trillion in foreign reserves in U.S treasuries. In Chinese auto-parts industry, both domestic and foreign owned plants have received $27.5 billion in government subsidies. In 2006, 58.2 per cent of China’s exports were from the foreign firms operating in China. These firms are taking advantages of the subsidy policy and availability of cheap labor in China. China and other low wage rate countries enjoy availability of cheap labor, relative to their counterparts in the US and other developed countries. This is the area where they have a comparative advantage in manufacturing. Undervaluing the Chinese currency, yuan, has expanded the U.S trade deficit hurting the U.S manufacturing and depressing the U.S employment. According to the congress research service report (2008), China’s foreign exchange rates reserves increased from $403 billion to $1.5 trillion between 2003 and 2007.in 2010 the reserves were $3.2 trillion. Lutes argue that, lax U.S financial regulations that have fueled over

Home Schooling Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Home Schooling - Research Paper Example This project stresses that the family which study together stays together. Home schooling is the common thread woven throughout their lives that pulls the family together. It also allows giving quality education to the children .Home as always been the heart of a child’s education. One need not be a professional teacher to home school a child as they are natural learners and parents are natural teachers. Parents are the best teacher a child could have as no one knows the children better than them. The parents knows the strength and weakness of their children and can train them accordingly .Rather than teaching home schooling should be treated as a guiding a child for their future development. This report declares that from the earliest days, a child’s education took place inside the home. Children learned from parents, from a large extended family, and from everyday life. In his book writes that â€Å" History shows that today’s home education sprang from a rich heritage of family based learning† Families made sure that the children learned important life skills, reading, writing, math skills and socializing skills. In the beginning times, school education was not mandatory for children. Many children were taught home as they could not walk the distance to and from school and mass transportation was not yet an option. Some children were kept at home by bad weather, snowstorms and floods. As industrial revolution swept the country, school transportation improved and so did attendance at public schools.

Richer Sounds Case Essay Example for Free

Richer Sounds Case Essay The measures above effectively increased the valence, which highly motivate employees so they can give the best. Equity theory: the fact that the pay level in Richer Sounds is at the highest in the hi-fi industry + benefits given to employees is actually rarely seen in other organizations. Richer Sounds employees enjoy a higher ratio of input to output that of staff in other hi-fi retailers, which is actually positive inequity. When people realized the over-reward they received, they tend to reduce the inequity by working harder, according to Buchanan and Huczynski. Good work recognition, gratitude: very present in the case. The trust put by the management to its employees is actually a kind of recognition in itself for the honesty and credibility. The fact that the staff is working for a reputable company + great pay = pride from employees, which is also a strong motivator. Richer sounds = formal group: people are formally allocated to form into psychological groups to work together for their common goals as a basic function unit of the organization. Cohesiveness of group: in the case, we see the efforts put on the cohesiveness establishment of groups and the whole organization. To achieve good results, Richer Sounds tried many methods: 1) Membership: small teams better than big temps (big = reduction of communication, higher absenteeism rate). Richer sounds only hire candidates with similar interest, knowledge and enthusiasm in the hi-fi industry 2) Work environment: the nature of tasks given by Richer Sounds is similar in different stores and the fact that some of the surveyed staff claim that they laugh a lot implies that the communication among group members is good. That improves the cohesiveness of the work groups within Richer Sounds. 3) Organizational elements: The sense of trust increase cohesiveness of groups. The success that has been achieved so far by Richer Sounds contributes to the cohesiveness. Leadership: The company leader, Julian Richer, tends to establish a sense of trust between the employees and him via the trust culture and policies in the company. Richer also shows his respect to his employees, calling for a mutual respect as well. That way, the staff will be more inclined to work harder in a very enthusiastic way. The combination of transactional and transformational leadership approaches worked well and led to good performance of the whole organization, which is why Richer sounds has the highest record in sales per square foot amongst retailers. In Richer Sounds, many organizational behaviors are consolidated as rules, procedures policies and contracts. This tends to shape the good behavior of employees. Success of Richer Sounds: motivation strategies, group and team building strategies and the proper leadership adopted by the organization play a significant role. In the motivation area, appropriate measures like professional training programs could be adopted to improve the instrumentality and the expectancy to motivate employees. Performance management with clear set goals may also be helpful. Regarding the groups and teams, outdoors activities could be introduced. To what extend do you think that this leadership/management approach is replicable to other organizations? Google Apple Facebook?

Essay --

We as young adults, deal with many social and emotional issues, which can be seen through depression. Depression, is a state of having low moods and can be described as feeling â€Å"blue†or unhappy. Depressed people may feel so sad at times that they withdraw and lose interest in activities that they once loved to do. In worst cases, some people even commit suicide. Generally, depression does not result from a single event but from a combination of multiple events in life and other personal factors. The number of factors that may cause depression varies from person to person. There could be abuse that happened in the past, conflict from family disputes and personal factors. It could also be from a death or loss and the person cannot get over their grief. Some depression just comes from having an illness. The normal ups and downs in life means that everyone feels sad or "blue" from time to time, but if emptiness and absence of hope have taken place and will not go away, there may be depression in life. When depression is in someone's life they can get very hopeless and not even enjoy thin...

Succubus Revealed Chapter 9

It wasn't until I landed in Seattle on Sunday evening that the full surreal nature of my weekend in Las Vegas hit me. Being there had felt so . . . natural. I suppose part of that was just having old friends like Bastien and Luis around. Yet I'd been pleasantly surprised at how easily I got along with my newer acquaintances, like Phoebe and Matthias. I'd even grown to like Jamie, though I never did see him after that night. Despite my efforts to find him and ask him about Milton, the imp had remained elusive for the rest of my trip. And the show . . . how had that happened? I couldn't even get a solid job here in my current hometown, yet hours after walking off the plane in a strange city, I'd landed what was, in many ways, my dream job. By the time we'd finished our second practice, Matthias was already talking about a special part he planned on creating for me, and several of the other dancers were so disappointed at me leaving for a month, you'd think we'd known each other for years. It had, in spite of my misgivings, been a fantastic weekend. Reality set in when I walked into my condo. Roman was out, with only a note reading Bowling practice tomorrow night to mark his passage. Naturally, the cats were as happy to see me as always. Scratching their heads in turn, I began to think about the logistics of moving both of them with me across state lines. I'd be taking them away from Roman, whom they loved, but there was nothing to be done for that. He couldn't come with us. As a nephilim, he was in constant danger of being hunted down by other immortals, and it was only Jerome's protection that allowed him to have a seminormal life in Seattle. Roman certainly wasn't going to give that up, and besides, Las Vegas was probably the worst place in the world for him to attempt to hide out. A vase of pink-tipped white roses sat on the kitchen table, filling the air with sweetness. I opened up the card and read Seth's scrawled writing: Welcome home. I've been counting the minutes. – S I texted him that I was back and received an answer urging me to come over to Terry and Andrea's for dinner. After leaving a note for Roman assuring him I'd be at practice, I headed out, my mind still spinning with more of the consequences of moving. The condo. I'd have to sell it. Unless I wanted to rent it to Roman? Hell would likely compensate any moving costs, but it'd be up to me to start making the actual arrangements now for things like movers and whatnot. I was good at making plans and organizing things, but all of my skills were useless against the one thing I wanted to bring with me to Las Vegas the most: Seth. I still had no solution for what to do with him. I was met with the usual outpouring of love from his nieces when I arrived, just in time for a chaotic family dinner. With the additional family members, they'd given up any pretense of eating at the kitchen table and had simply taken their paper plates and homemade pizza off to the living room. The casualties of food and furniture were ones Terry and Andrea were long since used to, but Margaret couldn't focus on her dinner for fear of constantly watching the girls and what she perceived as imminent tomato-stained disaster. I was happy to see Andrea out with the family, which wasn't something that happened very often lately. She looked tired but was in good spirits, and from the way the girls vied for position next to her, it was clear they were delighted to have her up and around too. â€Å"Seth says you were out of town,† she told me. â€Å"Anywhere fun?† â€Å"Las Vegas,† I replied. â€Å"Visiting friends.† â€Å"Man,† said Ian. â€Å"I wish I had friends in Las Vegas.† â€Å"I figured it'd be too commercial for you,† said Seth, deadpan. Ian swallowed a bite of his pizza – it apparently wasn't a vegan day – before responding. â€Å"Only if you stay on the Strip and their overpriced luxury hotels. If you poke around in some of the out-of-the-way places, you could find some really cool and obscure dives.† It took nine-year-old Kendall to say what the rest of us were thinking. â€Å"I'd rather stay in luxury. Why would you want to stay in a dive, Uncle Ian?† â€Å"Because it's nonmainstream,† he told her. â€Å"Everyone stays at the nice places.† â€Å"But I like nice things,† she argued. â€Å"Don't you?† â€Å"Well, yes,† he said, frowning. â€Å"But that's not the point – â€Å" â€Å"Then why would you want to stay at bad places?† she pressed. â€Å"You're too young to understand,† he said. Seth chuckled. â€Å"Actually, I think she understands perfectly.† Andrea decided to rest shortly after that, but not before extracting a promise that someone deliver her dessert later on. After doing dishes (which was pretty easy with paper plates), our group dispersed into separate activities. Kendall, Brandy, Margaret, and Terry started up a game of Monopoly while Kayla and the twins settled down to watch The Little Mermaid. Ian joined them, excited for the chance to show how the movie was an example of capitalism destroying America. Seth and I curled up on a nearby loveseat, ostensibly to watch the movie, but instead used the time to catch up. â€Å"How was it, really?† he asked me in a low voice. â€Å"I've been worried about you. Was it as bad as you thought?† â€Å"No,† I said, leaning my head against his chest. â€Å"It was actually . . . pretty good. Would you believe I have a job already ? Like . . . one that's not on Hell's payroll.† â€Å"You can't even get one of those here,† remarked Seth. â€Å"Yeah, the irony's not lost on me. I'm going to be a Vegas showgirl, complete with sequins.† Seth trailed his fingers through my hair. â€Å"That's actually kind of awesome. And hot. If you want to practice, I'd be more than happy to give you some constructive criticism.† I smiled. â€Å"We'll see.† There was a long pause. â€Å"So . . . it's real. This whole thing.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said in a small voice. â€Å"It's real.† I felt him tense and sensed the worry radiating off of him. â€Å"It's okay. We'll figure this out. It's still a month away.† â€Å"I know we will,† he said. â€Å"You and I have overcome crazier things than this, right?† â€Å"Crazier doesn't always mean harder,† I pointed out. â€Å"I mean, when Peter tried to make a ‘retro candle sconce' out of a Pringles can last month, that was pretty crazy – but it was also pretty easy to deal with once we found his fire extinguisher.† â€Å"You see?† said Seth. â€Å"This is what I love about you. I don't even consider that crazy. I consider that ordinary life with you, Georgina. You change all the definitions.† He pressed a kiss to my forehead. We fell silent and watched the movie, though I suspected Seth was paying as little attention as I was. We were both lost in our own thoughts, and I didn't really snap out of it until I heard Ian telling Morgan, â€Å"I like the original fairy tale better. It's pretty alternative, so you've probably never heard of it.† I glanced at the clock and sat up. â€Å"I'm going to go check on Andrea and see if she wants her dessert.† Both Margaret and Terry were quick to offer to do it instead, but I waved them off, assuring them I was fine and that they should return to their game. Andrea was awake, propped up on pillows and reading a book when I came in with the pie. â€Å"You didn't have to do that,† she told me. â€Å"You should've asked Terry.† â€Å"He's busy buying and selling property,† I told her, helping her settle the plate on her lap. â€Å"I couldn't ask him to interrupt that. Besides, he does plenty.† â€Å"He does,† she agreed, smiling wistfully. â€Å"They all do. Even you. It's so strange, having others take care of me. I'm too used to looking after everyone else.† I settled down on a chair near her bed, wondering how often it must be filled lately. Andrea always had someone watching over her. â€Å"It's just for a little while longer,† I said. That got me another smile as she chewed a bite of pie. â€Å"You're very optimistic.† â€Å"Hey, why shouldn't I be? You look great today.† â€Å"Great ‘ironically,' as Ian would say.† She ran a hand through her limp blond hair. â€Å"But I do feel better than I have for a while. I don't know. It's deceptive, Georgina. There are days I feel confident I've beat every cancer cell in my body and others when I can't believe I'm still managing to walk this earth.† â€Å"Andrea – â€Å" â€Å"No, no, it's true.† She paused for more pie, but her eyes took on a vast, knowing look that reminded me eerily of Carter. â€Å"I've accepted it, come to terms with the fact that there's still a good chance I'll die. No one else has. No one else will talk about it. I'm okay with that. If that's what God wills for me, then so be it.† I felt a knot clench in my stomach. I couldn't say much about God, but I'd seen enough of Heaven and Hell to get angry when I heard humans accept their fate as part of some higher purpose. Half the time, it seemed to me the divine powers were making up this game as they went along. â€Å"I'm not worried about me,† Andrea continued. â€Å"But I am worried about them.† That serenity faded, replaced by very real human concern, a mother's fear for her children. â€Å"Terry's strong. So wonderfully strong. But this is hard on him. He can't do it alone, which is why I'm so glad Seth's here. I don't know what we would have done without him. He's the rock supporting us all right now.† The anxiety inside me eased for a few moments, replaced by a spreading warmth as I thought about Seth. â€Å"He's wonderful.† Andrea set down the fork, finished, and extended her hand to me. â€Å"So are you. I'm glad you're part of our family, Georgina. If something happens to me – â€Å" â€Å"Stop – â€Å" â€Å"No, listen. I mean it. If something happens to me, I'll rest easy knowing the girls have you in their lives. Seth and Terry are great, but the girls still need a strong woman role model. Someone to help them through growing up.† â€Å"I'm not that good of a role model,† I said, not meeting her eyes. I was a creature of Hell, someone full of weakness and fear. What could I possibly have to offer such bright, promise-filled creatures like the Mortensen girls? â€Å"You are,† said Andrea adamantly, squeezing my hand. â€Å"They love you and admire you so much. I know they're in good hands.† I swallowed back tears that were threatening to overwhelm me. â€Å"Well,† I said. â€Å"They're in even better hands with you, since we all know you're going to get well soon.† Andrea nodded, giving me an indulgent smile that I suspected she'd perfected after weeks of listening to others insist she was on the verge of recovery. A yawn soon betrayed her, and I carefully took the plate away and asked if she needed anything else. She assured me she didn't. I crept back downstairs and returned the plate to the kitchen, where I found Brandy and Margaret eating pie of their own. I did a double take back toward the living room. â€Å"What happened to Monopoly?† â€Å"Kendall bought us out,† said Margaret. â€Å"Man, I hate playing with her,† grumbled Brandy. â€Å"No one her age should be that good.† â€Å"Don't knock it,† said Seth, strolling in. â€Å"She's going to be supporting us all in fifteen years.† He rested a hand on Brandy's shoulder. â€Å"Did you ask Georgina?† Brandy looked at her feet. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Ask me what?† â€Å"It's nothing,† she said. â€Å"Clearly it's something,† I replied, exchanging looks with Seth. â€Å"What's up?† â€Å"Is this the Christmas dance you were talking about before ?† asked Margaret. Brandy flushed. â€Å"A holiday dance. It's nothing.† â€Å"No way,† I said. â€Å"I'm a big fan of dances. But isn't school out?† â€Å"Yeah, but this is at church. It's a formal they have every year.† She was using a It's no big deal tone, but her expression betrayed how interested she was. The church part surprised me, since last I knew, the Mortensens didn't attend one. But obviously that had changed. Maybe Andrea's illness had played a role. Whatever it was, I could see faith wasn't on the line here, so much as a teenage girl's simple desire to participate in something fun with other people her age. It was a normal rite of passage, one I was guessing she didn't feel worthy of, in light of everything else going on right now with her family. No wonder she was hesitant to mention it. I wondered if maybe there was a boy involved too but certainly wasn't going to ask. She looked mortified enough to be having this discussion in front of her uncle and grandmother. â€Å"You need to shop for a dress?† I guessed. People always called me for shopping. I used to be bothered by that but then figured I should accept what I'm good at. Brandy nodded, still looking embarrassed. â€Å"When is it?† â€Å"Tuesday.† â€Å"Tuesday . . .† I frowned, thinking of my schedule. Tomorrow, Monday, was taken up with work and bowling practice. That didn't leave a lot of time. â€Å"We might be cutting it close.† â€Å"If you don't have time, it's fine,† Brandy assured me. â€Å"Really.† â€Å"No way,† I told her. â€Å"We can do it Tuesday morning.† Brandy looked down again. â€Å"My dad can pay you back†¦. I'll ask him how much we can spend.† â€Å"Forget it,† said Seth, rustling her hair. She squirmed out of his reach. â€Å"Send the bill to me. You know where I live.† Brandy protested this, but Seth was firm in his offer – as well as his urging that Brandy not mention it to her father. But once Brandy and Seth were in the other room, Margaret caught hold of my sleeve and pulled me back into the kitchen before I could follow. Our interactions hadn't exactly been antagonistic (aside from our initial meeting with the baseball bat), but they hadn't always been pleasant either. I braced myself for some admonishment about dressing Brandy like a whore. â€Å"Here,† said Margaret, shoving some cash into my hands. I looked down and found two fifty-dollar bills. â€Å"Seth's not the only with income around here. He can't keep funding the whole family. Is that enough for what she needs?† â€Å"Er, yes,† I said, trying to hand it back. I'd actually planned on cutting Seth out as well and carrying the bill myself. â€Å"Definitely. You don't have to do this.† Margaret's response was to give me another bill. â€Å"Get her shoes too.† She closed my hand around the cash. â€Å"I don't know what girls her age need when it comes to clothes, but I know you do. The money I can provide. The rest I rely on you for.† That sentiment – that faith in me – was too much, too fast on the heels of the conversation I'd just had with Andrea. â€Å"It's not enough,† I blurted out. â€Å"What I'm doing, compared to everyone else. They're all giving so much. What's a shopping trip next to that?† Margaret fixed me with a piercing gaze that bore no resemblance to the conservative, sweatshirt-wearing matron I'd categorized her as. â€Å"For a girl growing up too fast, whose life is crumbling around her? Everything.† â€Å"I hate this,† I said. â€Å"I hate that this is happening to them.† â€Å"God only gives us what we have the strength to endure,† she said. I'd always hated that saying, largely because it too seemed to go along with the idea of a universe having a plan for everyone, something I'd seen no evidence of. â€Å"They have the strength to get through this. And they have our strength to help them.† I smiled at that. â€Å"You're a remarkable woman, Margaret. They're lucky you're here.† I meant it. She and I might have different philosophies about premarital sex, but her love for them was undiminished. I wasn't the only role model in the girls' lives. She shrugged, looking both flattered and embarrassed by my praise. â€Å"Like you, I'm just trying to do enough – without wearing out my welcome at Seth's.† â€Å"He loves having you,† I said promptly. She rolled her eyes. â€Å"I'm not stupid. I want to keep helping, but I know I can't stay with him forever. He's a grown man, no matter how much I'd like to pretend otherwise.† That made me smile even more. â€Å"Don't worry. I won't tell him you said so.† Nonetheless, I went home with a heavy heart that night. Seth expected to be up late and hadn't wanted me waiting around for him. We were both conscious of how little time we'd had together recently, though, so he told me he'd join me for tomorrow night's bowling practice. As a general rule, he tried to avoid immortal goings-on, but I think he had a morbid fascination with the idea of bowling for Hellish honor. â€Å"Thank God,† said Roman, when I walked in the door. â€Å"I thought you were going to stay at Seth's. There's soup on the stove.† â€Å"No, thanks,† I said. â€Å"I already ate.† â€Å"Your loss,† he said. Judging from the way the cats were circling him for handouts as he settled down on the couch with a bowl, I guess they agreed with him. â€Å"How was it?† My mind was still on the Mortensens, and for a moment, I thought that's what he meant. Then I remembered his single-minded focus and knew he was referring to Las Vegas. â€Å"Surprisingly good,† I told him, sitting down in an armchair. His eyebrows rose. He hadn't expected that answer. â€Å"Oh? Tell me about it.† I did, and he listened attentively while eating his soup. When I'd finished the weekend's recap, he grilled me on nearly everyone I'd met there, immortal and mortal alike. In two days, I didn't have that much life history to report but gave him what I could. â€Å"Well,† he said, â€Å"isn't that lovely.† He made no effort to hide his sarcasm. I sighed. â€Å"You still think this was part of some greater conspiracy ?† â€Å"I think it's terribly convenient that this seemingly routine transfer is fulfilling every possible wish you might have.† I scoffed. â€Å"Aside from the fact that I'm being transferred in the first place. That's hardly something I wanted.† Roman straightened up, and the cats ran for his abandoned bowl. He ticked off points on his right hand. â€Å"Well, let's do a tally, shall we? When I first met you, I asked what your dream job would be. What did you say? A Vegas dancer. And wow! Look what conveniently falls into your lap. And who put it there? In a city full of conniving, backstabbing succubi, you were fortunate to find one as levelheaded as you, complete with the same sense of humor and interests. Funny thing . . . did you even run into any other succubi that entire weekend? In a city packed with them?† â€Å"Roman – â€Å" â€Å"No, no, wait. There's more. How'd you meet this wonder succubus anyway? Through your closest immortal friend, who just happened to have been coincidentally transferred to Las Vegas, hired on by your favorite boss of all time. Are you following this fantasy so far?† â€Å"But why would – â€Å" â€Å"And,† he continued, â€Å"lest you grow homesick for the wacky idiosyncrasies of your friends back here, Vegas is ready to supply you with new ones. A zany drunken imp. Seth 2.0. If you'd stayed longer, they probably would have unearthed an angel and a couple of vampires for you. And let's not discount the fact that you're going to Las Vegas in the first place! The single easiest place for a succubus to get by.† â€Å"Okay, I get what you're saying.† I threw up my hands in exasperation. â€Å"It is perfect. Maybe too perfect. But you're missing one fundamental point. Supposing this is true, that someone has set up the most perfect scenario for me ever, a situation designed to keep me happy, why would they do it at all when the thing that would make me the most happy is to stay in Seattle? Why bother with this alternative? Why not leave me as I am?† Roman's eyes gleamed. â€Å"Because that's the one thing they don't want you to have. They want you out of Seattle, Georgina. They want you out, and they don't want you to complain or look back.† â€Å"But why?† I protested. â€Å"That's what I can't figure out.† â€Å"Give me something else to work with,† he said. â€Å"Hell's not that good. Even the most picture perfect setup has to have a flaw. Was there anything, anything at all this weekend, that felt disingenuous? That smacked of a lie?† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"I was in Las Vegas, hanging out with servants of Hell. Everything was disingenuous.† â€Å"Georgina, think! Anything that seemed legitimately odd. Any contradiction.† I started to deny it but then paused. â€Å"The timeline.† He leaned forward even more. â€Å"Yes? What about it?† I thought back to my first hours in Las Vegas. â€Å"Luis and Bastien both went out of their way to act as though my transfer and Bastien's had been in the works for a while – like Jerome said. But once, Bastien slipped. He sounded like he hadn't been there for very long at all – not nearly as long as they'd said before.† â€Å"Like that maybe he was suddenly pulled in on a moment's notice – to coincide with your transfer?† â€Å"I don't know,† I said, not liking the thought of Bastien being part of some potential conspiracy centered around me. â€Å"He corrected himself, said he misspoke.† â€Å"I'm sure he would say that.† Roman leaned back now, letting all of this sink in. â€Å"Bastien wouldn't lie to me,† I snapped. â€Å"He's my friend. I trust him. He cares about me.† â€Å"I believe you,† said Roman. â€Å"And I believe that he wouldn't lie to you about something that he thought might harm you. But if his higher-ups asked him to tell a white lie – fudge a few days here and there – don't you think he would?† I nearly denied it – but then had to wonder. Bastien had been in trouble off and on with our superiors, his Seattle venture last year a desperate attempt to restore status. If he were pressured enough – threatened, even – to tell me he'd been transferred longer than he actually had, would he? Especially if he thought it was harmless and knew of no nefarious reason behind it? â€Å"But what nefarious reason would be behind all this?† I muttered, not realizing I'd spoken my thoughts aloud until Roman straightened up again. â€Å"That's what we have to figure out. We have to figure out what's happened to you that would've gotten someone's attention – and that happened recently, to spur such a fast response. We know about your slacker record. And we know about Erik looking into your contract.† I blinked. â€Å"Milton.† I quickly told Roman about Hugh's information, about Milton's secret assassin status and trip to Seattle lining up with Erik's death. I also told him about briefly mentioning Milton to Jamie. Roman leaped to his feet. â€Å"Jesus Christ! Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? I could've investigated Milton while you were gone. Shit. Now I'm trapped here under bowling duty.† Nephilim had the same travel limitations as lesser immortals. They had to physically travel to places. No teleportation like greater immortals. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said. â€Å"I wasn't thinking. I didn't connect it. And I didn't get a chance to ask Jamie more about Milton. He wasn't around the rest of the time I was in town.† Roman was nodding along with me as he paced. â€Å"Of course he wasn't. I'm sure they made certain he was unavailable before he could tell you any more. And explain again why your initial conversation with him didn't go that far?† I shrugged. â€Å"He was drunk. He got distracted by a debate over gin with Luis.† â€Å"One that Luis initiated, no doubt.† â€Å"I – † I thought about it. â€Å"Yeah. I guess he did. But you're not saying . . . I mean, that's idiotic. Using gin as a distraction to cover up some plot?† Roman's sea green eyes were gazing off in the distance, thoughtful. â€Å"It's not the most ridiculous distraction I've known a demon to use. He could've brought up bowling.† â€Å"Not that again.† Roman snapped his attention back to me, frustration all over his face. â€Å"Georgina, how can you be in denial about this? How can you refuse to believe that Hell is playing some larger game here? After all you've seen and been a part of?† I shot up, angry at the insinuation that had been creeping along here, that I was too oblivious to see what was going on. â€Å"I know! I know they're capable of it. I know they can use means both ingenuous and simple – like gin and bowling – to get what they want. I'm not denying that, Roman. What I just can't grasp yet is the why. Show me that, and I'll get on board with any crazy scheme you want. I need to know why.† Roman came to stand in front of me, resting his hands on my shoulders as he leaned close. â€Å"That is exactly what I intend to find out. And when we do, I have a feeling we'll have blown the lid off of the biggest conspiracy Hell's had in centuries.†