Greenspan Essays - Edward Greenspan, Massey College, Toronto

Greenspan Greenspan - The Case For The Defence In-Depth Review My fascination with the Judicial System Structure of today's society was furthered and strengthened after reading and analyzing the works of Edward Greenspan. This superbly written biography recollecting past cases and important events in Greenspan's life allowed myself, the reader, to learn more about Jurisprudence and the Criminal Code. The entire casebook revolves around several main themes including the balance of Positive & Natural influences in the courtroom, whether a lawyer's consience intervenes with his duty as a counsellor, and the alarming rate of perjury occuring in front of the juries. To be more concise and clear to the point, Greenspan's book is a diary of controversial and beneficial issues which have hovered around our criminal courts and will continue to plague and pester them for years to come. By observing and understanding certain issues presented in his book, I was able to comprehend what type of person Greenspan is, what he believes in, what he represents and what he would do for his profession. The wheels of Jurisprudence are always turning, and I came to realise how Greenspan worked and bargained for his status in the country to be solidified. This book also flourished with innovative situations pertaining to the most diversified of criminal charges, to the most uncanny regions of law ever dealt. It was this thorough look at Greenspan's life which impressed this reviewer the most. It was quite clear that after the fourth page, I came upon the conclusion that this casebook would create a most influential reaction to anyone who had displayed any interest towards our Law system in general. Part One of the novel, No Little Clients, presents the reader with the author's proposed thesis. His ambition is to defend innocent people accused of crimes. Whether they are innocent or guilty without being proven guilty is irrelevant to Mr. Greenspan. A lawyer's consience must not be his deciding factor when advising or counselling a client. This viewpoint is elaborated in Part Two (Not Above The Fray) and explained frivolously by Greenspan himself. Throughout the entire novel, the theme bends and curves itself around different and unavoidable situations, but retains its original meaning that no one is guilty until proven so. Greenspan refers to this phrase countless times and explains to the reader that he will not allow his moral beliefs to conlfict with the path of justice (delicately and persuasively explained by both Greenspand and the co-author, George Jonas in Parts Four, Five and Six of the novel). Chapter 13, Playing God, emphatically displays Greenspan's concern with the treatment of his clients and the decision to push the client until he can make a decision that is in favour with the lawyer himself. The significance of this chapter is that the reader detects the amount of responsibility and endurance is required in order to become a successful pawn of the judicial system. At this point, Greenspan's thesis huddles itself around the principle of being a Pawn of the System and only serving the system without prejudice and socialistic conflicts. The authors begin their novel with several different themes which branch out and eventually combine. Walking The High Wire is an excellent chapter which focuses on the effects of intended falsehoods employed by the prosecution. When Greenspan takes on a case where the courtroom is changed into a stage for the benefit of a woman who allegedly is raped by his client, it is later realised that through careful investigation and newly discovered evidence, can the truth be used to assist the defendant in being acquitted. In the chapter And Nothing But The Truth, the author presents a situation where even those who enforce the law may lie to obtain a conviction of an innocent person. When two police officers re-create a false scene for the jury, the reader begins to understand why the author ponders upon different moral questions and creates circumstantial, yet fruitful answers. Like a detective fiction novel, Greenspan proves without a doubt that there is more than meets the eye in accepting and defending a client. As witnessed in the chapter Hi Mom, Guess Who's In Jail, the reader learns about how the media and police almost influence a jury

President Bush Lays Down Plans essays

President Bush Lays Down Plans essays The State of the Union is a speech delivered by the president directed towards Congress and the citizens of the United States. In this speech, the president addresses the problems that our nation faces today; both domestic and foreign. President George W. Bush opened his speech with the issue of America's economy. He proposed an income tax reduction that would save a family with a $40,000 income of approximately $1,000. This tax cut would help small businesses throughout the country. He also wants Congress to pass a law that would stop the unfair double taxation of dividends. This would help investors out and in turn strengthen the economy. Another issue stated was to have a reliable health care system. Many citizens are not fortunate enough to have money to pay for health insurance. He wants the government to give financial support to those in need of health care. Also, President Bush wants to pass a reform that helps protect doctors from frivolous lawsuits. These lawsuits are driving doctors to charge more for their service. The third goal that the president wanted to accomplish was improving the environment. He set a comprehensive energy plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation. He passed the Clear Skies legislation that mandates a 70-percent cut in air pollution from power plants over the next 15 years. Also, he proposed $1.2 billion in research funding for hydrogen-powered cars. Being more efficient and cautious of the environment will preserve our country. He also addressed many social problems that Americans face today. Many children are left with nobody to look up to due to parents being in prison. He urged people to be mentors at schools for children who are not so fortunate. Also, he wants to pass a faith-based initiate and Community Service Act to fund groups that help out the needy. He set up a program that gives 600 million dollars to help pay for drug rehabilitation for Americans to receive the treatment ...

E-Business Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-Business Paper - Essay Example Amazon.com was the first company to move book retailing online. In less than a decade, it has become one of the most recognizable brands on earth. It expanded from being a book retailer to a virtual marketplace where all sorts of buyers and sellers of rare, used, and collectible items found a platform. Today it offers even online auctions including toys, music, DVDs, house ware, and a variety of other products and it is the world’s most customer-centric company. It sells virtually anything to more than 38 million customers (Success story, 2002). By selling a wide range of products it has been able build customer loyalty and by 2005, has 50 million loyal customers (Evans, 2005). One of the main advantages of moving online is the use of sophisticated software that brings in constant innovation. This enhances the customer experience as the software can remember details and sends the shopping cart smoothly and swiftly to the check-out (Evans, 2005). The software also remembers the shipping address and the credit card details. Being online allows fro reviews and recommendations from readers. The key to Amazon.com’s success is the strong customer focused approach. They use technology to constantly improvise and innovate. They work hard to refine the technology, which allows them to make recommendations that make shopping more convenient and enjoyable (Customer Success, 2006). Amazon.com uses the SAS technology to analyze the results of their ongoing efforts to improve personalization. Multi-threading allows amazon.com to apply multiple processors to complex analytic tasks. They constantly evaluate the new product page layouts and new search technology. It is their ‘technology base that allows customers to find, discover and glean out of hundreds of millions of products, those that really interest them (Success story, 2000). Data warehousing allows them to manage growth (Success story). Their

Holy Byzantine Women Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Holy Byzantine Women - Term Paper Example While we do have well documented accounts of powerful empresses, it is often more beneficial to understand the plight of the average Byzantine woman to truly understand the inner-workings of this particular civilization. Many women during this time period were quite religious and became the saints of their particular generation. Thankfully we do have some wonderful and cherished memories of their lives that will prove most helpful in this endeavor. It is important to see, through the perspective of history, the important role that women played in many different aspects of Byzantine society. This will allow us to envision that life, without Byzantine women, would have been difficult at best. Through a careful examination of four different holy Byzantine holy women, we will establish that the economic, social, and religious contributions of the common Byzantine woman enabled the continued existence of this society for centuries.  Biographical Analysis Saint Theodora of Arta is the fi rst holy woman we will discuss. As is typical of Byzantine women, we do not know exactly when she was born, but it must have been somewhere between 1224 and 1230. She was from Servia and her father was John Pertraliphas. He was quite famous in his own right, being the governor of Thessaly and Macedonia. She became married to the ruler of Epirus and Thessaly, apparently when she was still a child. This happened shortly after the husband’s accession to the throne in 1231. She became saintly due to her circumstances. Her husband preferred his mistress, which meant that Theodora was not allowed in the house or on the grounds, forcing her into a life of poverty on the streets. From written accounts, she suffered through these various hardships without complaining, even while she was pregnant, eventually gaining the attention of a village priest. The priest gave her shelter for nearly five years until Theodora’s husband saw the error of his ways and invited his wife back to live with him. From this account, we envision that Theodora’s mind and heart was pure. She did not choose the life she was given, yet she remained of positive attitude and worked hard to do right by her child and her God. Over the course of her life, she founded the convent of St. George, which was in Arta, and actually lived there after her husband died. To this day, her tomb is a pilgrimage site and many have ascribed miracles to it. Another saintly woman that we have a written account of is Saint Thomais of Lesbos. Thomais was in Lesbos, but spent much of her life in Constantinople. Subsequently, much of what we know about her is confined to that region. The parents of Thomais were named Michael and Kale. From all accounts, they were quite a pious and god-fearing couple. In addition, they were happy as a couple, so we are left to assume that Thomais was raised in a solid and pleasant environment and, while they did not have much, she received love and compassion at home. S adly, her particular marriage was not so happy. She married Stephen and we read that their marriage was a disaster. Thomais was perfectly content staying at home with her parents, and did so until the age of 24, perhaps foreshadowing her own fear of marriage. She did not have children of her own. During her adult life, she was in the habit of walking the streets of Constantinople and was

Relationship Between Management And Leadership In Childhood Setting Nursing Essay

Relationship Between Management And Leadership In Childhood Setting Nursing Essay In this report I will discuss the relationship between management and leadership in an early childhood setting. I will do this by making reference to the Integrated Inspection Report from the named nursery, government expectations and my findings from other sources. HM Inspectors of Schools have responsibilities which include raising and improving standards and quality of the service offered by settings through self-evaluation, and they do this by inspection of premises and the service these premises provide. They work within the National Care Standards, Scottish Executive (2006) which is underpinned by The Child at the Centre, HMIE (2007) and the performance indicators within. Part of their inspection includes looking at the overall leadership in the nursery setting and using government advice to rate the standards of leadership within the setting. In the named Integrated Inspection Report, the opening statement comments: The headteacher provided excellent leadership. HMIE, (2008) and this shows how this early years establishment has followed government expectations to build on good practice and deliver a professional, caring, quality service of education to children and parents who use this setting. HMIEs comments towards the headteachers leadership reflect the performance indicators laid down in The Child at the Centre HMIE (2007) and these indicators expect settings to have standards of: 9.1 Vision, values and aims 9.2 Leadership and Direction 9.3 Developing people and partnerships 9.4 Leadership and improvement and change These performance indicators help settings to aim for excellent practice through leadership and self-evaluation and encourage professional reflection using the same themes as How Good is our School and The Journey to Excellence and are used to build plans and guide any actions for improvement there be. HMIE (2007) Hay (1997) believes the successful running of a nursery setting relies on someone who portrays a combination of both management and leadership skills. Leadership qualities include being able to influence others to meet goals, not because the leader has asked them to do so but because they want to do it whereas management qualities would include the necessity to get things done constantly and routinely. Hodgkinson (1991) cited by Hay (1997) I agree with Hay (1997) that a combination of skills are required for the efficient running of a nursery and in order for settings to reach the government expectations whilst carrying on with the daily routines, they would need to secure the help and shared focus from colleagues and this can be accomplished by effective leadership and teamwork. Effective teamwork can have a positive impact on the routines of daily life in the setting and if everyone in the team have the same shared focus and they are all engaging in professional reflection and self-evaluation of the quality of service they are providing, the quality of service will not be compromised. Rodd (2006) believes good teamwork is important for meeting the requirements of early education settings and cites Ebbeck and Waniganayake (2003) comments of building effective teams is fundamental to early childhood practice. The headteacher in the report has shown how effective her leadership is by receiving positive comments of her leadership skills. I believe she has been able to achieve effective leadership through building and nurturing a high standard of teamwork within the practice. This was done by using her interpersonal skills of communication, motivation and inspiration, Rodd (2006) and by empowering her team to work with her with the same high standards and aim for the same objective she has succeeded in achieving high-quality teamwork. HMIE (2008) Rodd (2006) believes that this human resource management is typical of an early childhood leader and she cites Taylors (2005) argument that a leaders own behaviour, their actions, beliefs and values, will determine how they are seen by their colleagues and how this behaviour will be rewarded. Leaders can determine whether or not their team will work with them or work against them and being a positive role model can help bring your team together and reach the objective. It is clear in this report that this leaders direction allows her team to work alongside her as they all have the same commitment to the continuous improvement of their setting. This includes their own personal professional development and also relates to the performance indicator 9.3 Developing people and partnerships HMIE (2007) The report comments on how the staff in this setting have the opportunities to continue in their own development through training courses, leadership support and self-evaluation. Another key element of effective leadership is having the ability to allow the personal development of others and use this ability to improve the quality of the team and the service they provide. Rodd (2006) Performance Indicator 9.3, HMIE (2007) states how an important feature of effective leadership is to develop positive working relationships with others and to have the ability to delegate roles and responsibilities within the setting. This can be done through continuous development of staff and relates to the National Care Standards, Standard 12, Confidence in Staff, Scottish Executive (2006) where it states a setting has an effective system for identifying and monitoring staff development needs. Hay lists another of Hodgkinsons views of differences between manager and leader as managers being more concerned with material resources rather than human resources. The leader in this setting is highly involved with her team showing excellent human resource management by allowing each member of the team to develop through on-going training and personal development without impacting on daily routines and allowing team members to use their own individual abilities and talents to benefit the group. Through effective teamwork, leaders can share with her team knowledge and skills, provide support and helpful feedback and in return gain the trust and support of the group and continue to produce a high standard of service. Dawson (2000) HMIE (2008) report that the staff in this setting were fully involved in systematically reviewing, evaluating and improving the nursery. This positive involvement helps to produce the high quality service that this setting provides and also relates to Standard 14 of the National Care Standards, Well managed Service. Scottish Executive (2006) Effective leaders will work with the team, examine their setting and holistically reflect with a view to change or improvement. This reflection will include analysing individual actions, actions of the group or individuals, routines or policies and most importantly analysing if the childrens learning experiences are adequate and can help an early years setting to move forward in terms of the quality of service provided. This setting does this through staff, children and parent involvement and they have received positive comments from HMIE. Reflective practice also relates to The Child at the Centre, 9.4 Leadership and improvement and change and the Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers. Staff in this setting are all registered with Scottish Social Services Council and work within the Codes of Practice, a list of statements describing professional conduct and practice expected within any setting. I agree with Rodd and Hay that effective leadership requires individuals to be equipped with both management and leadership skills and qualities. The successful, efficient running of an early years setting requires leaders to be able to balance factors of work, legislation and quality in the setting with the commitment to look after the people they need and work with.

compression :: essays research papers

Due to compression, TV audio and video require less bandwidth and multiple digital TV channels can fit unto one satellite transponder as oppose to a single analogue channel occupying the whole transmission line. A TV signal is captured by a camera and then manipulated during program production. At this point the video must be at its highest quality and full bandwidth for recording, editing and special effects purposes. Then the TV signal needs to be compressed for economical transmission and storage. The possible efficiency of compression depends on a couple of factors. If a signal will be further edited and manipulated in the receiving studio it must maintain a relatively high quality and therefore can’t be compressed as much as a signal that will be sent directly to the viewer’s TV set. Also, the extent to which a signal can be successfully compressed depends on the type of program (E.g. movies can be compressed more than sports). Nevertheless, a typical program mix will fit up to 10 digital television channels on one transmission line. Furthermore, compression techniques that fall into two categories: lossless (reversible, no data loss) and lossy (irreversible, greater data reduction). Effective compression is best achieved with a combination of data reduction techniques such as bit rate reduction and compression. The difference is that bit rate reduction eliminates unnoticeable data, and compression removes unnecessary and excessive data through mathematical algorithms. Due to different forms of redundancy and the fact that the human visual system is unable to detect certain details, information can be altered or removed causing changes that are imperceptible to the human eye or brain. After compression, the structure data, audio and video must be multiplexed. A number of compressed TV signals are combined by a multiplexer and put unto a shared transition medium. This is done by one of the two possible kinds of multiplexers that result in either a transport or a program stream, which is suited for secure transmission paths since it can contain large amounts of information. In addition multiplexing can be done using various methods. Time division multiplexing allocates a distinct time interval for each channel in a set; with the help of synchronization and a fixed interval order the channels take turns using the common line.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Twelve

Eddard The summons came in the hour before the dawn, when the world was still and grey. Alyn shook him roughly from his dreams and Ned stumbled into the predawn chill, groggy from sleep, to find his horse saddled and the king already mounted. Robert wore thick brown gloves and a heavy fur cloak with a hood that covered his ears, and looked for all the world like a bear sitting a horse. â€Å"Up, Stark!† he roared. â€Å"Up, up! We have matters of state to discuss.† â€Å"By all means,† Ned said. â€Å"Come inside, Your Grace.† Alyn lifted the flap of the tent. â€Å"No, no, no,† Robert said. His breath steamed with every word. â€Å"The camp is full of ears. Besides, I want to ride out and taste this country of yours.† Ser Boros and Ser Meryn waited behind him with a dozen guardsmen, Ned saw. There was nothing to do but rub the sleep from his eyes, dress, and mount up. Robert set the pace, driving his huge black destrier hard as Ned galloped along beside him, trying to keep up. He called out a question as they rode, but the wind blew his words away, and the king did not hear him. After that Ned rode in silence. They soon left the kingsroad and took off across rolling plains dark with mist. By then the guard had fallen back a small distance, safely out of earshot, but still Robert would not slow. Dawn broke as they crested a low ridge, and finally the king pulled up. By then they were miles south of the main party. Robert was flushed and exhilarated as Ned reined up beside him. â€Å"Gods,† he swore, laughing, â€Å"it feels good to get out and ride the way a man was meant to ride! I swear, Ned, this creeping along is enough to drive a man mad.† He had never been a patient man, Robert Baratheon. â€Å"That damnable wheelhouse, the way it creaks and groans, climbing every bump in the road as if it were a mountain . . . I promise you, if that wretched thing breaks another axle, I'm going to burn it, and Cersei can walk!† Ned laughed. â€Å"I will gladly light the torch for you.† â€Å"Good man!† The king clapped him on the shoulder. â€Å"I've half a mind to leave them all behind and just keep going.† A smile touched Ned's lips. â€Å"I do believe you mean it.† â€Å"I do, I do,† the king said. â€Å"What do you say, Ned? Just you and me, two vagabond knights on the kingsroad, our swords at our sides and the gods know what in front of us, and maybe a farmer's daughter or a tavern wench to warm our beds tonight.† â€Å"Would that we could,† Ned said, â€Å"but we have duties now, my liege . . . to the realm, to our children, I to my lady wife and you to your queen. We are not the boys we were.† â€Å"You were never the boy you were,† Robert grumbled. â€Å"More's the pity. And yet there was that one time . . . what was her name, that common girl of yours? Becca? No, she was one of mine, gods love her, black hair and these sweet big eyes, you could drown in them. Yours was . . . Aleena? No. You told me once. Was it Merryl? You know the one I mean, your bastard's mother?† â€Å"Her name was Wylla,† Ned replied with cool courtesy, â€Å"and I would sooner not speak of her.† â€Å"Wylla. Yes.† The king grinned. â€Å"She must have been a rare wench if she could make Lord Eddard Stark forget his honor, even for an hour. You never told me what she looked like . . . â€Å" Ned's mouth tightened in anger. â€Å"Nor will I. Leave it be, Robert, for the love you say you bear me. I dishonored myself and I dishonored Catelyn, in the sight of gods and men.† â€Å"Gods have mercy, you scarcely knew Catelyn.† â€Å"I had taken her to wife. She was carrying my child.† â€Å"You are too hard on yourself, Ned. You always were. Damn it, no woman wants Baelor the Blessed in her bed.† He slapped a hand on his knee. â€Å"Well, I'll not press you if you feel so strong about it, though I swear, at times you're so prickly you ought to take the hedgehog as your sigil.† The rising sun sent fingers of light through the pale white mists of dawn. A wide plain spread out beneath them, bare and brown, its flatness here and there relieved by long, low hummocks. Ned pointed them out to his king. â€Å"The barrows of the First Men.† Robert frowned. â€Å"Have we ridden onto a graveyard?† â€Å"There are barrows everywhere in the north, Your Grace,† Ned told him. â€Å"This land is old.† â€Å"And cold,† Robert grumbled, pulling his cloak more tightly around himself. The guard had reined up well behind them, at the bottom of the ridge. â€Å"Well, I did not bring you out here to talk of graves or bicker about your bastard. There was a rider in the night, from Lord Varys in King's Landing. Here.† The king pulled a paper from his belt and handed it to Ned. Varys the eunuch was the king's master of whisperers. He served Robert now as he had once served Aerys Targaryen. Ned unrolled the paper with trepidation, thinking of Lysa and her terrible accusation, but the message did not concern Lady Arryn. â€Å"What is the source for this information?† â€Å"Do you remember Ser Jorah Mormont?† â€Å"Would that I might forget him,† Ned said bluntly. The Mormonts of Bear Island were an old house, proud and honorable, but their lands were cold and distant and poor. Ser Jorah had tried to swell the family coffers by selling some poachers to a Tyroshi slaver. As the Mormonts were bannermen to the Starks, his crime had dishonored the north. Ned had made the long journey west to BearIsland, only to find when he arrived that Jorah had taken ship beyond the reach of Ice and the king's justice. Five years had passed since then. â€Å"Ser Jorah is now in Pentos, anxious to earn a royal pardon that would allow him to return from exile,† Robert explained. â€Å"Lord Varys makes good use of him.† â€Å"So the slaver has become a spy,† Ned said with distaste. He handed the letter back. â€Å"I would rather he become a corpse.† â€Å"Varys tells me that spies are more useful than corpses,† Robert said. â€Å"Jorah aside, what do you make of his report?† â€Å"Daenerys Targaryen has wed some Dothraki horselord. What of it? Shall we send her a wedding gift?† The king frowned. â€Å"A knife, perhaps. A good sharp one, and a bold man to wield it.† Ned did not feign surprise; Robert's hatred of the Targaryens was a madness in him. He remembered the angry words they had exchanged when Tywin Lannister had presented Robert with the corpses of Rhaegar's wife and children as a token of fealty. Ned had named that murder; Robert called it war. When he had protested that the young prince and princess were no more than babes, his new-made king had replied, â€Å"I see no babes. Only dragonspawn.† Not even Jon Arryn had been able to calm that storm. Eddard Stark had ridden out that very day in a cold rage, to fight the last battles of the war alone in the south. It had taken another death to reconcile them; Lyanna's death, and the grief they had shared over her passing. This time, Ned resolved to keep his temper. â€Å"Your Grace, the girl is scarcely more than a child. You are no Tywin Lannister, to slaughter innocents.† It was said that Rhaegar's little girl had cried as they dragged her from beneath her bed to face the swords. The boy had been no more than a babe in arms, yet Lord Tywin's soldiers had torn him from his mother's breast and dashed his head against a wall. â€Å"And how long will this one remain an innocent?† Robert's mouth grew hard. â€Å"This child will soon enough spread her legs and start breeding more dragonspawn to plague me.† â€Å"Nonetheless,† Ned said, â€Å"the murder of children . . . it would be vile . . . unspeakable . . . â€Å" â€Å"Unspeakable?† the king roared. â€Å"What Aerys did to your brother Brandon was unspeakable. The way your lord father died, that was unspeakable. And Rhaegar . . . how many times do you think he raped your sister? How many hundreds of times?† His voice had grown so loud that his horse whinnied nervously beneath him. The king jerked the reins hard, quieting the animal, and pointed an angry finger at Ned. â€Å"I will kill every Targaryen I can get my hands on, until they are as dead as their dragons, and then I will piss on their graves.† Ned knew better than to defy him when the wrath was on him. If the years had not quenched Robert's thirst for revenge, no words of his would help. â€Å"You can't get your hands on this one, can you?† he said quietly. The king's mouth twisted in a bitter grimace. â€Å"No, gods be cursed. Some pox-ridden Pentoshi cheesemonger had her brother and her walled up on his estate with pointy-hatted eunuchs all around them, and now he's handed them over to the Dothraki. I should have had them both killed years ago, when it was easy to get at them, but Jon was as bad as you. More fool I, I listened to him.† â€Å"Jon Arryn was a wise man and a good Hand.† Robert snorted. The anger was leaving him as suddenly as it had come. â€Å"This Khal Drogo is said to have a hundred thousand men in his horde. What would Jon say to that?† â€Å"He would say that even a million Dothraki are no threat to the realm, so long as they remain on the other side of the narrow sea,† Ned replied calmly. â€Å"The barbarians have no ships. They hate and fear the open sea.† The king shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. â€Å"Perhaps. There are ships to be had in the Free Cities, though. I tell you, Ned, I do not like this marriage. There are still those in the Seven Kingdoms who call me Usurper. Do you forget how many houses fought for Targaryen in the war? They bide their time for now, but give them half a chance, they will murder me in my bed, and my sons with me. If the beggar king crosses with a Dothraki horde at his back, the traitors will join him.† â€Å"He will not cross,† Ned promised. â€Å"And if by some mischance he does, we will throw him back into the sea. Once you choose a new Warden of the East—† The king groaned. â€Å"For the last time, I will not name the Arryn boy Warden. I know the boy is your nephew, but with Targaryens climbing in bed with Dothraki, I would be mad to rest one quarter of the realm on the shoulders of a sickly child.† Ned was ready for that. â€Å"Yet we still must have a Warden of the East. If Robert Arryn will not do, name one of your brothers. Stannis proved himself at the siege of Storm's End, surely.† He let the name hang there for a moment. The king frowned and said nothing. He looked uncomfortable. â€Å"That is,† Ned finished quietly, watching, â€Å"unless you have already promised the honor to another.† For a moment Robert had the grace to look startled. Just as quickly, the look became annoyance. â€Å"What if I have?† â€Å"It's Jaime Lannister, is it not?† Robert kicked his horse back into motion and started down the ridge toward the barrows. Ned kept pace with him. The king rode on, eyes straight ahead. â€Å"Yes,† he said at last. A single hard word to end the matter. â€Å"Kingslayer,† Ned said. The rumors were true, then. He rode on dangerous ground now, he knew. â€Å"An able and courageous man, no doubt,† he said carefully, â€Å"but his father is Warden of the West, Robert. In time Ser Jaime will succeed to that honor. No one man should hold both East and West.† He left unsaid his real concern; that the appointment would put half the armies of the realm into the hands of Lannisters. â€Å"I will fight that battle when the enemy appears on the field,† the king said stubbornly. â€Å"At the moment, Lord Tywin looms eternal as Casterly Rock, so I doubt that Jaime will be succeeding anytime soon. Don't vex me about this, Ned, the stone has been set.† â€Å"Your Grace, may I speak frankly?† â€Å"I seem unable to stop you,† Robert grumbled. They rode through tall brown grasses. â€Å"Can you trust Jaime Lannister?† â€Å"He is my wife's twin, a Sworn Brother of the Kingsguard, his life and fortune and honor all bound to mine.† â€Å"As they were bound to Aerys Targaryen's,† Ned pointed out. â€Å"Why should I mistrust him? He has done everything I have ever asked of him. His sword helped win the throne I sit on.† His sword helped taint the throne you sit on, Ned thought, but he did not permit the words to pass his lips. â€Å"He swore a vow to protect his king's life with his own. Then he opened that king's throat with a sword.† â€Å"Seven hells, someone had to kill Aerys!† Robert said, reining his mount to a sudden halt beside an ancient barrow. â€Å"If Jaime hadn't done it, it would have been left for you or me.† â€Å"We were not Sworn Brothers of the Kingsguard,† Ned said. The time had come for Robert to hear the whole truth, he decided then and there. â€Å"Do you remember the Trident, Your Grace?† â€Å"I won my crown there. How should I forget it?† â€Å"You took a wound from Rhaegar,† Ned reminded him. â€Å"So when the Targaryen host broke and ran, you gave the pursuit into my hands. The remnants of Rhaegar's army fled back to King's Landing. We followed. Aerys was in the Red Keep with several thousand loyalists. I expected to find the gates closed to us.† Robert gave an impatient shake of his head. â€Å"Instead you found that our men had already taken the city. What of it?† â€Å"Not our men,† Ned said patiently. â€Å"Lannister men. The lion of Lannister flew over the ramparts, not the crowned stag. And they had taken the city by treachery.† The war had raged for close to a year. Lords great and small had flocked to Robert's banners; others had remained loyal to Targaryen. The mighty Lannisters of Casterly Rock, the Wardens of the West, had remained aloof from the struggle, ignoring calls to arms from both rebels and royalists. Aerys Targaryen must have thought that his gods had answered his prayers when Lord Tywin Lannister appeared before the gates of King's Landing with an army twelve thousand strong, professing loyalty. So the mad king had ordered his last mad act. He had opened his city to the lions at the gate. â€Å"Treachery was a coin the Targaryens knew well,† Robert said. The anger was building in him again. â€Å"Lannister paid them back in kind. It was no less than they deserved. I shall not trouble my sleep over it.† â€Å"You were not there,† Ned said, bitterness in his voice. Troubled sleep was no stranger to him. He had lived his lies for fourteen years, yet they still haunted him at night. â€Å"There was no honor in that conquest.† â€Å"The Others take your honor!† Robert swore. â€Å"What did any Targaryen ever know of honor? Go down into your crypt and ask Lyanna about the dragon's honor!† â€Å"You avenged Lyanna at the Trident,† Ned said, halting beside the king. Promise me, Ned, she had whispered. â€Å"That did not bring her back.† Robert looked away, off into the grey distance. â€Å"The gods be damned. It was a hollow victory they gave me. A crown . . . it was the girl I prayed them for. Your sister, safe . . . and mine again, as she was meant to be. I ask you, Ned, what good is it to wear a crown? The gods mock the prayers of kings and cowherds alike.† â€Å"I cannot answer for the gods, Your Grace . . . only for what I found when I rode into the throne room that day,† Ned said. â€Å"Aerys was dead on the floor, drowned in his own blood. His dragon skulls stared down from the walls. Lannister's men were everywhere. Jaime wore the white cloak of the Kingsguard over his golden armor. I can see him still. Even his sword was gilded. He was seated on the Iron Throne, high above his knights, wearing a helm fashioned in the shape of a lion's head. How he glittered!† â€Å"This is well known,† the king complained. â€Å"I was still mounted. I rode the length of the hall in silence, between the long rows of dragon skulls. It felt as though they were watching me, somehow. I stopped in front of the throne, looking up at him. His golden sword was across his legs, its edge red with a king's blood. My men were filling the room behind me. Lannister's men drew back. I never said a word. I looked at him seated there on the throne, and I waited. At last Jaime laughed and got up. He took off his helm, and he said to me, ‘Have no fear, Stark. I was only keeping it warm for our friend Robert. It's not a very comfortable seat, I'm afraid.' â€Å" The king threw back his head and roared. His laughter startled a flight of crows from the tall brown grass. They took to the air in a wild beating of wings. â€Å"You think I should mistrust Lannister because he sat on my throne for a few moments?† He shook with laughter again. â€Å"Jaime was all of seventeen, Ned. Scarce more than a boy.† â€Å"Boy or man, he had no right to that throne.† â€Å"Perhaps he was tired,† Robert suggested. â€Å"Killing kings is weary work. Gods know, there's no place else to rest your ass in that damnable room. And he spoke truly, it is a monstrous uncomfortable chair. In more ways than one.† The king shook his head. â€Å"Well, now I know Jaime's dark sin, and the matter can be forgotten. I am heartily sick of secrets and squabbles and matters of state, Ned. It's all as tedious as counting coppers. Come, let's ride, you used to know how. I want to feel the wind in my hair again.† He kicked his horse back into motion and galloped up over the barrow, raining earth down behind him. For a moment Ned did not follow. He had run out of words, and he was filled with a vast sense of helplessness. Not for the first time, he wondered what he was doing here and why he had come. He was no Jon Arryn, to curb the wildness of his king and teach him wisdom. Robert would do what he pleased, as he always had, and nothing Ned could say or do would change that. He belonged in Winterfell. He belonged with Catelyn in her grief, and with Bran. A man could not always be where he belonged, though. Resigned, Eddard Stark put his boots into his horse and set off after the king.