Li & Fung LTD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Li & Fung LTD - Essay Example The company also focuses on advancing its management as it has advertised staff for accounts receivable, inventory and collections, and accounts payable management. Li & Fung Ltd contributes to the performance in their global marketplaces. They do this by managing the supply chain for various consumer goods such as footwear, toys, accessories, and clothing. This covers everything including lining up of raw materials for manufacture, overseeing production, and assessing the performance of supply chain from the point of production to delivery in retailers’ destinations. With this role, the company gets a good reputation from its consumers as a reliable firm To achieve the goal of being a noticeably thriving company, Li & Fung Ltd ensures that its employees are committed to supreme operational standards and carrying out their duties with integrity. The company has good corporate governance practices since it has been emphasizing on accountability and transparency. Sustainability considerations are given first priority and it is embedded into its risk management systems and corporate policies. Li & Fung Ltd will definitely continue to lead in consumer goods due to its development capabilities and comprehensive design. Staff Reoporters. (2011). Li & Fung Li & Fung moves into Grand over; $1.1M Eden expansion planned. The Business Journal Retrieved from: http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/print- edition/2011/11/18/lf-moves-into-grandover-11m-eden.html?page=all

Sustainability and Resilience Reflection Paper Essay

Sustainability and Resilience Reflection Paper - Essay Example sustainability; hence, is the rate at which the renewable resources are harvested, non-renewable resource depletion and pollution creation can be continued forever. However, they cannot be maintained indefinitely then are not environment sustainable. This definition is challenging because no sustainable economic growth can be continued forever because all economic growth is environmentally degrading (Ove Arup & Partners International Limited, 2014). Meaning that it is impossible to have a sustainable environment and achieve economic growth. Consequently, environmental sustainability should be about making responsible decisions, as well as, taking action in the interest of protecting the environment placing an emphasis on the preservation and support of human life. The decisions made should ensure that they reduce the business negative impact on the environment in the sense that, although they want to achieve economic growth it should be at the cost human life. Resilience, on the other hand, is the ability of a structure to survive, grow, and adapt in the face of the unforeseen changes, as well as, catastrophic incidents (Hardin, 1968). This is to mean that the systems in the organizations and the country continuously develop through cycles of progression, crisis, accumulation, and renewal and in most cases self-organize into unpredicted new configurations. Resilience has been said to provide a novel and useful perceptive on sustainable development by what industrial development should not jeopardize the well-being of future generations. For this reason, in order to achieve sustainability, it is imperative to have foresight, innovation and effective partnership with governments and corporations and other groups (Goodland, 1995). This is because nobody can manage to foretell the future and for that reason, it is important to equip people on ways to adapt to the instability that is ahead. Consequently, resilience is the key to universal sust ainability. Resilience

Chemistry Module 6 Separation of a Mixture of Solid Essay Example for Free

Chemistry Module 6 Separation of a Mixture of Solid Essay This lab experiment was conduct and taught based upon the primary instruction and introduction to mixtures. With this lab I was able to determine and execute the proper separation of a mixture of solids through various means, such as evaporation and filtration. Using these techniques presented the separation of different ingredients from a mixture was conducted based upon the usage of individual physical properties of each substance presented in the mixture. . Observations: Throughout this experiment I noted several things. For example as I was heating the sand I completely forgot to cover the top to prevent splatter. Although I did heat the mixture at a much slower speed, this resulted in a loss of sample, further impacting my overall results and contributing to my percent error totals, as the sand was bubbling and slightly splattered. Also, I noted my stirring rod, along with the other tools used, had a bit of solution attached to them. Although minuet in amount I should have weighed and taken note upon the mass of my materials before and after the procedures. Questions: A. How did your proposed Procedures or flow charts at the beginning of this experiment compare to the actual Procedures of this lab exercise? B. Discuss potential advantages or disadvantages of your proposed Procedure compared to the one actually used. C. How would you explain a sand recovery percentage that is higher than the original sand percentage? D. What were potential sources of error in this experiment? A.) The methods I proposed were highly similar to the instructions used in the labpaq manual. Just as stated in the instructions, I would have used the magnet to separate iron fillings, but I would have thought lastly upon evaporation for the sand separation and used the filter. B.) A potential disadvantage of simply filtering out the sand, is that fact that the benzoic acid substance, that was not completely dissolved could have too be filtered out. Also in the filtering of iron with the magnet I would have never thought to use a bag. C.) I could explain a sand recovery percentage that was higher than that of the original sand percentage, as simply a contamination of the other substances left within the sand, such as if the sand were not completely dry as there would still be water that would be included in the measured value, or possibly the benzoic acid? D.) The potential sources of error found in this experiment could include the was heating the sand I completely forgot to cover the top to prevent splatter, removing the mixture out of the ice before adequate crystallization had occurred,. Possibly having the sand, NaCl, or benzoic acid sticking to the iron, also maybe incomplete drying. How did your flow diagram for completing the separation compare to what was really done in the experiment? Were there any advantages or disadvantages to performing the separation the way you first thought it out? Discuss these advantages and disadvantages in the context how the approach might affect the measurement of some of the materials you separated. My flow diagram thought out prior to the conducting of this experiment was carried out well. The methods I proposed were highly similar to the instructions used in the labpaq manual. Just as stated in the instructions, I would have used the magnet to separate iron fillings, but I would have thought lastly upon evaporation for the sand separation and used the filter. I thought it was rather obvious to use the magnet for the iron filings, but really did not have an educated guess for how to separate the rest. A potential disadvantage of simply filtering out the sand, is that fact that the benzoic acid substance, that was not completely dissolved could have too be filtered out. Also in the filtering of iron with the magnet I would have never thought to use a bag. All together these simple differences, although minuet could have greatly altered my results and manipulated the entire data table.

The role of accounting information on business strategy formulation

The role of accounting information on business strategy formulation Abstract Although strategy development in large corporations has been well documented, the process of strategy deployment in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has not been extensively investigated by academic researchers. This study tries to provide new empirical evidence and the practical realities on the nature and practice of strategic planning in Greek companies. Its primary target is to examine the formulation of strategic planning in Greek SMEs and also the role of accounting information on the business strategy of SMEs in Greece. The results of the research indicate a positive relationship between strategic planning implementation and accounting information received by accountants and used by SMEs and no relationship with other sources of advice such as government agencies or bank advisors. The importance that is given to sales, costs and profits signifies a business planning rather than a strategic planning orientation of Greek SMEs Keywords: strategic planning, strategic activities, external advisors, accounting information Introduction Academic literature in strategic management of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been very limited. Although the nature of strategic planning processes has been shown to have an important effect on the performance of firms [1], the field of strategic planning in SMEs is still in the early stages of its development. Its adolescence, relative to other more established areas of business and management theory, is evidenced by inconsistent and conflicting viewpoints [2] and only a few researchers have addressed the strategy-making processes of SMEs [3]. Limited research can also be observed on the usage of information from SMEs when strategically planning. Drury and Tayles [4] suggested that there is a need for more research that explores in much greater depth how managers use financial and non financial information. Recent research has shown that most SMEs are unable to utilize accounting and financial information. Owner-managers of SMEs may be expected to be fully aware of the product/service markets that their business are based in, but they may not be trained or proficient in accounting or financial management [5].The aim of this study is to add to the developing literature on strategic planning implementation in SMEs in Greece. Specifically the objectives of the study are to explore the extent of strategic planning of SMEs, to investigate the activities that owner/managers plan in advance and to identify internal and external advisors that help SMEs to strategically plan. Strategic Management and Strategic Planning Strategy is a term that is widely used by senior and middle managers. But the term seems to have multiple of meanings. There is no commonly accepted and universal meaning of strategy [6]. Due to this fact the definition of strategy has been the subject of extensive research since the 1960s. It has been described as the process of determining the long-term goals and objectives of an organization, by adopting a specific course of action and by allocating sufficient resources [7]. This traditional and rational definition was later challenged by Mintzberg contention that strategy was more a pattern of action resulting from intended or unintended strategies. Mintzberg claimed that strategy could be something more than an explicit plan of action. His five strategy dimensions that he recognized were: strategy as plan, strategy as pattern,strategy as ploy, strategy as perspective and strategy as position. These have been the basis for opening up the definition of strategy to a wider context of use [8]. Strategic planning concentrates on the setting of long-term organizational objectives, and the implementation of plans designed to achieve them. A suitable definition of strategic planning can be the devising and formulation of organizational level plans which set the broad and flexible objectives, strategies and policies of a business, driving the organization towards its vision of the future [2]. Porter [9] noted that further work was needed to enable business to understand strategic planning by arguing that while there has been considerable progress in developing frameworks that explain differing competitive success, at any given point in time, our understanding of the dynamic process by which firms perceive and ultimately attain superior market positions is far less developed. The SMEs literature Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial part for the economic growth of a country. SMEs contribute to outputs and employment and also affect the competitive ability of the large organizations [10]. SMEs can influence the competitiveness of large organizations by providing high quality inputs [11]. The importance of small and medium size businesses for future economic development has been reflected in a number of policy papers which have focused attention on the role of entrepreneurship, owner-managers and the small firm sector [12]. 3.1 The SMEs sector in Greece The contribution of the SMEs in the development, the employment and social coherence in Greece is substantial. In Greece, enterprises that have fewer than 50 employees form about 99.5 per cent of the total number of enterprises and employ the 74 per cent of the work force of the private sector. It should also be noted that Greek SMEs provide 70% of the new employment, reinforce the regional development and financial balance of the regions and make part of a cohesive financial and social link in Greek society. The role of SMEs in the national economy and employment is vital, since the main business model in Greece is and it will remain the micro enterprise which employs less than 10 persons. According to the criteria set by the European Commission, Greece has more than 733.000 qualified SMEs, from which more than half, 394.000 or the 53.7 per cent does not employ any salaried workers and they employ 11 people on average. [13] 3.2 Strategy in SMEs Academic research has been conducted on several broad fronts in order to define strategy in SMEs, from planning processes, to the individual personality of the owner-manager and the growth of a wide range of available advisory services providing information on strategic choice. Perry et al [14] argued that strategy should be examined in the everyday operating environment of the small firm. The formulation of strategy in SMEs has been the theme of many academic researchers. Some studies [15] examined the link between planning and performance in SMEs, while others [16] explored the difficulty of defining planning and strategic planning, and its dimensions, such as planning formality and performance in the small firm context. The definition of strategy in SMEs is often perceived as person centred rather than process driven. The performance of small firms is linked with the leadership style of the owner. Nahavandi and Malekzedah [17] in 1993 argued that the style and personality of the manager is central to the strategy definition process. Noble [18] after a series of exploratory interviews with the managing directors of SMEs, suggests that strategic deployment often fails as a result of SMEs inability to forecast and overcome implementation barriers. ORegan and Ghobadian [3] indicated a number of general barriers relating to the constraint of strategic planning implementation such as communication was inadequate, implementation took longer than expected, a shortfall in employee skills, objectives of strategy were not clearly understood by the staff, ineffective co-ordination of implementation, crises distracted attention from implementation, unexpected external problems arose and external factors impacted on implementation. Research Design This research applies the quantitative method to examine the implementation of strategic planning in SMEs in Greece. The central aim of the research is to provide empirical evidence on how SMEs use strategic planning and what kind of advice they use to aid them. Data were gathered by means of a survey questionnaire, all questions used a five-point Likert type scale; with a response of 1 indicating that an item received not agree and 5 indicating an item received agree. The sample consists of small and medium enterprises that are located in the Greek capital Athens and belong to the service and manufacturing sector. Questionnaires were distributed to a whole sample of 546 owner managers of small and medium sized enterprises. A postal questionnaire was used instead of sending e-mails, in order and to protect the participants anonymity and because some owner-managers were not familiar with the use of e-mails. From a total of 546 questionnaires mailed, 178 were returned, representing a 32 per cent response rate. Out of these 19 were found to have missing data and were deemed void. Therefore, data was collected from a total of 159 sets, representing a satisfactory response rate of approximately 29 per cent. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections, covering the following aspects: Strategic planning implementation in SMEs Strategic planning activities Advisors that affect strategic planning Accounting information used for strategic planning Prior to distributing the questionnaire to the sample, a pilot study was conducted to discover any errors, ambiguities, inadequate answers, or highlight any confusing questions. Enterprises that participated in the pilot study were excluded from the main study. Research Questions of the study Question 1: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the Total Strategic Planning Activities? Question 2: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of internal advisors? Question 3: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of external advisors? Question 4: Is there a significant relationship between Strategic Planning Implementation and the use of accounting information? Findings and Discussion The findings of the present research are contradictory in certain respects. Despite a sizeable majority of respondents indicating that their companies undertake strategic planning, there is limited evidence of practical strategic planning in the sense of setting long-term business objectives. Research by Stonehouse and Pemberton [2] that was conducted for British SMEs had the similar results. In their research the 92 per cent of the companies indicated that they undertake strategic planning, either highly structured or of a general nature. They have found that most of these organizations were concentrated on short-term sales, cost and profit targets rather than longer-term goals. 6.1 Strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities Question 1 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities In order to answer the above question relating with the strategic planning implementation and the strategic planning objectives, correlation tests and T-tests were employed. First the researchers with the use of factor analysis divided the strategic planning activities (objectives) into three categories. In the first category were sales, costs, profits, production/service procedure and customer service. In the second category were staff training, staff appraisal, staff recruitment and advertising and in the third category were the market share, the expansion of the size of the enterprise and the mission of the company. With the use of Pearsons and Spearmans correlation it was found that strong relationship between strategic planning implementation and strategic activities exists only for sale targets, cost targets, profit targets, production outcome targets and for the improvement of quality service. Greek owner managers of SMEs in their great majority when strategically planning, neglect activities such as staff appraisal, training and recruitment, advertising, mission fulfillment and market share targets. The above results are in line with the findings reported by Stonehouse and Pemberton [2]. They found that contradictions between strategic planning implementation and strategic planning activities could be explained in terms of a difference in perception between managers and academics on the nature of strategic planning. Furthermore, most Greek companies refer to strategic planning, but in practice they are more concerned with short-term objectives and what would be regarded by academic researchers as business planning. 6.2 Strategic planning and internal advice and assistance Question 2 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and human resources capital and internal advisors employed for strategic planning in Greek SMEs. Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation tests were used in order the research question to be answered. The study on Greek SMEs has not found a significant relationship between strategic planning and human resources capital employed. Most owner managers surveyed did not share the belief that the personnel have the skills or the experience to assist in the deployment of strategic plans. This result can be confirmed by the findings of research question 1, that owner managers do not have long-term plans for their staff recruitment, training and appraisal The above results are in contradiction with a research on Spanish SMEs by Aragon-Sanchez and Sanchez-Marin [19] who revealed that owner managers focus their attention on human resources as a key element that allows them to achieve a sustainable advantage. They noted that the competitiveness of SMEs is based on internal elements supported by resources such as personnel and their skills. But other studies had similar results with what was found about the Greek SMEs. ORegan and Ghobadian [3] identified a number of general barriers relating to the constraint of strategic planning implementation. Their pilot study confirmed eight main barriers with the shortfall in employee skills being one of them. The research by Hall and Young [20] on 182 failed small enterprises indicated that the most important cause for the failure of these companies were shortages in working capital (51.4 per cent). 6.3 The necessity of external advice Question 3 examines the relationship between strategic planning implementation and the use of external advice by the owner managers. Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation tests were used for the analysis of this question. The results of this research suggest that SMEs in Greece receive valuable external advise in order to plan strategically mainly from accountants. Government agencies and bank advisors are not contributing as beneficial advisors for the owner managers and only a minority of the respondents state that they receive useful advices for strategic planning. Pearsons correlation test has shown that there is a significant relationship between strategic planning implementation and the use of accountants, while there is not a significant relationship between other external advisors (government agencies and bank advisors) and strategic planning implementation. These results are in line with previous studies which have investigated the association of strategy formulation and external advice. Berry, Sweeting and Goto [21] conducted a research on SMEs located in Manchester and found that most of the business advisers had limited use by the owner managers. Only accountants had a key role in the processes of the SMEs but mostly on statutory work. They have also identified that accountants made a significant effort to shift into the value-adding areas of the SMEs; at it was perceived by the owner managers in the sample. Alattar [22] found that the use of an accountant to be responsible for the accounting function in the enterprise resulted in a provision of more information which was useful for maintaining better planning and control. Deakins et al [12] study indicates that an important task for accountants is to act as a consultant to the owner managers and that this involves supplying advice on internal planning, decision-making and control. Gooderham et al [23] stated that in many countries, smaller business accountants play an important role as business advisers in addition to providing accounting services. 6.4 Accounting Information used as tools for strategic planning implementation Question 4 examined the relationship between strategic planning implementation and accounting information used as a tool by owner managers for strategic planning in SMEs using Pearson Correlation and Spearman Correlation. This research has shown that owner managers of Greek SMEs take under serious consideration the accounting information they receive from external advice and they apply them as tools when they implement their strategic plans. This finding was consistent with what should have been expected as accounting information have been identified as crucial elements of strategic planning Stonehouse and Pemberton [2] noted that there is little evidence of usage of the tools of strategic analysis with the most common tool relating to internal financial analysis. Collis and Jarvis [5] identified the three main resources of information used in the management of small companies; management accounts; cash flow information and bank statements. They have found that most SMEs use accounting information such as profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statement and forecast and ratio analysis in order to monitor the profitability and for planning and controlling. Hall and Youngs research [20] showed that poor use of accounting information was one of the main reasons that led into failure the 38 per cent of the 21 small enterprises surveyed. Randal and Horsman [24] found that the lack and misuse of accounting information contributed to small enterprise failure. Holmes and Nicholls [25] suggested that the quality of accounting information utilised within small enterpris es had a positive relationship with their performance. Conclusion This study has tried to examine from the respondents perspective the extent to which Greek SMEs use strategic planning and the influence of accounting information in the design and deployment of these plans. This paper has tried to identify relationships and differences, among the SMEs surveyed, between strategic planning implementation and (1) strategic planning activities of the firm; (2) the human resource capital; (3) external advice from, government agencies, banks and accountants; (4) accounting information such as profit and loss accounts, cost accounts, sales accounts, accounting ratios from the balance sheet and sales forecasts. The results of the analysis have shown that owner managers when strategically plan emphasise on activities such as profits, sales, costs, production outcomes and costumer service. The importance that is given to short-term financial objectives (sales, costs, profits) confirms a predisposition towards business planning rather than strategic planning. Other business objectives, that are closer related to strategic planning such as the companys mission, human resource training, market share targets and enterprise size targets are completely left out from strategic planning by the majority of the owner managers. The use of accounting information and advice received from accountants were, according to the owner managers, the most significant factors that facilitated them during the design and implementation of their strategic plans. In the contrary, it was found that the human resources of the SMEs and external advice from government agencies and banks did not have an important role in strategic planning implementation.

Visions of America Essay example -- Landscaping Painting Art Papers

Visions of America The importance of American landscape painting in the nineteenth century extended far beyond the borders of the art world. The nineteenth century in America was a paradoxical time in which great nationalism and â€Å"enormous self-confidence and optimism† merged with growing disunity (Wilmerding 54), and the glow of â€Å"progress† was inextricably tied to the destruction of the majestic landscape that was a source of American identity and pride. Landscape painters at this time were faced with the difficult task of reconciling these conflicting aspects of American culture and identity. Their paintings blend physical descriptions of the American land with cultural descriptions of the American national identity. American landscape painting was founded primarily by European artists like Thomas Birch, Francis Guy, William Groombridge and Joshua Shaw, who came to America to escape the â€Å"background of political turbulence† in Europe that was the result of the Napoleonic Wars (Wilmerding 40). The most famous and influential of this first group of painters was Thomas Cole. Although Cole’s influences included European artists like Turner, Poussin, Claude, and Salvator Rosa, he came to create a style of landscape painting that, despite its indebtedness to artists like these, was distinctly America in flavor. It was he who â€Å"particularly came to articulate a national consciousness through his paintings, which we now recognize as the beginning of America’s first major landscape style† (Wilmerding 40). With Cole, landscape painting took on a stature in America like that which history painting traditionally possessed in Europe. He was able to â€Å"transfer the heroic aims of history painters to the landscape category, where at ... ...g of the Nineteenth Century: Realism, Idealism and the American Experience. New York: Praeger Press, 1969. Novak, Barbara. Nature and Culture: American Landscape and Painting 1825-1875. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. Novak, Barbara, ed. â€Å"On Divers Themes from Nature: A Selection of Texts.† The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800-1959. Ed. Kynaston McShine. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1976. 59-105. Rosenblum, Robert. â€Å"The Primal American Scene.† The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800-1959. Ed. Kynaston McShine. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1976. 13-37. Wilmerding, John. â€Å"Fire and Ice in American Art: Polarities from Luminism to Abstract Expressionism.† The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800-1959. Ed. Kynaston McShine. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1976. 38-56.

Dilemma Of Philosophy Of Education

The decreased visibility and influence of philosophy of education on the educators’ community at large needs some deliberation. Rene Arcilla (2002) opened the debate with an essay on the subject. This was discussed with a number of educators who had different opinions with some even denying that there was a malady, while others agreed that while it did exist, the causes for the same were different.Eric Bredo argued that the problem is due to tension between philosophical credibility and making it relevant to education. The present confusion is apparently that of identity. Harvey Siegel on the other hand states that the crisis is only in the minds of philosophers and states that Arcilla’s argument that philosophers have neglected educators is not valid as educators are not just the K-12 school personnel. (Arcilla, 2002).Barbara Stengel has identified Arcilla’s anxiety with his personal dilemma of identity and indicates that if the role of educational philosophy is to integrate between the two then it is time to undertake the same through action rather than worrying about it. Kathleen Knight Abowitz seeks a solution to the problem in communication by adoption of multifarious approaches by the philosophers of education to include different languages, contexts and concerns of the audiences.Donald Arnstine belongs to the school with does not find any relevance in interaction between philosophers and educators and believes that each operates at a different level and calls for a review of the policy making process. Frederick Ellett feels that there is interaction between philosophers and educators when it involves a level higher than the K-12 educators while Audrey Thomson feels that the problem lies in the unequal relationship wherein philosophy attempts to be the master of the discourse attempting to explain to education how to do better.Gary Fenstermacher is of the view that the issue is overplayed and feels that philosophers and educators are talking with one another. He feels that both are important and right in their own context. On the whole these views of various authors provide many paths for consideration and reflection on the philosophy of education.

Deception Point Page 49

Marjorie Tench's raspy voice echoed in her mind. Are you aware that Sexton is accepting bribes from private aerospace companies? Gabrielle's pulse began racing as she gazed down the darkened hallway toward the archway that led into the senator's den. She knew she should speak up, announce her presence, and yet she felt herself inching quietly forward. She moved to within a few feet of the archway and stood soundlessly in the shadows†¦ listening to the conversation beyond. 55 While Delta-Three stayed behind to collect Norah Mangor's body and the sled, the other two soldiers accelerated down the glacier after their quarry. On their feet they wore ElektroTread-powered skis. Modeled after the consumer Fast Trax motorized skis, the classified ElektroTreads were essentially snow skis with miniaturized tank treads affixed-like snowmobiles worn on the feet. Speed was controlled by pushing the tips of the index finger and thumb together, compressing two pressure plates inside the right-hand glove. A powerful gel battery was molded around the foot, doubling as insulation and allowing the skis to run silently. Ingeniously, the kinetic energy generated by gravity and the spinning treads as the wearer glided down a hill was automatically harvested to recharge the batteries for the next incline. Keeping the wind at his back, Delta-One crouched low, skimming seaward as he surveyed the glacier before him. His night vision system was a far cry from the Patriot model used by the Marines. Delta-One was looking through a hands-free face mount with a 40 x 90 mm six-element lens, three-element Magnification Doubler, and Super Long Range IR. The world outside appeared in a translucent tint of cool blue, rather than the usual green-the color scheme especially designed for highly reflective terrains like the Arctic. As he approached the first berm, Delta-One's goggles revealed several bright stripes of freshly disturbed snow, rising up and over the berm like a neon arrow in the night. Apparently the three escapees had either not thought to unhook their makeshift sail or had been unable to. Either way, if they had not released by the final berm, they were now somewhere out in the ocean. Delta-One knew his quarry's protective clothing would lengthen the usual life expectancy in the water, but the relentless offshore currents would drag them out to sea. Drowning would be inevitable. Despite his confidence, Delta-One had been trained never to assume. He needed to see bodies. Crouching low, he pressed his fingers together and accelerated up the first incline. Michael Tolland lay motionless, taking stock of his bruises. He was battered, but he sensed no broken bones. He had little doubt the gel-filled Mark IX had saved him any substantial trauma. As he opened his eyes, his thoughts were slow to focus. Everything seemed softer here†¦ quieter. The wind still howled, but with less ferocity. We went over the edge-didn't we? Focusing, Tolland found he was lying on ice, draped across Rachel Sexton, almost at right angles, their locked carabiners twisted. He could feel her breathing beneath him, but he could not see her face. He rolled off her, his muscles barely responding. â€Å"Rachel†¦?† Tolland wasn't sure if his lips were making sound or not. Tolland recalled the final seconds of their harrowing ride-the upward drag of the balloon, the payload cable snapping, their bodies plummeting down the far side of the berm, sliding up and over the final mound, skimming toward the edge-the ice running out. Tolland and Rachel had fallen, but the fall had been oddly short. Rather than the expected plunge to the sea, they had fallen only ten feet or so before hitting another slab of ice and sliding to a stop with the dead weight of Corky in tow. Now, raising his head, Tolland looked toward the sea. Not far away, the ice ended in a sheer cliff, beyond which he could hear the sounds of the ocean. Looking back up the glacier, Tolland strained to see into the night. Twenty yards back, his eyes met a high wall of ice, which seemed to hang above them. It was then that he realized what had happened. Somehow they had slid off the main glacier onto a lower terrace of ice. This section was flat, as large as a hockey rink, and had partially collapsed-preparing to cleave off into the ocean at any moment. Ice calving, Tolland thought, eyeing the precarious platform of ice on which he was now lying. It was a broad square slab that hung off the glacier like a colossal balcony, surrounded on three sides by precipices to the ocean. The sheet of ice was attached to the glacier only at its back, and Tolland could see the connection was anything but permanent. The boundary where the lower terrace clung to the Milne Ice Shelf was marked by a gaping pressure fissure almost four feet across. Gravity was well on its way to winning this battle. Almost more frightening than seeing the fissure was Tolland's seeing the motionless body of Corky Marlinson crumpled on the ice. Corky lay ten yards away at the end of a taut tether attached to them. Tolland tried to stand up, but he was still attached to Rachel. Repositioning himself, he began detaching their interlocking carabiners. Rachel looked weak as she tried to sit up. â€Å"We didn't†¦ go over?† Her voice was bewildered. â€Å"We fell onto a lower block of ice,† Tolland said, finally unfastening himself from her. â€Å"I've got to help Corky.† Painfully, Tolland attempted to stand, but his legs felt feeble. He grabbed the tether and heaved. Corky began sliding toward them across the ice. After a dozen or so pulls, Corky was lying on the ice a few feet away. Corky Marlinson looked beaten. He'd lost his goggles, suffered a bad cut on his cheek, and his nose was bleeding. Tolland's worries that Corky might be dead were quickly allayed when Corky rolled over and looked at Tolland with an angry glare. â€Å"Jesus,† he stammered. â€Å"What the hell was that little trick!† Tolland felt a wave of relief. Rachel sat up now, wincing. She looked around. â€Å"We need to†¦ get off of here. This block of ice looks like it's about to fall.† Tolland couldn't have agreed more. The only question was how. They had no time to consider a solution. A familiar high-pitched whir became audible above them on the glacier. Tolland's gaze shot up to see two white-clad figures ski effortlessly up onto the edge and stop in unison. The two men stood there a moment, peering down at their battered prey like chess masters savoring checkmate before the final kill. Delta-One was surprised to see the three escapees alive. He knew, however, this was a temporary condition. They had fallen onto a section of the glacier that had already begun its inevitable plunge to the sea. This quarry could be disabled and killed in the same manner as the other woman, but a far cleaner solution had just presented itself. A way in which no bodies would ever be found. Gazing downward over the lip, Delta-One focused on the gaping crevasse that had begun to spread like a wedge between the ice shelf and the clinging block of ice. The section of ice on which the three fugitives sat was dangerously perched†¦ ready to break away and fall into the ocean any day now. Why not today†¦ Here on the ice shelf, the night was rocked every few hours by deafening booms-the sound of ice cracking off parts of the glacier and plummeting into the ocean. Who would take notice? Feeling the familiar warm rush of adrenaline that accompanied the preparation for a kill, Delta-One reached in his supply pack and pulled out a heavy, lemon-shaped object. Standard issue for military assault teams, the object was called a flash-bang-a â€Å"nonlethal† concussion grenade that temporarily disoriented an enemy by generating a blinding flash and deafening concussion wave. Tonight, however, Delta-One knew this flash-bang would most certainly be lethal. He positioned himself near the edge and wondered how far the crevasse descended before tapering to a close. Twenty feet? Fifty feet? He knew it didn't matter. His plan would be effective regardless.