T Truth In Literature: • "Tristan . . . found within the book the mastery of magic, his own heritage, which had eluded him. . . . [He] rode with a sword graven with magical words of Truth and Illusion, cleaving one from the other, and wielded that weapon against the Shadow of shadows." -- C.J. Cherryh, Fortress of Eagles (1998) Try Meaning: • an attempt Origins: Try is of Middle English origin. In Literature: • "Wake not to the external life, but in thy slumber seize on the word I whisper in thine ears; it is a magic word -- a mighty talisman, more potent than the seal of Solomon -- more powerful than the Chaldean's wand -- but it is potential for ill as for Good. See to it, therefore, that it is wisely used. The word is, 'try!' As though shalt avail thyself of its power, so be it unto thee. I now leave thee to thy fate, and the fortunes that may befall thee." -- R. Swinburne Clymer, Dr. Paschal Beverly Randolph and the Supreme Grand Dome of the Rosicrucians in France 1928-1929 (200 ) Tsi-Nan-Fu Origins: Tsi-Nan-Fu is the capital of Shantung Province in China. Facts: This haunting magical phrase is both spoken and seen to glimmer in the Fritz Lang film Dr. Mabuse: The Gambler (1922): "[V]on Wenk reaches to turns his cards over, but beneath them the magical words Tsi-Nan-Fu sparkle."29 Variations and Incantations: • Chi-Nan-Fu 29 Tom Gunning, The Films of Fritz Lang: Allegories of Vision and Modernity (2000)