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Show Acting Alone Page 151 states" (Mr. Cicerone's own totally inappropriate, unanthropological language) "that inevitably results under stoneage conditions among a closed sub-society devoted solely to self-isolation and preparation for combat." Mr. Cicerone had concocted the whole prospectus, and was the first to acknowledge that it was a travesty and that it would've been a long shot at best under normal academic circumstances. He jokingly predicted that the prospectus would be immediately mislaid. And he laughed with rich scorn at the "new academic freedom" when the prospectus went straight through to unquestioned approval. "Good Lord!" he cried, laughing that moving, silver laugh of his. "Either they didn't read it carefully or they are so eager to get you out of their hair that they don't care. Or else you, son, have some good rich guardian angel who bought them all off, body and soul!" Thesis writing and scholarly research had been the reasons that the old man had given the Companions for Axelrad's presence here in the encampment. But, come to think of it, why give any reason at all? The Companions un-questioningly did anything the old man told them to do, and would undoubtedly accept anybody as one of their own in the same uncritical, vacant-eyed spirit were the old man to introduce them. They behaved as though Mr. Cicerone were the Mighty Czar or somebody. So Axelrad worked on his ethnography every chance he got, just to have something to think about besides this vague, so far objectiveless mission that was supposed to take place on the first Friday of next month. The over-achiever in Axelrad needed something besides a semi-imaginary mission to justify his existence here, and to justify his acceptance of the miniscule |