QOTD

[randy_byers]

'Popper was contrite. He promised to conduct himself with restraint in the future. Then he went back on the road and resumed his old ways. He led his followers in cheers and he played bouncy tunes on a windup phonograph, marking the beat with wildly swooping arms. He engaged in comic dialogues with Squanto. He continued to to court the press and he even had his picture taken with politicians. These were two of the Four P's that all Gnomons were under orders to shun, the other two being the Pope and the police. He continued to weaken the membership requirements until admittance to the order became almost effortless. The two nights of initiation were reduced to a token twenty minutes, with no insistence on figs, and the Pledge was no longer eight densely printed pages of Hermetical mystery lore and bloody vows of faith to the Ten Pillars of Atlantis -- all to be recited without stumbling once -- but rather one short paragraph that was little more than a bland affirmation of humility before the unseen powers of the universe.'

-- Charles Portis, Masters of Atlantis (1985)

Comments

[kip-w.livejournal.com]

Popper had no grit.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

So far nobody in this book has grit, I don't think.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

As an initiate of a Hermetical mystery lore loving order myself, I can confirm these are grave offences indeed. We would never do without the bloody vows of faith. Or the figs.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

It always comes back to the figs.