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Chapter 14

           Theseunofficialsusuallyhadnoformaltitlesbutwerecalledavarietyofnames:"golfingcompanion,""kitchencabinet,""lobbyist,""elderstatesman,""five-percenter,"andsoforth.Theyexistedinbenignsymbiosiswiththeofficialbarricadeofflappers,sinceitwasrecognizedalmostuniversallythatthetighterthesystemthemoreneedforasafetyvalve.

           Themostsuccessfuloftheunofficialsoftengrewwebsofflappersoftheirown,untiltheywerealmostashardtoreachastheGreatManwhoseunofficialcontactstheywere?inwhichcasesecondaryunofficialsspranguptocircumventtheflappersoftheprimaryunofficial.Withapersonageofforemostimportance,suchastheSecretaryGeneraloftheWorldFederationofFreeStates,themazeofby-passesthroughunofficialswouldbeasformidableasweretheofficialphalangesofflapperssurroundingapersonmerelyveryimportant.

           SomeTerranstudentshavesuggestedthattheLaputiansmusthavebeen,infact,visitingMartians,citingnotonlytheirveryunworldlyobsessionwiththecontemplativelifebutalsotwoconcretematters:theLaputianswereallegedtohaveknownaboutMars’twomoonsatleastacenturyandhalfbeforetheywereobservedbyTerranastronomers,and,secondly,LaputaitselfwasdescribedinsizeandshapeandpropulsionsuchthattheonlyEnglishtermthatfitsis"flyingsaucer."Butthattheorywillnotwash,astheflappersystem,basictoLaputiansociety,wasunknownonMars.

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