rest of the world has gone mad."

"I suppose, Kenny," began Garry lamely, "you must be starting a new
cycle. Jan could tell you. He talks a lot about the cycle of dates
and the philosophy of vibrations--"

"I know that I regard the truth as something sacred, to be handled with
delicacy and discretion," began Kenny with bitter fluency. "I'm an
unsuccessful parent with an over-supply of hair and teeth, afflicted
with hairbrained, unquenchable youth. I'd be a perennial in the Land
of the Young and could hobnob indefinitely with his Flighty Highness,
the King of Youth. I'm forty-four years young and highly
temperamentalized. I've made a mess of parenting Brian and I'm an
abject failure."

Garry looked at him.

"Just what are you talking about?" he asked.

"I know," pursued Kenny elaborately, "that it's unfortunate I haven't
wrecked my own life when I'm an accidental success at wrecking Brian's.
I'm full of cobwebs. I damn irrefutable things and I've forced Brian
to a profession of sunsets to gratify my vanity. Can you personally,
Garry, think of anything else?"

"Sit down!" said Garry. "You're about as logical as a lunatic--"

"Tell Whitaker, do," begged Kenny. "There's one he missed. Garry,
what's back of all this turmoil? What's the real reason for Brian's
brain-storm? I'm sick to death of Whitaker's wordy arabesque and