{"product_id":"2940014010313","title":"SENSE FROM THOUGHT DIVIDE","description":"_What is a \"phony\"? Someone who believes he can do X, when\u003cbr\u003e he can't, however sincerely he believes it? Or someone who can\u003cbr\u003e do X, believes he can't, and believes he is pretending he can?_\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIllustrated by van Dongen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    \"Remembrance and reflection, how allied;\u003cbr\u003e    What thin partitions sense from thought divide.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e                                      Pope\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen I opened the door to my secretary's office, I could see her looking\u003cbr\u003eup from her desk at the Swami's face with an expression of fascinated\u003cbr\u003eskepticism. The Swami's back was toward me, and on it hung flowing folds\u003cbr\u003eof a black cloak. His turban was white, except where it had rubbed\u003cbr\u003eagainst the back of his neck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A tall, dark, and handsome man will soon come into your life,\" he was\u003cbr\u003eintoning in that sepulchral voice men habitually use in their dealings\u003cbr\u003ewith the absolute.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSara's green eyes focused beyond him, on me, and began to twinkle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"And there he is right now,\" she commented dryly. \"Mr. Kennedy,\u003cbr\u003ePersonnel Director for Computer Research.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Swami whirled around, his heavy robe following the movement in a\u003cbr\u003epracticed swirl. His liquid black eyes looked me over shrewdly, and he\u003cbr\u003ebowed toward me as he vaguely touched his chest, lips and forehead. I\u003cbr\u003eexpected him to murmur, \"Effendi,\" or \"Bwana Sahib,\" or something, but\u003cbr\u003ehe must have felt silence was more impressive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI acknowledged his greeting by pulling down one corner of my mouth. Then\u003cbr\u003eI looked at his companion.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe young lieutenant was standing very straight, very stiff, and a flush\u003cbr\u003eof pink was starting up from his collar and spreading around his\u003cbr\u003eclenched jaws to leave a semicircle of white in front of his red ears.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Who are you?\" I asked the lieutenant.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Lieutenant Murphy,\" he answered shortly, and managed to open his teeth\u003cbr\u003ea bare quarter of an inch for the words to come out. \"Pentagon!\" His\u003cbr\u003elight gray eyes pierced me to see if I were impressed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI wasn't.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Division of Matériel and Supply,\" he continued in staccato, as if he\u003cbr\u003ewere imitating a machine gun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI waited. It was obvious he wasn't through yet. He hesitated, and I\u003cbr\u003ecould see his Adam's apple travel up above the knot of his tie and back\u003cbr\u003edown again as he swallowed. The pink flush deepened suddenly into\u003cbr\u003ebrilliant red and spread all over his face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Poltergeist Section,\" he said defiantly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"_What?_\" The exclamation was out before I could catch it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe tried to glare at me, but his eyes were pleading instead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"General Sanfordwaithe said you'd understand.\" He intended to make it\u003cbr\u003ematter of fact in a sturdy, confident voice, but there was the undertone\u003cbr\u003eof a wail. It was time I lent a hand before his forces were routed and\u003cbr\u003eleft him shattered in hopeless defeat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You're West Point, aren't you?\" I asked kindly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt seemed to remind him of the old shoulder-to-shoulder tradition. He\u003cbr\u003estraightened still more. I hadn't believed it possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes, sir!\" He wanted to keep the gratitude out of his voice, but it was\u003cbr\u003ethere. It did not escape my attention that, for the first time, he had\u003cbr\u003espoken the habitual term of respect to me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Well, what do you have here, Lieutenant Murphy?\" I nodded toward the\u003cbr\u003eSwami who had been wavering between a proud, free stance and that of a\u003cbr\u003edrooping supplicant. The lieutenant, whose quality had been recognized,\u003cbr\u003eeven by a civilian, was restored unto himself. He was again ready to do\u003cbr\u003eor die.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"According to my orders, sir,\" he said formally, \"you have requested the\u003cbr\u003ePentagon furnish you with one half dozen, six, male-type poltergeists. I\u003cbr\u003eam delivering the first of them to you, sir.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSara's mouth, hanging wide open, reminded me to close my own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo the Pentagon was calling me on my bluff. Well, maybe they did have\u003cbr\u003esomething at that. I'd see.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47156972421360,"sku":"2940014010313","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014010313_p0.jpg?v=1763598983","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014010313","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}