(_Batting an eye and being lifted to a sitting position._) Ah, yes! Ah, yes! Let me see ... where was I? (_A Dizzard, prompted by a Fuddy, repeats his last sentence._) Ah, yes! As I was saying, these, our revered leaders, taught us. It is to them, their patient and enduring labors, their deep, even profound, cogitations as to life, that we all owe all that we enjoy and revere so deeply to-day--our peace, our freedom from disturbing thought, from the besetting vice of questioning or investigating. All we have to do now is ask and re-ask and affirm and re-affirm our Sacred Questions, so ably asked and answered so many centuries since by our noble forerunners, Bonehead V. and Dish Rag III. (_Separate and prolonged applause at each name, during which Podunkus again slumbers, is feathered and clubbed and lifted to a sitting position._) Ah, yes! Ah, yes! The Questions--the Questions. (_He fumbles weakly about, while seven Dizzards hand him seven engrossed and gold-plated copies of the regulation Sacred Questions as made and provided for all such occasions. He stares at one feebly and continues._) Ah yes! Now I have them! The Questions--the Questions, on which, as I was saying, are based, as on a rock, all our peace, security, freedom from thought; the very, indeed, pillows--I mean pillars--of our ease and comfort. The Sacred Questions! To be sure! Question One--let me see--Question One--Question One (_aside “Where is it?” A Dizzard points to it._)--Question One is most important, the very corner-stone, I might say, of our undisturbed security and ease in thoughtlessness. (_Examines it closely._) It reads--it reads--Ah yes!--Now I have it!--“Have you kept the faith?” That’s it. “Have you kept the faith?” To be sure! Have _we_ kept it, I might say? Almost the most sacred of all our Questions! Have _we_ kept the faith? (_He mumbles feebly on._) That’s it! Have _we_ kept the faith? THE 1ST, 316TH, 3727TH, 4728TH, 6914TH, AND 7178TH (_Standing at attention and in unison._) We have, we have! We have, have, have! (_They clog. Immense applause from the audience, lasting thirty minutes. The First and Second Readers read soothing passages._) THE MOONSHEES, ROCTOR-PROCTORS, GAMALIELS, ZADKIELS (_Turning on the other side and imbibing souffle._) Excellent! Excellent! Couldn’t be better! They have kept the faith! Most comforting. Ah! NOXUS PODUNKUS (_Reclining and imbibing souffle._) Charming! Charming! Most sweet of them! The dear, dear things! They would keep anything we asked them to! It is really too wonderful! (_He sighs._) THE FEDERATED SPECTATORS (_One hundred thousand strong._) Hey! Hey! Hey! Rah! Rah! Rah! Federated Republics forever! Long live the Court of Progress! (_The cheering continues for fifteen minutes._) NOXUS PODUNKUS