Chapter Twenty Four

Reginald had caused a great academic sensation at All Souls. His language skills were so extraordinary that arguing with him was almost impossible. His abilities were centered in two main areas: the first was scorn, and the second was agility.

His scorn was a force of nature, something which had to be seen to be believed. Reginald was of the opinion that every moral stand was a mere posture, and he mocked earnest young men without mercy. He dismissed theoretical constructs as a waste of time, constantly insisting that focusing on practical matters was the only useful approach. He did not believe in bad men, but conceded that some people were in fact ‘misguided’ about their own interests. He was a great fan of Gandhi. He was not optimistic about human nature, but was optimistic about the future. Peop ...