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take turns at the course?”
    Rabbi Small laughed. “No, he couldn’t give it this year and they asked me to fill in.”
    “Well, that’s great.” said the young man. “Maybe we could arrange to drive in together if our hours correspond. You been assigned an office yet?”
    “The dean arranged for me to share an office with a Professor Hendryx.”
    “No kidding?” He began to laugh. “Did I say something fanny?”
    Instead of answering, Fine hailed a fat young man who was passing. “Hey; Slim, come here a minute. I want you to meet Rabbi Small, the man that married me.”
    The young man extended a hand. “And you’re checking up on him. Rabbi?”
    “Slim Marantz is also in the English Department,” he said to David Small. “The rabbi is teaching the course in Jewish Philosophy, Slim, and Millie just assigned him to the same office with Hendryx.”
    “You’re kidding.” And Marantz began to laugh.
    “And you thought Millie had no sense of humor,” said Fine.
    The rabbi looked questioningly from one grinning young man to the other. Fine proceeded to explain. “John Hendryx has been clamoring for a private office ever since he arrived at Windemere a couple of years ago.”
    Marantz amplified: “He objected to the loud, friendly chaos of the English office.”
    “Not conductive to concentration.” mimicked Fine.
    “And totally inimical to his fine, high pronunciamentos on all subjects philosophical, psychological, sociological –”
    “And racial, especially Jewish racial.” added Fine.
    “Right. So when he was made acting head of the department early in the summer session, he demanded a private office and Millie Hanbury managed to find him an oversized closet on the second floor, a poor thing, but his own.”
    “His very words.” explained Fine with relish. “Needless to say, there was no great mourning in the English office when he moved. No one got up a petition begging him to reconsider; no black-bordered resolution of regret was passed.”
    “If truth be told.” said Marantz. “while there was no dancing between or on the desks, there was quiet rejoicing, more in keeping with the grove of academe.”
    “And now you tell me. Rabbi, that Millie has put you in with him.” said Fine. “Do you wonder we find it amusing?”
    “And a rabbi at that.” said Marantz, shaking his head in wonder.
    “What’s my being a rabbi got to do with it?” asked David Small.
    “Because he’s an anti-Semitic sonofabitch.” said Fine. “Oh, not the Elders of Zion type; more like ‘some of my best friends are Jewish.’”
    “He told me so this morning.” the rabbi admitted. “Aha!”
    “But. I didn’t find it offensive. Besides. I don’t expect to be using the office much. I doubt we’ll be seeing much of each other.”
    “Don’t get me wrong, Rabbi.” said Marantz, “he’s polite enough. My desk was beside his in the English office for the couple of years that he was there, and I never got into a hassle with him. On the other hand. Fine here has a quick fuse. I’ll bet it’s as much on your account. Roger, that he wanted out of the English office. Unless, he wanted a private place where he could make out with a chick.”
    “So he could lecture her on Chaucerian rhyme schemes?” laughed Fine.
    “It’s hard telling with those dark glasses he always wears, but I seem to have detected a random glint of interest when a goodlooking coed passed by.” His face split in a wide grin. “Hey; you don’t suppose it’s Millie he’s got a thing for and that’s why he moved up to the second floor?”
    “Now that would really be something.” said Fine with a chortle and then cut it off. “Cool it,” he said. “Here she comes.”
    Dean Hanbury walked toward them purposively. “There you are, Rabbi. I wanted to make sure you knew where to go for the faculty meeting, welcome back, Dr. Marantz, Professor Fine.”

Chapter Four
    President Macomber’s Normally cheerful countenance was somber as