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@Raymond – that’s a good catch, one that hadn’t occurred to me. These are things that one misses with the audio books, perhaps. 

Is what Darius and Ed do to Noah immoral? My feeling is yes, since they are lying to him and then taking advantage of him, costing him time and money. However, despite repeated assurance, I don’t think we can be completely certain that they are not actually Gavelers. If Gavelers aren’t allowed to reveal themselves, then perhaps both Darius and Ed are Gavelers, and they can’t even tell one another. If so, maybe this is a legitimate initiation? The question becomes, how much do we trust that AIDAN works? 

If I had to pick another Korman book that goes with this chapter, it would be SON OF THE MOB: THE HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE. They also have a weird dorm scenario going on there. There is also a side narrative of pledging for a fraternity. 

One final question: Do you think The Committee can be classified as a secret society?