His vigor and intellect not only belie all of the President's arguments, they make him one who finds, as Cicero did, that "old age sits lightly upon me" (138).(1) Not surprisingly, he becomes increasingly reluctant to serve as the country's first "departee." Neverbend's allies are either young and thoughtless, like most of his legislature, young and avaricious like Grundle, who wants Crasweller dead so he can marry his daughter and fortune, or old and essentially dead like
Graybody, the curator of the College of Deposition.