ABSTRACT
Whenever an emperor or general was al lowed a tr iumphal march through ancient Rome, it was customary to place a slave behind h i m on his victory wagon who w o u l d continually whisper things i n his ear like: "Foo l ! Unfortunate! Failure! Don't think that just because you ... !" The custom has disappeared, but the whispering has not gone away, nor the need for it. N o one at this moment, except myself, can hear it.
