TANNA – “We’re all in this together and we all need to do our part to maintain the bamboo cargo planes and salute the flag when High Priest Bokonon blows the conch to sound reveille” said Chief Hato Ni Foji , the island’s top Frumologist. “We all must trust the shamans” he added as he smoothed the wrinkles from his handmade kaki uniform.

In contrast, a minority of islanders have expressed skepticism, with most saying that while they do not doubt that Frum did in fact visit the island long ago and brought much cargo, there could be another explanation for what happened. “I mean, I understand why people take it so seriously. I’ve seen some of the old leftover cargo myself. My grandfather showed it to me” said villager Udre Udre. “But it’s a great deal of work to build the runway, the planes, the control tower, making all the uniforms – it never ends. How long are we going to keep doing this? It will all be a waste if Frum never returns. If he was just a man, he’d be dead by now.” added Udre Udre.

Villagers like Udre Udre have become an increasingly vocal minority on the island, with tensions sometimes boiling over into conflict. “A friend of mine got smacked around for not standing at attention and saluting when reveille was sounded. I was like, chill guys, he was in a hurry and he’s already saluted the flag countless times” said Udre Udre.

High Priest Bokonon offered his thoughts on the conundrum. “Better safe than sorry, the old saying goes. Sure, it’s possible that Frum will never return, but what if we stop everything and he returns the very next day? We’d feel really stupid, that’s for sure” said Bokonon as he counted his coconut and fish alms donated by everyone on the island. “We just can’t afford to take that chance. Certainly not as long as me and my son are alive” added Bokonon as he laydown on his hammock.

“If anything, frontline Frum workers like me deserve even more for all the sacrifices we make. Is it really too much to ask for a young maiden to fan me with a palm frond while I contemplate in my hammock. Contemplation is a lot harder than it looks, let me tell you. It’s why I have such an enormous appetite.” Bokonon then excused himself to give his son a private lesson on Frumology.