“Meyerhof was about to pass on down the list when the summons came.
It wasn’t really a summons. No one could summon a Grand Master. It was only a message that Division Head Trask would like very much to see Grand Master Meyerhof if Grand Master Meyerhof could spare him the time.
Meyerhof might, with impunity, have tossed the message to one side and continued with whatever he was doing. He was not subject to discipline.
On the other hand, were he to do that, they would continue to bother him—oh, very respectfully, but they would continue to bother him.”
It wasn’t really a summons. No one could summon a Grand Master. It was only a message that Division Head Trask would like very much to see Grand Master Meyerhof if Grand Master Meyerhof could spare him the time.
Meyerhof might, with impunity, have tossed the message to one side and continued with whatever he was doing. He was not subject to discipline.
On the other hand, were he to do that, they would continue to bother him—oh, very respectfully, but they would continue to bother him.”
— Jokester, Isaac Asimov, 1956 <https://archive.org/details/Infinity_v01n06_1956-12_LennyS-c...>