“What if the differences between social strata stem not from genomics or inherent xcellence or even dollars, but merely differences in knowledge? Would this not mean the whole Pyramid is built on shifting sands?" I speculated such a suggestion could be seen as a serious deviancy. Melphi seemed delited. "Try this for deviancy: fabricants are mirrors held up to purebloods' consciences; what purebloods see reflected there sickens them. So they blame you for holding up the mirror." I hid my shock by asking when purebloods might blame themselves. Melphi relplied, "History suggests, not until they are made to.”

British comedian, actor and writer

David James Stuart Mitchell is a British comedian, actor, and writer. He came to prominence with Robert Webb as part of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb, and is known for playing Mark Corrigan in the Channel 4 sitcom Peep Show. He won the British Academy Television Award for Best Comedy Performance in 2009. Mitchell and Webb have written and appeared in several sketch shows, including Bruiser, The Mitchell and Webb Situation, That Mitchell and Webb Sound, That Mitchell and Webb Look, and Mitchell and Webb Are Not Helping. They also appeared in Apple’s British “Get a Mac” campaign, made their first film, Magicians, in 2007, and later starred in Ambassadors in 2013 and the Channel 4 comedy-drama Back from 2017 to 2021.