I think the point of the deaf old little tagalong was just that he was as wonderfully perfect as any deaf old little tagalong can be...and since, in a sense, it was perfection that killed Seymour (The conspiracy to make him happy? Maybe I'm on a limb with that, but hey...) and maybe he just wasn't so perfect anymore in buddies mind. Hoewever, I also never really got from buddy any annoyance with the old man, maybe he just wished he would say something, something that would be perfect. -ecas