His friend

unruly: not readily ruled, disciplined, or managed

cleft lip: a birth defect characterized by one or more clefts in the upper lip resulting from failure of the embryonic parts of the lip to unite

impediment: a problem, for example a stammer, that makes it more difficult for somebody to speak, hear, etc.

stammer: a problem that somebody has in speaking in which they repeat sounds or words or often stop, before saying things correctly

orthodontia: the treatment of irregularities in the teeth and jaws.

slackly: loosely

A Unitarian minister is a religious leader in the Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist (UU) tradition.

clique: a small group of people who spend their time together and do not allow others to join them

pursue: to do something or try to achieve something over a period of time

tumultuous: involving many difficulties and a lot of change and often violence

assassination: DJ[ə͵sæsiˋneiʃən] the murder of an important or famous person, especially for political reasons

convention: a large meeting of the members of a profession, a political party, etc.

bow out: to stop taking part in an activity, especially one in which you have been successful in the past

vying: vie: to compete strongly with somebody in order to obtain or achieve something

vehemently: ​in a way that shows very strong feelings, especially anger

devour: to read or look at something with great interest and enthusiasm

senator: a member of a senate

senate: one of the two groups of elected politicians who make laws in some countries, for example in the US, Australia, Canada and France. The Senate is smaller than the other group but higher in rank. Many state parliaments in the US also have a Senate.

decry: to strongly criticize somebody/something, especially publicly

conspiracy theory: the belief that a secret but powerful organization is responsible for an event

plot: a secret plan made by a group of people to do something wrong or illegal

idolize: to admire or love somebody very much, possibly too much

LBJ: Lyndon B. Johnson

liberal: a person who supports individual freedom and rights, democracy and free enterprise (= businesses competing against each other with little government control)

carpet: to cover something with a thick layer of something

canvass:  to ask people to support a particular person, political party, etc., either by going around an area and talking to people or by phoning them

flyer: a small sheet of paper that advertises a product or an event and is given to a large number of people

stake out: ​to watch a place secretly, especially for signs of illegal activity

pudgy: ​slightly fat

bump into: (informal) to meet somebody by chance

take on: to begin to have a particular quality, appearance, etc.

machination: a secret and complicated plan

obsess: to completely fill your mind so that you cannot think of anything else, in a way that is not reasonable or normal

mitigate: to make something less harmful, serious, etc.

intrigue: to make somebody very interested and want to know more about something

disquisition: a long complicated speech or written report on a particular subject

ding: to speak with tiresome reiteration

shortcoming: ​a fault in somebody’s character, a plan, a system, etc.

outline: to give a description of the main facts or points involved in something

slog: a hard journey

rugged: (of the landscape) not level or smooth and having rocks rather than plants or trees

slosh: to move around making a lot of noise or coming out over the edge of something

inundate: overflow

fled: flee: to leave a person or place very quickly, especially because you are afraid of possible danger

aside from: except for

notion: ​an idea, a belief or an understanding of something

envision: to imagine what a situation will be like in the future, especially a situation you intend to work towards

Douglas MacArthur (26 January 1880 - 5 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War.

dissect something: to study something closely and/or discuss it in great detail

decipher: to succeed in finding the meaning of something that is difficult to read or understand

"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, featured on their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

marvel at: to show or experience great surprise or admiration

flaw: a mistake in something that means that it is not correct or does not work correctly

appointee: a person who has been chosen for a job or position of responsibility

clout: DJ[klaut] power and influence

prodigious: ​very large or powerful and causing surprise; impressive

A clapboard is a type of siding, traditionally made of long, thin, overlapping wooden boards, used to cover the exterior of buildings.

A cog railway is a type of railway that uses a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails, to climb steep slopes.

hunch over: to bend the top part of your body forward and raise your shoulders and back

rotary: moving in a circle around a central fixed point

A teletype machine, also known as a teletypewriter or teleprinter, is an electromechanical device that transmits and receives typed messages over communication channels.

In computing, time-sharing refers to a method of sharing a computer's resources, typically the CPU, among multiple users or processes concurrently.

concurrently: at the same time

parcel out: to divide something into parts or between several people

caliber: the quality of something, especially a person’s ability

An ordained minister is a member of the clergy who has been formally recognized and authorized by a religious institution to perform religious rites and ceremonies.

freewheeling: not concerned about rules or the possible results of what you do

aeronautical: connected with the science or practice of building and flying aircraft

avid: very enthusiastic about something (often a hobby)

sabbatical: a period of time when somebody, especially a teacher at a university, is allowed to stop their normal work in order to study or travel

sacred: very important and treated with great respect; that must not be changed or challenged

infamous: notorious

trek: a long, hard walk lasting several days or weeks, especially in the mountains

intrepid: very brave; not afraid of danger or difficulties

lease: a legal agreement that allows you to use a building, a piece of equipment or some land for a period of time, usually in return for rent

rummage sale: a sale of old or used clothes, etc. to make money for a church, school or other organization

cutting-edge: at the newest, most advanced stage in the development of something

amusing: funny and giving pleasure

hunch: a feeling that something is true even though you do not have any evidence to prove it

Bill Gates "Source Code"

Online Dictionaries Used:

hk.dictionary.search.yahoo.com

www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com

www.merriam-webster.com

Some explanations are from Google AI Overview.