"The mountains are always high. No man ever reaches the summit of his
mountain."
"I know that now."
"Nor even a cave halfway up the mountain's side."
"That I know too. I also know--"
"That the man with the golden eyes--?"
"Is myself. He was there within me back in my room half a world away,
not in a cave in the Himalayas."
"The man with the golden eyes, my son, is every man--the symbol of
perfection every man carries in his heart. It is the seeking after this
perfection that is life: The man with the golden eyes is the image of
what every man has the power to be."
"I know these things now, but tell me. Why was it given to me to see
the image so clearly?"
"Each man who reaches the depths is given a choice. On one hand is
death; on the other, the long climb back."
"But there was more in my case. I was given help. I was guided."
"Your footsteps may have been directed but you had to make the climb
yourself. You could always have given up and died along the way."
"But why was I guided?"
"There is a reason for everything, and there are Great Ones aware of
great necessities. You tried to invade outer space and failed. Perhaps
the time now demands that space be conquered, and thus your talents are
precious to the cosmic scheme."
"There is so much I must learn. So far I must go in so little time. To
conquer space, a man must first conquer himself."
The furred figure smiled. "Good. Now you are ready to learn. Sit down
my son. The teaching must begin."