Diary of a Drug Fiend

CHAPTER VI THE TRUE WILL Lov and I were both utterly exhausted by the climb; and King Lamus reminded us that this was the formula of the Abbey of Thelema at Telepylus, that every one had to reach the top, step by step, through his own exertions. There was no question of soaring into the air by alien aid; and in all probability coming to earth with a bump. We had found ourselves repeatedly out of breath during the ascent, though it had only occupied three- quarters of an hour, and we should certainly never have reached the top without recourse to heroin. But all the time we were lost in amazement at the behaviour of the boys; their independence, their fearlessness, and their instinctive economy of force. We had no idea that it was possible for children of that age to achieve, even physically, what they had done, apparently without effort. And as for their moral attitude, it was entirely outside our experience. I said something of the sort ; and King Lamus retorted at once that it was the moral attitude which made possible the physical attain- ment. “You will find that out for yourself in the case of your own experiment. It will do you very little good to break off your present practice. When you begin to tackle a subject, you must endure to the end, and the end never comes until you can say either yes or no, indifferently, to physical considerations.” But for all that, both Lou and I were exalted by our physical triumph over the rock, trifling as it was; and our situation on the summit reminded us of some of 333