For a few generations he may then be understandingly honored.
But his priests will feel that is not enough: he must be honored
uncritically: so uncritically that, whatever his message, it must
be deemed the Whole Truth. Some of his message they themselves will
have garbled; and it was not, at best, final; but still it will be
made into a fixed creed and given his name. Truth will be given his
name. All men who thereafter seek truth must find only his kind,
else they won't be his "followers." (To be his co-seekers won't do.)
Priests will always hate any new seers who seek further for truth.
Their feeling will be that their seer found it, and thus ended all
that. Just believe what he says. The job's over. No more truth
need be sought.

It's a comforting thing to believe cosmic search nicely settled.

Thus the mold will be hardened. So new truths, when they come, can
but break it. Then men will feel distraught and disillusioned, and
civilizations will fall.

Thus each cycle will run. So long as men interwine falsehoods with
every seer's visions, both perish, and every civilization that is
built on them must perish too.



XVIII


If men can ever learn to accept all their truths as not final, and if