“‘Is this race of men then to rival and outshine ourselves, that it may pick and choose betwixt us?’
“You will understand there was nothing but truth and purity and beauty in his words. He spoke as God despising propositions, not as man striving against his brother man.
“‘When man has once discovered good and evil he will be as God,’ Michael replied.
“For some space of time there was silence, till at last Plucritus rose.
“‘I would not willingly detain you, but this project seems to me absurd. To build up with Nature’s aid beings like ourselves! Nature, who never saw us, but followed blindly on the guiding principles that we laid down! Can anything exist that has not built itself? What is our strength and beauty but that we raised ourselves and now maintain ourselves as becomes true spirits? What weaklings would you introduce and draw towards us? What do we need with outside sycophants? Are we dull and life grows wearisome, we can change, as often in the past. But you are not dull. You are striving to break the bond of friendship, as it has been broken in so many spheres before mere trifle, an introduction of an alien element. Vestasian seeks to give pleasure to an inferior race. Give it and make them happy. Let them be thankful. Spare them the pain that runs in other orbits, for history repeats itself, and as in other places choose evil they shall not, and who can then choose good?’
“‘Why not?’ asked Vestasian, who had listened earnestly.
“‘It does away with the Free Will,’ Plucritus answered, and laughed.
“After that there was much argument, and gradually the rift began to grow and widen, and we discovered too late, or not too late, that it had been caused among us by the little biped—Man.
“So often do little things produce great strife and suffering.
“Thus it grew to a point of great dispute whether humanity was to have a free will or no, whether it was to receive gifts without striving and return them or to strive for wisdom, and in acquiring it gain everything. And after all, like all really little things, it was a great one. It affects us more nearly than even the wisest foresaw. It meant giving up so much, even of our own bodies, and entailed suffering and concentration of thought and purpose which happily by our nature adds to our strength and beauty and never takes away.