As Time Goes By

On the Everest trail, Alfred hires Nell Barton, Jangmu Sherpa to be porter, and to listen when he reads from his new book. Alfred believes that the Ground of Being is consciousness. He thinks time, distance, and size are part of it as is mass and its laws. He says consciousness affects this as to movement and immediacy allowing energy to be mass. Energy equals mass. E = M. The immediacy of consciousness allows the separable nature of reality assuring free will. The human "I" can make choices as separate from genes, other men, or the "I" of the Ground. Nell tells him his mother's milk had laughing gas in it. She questions, criticizes, and often agrees. Then very near the sun, they shower together and wash away the dust of human thought.