THE SECRET CHIEFS 
93 
political movement to culminate in a world-war; all in pursuit 
of some plan wholly 
beyond 
the purview or the 
comprehension of the deepest and subtlest thinkers. 
(It should go without saying that the adroit use of these 
vibrations enables one to perform all the classical 'miracles'.) 
These powers are stupendous. These powers move in 
dimensions of time and space quite other than those with 
which we are familiar. Their values are incomprehensible to 
us. To a Secret Chief, wielding this weapon, "The nice 
conduct of a clouded cane" might be infinitely more 
important than a war, famine and pestilence such as might 
exterminate a third part of the race, to promote whose 
welfare is the crux of His oath, and the sole reason of His 
existence! 
But who are They? 
Since They are "invisible" and "inaccessible," may They 
not merely be figments invented by a self-styled "Master," 
not quite sure of himself, to prop his tottering Authority? 
Well, the "invisible" and "inaccessible" criticism may 
equally be levelled at Captain A, and Admiral B, of the Naval 
Intelligence Department. These "Secret Chiefs" keep in the 
dark for precisely the same reasons; and these qualities 
disappear instantaneously the moment They want to get hold 
of you. 
It is written, moreover, "Let my servants be few and 
secret; they shall rule the many and the known." (AL, I: 10) 
But are They then men, in the usual sense of the word? 
They may be incarnate or discarnate: it is a matter of Their 
convenience. 
Have They attained Their position by passing through all 
the grades of the A :. A :. ? 
Yes and no: the system which was given to me to put 
forward is only one of many. "Above the Abyss" all these 
technical wrinkles are ironed out. One man whom I suspect 
of being a Secret Chief has hardly any acquaintance with the 
technique of our system at all. That he accepts The Book of