"It was the goal," he says. "All others were merely steps on the path. But you must understand," he goes on, frowning, "that Flamel's stone was not the true Philosopher's stone as the thing was envisioned. It transmuted metal, yes, it prolonged life--but a true Philosopher's stone... no one would have attempted to keep that from him. It's real purpose was always to perfect the soul. 'Immortality,' 'turning base metals to gold...' Alchemy is a language of metaphor. It's never, never spoken of in practical, uncoded language by its real practitioners."