All the explorers who have reached their "promised land" have had guides whose impacts helped them reach their journey. Neil Armstrong had two other astronauts who accompanied him on his spacecraft. Along with these two directors, Neil Armstrong had approximately 100 scientists at NASA working as guides to help Apollo 8 land on the moon. There is a similar occurrence in John Wyndham's book The Chrysalids where David Strorm has many pilots to help him reach his "promised land". The most important people to guide David were Sophie; a friend of David's who is a deviation. Michael is one of the oldest chrysalids in their group and he is a guide for David. Petra Strorm, who is David's youngest sister and also a chrysalid. Lastly, the Sealand woman who happens to be a chrysalid from a distant place helps David reach his destination. These people may not know it but they are step ladders for David to reach his "promised land".
Sophie is David's friend who happens to be a deviation with six toes on each foot. Due to her difference, she is the initial guide that helps David reach Paradise. When David accidently wishes he had a extra hand after being at Sophie's house to play, his father rages really angrily at his choice of words. David's father torments him later that evening and he became confused as a puzzle. David says "If it was such a terrible thing just to think of having three hands, what would happen if one really had them- or anything else wrong; such as, for instance, an extra toe? Because Sophie has an extra toe on each foot it makes David realize what would happen to Sophie if her toe was discovered, if David's condition was this bad after wishing for something, Sophie's would be a lot worse because she has that thing. Thus, Sophie helps David observe the evil held within Waknuk and to have thoughts about leaving it which is his first step towards reaching for his city dream.