God is not necessary to create culpability, or to punish. Our fellow men are enough for that, helped by ourselves.

Powerful, yes, that is the word that I constantly rolled on my tongue, I dreamed of absolute power, the kind that forces others tokneel, that forces the enemy to capitulate, finally converting him, and the more the enemy is blind, cruel, sure of himself, buried in his conviction, the more his admission proclaims the royalty of he who has brought on his defeat.

All men have a sweetness in their life. That is what helps them go on. It is towards that they turn when they feel too worn out.

The first choice an artist makes is precisely to be an artist, and if he chooses to be an artist it is in consideration of what he is himself and because of a certain idea he has of art

Modern conquerors can kill, but do not seem to be able to create. Artists know how to create but cannot really kill. Murderers are only very exceptionally found among artists.

So all a man could win in the conflict between plague and life was knowledge and memories.

Here lives a free man. Nobody serves him.