A true Vor, Miles told himself severely, does not bury his face in his liegewoman's breasts and cry--even if he is at a convenient height for it.

One learns better than to hand one's choices to fear. With age, with every wound and scar, one learns.

All the geniuses I ever met were so just part of the time. To qualify, you only have to be great once, you know. Once when it matters.

The Imperial Service could win a war without coffee, but would prefer not to have to.

Children might or might not be a blessing, but to create them and then fail them was surely damnation.

Real destiny takes everything-the last drop of blood, and strip out your veins to be sure-and gives it back doubled. Quadrupled. A thousand-fold! But you can't give halves. You have to give it all. I know. I swear. I've come back from the dead to speak the truth to you. Real destiny gives you a mountain of life, and puts you on top of it.

I take it as a man's duty to restrain himself.