In the afternoon, the king and queen sat to hear the business of their kingdom. At least, the queen sat to hear the business; Costis was still not sure what the king was doing.

And the Earth had no name. The gods know themselves and have no need of names. It is man who names all things, even gods.

He couldn't offend the gods with a pointed stick.

I can't leave her there all alone, surrounded by stone walls... She's too precious to give up.

On the bed, Eugenides stirred restlessly. "Upset at the sight of blood?" he said. "Not my wife, Ornon." "Your blood," the ambassador pointed out. Eugenides glanced at the hook on his arm and conceded the point. "Yes," he said. He seemed lost in memory. The room was quiet.

Are you badly hurt?" "Hideously," said the king, without sounding injured at all. "I am disemboweled. My insides may in an instant become my outsides as I stand here before you.

What kind of man refers to himself as safely dead?