Mari remembered what she had read in the young girl's eyes the moment she had come into the refectory: fear. Fear. Veronika might feel insecurity, shyness, shame, constraint, but why fear? That was only justifiable when confronted by a real threat: ferocious animals, armed attackers, earthquakes, but not a group of people gathered together in a refectory. But human beings are like that,' she thought. 'We've replaced nearly all our emotions with fear.

Dreams nourish the soul just as food nourishes the body. The pleasure of the search and of adventure feeds our dreams.

When you possess great treasures within you and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.

We hereby declare the end to the wall dividing the sacred from the profane: from now on, all is sacred.

Don't ask permission. If it does not work, you can apologize later.

Eat when it's time to eat. And move along when it's time to move along.

Never make a fuss-it might attract the attention of an enemy tribe.