One of the hardest lessons in young Sam's life had been finding out that the people in charge weren't in charge. It had been finding out that governments were not, on the whole, staffed by people who had a grip, and that plans were what people made instead of thinking.

If I were you, I'd sue my face for slander.

He sighed. It had come to this. He was a responsible authority, and people could use terms like "core values" at him with impunity.

In my experience, what every true artist wants, really wants, is to be paid.

Thou shalt not submit thy god to market forces.

Never trust a species that grins all the time. It’s up to something.

Things like crowns had a troublesome effect on clever folk; it was best to leave all the reigning to the kind of people whose eyebrows met in the middle when they tried to think. In a funny sort of way, they were much better at it.