‘We all carry grief, my friend. Someone once told me that all the seas are but the Tears of Time, shed for the loss of loved ones. It may not be true, but I like the sentiment.‘
– Parmenion, to Mothac, Lion of Macedon
‘We like to think there is something special, even alien, about evil. We like to think that tyrants are different from the rest of us. That they are somehow inhuman. They are not. They are merely unchained, unfettered; free to do as they please.‘
– Ustarte, to Skilgannon, The Swords of Night and Day
‘That is one of the great advantages of having friends. You can unburden your soul to them and they will not judge you for it. Nor will they repeat what you have said.‘
– Banouin, to Connavar, Sword in the Storm
‘You would not be humiliated, my friend. You would merely lose.‘
– Nogusta, to Kebra, Winter Warriors
‘Dreams are never secret, no matter how hard we try to protect them. They are like regrets, always seeking the light, always shared. And they have meaning far beyond are understanding. You will see. ‘
– A blind Nadir priest, to Talisman, The Legend of Deathwalker
‘But this is a cruel world. All any man – or woman – can expect is a little happiness.‘
– Xenophon, to Parmenion, Lion of Macedon
‘You can never get out of this life alive, dear.‘
– Adrian, to Bimbo Jardine, White Knight Black Swan
‘Nothing that lives is without fear. It is a gift against recklessness, a servant against complacency in the face of danger. But like all servants it makes a bad master. Fear is a small fire in the belly to warm a man in the coldness of conflict. Let loose, it becomes an inferno within the walls which no fortress can withstand.‘
– The Deacon, The Wisdom of the Deacon, Bloodstone
‘I was wined and dined, money and presents poured into my hands. I was on top of the mountain. But there was nothing there. Nothing. Just clouds. And I found that you can’t live on that mountain. But when it throws you off – oh, how you long for it! I would kill to climb it again. I would sell my soul. It is so stupid. With fame I thought I would be someone. But I wasn’t.‘
– Belzer, to Naza, The King Beyond The Gate