“It’s the way he’s holding himself,” Wilem said, breaking his usual thoughtful silence. “Standing straight, neck unbent, shoulders back.” He gestured vaguely to illustrate his points. “When he steps, his whole foot treads the ground. Not just the ball, as if he would run, or the heel, as if he would hesitate. He steps solidly down, claiming the pie

Fear tends to come from ignorance. Once I knew what the problem was, it was just a problem, nothing to fear.

“There are two sure ways to lose a friend, one is to borrow, the other to lend.”

There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.

say: “Call a jack a jack. Call a spade a spade. But always call a whore a lady. Their lives are hard enough, and it never hurts to be polite.”

A clever, thoughtless person is one of the most terrifying things there is.

There are times when reality is nothing but pain, and to escape that pain the mind must leave reality behind.

once a noose is tied, it will fit one neck as easily as another.

Waterside is where people are poor. That makes them beggars, thieves, and whores. Hillside is where people are rich. That makes them solicitors, politicians, and courtesans.