"A king’s son has nothing but inferiors, each one a potential assassin."

"I shall endeavor to turn dross to purest Metal Absolute: in short, to teach you something."

"“I’m your apprentice!” Simon protested. “When are you going to teach me something?” “Idiot boy! What do you think I’m…"

"“Now, boy, now...” he said bewilderedly, “what is all this talk of glory? Have you caught the sickness, too? Curse me…"

"Nothing is without cost. There is a price to all power, and it is not always obvious."

"Simon, there are more things you don’t know than there are things that I do know. I despair of the imbalance."

"The fear was all he had left, but even that was something—he was afraid, so he must be alive! There was darkness, but…"

"Damn everyone to Hell. And damn the bloody forest. And God, too, for that matter. He looked up fearfully from his chi…"

"“This fellow,” he indicated the woodsman with a sweep of his stick, “will reliably not become more alive, but he may …"

"He who is certain he knows the ending of things when he is only beginning them is either extremely wise or extremely …"