Quotes from Lois McMaster Bujold

People are the only mirror we have to see ourselves in. The domain of all meaning. All virtue, all evil, are contained only in people. There is none in the universe at large.

All happy endings are ultimately an illusion created by stopping short.

inside every senior tech officer was a junior tech officer who'd been on a short leash for a long time.

Dying's easy. Illyan's drawn features grew distant. How much did he remember of his agonized pleading to Miles for an easy death, so few weeks ago? Living's hard. Let the son of a bitch stand his court-martial. Every last eternal minute of it.

the Barrayaran officer corps favored heterosexual marital stability in its senior members mainly to cut down on the potential for ambient personal dramas slopping over into work, as they tended to do.

I expect you'll be wading for the rest of your life," Illyan answered seriously. "But every Komarran who follows you will have less crap to deal with, because of you.

Another day will put some other plate on your table, more to your taste, but do not waste the food in front of you.

his time being divided into days with too many things to do, and days with far too many things to do

The gods have no hands in this world but ours.  If we fail Them, where then can They turn?

We cannot protect anyone from being alive, Master Bosha. No matter how much we might wish to.

When I was a wee little kid, remarked Roic, watching over their shoulders, there was a time I thought that any skinny old man I saw was my grandfather. It was pretty confusing.

He polished the mud off the coin—little enough even if gold—and pulled out his own purse. Now there was an empty bladder. He dropped the thin disk of metal into the leather mouth and stared down at its lonely glint. He sighed and tucked the pouch away. Now he had a hope for bandits to steal again. Now he had a reason to fear. He reflected on his new burden, so great for its weight

He smiled, recapturing her hand. "A very wise woman once told me—you just go on. I've never encountered any good advice that didn't boil down to that, in the end. Not even my father's." I want to be with you always, so you can make me laugh myself well.

I'm not in a hurry," the woman said. Patience for her vengeance dripped like vitriol from her voice; even Tich was quelled.

Are you saying a sorcerer could burst into flames?" "Mm, no, the body is too wet for that. He would more just . . . burst. Like a grilled sausage splitting its casing.

It was Ivan's morning duty to open each box, identify the species, vigor, mood, and fang-count of the writhing things inside, and sort them by genuine urgency.

Of course, compared to Serg, Tien wasn't much worse than foolish and venal. But it was hard to watch. No nine-year-old should have to deal with something this vile, this close to his heart. What will it make him?" "Eventually . . . ten," the Count said. "You do what you have to do. You grow or go under. You have to believe he will grow.

You should have fallen in love with a happy man, if you wanted happiness. But no, you had to fall for the breathtaking beauty of pain. Cordelia's Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold

My Lord, we wish to resign. Her smile, confusingly, crept wider, as if she just said something delightful.

I gather from the pattern of her flinches that the late unlamented Tien Vorsoisson was one of those subtle feral parasites who leave their mates scratching their heads and asking, Am I crazy? Am I crazy?

I can tell you truths. I cannot give you understanding. For how can one give what one does not possess? I have always told the truth.

Adulthood isn't an award they'll give you for being a good child. You can waste . . . years, trying to get someone to give that respect to you, as though it were a sort of promotion or raise in pay. If only you do enough, if only you are good enough. No. You have to just . . . take it. Give it to yourself, I suppose. Say, I'm sorry you feel like that, and walk away. But that's hard.

he was beginning to wonder if he was trying to rescue the dragon.

Well, he's his god's problem now. Don't promote your troubles beyond your rank." "That is actually theologically sound advice.