Quotes from Lois McMaster Bujold

from the outside most people can't tell the rapid exploitation of a belatedly recognized opportunity from deep-laid planning.

We can stop at the Vilnoc temple and pray for him, if you like." Lencia looked down at her sandals, up at Penric.  "Does it help?" "For a certainty… only at the very end of all journeys

As had she, she supposed, but given that she was Aral's wife, very few men who weren't obviously insane had ever bothered her with unwanted advances. Although her own social obliviousness had doubtless also helped smooth things over.

ability promoted regardless of background.

Right." Roic nodded. He glanced over Miles's growing array of medical attachments. "By the way, m'lord. Had you happened to mention your seizure disorder to the surgeon yet?

Ah." "And what does ah mean?" he asked, slightly exasperated. "It's sort of like biting my tongue, but less painful.

And . . . it would be a real relief for me to have someone along I can talk to freely." Her smile tilted a little at this. "Talk, or vent?" "I—hem!—suspect this one is going to entail quite a lot of venting, yes. D'you think you can stand it?

Her hands started to reach out, but then retreated behind her back and consoled each other there. "I am so sorry. But surely you see any girl must be quite afraid to marry a man who could set her on fire with a word!" He'd dreamed of setting her alight with kisses. "Any man could set a girl on fire with a torch, but he'd have to be deranged!

Miles bowed, sitting; his floater bobbed slightly. "My horse would like you fine. He's extremely amiable, not to mention much too old and lazy to stampede anywhere. And I personally guarantee that with a Vorkosigan liveried armsman at your back, not the most benighted backcountry hick would offer you insult." Roic

One expected the advent of children to rearrange one's future. No one had told Jole that they could also rearrange one's past. It seemed an extraordinary reach to have

Who am I, when I am not surrounded by the walls of my life? When they have all fallen into dust and rubble?

God made them, they must have a purpose, but then, God made lions, wolves, and head lice, too.

Mercy, High Ones. Not justice, please, not justice. We would all be fools to pray for justice.

And . . . do you have any supporting evidence for your explanation of yourself? Certainly. Miles stared thoughtfully into the air, as if about to pull his words from the thinnest part.

We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement

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

A poem of his own in honor of the late empress formed, unbidden, in his brain. A Degtiar empress named Lisbet Trapped a satrap lord neatly in his net. Enticed into treason For all the wrong reasons, He'll soon have a crash with his kismet. He choked down a genuinely horrible impulse to bounce down to the center of the dell and declaim his poetic offering to the assembled haut multitude, just to see what would happen. Mia

Andy was clutching her blue T-shirt. She rolled over, as Tony had, palms to the surface, and pushed up. Andy, turning his head toward his father, reached out with his upper hands and tried to shove off from Claire with his lowers. The floor leaped up and smacked him. For

It wasn't fair, for people to go and change on him, while his back was turned being dead. To change without giving notice, or even asking permission.

I have to find a boat. Somehow.

Héroes. Brotaban alrededor suyo como semillas. Un portador; aparentemente él era incapaz de contraer la enfermedad que él mismo diseminaba

Fear outran its cause

Daum nodded slowly, "I see. And by what rank should I address you?" Miles nearly appointed himself admiral on the spot. Captain? Yeoman? he wondered wildly. "Let's just leave it at Mr. Naismith, for now," he suggested coolly.

It's easy for the central authorities to make the rules, but these people have to live every minute of the consequences.