Quotes from Lois McMaster Bujold

The free will of the door, as it were. All doors opened in both directions. She could not open the gate of herself a crack and peek out, and expect to still hold the fortress.

Idrene said gently, "We cannot protect anyone from being alive, Master Bosha. No matter how much we might wish to." Her eyes fell on her own children.

His fingers slid gently along her ribs. It was only in her imagination that they left a trail of rainbow light.

Though the Ista they thought they loved, she supposed, was an imaginary one, a woman who existed only in their own minds, part icon, part habit. The reflection did not depress her unduly, now that she knew someone who loved the Ista who was real. She fell asleep thinking of him.

You're the man who used to rescue hostages for a living. You are not allowed to not get out of this one. So stop worrying about me and start paying attention to what you are doing. Are you listening to me, Miles Vorkosigan? Don't you dare die! I won't have it!" That seemed definitive. Despite everything, he grinned. "Yes, dear," he sang back meekly, heartened.

If you think safety is expensive, try pricing an accident, as the sign says.

I offer you an honorable new beginning. I do not guarantee its ending. Attempts fail, but not as certainly as tasks never attempted.

She turned toward him with a snap; he flinched away. "If we do not succeed in taking this ship, a thousand of my friends are going to die. I had a choice. I chose. I'd choose again. You got that?" And you choose for everybody, Silver, Leo's voice echoed in her memory. Ti subsided instantly. "Yes, ma'am.

There is no more hollow feeling than to stand with your honor shattered at your feet while soaring public reputation wraps you in rewards. That's soul-destroying.

You must learn to give, from sufficiency, not only take, from neediness.

Realize this, though. Half my genes run through your body, and my selfish genome is heavily evolutionarily preprogrammed to look out for its copies. The other half is copied from the man I admire most in all the worlds and time, so my interest is doubly riveted.

the leaves and stems would bush out in the sunlight and eventually bear whatever fruit was their genetic destiny. In this place, probably apples with antlers, thought Leo in mild hysteria, or potatoes with eyes that really winked at you.

Some prices are just too high, no matter how much you may want the prize. The one thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart.

Well, Ista, said the Voice. Do you stay or go? You cannot hang forever in My doorway like a cat, you know.

May I come in? His smile softened. The choice is yours, my Ista. As you do not deny Me, I will not deny you. Yet I would still await you, if you chose the long way home. I might become lost upon the road. She looked away.

Some poetic epics extolled heroism in warriors; Adelis the actual soldier put his faith in logistics

Not quite that passionate, for me, said Thorne. I mainly stick around due to an overwhelming curiosity to see what happens next. Thorne favored Miles with a peculiar smile.

So this is my death. Why did I ever fear it? Speaking as an expert, you never seemed to Me to fear it all that much, He said dryly.

I planned my life by the hour as closely as one plans a year, and no further than an hour.

Everybody makes that same damned argument. 'I can't do it all, so I'm not going to do any.' And they don't. And it goes on, and on.

Oswin was the most perfect servant of the Father, always so concerned for figuring out the exact rules and getting himself on the right side of them. Or them on the left side of him. It always stung him when I pointed that out.

But if you want Arra to give you real joy, you have to give it to her first.

Kako li tek svijet zbunjuje novoro?en?e, koje za prizore pred svojim o?ima nema imena, a ni pojam o imenima. Ista je pretpostavljala da dijete po?ne od maj?inog lica i njedara i otuda nastavlja dalje - i da nakon cijelog životnog vijeka još ima što nau?iti.

What is love but delight in another human being? He delights me daily.