Quotes from Lois McMaster Bujold

Oh." Jadwiga looked more confused than thrilled at this news, though Ingi, who had brightened at the mention of the van, shot Ekaterin a sudden sharp look, beseeching hope muted by who-knew-what harsh experiences of disappointment and frustration. Ekaterin bit her lip on promises she could not yet guarantee.

Ogial picked up a note and twiddled it in his fingers in Penric's direction.  Penric took it gingerly.  The crisp writing didn't add much to the archdivine's precis, beyond the nameless patient's guessed age, early twenties, and coloration—caramel skin, curly dark hair, brown eyes—which described half the folk in Adria.  The reported drooling, thrashing, and broken speech could denote, well, any number of conditions.

Miles sighed inwardly, wishing he could flood the entire pavilion with fast-penta. The haut were all so damned controlled, they looked like they were lying even when they weren't. "I wonder, haut Kety, if you would introduce me to Governor haut Slyke Giaja. As an Imperial relation of sorts myself, I can't help feeling he is something of my opposite number." The

Same jobs over and over, all have to be done again tomorrow or something dies?  Despite the weather or the hurting, or, or whatever.  Yeah, I guess there are some parallels."  While he was weighing this, his mouth kept moving without him.  "Or maybe it's just called being a grownup.

Not that people did much sailing on Ylla's extensive oceans, nor swimming either—Yllan seawater tended to give humans strange rashes, and while humans were highly toxic morsels in the diet of the native sea monsters, the monsters were extremely stupid and kept not figuring this out.

Did you imagine you controlled it? Omniscient and omnipotent? Nobody appointed you God, Vorkosigan." Ghostly faint, one corner of his mouth turned up. "I'm sure it was an oversight." He leaned back and closed his eyes.

He locked his cabin door behind him and stood against it, trembling, laughing in hysterical disbelief. Dammit, he'd studied everything about Naismith, everything. This couldn't be happening. With friends like this, who needs enemies?

Uneasy awareness of his duty to report the truth to the sealmaster warred now with fear, in his heart. Fear and rage. Who placed that grotesque geas in me, and how? Why was I made a witless tool? And can it happen again?

the occasional alarming flash of Aral's doubts, like vivid filaments of lava seen through a surface one had thought safe stone.

So, how long has my mother had this questionable fetish for bisexual Barrayaran admirals? I don't think even the Betans have earrings for that one." Jole barked a laugh. "I expect not. Well, the bisexual part, no problem for them. The Barrayaran-admirals part might land her in involuntary therapy.

I think He takes His foot to his cat and pushes her to decision. And furthermore, my god cheats. He set out this bowl of cream before ever He held the door, and He knew it well. She smiled, and tried to inhale.

The woman is so full of silences, they spill over.

Ekaterin's vision of him, he reminded himself, was not exactly objective. Thank God. "I've been trying to charm quaddies all day, with no noticeable success.

It had the strangest effect on my internal visualizations." She stared at the hypospray with speculative respect. "I may try it on purpose someday." I want to be there if you do. Miles had a sudden exciting vision of using the drug to augment his own insights—instant brains!—then remembered to his extreme disappointment that fast-penta didn't work like that on him. Riva

Elena was observing him anxiously. "What's the matter, Miles? You don't look happy. We won!" A true Vor, Miles told himself severely, does not bury his face in his liegewoman's breasts and cry—even if he is at a convenient height for it.

Think of this visit as an opportunity for a different kind of learning, then. Another day will put some other plate on your table, more to your taste, but do not waste the food in front of you.

The kiss lasted quite a long time, with his apricot-scented fingers winding pleasurably in her hair. When they paused for breath, she remarked, "I always feared it would take divine intervention to find me a lover . . . I do believe I was right.

Miles growled, and sat with his back to it. He quickly slid into the role of referee, controlling the flow of ideas while concealing his own dearth of hard factual information. He folded his arms, and said "Um," and "Hm," but only very occasionally "God help us," because it caused Elena to choke.

The hangover is a fair trade for being so immobilized one cannot do anything stupid for a little while.

All right," he said at last, "but after we talk to her, we report to ImpSec." "Ivan, I am ImpSec," snapped Miles. "Three years of training and field experience, remember? Do me the honor of grasping that I may just possibly know what I'm doing!" I wish to hell I knew what I was doing.

I think He accepts curses the way most gods accept prayers, really.

Children might or might not be a blessing, but to create them and then fail them was surely damnation

perhaps he was not old enough yet to have really come to believe in death after life.

He consoled himself with the reflection that it was seldom he found himself in company who made him feel this stupid. It was probably good for his soul.