In secrecy, in silence, a whole race may be destroyed without notice. Whole cultures and species have been destroyed while men smiled and spoke of ec… - Sheri S. Tepper

Most boys moved when they started having love affairs—or thinking about having love affairs. Just thinking could go on for a considerable time without anything really happening, not like those marriage cultures, where all the women were trying to cling to their virginity and all the males were trying to take it away from them, everybody panting and rushing, trying to grab off acceptable partners under acceptable conditions before they got too old.

If we can."
"No matter if you can or not. You must."
Anger bested her. "That's not logical. That's completely arbitrary. To demand that someone do something he may not be able to do."
"We have consulted Files." The voice bubbled with hideous laughter. "Gods often demand that people do things they cannot do or things that are dangerous or onerous or hateful. And when the people fail, gods punish them. Should I be less a god than they?

They make a mess,” Jared told her. “Tulip foliage dies and turns an ugly yellow. Pansies aren’t hardy. The bloom stalks on lavender drop their buds. Violets seed themselves.” His tone of voice made it clear that seeding oneself was a perversion.