There is danger in deep water, and danger is more real than beauty in a boy’s mind. - Mervyn Peake

There he was. The infant Titus. His eyes were open but he was quite still. The puckered-up face of the newly-born child, old as the world, wise as the roots of trees. Sin was there and goodness, love, pity and horror, and even beauty for his eyes were pure violet. Earth’s passions, earth’s griefs, earth’s incongruous, ridiculous humours—dormant, yet visible in the wry pippin of a face.

Life must be various, incongruous, vile and electric. Life must be ruthless and as full of love as may be found in a jaguar's fang."
"I like the way you talk, young man," said Grass, "but I don't know what you're saying.

These days a passion to accumulate knowledge of any and every kind consumed him; but only as a means to an end. He must know all things, for only so might he have, when situations arose in the future, a full pack of cards to play from.