There are no promises in life, Sludig, but it seems to me smarter to take fewer chances. - Tad Williams

In my experience," he said with more than a touch of bitterness, "the gods do not seem to care much what their servants deserve—or at least the rewards they give are too subtle for my understanding.

Empires were like seawalls, he thought sadly, even those which embodied the best of hopes. The tide of chaos beat at them, and as soon as no one was shoring up the stones any more...

The wise man is not waiting for the realness of the world to prove itself to him. How can one be an authority before the experiencing of this realness? My master taught me—and to me it seems chash, meaning correct—that you must not defend against the entering of knowledge.