It was fairly evident that at least 90 per cent of all magic, probably more, was balderdash and sheer mystification. - Robert A. Heinlein

Random chance was not a sufficient explanation of the Universe — -in fact, random chance was not sufficient to explain random chance; the pot could not hold itself.

Once there was a race, quite unlike the human race—quite. I have no way of describing to you what they looked like or how they lived, but they had one characteristic you can understand: they were creative. The creating and enjoying of works of art was their occupation and their reason for being. I say ‘art’ advisedly, for art is undefined, undefinable, and without limits. I can use the word without fear of misusing it, for it has no exact meaning. There are as many meanings as there are artists.

The slickest way in the world to lie is to tell the right amount of truth at the right time-and then shut up.