The Silver Thief

Am I too blunt? If the truth is too hard to swallow, should I feed you soft lies?

The woman laughed, shoulders bouncing. "I think the gods eat suffering. That's why they've put it everywhere you look: so anywhere they go, they'll always be fed.

Process is simple. It's got to be, if you fools hope to follow it. First comes the Listing of the Few. You think somebody would make a good leader? You call out their name. And no, smart guy, there's no nominating yourself. Next comes the Declarations of Worth. If your nominee accepts the offer, then you get the honor of standing up and telling us why you think they'd make such a fine chief. When all the speeches are done, we vote

Morality is a form of arrogance.

Why would you do this? Because you care for Collen that much?" "No," he said. "Because I care for history. And knowledge. With access to the struggles of those who came before us, we can stride beyond where they had to stop. Their wisdom is more valuable than a mountain of gold. When we lose our past, our future gets that much further away.

People say suffering is noble to put a silver lining on the horrors they're going through. But how many people do you know who get nicer when they're in pain? Pain doesn't make you a better person. It makes you as hateful as the one who's hurting you.

If what I've been preaching is wrong, then it's my gravest responsibility to get it right. What kind of priest would rather save face than souls?

The books of the gods were written by mortals," Dante said. "And if there's anything mortals do right, it's be wrong.

How can you fear snakes? They don't even have arms.