Karen Lord

“In the beginning, God created human beings, which is to say God put the ingredients together, embedded the instructions for building on the template, and put it all into four separate eggs marked 'Some Assembly Required.”

“I am experiencing a measure of excitement combined with increasing pleasure, which is perhaps manifesting as an expression of amusement."It was the first time he had ever used the scales to describe his emotions. "I love it when you talk dirty," I whispered ...”

“Ever wonder if you've done the right thing?" I asked him finally."Frequently," he replied. "Legalities notwithstanding, to not wonder indicates a dangerous lack of awareness of the near-infinite array of choices presented by life. More tea?”

“This is my universe, my time, my world. There is no going back to what was. There is only the future.”

“Remember your ancestors, dream of your descendants and work hard while you're living.”

“This was not an Indiana Jones classic holovid; it was real life.”

“Do I have any recommendations for a Sadiri boys' night out?" I shrugged, smiled, and allowed myself a laugh. "I can come up with something."I did, too. The Ministry of Culture has all kinds of programmes, and I got someone to put together a package that even the Sadiri might enjoy. But people, this is Cygnus Beta. Yes, we have a few large cities and several towns -- we're not all country bumpkins, vagabonds and adventurers -- but there are few professional artists and actors, few galactic-standard museums and theatres. We simply can't afford them.”

“There are other, civilised ways of dealing with the matter," Dllenahkh insisted.Darithiven looked at him with pity. "Then, by your definition, this cannot be civilisation.”

“Judging other humans and finding them wanting is what the Sadiri do.”

“I've always thought academics should get a little slurry on their boots from time to time.”

“Let me tell you, there's no long-distance relationship like an interstellar one.”

“I think if a story has a message it should be incidental and accidental, otherwise it leans too close to indoctrination.”

“I find that sometimes if you just sit still, things have a way of finding you before you can find them.”