“Is it my birthday again? Already? Where does the time go?""Behind us --or in front. It depends on which way you are looking.”

“...You're going to stay here and help Daran in every way you can. Don't let him sink into melancholia the way his father has...Now, pull yourself together. Blow your nose and fix your face. Daran's talking to the Rivan Warder right now. I'll take you to where they are, and then I have to leave.""You're not even going to stay for the funeral?""I've got the funeral in my heart, Pol, the same as you have. No amount of ceremony's going to make it go away. Now go fix your face. You look awful.”

“Could you penetrate this palace, Prince Kheldar?" King Anheg challenged."I already have, your Majesty," Silk said modestly, "a dozen times or more."Anheg looked at Rhodar with one raised eyebrow.Rhodar coughed slightly. "It was some time ago, Anheg. Nothing serious. I was just curious about something, that's all.""All you had to do was ask," Anheg said in a slightly injured tone."I didn't want to bother you," Rhodar said with a shrug. "Besides, it's more fun to do it the other way.”

“Behold the Drojim Palace," King Urgit said extravagantly to Sadi, "the hereditary home of the House of Urga.""A most unusual structure, You Majesty," Sadi murmured."That's a diplomatic way to put it." Urgit looked critically at his palace. "It's gaudy, ugly, and in terribly bad taste. It does, however, suit my personality almost perfectly.”

“Exaggerating?" Silk sounded shocked. "You don't mean to say that horses can actually lie, do you? Hettar shrugged. "Of course. They lie all the time. They're very good at it." For a moment Silk looked outraged at the thought, and then he suddenly laughed. "Somehow that restores my faith in the order of the universe," he declared. Wolf looked pained. "Silk," he said pointedly, "you're a very evil man. Did you know that?" "One does one's best," Silk replied mockingly.”

“Its a perfectly good face, Sparhawk.""It covers the front of my head. What else can you expect from a face?”

“Why do you persist in being so frivolous, Urgit?""Why don't we just call it a symptom of my incipient madness?""You're not going to go mad," she said firmly."Of course I'm going to go mad, mother. I'm rather looking forward to it.”