“And you and I had better go work on the land. I want to scrape the earth with my hands.”

“The night had fallen. I had let my tools drop from my hands. Of what moment now was my hammer, my bolt, or thirst, or death? On one star, one planet, my planet, the Earth, there was a little prince to be comforted. I took him in my arms, and rocked him. I said to him: "The flower that you love is not in danger. I will draw you a muzzle for your sheep. I will draw you a railing to put around your flower. I will --" I did not know what to say to him. I felt awkward and blundering. I did not know how I could reach him, where I could overtake him and go on hand in hand with him once more. It is such a secret place, the land of tears.”

“You know what I wish? I wish all the scum of the Earth had one throat and I had my hands about it.”

“Why on earth would you want me to stay with you, anyway?” I asked.Travis shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know. Everything’s better when you’re around.”

“Critique my better work only, because I want to get better from my best, not better from my worst.”

“It is not enough to do, one must also become. I wish to be wiser, stronger, better. This--" I held out my hands "--this thing that is me is incomplete. It is only the raw material with which I have to work. I want to make it better than I received it.”