“The Lord of Rags and Tatters.”

“Please," he whispered. His voice was low but clear. "Don't hurt me anymore."Attolia recoiled. Once, as a child, she'd thrown her slipper in a rage and had knocked an amphora of oil from its pedestal. The amphora had been a favorite of hers. It had smashed, and the scent of the hair oil inside had lingered for days. She remembered the scent still, though she didn't know what in the stinking cell had brought it to mind.”

“He limped slowly over to his own wooden sword and stooped awkwardly to pick it up. Trailing it on the ground behind him, he limped toward the queen, and the courtyard quieted as he approached and was silent again as he dropped to his knees before her and laid the sword across her lap.“My Queen,” he said.“My King,” she said back.Only those closest saw him nod his rueful acceptance. He lifted his hand to brush her cheek softly. As the entire court listened breathlessly, he said, “I want my breakfast.”The queen’s lips thinned, and she shook her head as she said, “You are incorrigible.”

“... I wanted Ambiades to understand that I considered myself a hierarchy of one.”

“This is the stupidest plan I have ever in my career participated in," Xenophon said."I love stupid plans," said Eugenides.”

“You'll have to pardon me," the magus said. "But with your country at war I can't see how any of it really matters."Standing up, Eugenides pulled the papers from the magus's hands. "It matters, because I can't do anything, anymore, for this country, and it matters," he yelled as he threw the papers back to his desk, "because I only have one hand and it isn't even the right one!" Turning, he picked an inkpot off the desk and threw it to shatter on the door of his wardrobe, spraying black ink across the pale wood and onto the wall. Black drops like rain stained the sheets of his bed....Eddis sighed. "Will you sit down and stop shouting?" she asked."I'll stop shouting. I won't sit down. I might need to throw more inkpots.”

“How do you know that, Philo, dear?"But Philologos had had enough of being condescended to. "Because, Lamion, I am not as dumb as you think I am, even if you are."By the time Lamion had parsed this to make sure that there was in fact an insult at the end of it, Hilarion had laid a restraining hand on his arm.”