“If I seem to wander, if I seem to stray, remember that true stories seldom take the straightest way”

“I only know one story. But oftentimes small pieces seem to be stories themselves.”

“All stories are true.”

“All stories are true,” Skarpi said. “But this one really happened, if that’s what you mean.” He took another slow drink, then smiled again, his bright eyes dancing. “More or less. You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way. Too much truth confuses the facts. Too much honesty makes you sound insincere.”

“Half of seeming clever is keeping your mouth shut at the right times.”

“You have to be a bit of a liar to tell a story the right way.”

“Elodin proved a difficult man to find. He had an office in Hollows, but never seemed to use it. When I visited Ledgers and Lists, I discovered he only taught one class: Unlikely Maths. However, this was less than helpful in tracking him down, as according to the ledger, the time of the class was 'now' and the location was 'everywhere.”