“Unruly beings are as unlimited as spaceThey cannot possibly all be overcome,But if I overcome thoughts of anger aloneThis will be equivalent to vanquishing all foes.Where would I possibly find enough leatherWith which to cover the surface of the earth?But (wearing) leather just on the soles of my shoesIs equivalent to covering the earth with it.Likewise it is not possible for meTo restrain the external course of things;But should I restrain this mind of mineWhat would be the need to restrain all else?”

“Where would I find enough leatherTo cover the entire surface of the earth?But with leather soles beneath my feet,It’s as if the whole world has been covered.”

“Love is the great redeemer, the Franciscan had said. Through love, all things are possible. Gideon bit back the triumphant laughter rising in his chest. He’d beaten the monster. Just once, but if he’d restrained it once, he could do it again.Through love, all things are possible.”

“So much for their looks; but their characters - that is a much more difficult matter. We all have our quirks and no one is ever all bad. Then again, it is not possible for everyone to be all things all of the time: attractive, restrained, intelligent, tasteful and trustworthy. We are all different and it is often difficult to know on which aspect to dwell.”

“In every possible instance Saint Paul begged Christians to restrain themselves to contain their carnal yearnings to live solitary and sexless lives on earth as it is in heaven. "But if they cannot contain " Paul finally conceded then "let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn." Which is perhaps the most begrudging endorsement of matrimony in human history.”

“I dropped all the guards. All the leashes, all the chains, everything that ever restrained me through the discipline and fear of discovery, I let it all go. No need to hide.”