“Stress" is mostly the result of not being allowed to kill some asshole you really want to slice and dice.”

“... and he kills without fear, or anger, or hate, with regret even, simply because its necessary. That's rare, and it's rare still among the really first-rate. God help the enemy that finally frightens him or makes him mad.”

“It doesn't stop being magic because you can you explain it, Father.”

“Strange, isn't it, that it's always more difficult to talk people out of killing each other than into it?”

“Likes to fight, does he?" Sandra said thoughtfully."Oh, yeah. He says there are only two reasons to fight." "Which are?""Joy and death."Her mother's brows went up. "Joy in death?""No, no... For joy, to stretch yourself with a friend; or death, to kill as quickly as you can. Nothing in between.”

“But then they were males, and therefore idiots about some things.”

“Sacredness grew like a pearl, sometimes around the most unlikely bits of grit.”