Alex

“Everything you do, everything you sense and say is experiment. No deduction final. Nothing stops until dead and perhaps not even then, because each life creates endless ripples. Induction bounces within and you sensitize yourself to it. Deduction conveys illusions of absolutes. Kick the truth and shatter it!”
― Frank Herbert, Chapterhouse: Dune

“No matter how exotic human civilization becomes, no matter the developments of life and society nor the complexity of the machine/ human interface, there always come interludes of lonely power when the course of humankind, the very future of humankind, depends upon the relatively simple actions of single individuals.   —FROM THE TLEILAXU GODBUK”
― Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah

“You fucking jackass! Of all the stupid damn … how difficult would it have been to say, ‘I’ll lower a rope, tie your purses onto it and send them up, or I won’t let you back up’? You don’t tell your bloody victims you’re just going to kill them outright! You come on reasonable first, and when you have the money you run!” “Oh … ow! Gods, please; ow! You said you … wouldn’t kill me!” “And I meant it. I’m not going to kill you, you cabbage-brained twit; I’m just going to kick you until it stops feeling good!” “Ow! Agggh! Please! Aaaaow!” “I have to say, it’s still pretty fascinating.” “Aiiiah! Ow!” “Still enjoying myself.” “Oooof! Agh!”
― Scott Lynch, Red Seas Under Red Skies

“Which cliff did you choose? Pevara sent him. What? You said that when you were among the Sea Folk, they jumped off cliffs to prove their bravery. The higher the cliff, the braver the jumper. Which cliff did you choose? The highest, he admitted. Why? I figured that once you’ve decided to jump off a cliff, you might as well pick the highest one. Why accept the risk, if not for the greatest prize?”
― Robert Jordan, A Memory of Light