Megan Whalen Turner

If a man who claims to see the future is a fool,

how much more so, the man who believes he can control it?

We think we steer the ship of fate,

but all of us are guided by unseen stars.

"In my experience, the more you know of the gods, the more you know what you cannot understand."

Then, as you well know, Eugenides looked me in the eye as if I were a complete stranger and said, "The simplest way to end a war is to admit you have lost it."

The silence after that was not polite.

"He didn't marry you to become king. He became king because he wanted to marry you."

"I wouldn't destroy an entire house to destroy one man. But I would destroy a man to destroy a house."

"If you want to keep something safe from thieves, hide it carefully and keep a close watch over it."

"Nahuseresh, if there is one thing a woman understands, it is the nature of gifts. They are bribes when threats do not avail." The queen shook her head. "The problem with bribes, Nahuseresh, is that after your money is gone, threats still do not avail."

"Nothing mortals make lasts; nothing the gods make endures forever."