Orson Scott Card

"'Waterloo was won,'" quoted Rackham, "'on the playing fields of Eton.'"

"What the hell does that mean?" asked Carn Carby. "You never even went to Eton."

"It was an analogy," said Rackham. "If you hadn't spent your entire childhood playing war games, you'd actually know something. You're all so uneducated."

She knew that her feelings toward Bean were completely different. No such dreams and fantasies. Just a sense of complete acceptance. She belonged with Bean, not the way that a wife belonged with a husband or, God forbid, a girlfriend with a boyfriend, but rather way the left hand belonged to the right. They simply fit. Nothing exciting about it, nothing to write home about. But it could be counted on.

If he was a good man, how could he leave me? So he must not be a good man. But if he isn't good, then why does it hurt so much to lose him? Is it just my pride that's wounded?

If I have to choose between an omnipotent God who leaves the world in this condition, and a God who has only a little bit of power but really cares and tries to make things better, I'll take you every time. Go on playing God, Hyrum. You're not bad at it. Sometimes you kind of get it right.

How could I hurt her? She'd have to love me before I could do that.

Such fools they were in Battle School, to let so few girls in. It left the boys completely helpless against a woman when they returned to Earth.

How could you lose me, when you've never had me, never wanted me?

"And you actually were cuddly," said Carn. "No offense, but you were spunky."

"If that's your word for 'bratty little asshole,' said Dink mildly.

Having never been in control of his own life, his idea of freedom was simply to break free.

Love can't conquer anything. Love can't make a scholar into a warrior. Loving her can't make her love me.

I've seen Australia and I've lived on an asteroid and I'd take the asteroid.

How strange it was that this other woman, this girl-child, should speak of her son so possessively, should speak of his future as if it were her own future.