Shadows Upon Time

Beauty cannot stay, nor endure—indeed, that a thing is and is gone next is part of what makes a thing beautiful. The preciousness of any beautiful thing—any good thing—lies in its scarcity. And because all things are scarce when measured against eternity and infinity, all things are beautiful—if seen at the right angle, if captured in the right light.

How easily the untested claim righteousness

My heart is with you, wherever you may be.Until the end of all... and after it.

The Chantry!” Edouard objected. “You said yourself that there are more of the Monumentals out there! Destroy this ship if you must—I will not miss it—but we need you. Your daughter needs you!” I could not help but smile. “She needs you

It was the first time I had ever heard those words spoken aloud

The fear of the Dark. Each man’s first and oldest fear. But a child fears the dark for its mystery

But might a germ not slay even the mightiest of dragons?

The planet—Gododdin itself—shattered. I saw it die.

Power is no freedom—unless the man who exercises that power is a monster

Not for the first time in my long life

That is only because you make up your mind faster than you can think

There are other weapons,” Albé interjected. “Astrophage,” I said

But a word of caution. A prophecy

I saw Lorian then

So great a shadow

What can I say of that twilit world? That world never turning her face from her sun? Forever day. Forever night. Forever twilight in between. It would be there—so history says—that Hadrian Marlowe met his final end. Halfmortal no more

You say you do not want the throne

Why should your burden be light?

That last tear fell

The thought stirred a strange affection in me. Lin and I had never really been friends . . . . . . but war had made us brothers.

Do not speak to me

One thing I have learned in my time

Word of Cassandra’s fate and the battle in the secondary ventral-shield-relay annex had reached me in the lifts

I meant what I said

It was an icon of Two-Faced Time

I am sorry . . .” The words shocked me so badly I flinched

Tell me you desire a fig

Kaim-Olorin looked at me. “You made it rethink its whole religion?” I shrugged.

It was my turn to smile

Were they angels? Or demons? What was the difference? Only duty.