No one sits, as you do, so close to a king, who does not begin to grasp how the levers of power work, and the cost of the oil that must grease them.

I have lived most of my life in soldiers’ camps. I know what they saw. I know how they think. Their confidence sours as sudden as curdled milk.

I thought it best to add nothing further, to let the line of his thought lead him to his own conclusions.

Avner had lived too long and become too canny to claim the crown of Israel for himself.

Even though he said no store in uncanny things, he was soldier enough to value with whatever weapon came to hand.

When a kingdom rests on it, I always expect difficulty. Then, if there is none, no blame. But if there is, one is prepared.

This night he was a king before he was a man. At this time, this troubled me. Later, I would have cause to wish it were always so.

He is able to put aside personal feelings and see the broad strokes. Experience counts in these things.

David ran through concrete advantages. And then set aside the practical. The pragmatist was gone, replaced by the poet and mystic.

If soldiering did not interest him, the soldiers themselves were another matter. He loved to sit with the men and draw out their first-hand stories of past campaigns.

The stories that grow up around a king are strong vines with a fierce grip.

Edit your manuscript until your fingers bleed and you have memorized every last word. Then, when you are certain you are on the verge of insanity...edit one more time!

Our loved ones are always with us whether they are of the flesh or of the spirit.

the way up is through service

People are seduced by signals from the world, but that is manipulation, not reality. Computers have learned more about us than we've learned about them.

When people campaign for positions, they promise people all kinds of things.

When you teach a child something you take away forever his chance of discovering it for himself.

I feel like I have to do some promotion to let the people know that the records are out there; but I kind of like the idea that it's my work that does the talking rather than me.

We all nurture impulses which promise freedom from the demands of others, even if that freedom means death.

Sometimes we're actually right when we go with our gut and stand on principle in supporting underdog candidates.