Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch, #1)

by Ann Leckie

I had gotten this far by taking one step, and then another.

There had been a time when a property owner like her would have been shot early on, so someone’s client could take over her plantation.

“So your theory is,” said Lieutenant Awn, her tone dangerously even, “that the Orsians aren’t really people.”

If you’re going to do something that crazy, save it for when it’ll make a difference. But absent near-omniscience there’s no way to know when that is. You can only make your best approximate calculation. You can only make your throw and try to puzzle out the results afterward.