The Telling (Hainish Cycle, #8)

by Ursula K. Le Guin

“What were you trying to do?” “Follow you.” “Your government had ordered you not to.” After a pause he said, “I could not accept that.” “So the cog is wiser than the wheel?”

“You people have learned everything we did wrong, and nothing we did right.

“You’re my enemy. The true believer. The righteous man with the righteous mission. The one that jails people for reading and burns the books. That persecutes people who do exercises the wrong way. That dumps out the medicine and pisses on it. That pushes the button that sends the drones to drop the bombs. And hides behind a bunker and doesn’t get hurt. Shielded by God. Or the state. Or whatever lie he uses to hide his envy and self-interest and cowardice and lust for power. It took me a while to see you, though. You saw me right away. You knew I was your enemy. Was unrighteous. How did you know it?”

“Though bigots have small ears.”

I hate the bigotry you believe in. But I’ll try not to hate you.”

“Hate eats the hater,”