World Without End (Kingsbridge, #2)

by Ken Follett

“A man who makes ointments and medicines is called an apothecary, but a woman who does the same runs the risk of being called a witch.

“Don’t worry. We who are born poor have to use cunning to get what we want. Scruples are for the privileged.”

Sometimes he seemed to think that any behavior could be excused by their difficult childhood.

It was amazing, Caris thought, how the truth could be just a little skewed so that it sounded sinister.

It did not make sense, he reflected. She had joined the nunnery. She had refused to see him and explain herself. But his soul was not rational, and it was telling him that he should be where she was.

When she felt like this, excruciatingly helpless up against terrible forces, she understood why people threw up their hands and said everything was controlled by the spirit world. But that had never been her way.

“You can never really trust a ruthless man. If he will betray others, why should he not betray you?”