Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel, #2)

by Josiah Bancroft

A man always in disguise must take care lest he become the disguise.

The gaps in a library are like footprints in the sand: They show us where others have gone before; they assure us we are not alone.

When humanity ceases to aspire, it begins to decline. Do you know why the status quo is so tyrannical and nauseating? Because it does not exist! There is no stasis in the world, and certainly not where humans are involved. The status quo is just a pleasing synonym for decay.

Do not allow small people to make large impressions. Do not fritter your beauty upon mirrors. Do not make wishes, for wishes only curse the life you have. Never forget, you stand at the end of a long line of short lives.