Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera, #1)

by Jim Butcher

“Logic is a fury all its own.”

“There’s two kinds of bad men in the world. I mean, there’s all kinds of ways for a man to go bad, but when you get right down to it, there’s only about two kinds of men who will hurt others with forethought. Premeditation. Men that don’t figure there’s anyone else alive who matters but them. And men who figure that there’s something that matters more than anyone’s life. Even their own.” He shook his head. “First one is common enough. Petty, small. They’re everywhere. People who just don’t give a scorched crow about anyone else. Mostly, the bad they do doesn’t amount to much. “The second kind is like your patriserus. People who hold something dear above their own lives, above anyone else’s. They’ll fight to protect it and kill to protect it, and the whole time they’ll be thinking to themselves that it has to be done. That it’s the right thing to do.” Bernard glanced up at her and said, “Dangerous those. Very dangerous.”

No enterprise of greatness begins with treachery, with lying to the people who trust and love you.”

Two days ago, Tavi thought, he might have let the man recover the dagger. He might have turned and run. He might have found someplace to hide until all of this was over. “Two days ago,” Tavi breathed, “I had a lot more sense.” Then he darted forward, seized the dagger where it lay, and began to run. “There!” Tavi heard the man yell. “He’s got the dagger! Kill that boy!”