Rosel George Brown

“ Well, I tell you that a Man's nature is built into his very chromosomes, and you should know that."
"I know, mother." For Juba was educated.
"There was a reason once, why men should be as they are. Nature is not gentle and if nature is left to herself, the timid do not survive. But if bloodlust was once a virtue, it is no longer a virtue, and if men will end up killing each other off, let us not also be killed." ”

“ It is difficult to make conversation with a man.
Finally Juba gave up trying to think of something interesting to say and asked, "What is your way of life, that you should be going around by yourself in a space ship?"
"My way of life?" He laughed. "It becomes a way of life, doesn't it? Whatever we do ends up enveloping us, doesn't it?" ”

“ Rule d—A man's ego is his most precious possession.
"You are very strong," Juba said, her eyes downcast, for he was bare again to the waist, and it had come to her that she would like to string her fingers through the hair on his chest. ”

“ You don't realize how expensive and cumbersome and logistically difficult it is to set up the simplest station on an abnormal planet. Tons of equipment are needed just to compensate for a few degrees too much temperature, or a few degrees too little, or excessive natural radiation, or a slight off balance of atmosphere. Or even if a planet is apparently habitable, there's no way of being absolutely sure until there have been people actually living on it for a while. There isn't time for all this. Can't you just believe me?"
"I believe you," Juba said, "and the answer is no. ”

“ They have no understanding."
"Neither have men. They are like your baby sister, Diana, who is reasonable until it no longer suits her, and then the only difference between her and an animal is that she has more cunning." ”

“ I'm looking for a communications base halfway between a certain strategic enemy outpost and a certain strategic allied outpost."
"Why?"
"Why? I don't know why. Does the grain of sand know where the beach ends? And if I did know, what would it matter?"
"But why this planet? There are other systems. Even other planets in this system." The moss curled under her feet and pricked at her. She was not doing this right. What did she care about his war? ”

“ For she was taught from childhood to be reasonable above all things. And, having spoken with this Man, having found him courteous and educated, she could not believe he was beyond redemption simply because he was a Man. ”