Lying was a sin, apparently, unless you did it outrageously and persistently enough, in which case it qualified as scripture.

She really didn't understand people at all, they were so weird. Dealing with them was like being slapped in the face over and over.

"I just wanted... something," she said. "For myself."

"No one deserves it more."

"But I can't have it."

Another silence. Far off, birds wheeled and cried beyond the windows.

"When I was young," said Jakob, "I thought I was working towards something. Building something to last. Some perfect state of things of the world, of myself." He gently shifted one leg under her, then the other. "You get to my age, you realise nothing lasts forever. No love, no hate, no war, no peace. If a thing hasn't ended... you haven't waited long enough."

Sunny sniffed. "Is this meant to be comforting?"

"It's meant to be true. You had something. Be thankful for that." Jakob gave a long, pained sigh. "Now you have to let it go."

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie