183
" Look, Horza,” Yalson said, turning to him, “when you come on board this ship you don’t have a past. It’s considered very bad manners to ask anybody where they came from or what they’ve done in their lives before they joined. Maybe we’ve all got some secrets, or we just don’t want to talk or think about some of the things we’ve done, or some of the things we’ve had done to us. But either way, don’t try to find out. Between your ears is the only place on this crate you’ll ever get any privacy, so make the most of it. If you live long enough, maybe somebody will want to tell you all about themselves—eventually, probably when they’re drunk… but by that time you may not want them to. Whatever; my advice is just to leave it for the moment. "
― Iain M. Banks , Consider Phlebas (Culture, #1)
197
" You mean, if you lose a game… you have… these things done to you?” “Exactly. One might bet, say, the loss of a finger against aggravated male-to-apex rectal rape.” Gurgeh looked levelly at the machine for a few seconds, then said slowly, nodding, “Well… that is barbaric.” “Actually it’s a later development in the game, and seen as a rather liberal concession by the ruling class, as in theory it allows a poor person to keep up in the bidding with a rich person. Before the introduction of the physical license option, the latter could always outbid the former. "
― Iain M. Banks , The Player of Games (Culture, #2)