" - I am a stranger. You do not need to lie to me or pretend. Only with friends do you need masks

- Surely it is only with friends that one can be at peace.

- It is easier with strangers, for they touch your life but for an instant. You will not disappoint them, for you owe them nothing; neither do they expect anything. Friends you can hurt, for they expect everything. "

― David Gemmell , The King Beyond the Gate (The Drenai Saga, #2)