" Every man alive has had these things,” he said quietly. “The beggar who has been given a piece of silver has had wealth. The slave who has been asked to complete a task has had power. The prisoner who has not been executed has had privilege.” His eyes shone as he sat opposite me. “I desire not the things of this world that are a matter of perspective, Javahan. I desire not the things which will only increase my desire. I desire not the petty things of men. "

― James Islington , An Echo of Things to Come (The Licanius Trilogy, #2)