Abbot Suger, forgive me. I... I want to learn here. The walls are so high, how do they bear their weight?
ASAbbot Suger
You know Euclid, the father of geometry?
No, non.
ASAbbot Suger
Then you know nothing.
You look lost. Of course, you are. No longer prior, your dream demolished, you must sometimes think God is punishing you for your sins, your willful pride.
Yes.
In recompense for not naming me archbishop, the king has agreed to send me as his representative to Rome. And I'll need a trustworthy man to handle diocesan affairs in my absences. And you were the first and to be frank, the only man I could think of.
I... I don't think I'm...
I'm not finished. When I advance as... I hope one day to do... perhaps you will take my place. As Bishop of Kingsbridge, you could build your cathedral, punish the Hamleighs, do whatever you want. Until then, I simply ask for honest diligence and obedience in all things.
In all good things.
Of course.
Aliena!
[They kiss]
[Crying] Is it really you?
[Smiling] Yes.
I followed your work.
You left Alfred?
[Aliena uncovers the baby]
He's mine? [Aliena smiles. Jack cries] He's mine. [Aliena nods]
[Putting the baby in his arms] He won't break.
Aliena, he's beautiful. What's his name?
I haven't chosen one yet. Shall we call him Jack?
No. No. No, Jack's the father I never knew. Let's name him after the father I did know.
Tom.
Tom.
Your offer took me unawares. And you were right. I've never... I've never felt so lost. Satan tempted Christ at his weakest: after 40 days without food or water. I haven't Christ's strength to resist, Eminence, but... but you... you do not have Satan's cunning. You have taught me, you see. Politics may be a bargain between beggars but compromise between good and evil is never possible. God's work does not blend with power or greed. Your moral mortar is corrupt. And the walls of your church will crumble and the roof will fall. And you and everyone who worships with you will be crushed. I would sooner live out the rest of my days feeding pigs at the monastery than feeding your ravenous ambition.
You're damned.
The miracles, are they real?
Who's to say? Cripples walk, the dying are revived, but witchcraft does the same. One thing is certain. More and more pilgrims come every day giving money for the cathedral. That's the greatest miracle of all.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The Pillars of the Earth pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.