“A Stellar’s jay hopped along behind him, watching closely for dropped crumbs. “It’s dark,” he told the bird. “Go to sleep. I've eaten already. Where were you? No food now.” The bird persisted, however; it knew humans were liars.”
Source: The Forge of God (1987), Chapter 54 (p. 362)
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Greg Bear 38
American writer best known for science fiction 1951Related quotes

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