The Power To Crush Diamonds
“Mistress?” Cashel asked in a thick voice. “Is Benlo as powerful a wizard as you are?”
Tenoctris laughed and patted him on the arm. “Cashel,” she said, “I’m not powerful at all. I’ve read and I see, those are both important. But the skill I have is that of a diamond cutter who knows where to tap to split a stone on the line of cleavage. If you want raw power—Benlo could crush diamonds if he knew how to use the strength he has.”
Cashel opened his big, capable hands. “What good’s a crushed diamond, mistress?” he asked.
Tenoctris laughed again. “You’d be amazed at how few people understand that, Master Cashel,” she said….
— Lord of the Isles, Book II, Chapter 12