"All conflicts leave their mark," Anton agreed. "Even if not scars, a conflict defines you. The person after is never the same as the person before, even if it's only a small change. How we overcome a conflict, no matter how slight, is what defines our beings in the future. What we do during a conflict--that will always remain."

His voice was soft and he'd lowered the knitting as he spoke, and though he was looking at Gene there was also the distance of memory in his eyes. Anton's life had been made of conflict, even more than most. His life had been made of controlling the gist, every second of the day.