"You wanted to learn" he said "Now listen to me. A man's first duty keep himself alive. Then comes what everyone calls honor."
***
It was the first lesson Michael received from his father and the one he learned best. It was to color his future life, persuade him to make terrible decisions he could never have dreamed of making before. It changed his perception of honor and his awe of heriosm. It helped hin survive, but it made him unhappy.