The order's Rule was modeled after the Benedictine and was cowritten by Jesus and the Pope, who took a very serious personal interest. The Cosmonauts were divided into four classes: two ranks of combatants - knights and sergeants, who were necessarily members of the Brigade - and two ranks of non-combatants - chaplains, who were consecrated priests, and servants, who were either tenants in charge of management or nurses in charge of health care. Requirements for admission to these ranks were stipulated by the Rule, and, though initially the Pope was allowed to choose, albeit it with Jesus's approval, the number and identity of the chaplains, afterwards, on Mars, only the Grand Master would need decide. Jesus was allowed to choose his own servants and sergeants but candidates for the knighthood would have to be approved by the chaplains. Vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience only had to be permanent for chaplains and knights. Everyone else could take temporary vows if he or she so desired. The vow of chastity, as it pertained to non-clerics, did not include celibacy but allowed for marriage within the order.

– Verse 89 from the chapter called Vows

"Who are you to call everyone corrupt? This man has lost his reason: he's an animal. Did you see him? He ripped this man's throat apart."

"I saved your life, you ungrateful bastard."

– Verses 366-367 from the chapter called Arms

In the first grade, I told Jesus to give himself a middle initial like everybody else. That way, there would be no embarrassing questions. He did it. Then, everyone began saying where he or she was born: specifically, which hospital. I told Jesus to say 'Bethesda' like everybody else, but he said no: he didn't want to lie: that would be bad. When the teacher asked him, "In which hospital were you born, Jesus?" He said, "Poland."

– Verse 102 from the chapter called Childhood

"The fucking military is collaborating - do you understand that? They're ready to shell the city - their own fucking city! Can you believe that? Instead of having the balls to go from house to house looking for those faggots, they're gonna drop shells! What the fuck is that? That's why they're trying to evacuate the Old Town. They're sayin', 'Leave your homes: go north.' They think if they evacuate Center City and Old Town by having all those people filter through the northern checkpoints, all they're gonna have left is terrorists. That's bullshit. Unless they say they're gonna shell it, not everyone's gonna leave. Not the old people, anyway: they're gonna sit at home until the radio says they're gonna drop shells - even then they're not gonna move. Anyway, who the fuck's gonna say that? That would be idiotic. That would be like saying, 'Hey, terrorists: wake up for the invasion' - so they can slip away? What the fuck is that? The only terrorist you can recognize is the one that's shooting at you. Otherwise, who the fuck is it? Nobody - it's somebody without papers - I don't know - somebody walkin' off with loot. All they gotta do is drop their weapons and voila: they melt away. It's fuckin' bullshit. It's not fuckin' fair is what it is - but that's life. That's business. Like you, you motherfuckin' pip-squeak: what the fuck is your problem, man? You have got balls to screw me up."

The car in front of us stopped.

– Verses 121-122 from the chapter called Arms

Your father dressed his top lieutenants in the national colors of Poland that day - not for any personal reasons but because the wardrobe was being provided by a right-wing Polish political party, which, having lost most of its parliamentary seats in that year's parliamentary elections, was, nevertheless, courting your father's support for its presidential candidate. Your father was saving as much money as possible for his Independent (Lower Silesian) Riflemen's Armored Brigade and its upcoming deployment to Mars, and, not having made any specific promises to the League of Polish Nuclear Families, was more than willing to allow them to outfit his men. After all, the wedding was taking place in Poland, in a Polish Church (the Sanctuary of Lichen), your mother was being married to a Pole - however disgraceful and corrupt a Pole - and therefore, there was no reason why your father, a very, very proud Pole himself, shouldn't have been wearing the old royal colors of red and white. In fact, your father took the liberty of reducing everyone's chest measurements by a small but significant margin, making sure that every single member of his party, after having trouble putting on his jacket, had appropriate posture.

– Verse 13 from the chapter called Childhood