Book: OSA

The sun rose, its life-giving warmth spilled across the meadow, piercing through the looming trees, even in the dark, damp walls of the cave sparkle with the sun's glare. It was one of those days when I fell lazy hugs the ground and have no strength to resist her, only one thing - indulge in the intoxicating bliss of idleness.
The sun came up, spreading its warmth through the trees and into the cave. It was one of those days that beguiles a man into lying around and doing nothing.

Unless he asks a lot from life? It would be quite staged a glittering hall of mirrors, a Golden throne, he is on the throne, around flatterers, sycophants... what is this filthy Sirian pit, mortal cold, he painted in a purple color - it's too close to the opposite extreme.
He had never asked much of life and would have been quite satisfied merely to sprawl on a golden throne and be fawned upon by sycophants. To be dropped down a Sirian-dug hole, dead cold and dyed purple, was to take things too much to the opposite extreme.

Someone with considerable power, slammed the publication of a heavy fist of censorship.
Somebody high in authority had clamped down upon them with the heavy hand of censorship.

... no, even the most authoritarian regime is impossible without its dissidents, no one, even the most just war is not without persistent, staunch pacifists. And as it is not absolutely flawless generals, it does not happen unconditionally loyal soldiers. There are always a handful of renegades for one reason or another, opposed the war - whether from revulsion to murder, whether because of the common fear of being killed. Hence the unwillingness to March in step, believing in victory, feeling defeat, a disappointment in the leadership, dissatisfaction, resentment and so on and so forth. No one - neither political nor military dictatorship have not managed to completely destroy all unhappy...
In every war no matter how great a government's power its rule is never absolute. In every war, no matter how allegedly righteous the cause, the effort is never total. No campaign has ever or will ever be fought with the leadership united in favour of it and with the rank and file unitedly behind them.
Always there is a disgruntled minority that opposes a war for a multitude of reasons such as reluctance to make necessary sacrifices, fear of personal loss or suffering, philosophical and ethical objection to warfare as a method of settling disputes, lack of confidence in the ability of the leadership, resentment at being called upon to play a subordinate role, pessimistic belief that victory is far from certain and defeat very possible, egoistic satisfaction of refusing to run with the herd, psychological opposition to being yelled at on any and every petty pretext, a thousand and one other reasons. No political or military dictatorship ever has been one hundred percent successful in identifying and suppressing the malcontents...

Now he's a bag of diamonds wouldn't want to be the captain. However, most likely, the captain and two of these bags would not have agreed to get into the skin Mowry.
He wouldn't have that captain's job, he decided, for a sack of diamonds. And probably the captain wouldn't have his for two sacks.

He seems destined to be a hero, and all because did not want to be a coward.
Looked like he was doomed to become a hero from sheer lack of courage to be a coward.

... his face was as warm and expressive as a rock.
... the face around it was about as warm and expressive as a lump of hard rock.