Quotes from Mercedes Lackey

Quotes and contexts. All but the last are by Mercedes Lackey.

“We honor the wisdom that comes with age.” The girls of the land of spring, to Demeter in her guise of old woman. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“What a mother feels for her child is not rational.” Hades to Persephone, understanding Demeter better then she does. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“The annoyance, of course, was because like rude boys, they had been caught.” The “heroes” responding to Rhadamanthus. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“For though I go from my beloved mother, I go to my beloved husband. Persephone’s words on parting from her mother. “A Tangled Web” from Harvest Moon.

“He saw what I wanted him to see, because I wanted him to send me far, far away.” Moira, thinking of how she had come to be schooled by the Countess. “Moontide,” from Winter Moon.

“Beauty had a hard time making itself plain.” Moira is grateful for her plainness. “Moontide,” from Winter Moon.

“His mother had told him about the sky, but he had never expected it to be this far away.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Roi is remembering the first time Derik ever took his slaves outdoors, and his first sight of the sky.

Quotes from JRR Tolkien

Contexts of quotes for the past week. All but for the last are from The Two Towers, by JRR Tolkien

“It is my fate to receive help from you, where I least looked for it.” Frodo to Gollum, in the desolation before the Gates of Mordor.

“Your fate [is] to help me whom you long pursued with evil purpose. A continuation of Frodo’s speech to Gollum.

“The desire of it may betray you to a bitter end.” Frodo warning Gollum about the treachery of the Ring.

“Which way should he choose? And if both led to terror and death, what good lay in choice?” Frodo is faced with the choice of trying the “secret” way Gollum wants to show them and the obvious peril of the Black Gate.

“If ever you met me you wouldn’t forget me.” Part of a bit of nonsense poetry Sam declaims, about Oliiphants.

“We might be wanting to go back. We might!” Sam, deciding to send Gollum hunting in hopes of stretching their rations.

“His mother had told him about the sky, but he had never expected it to be this far away.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Roi is remembering the first time Derik ever took his slaves outdoors, and his first sight of the sky.

Quotes from Andre Norton

Contexts of quotes for the last week. All but the last are from Andre Norton.

“I fancy any odds we can get while the game is still in play.” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Charis, when they seem to have only a tiny chance of blocking the Company grab.

“What can one like about this? It is something we have agreed must be done.” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Charis, arguing with Shann about the possibility of getting into the base by use of the Power.

“How could anyone sleep with such a task before her?” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Charis speaking to Thorvald, arguing about the possibility of her using the Power to get both of them in and out of the base quickly.

“Killing leaves only the dead, and the dead may not be summoned back by any power known to living creatures.” Ordeal In Otherwhere. Shann Lantee’s statement to the Wyvern males, arguing against their desire to wipe out the females of their species.

“Governments might rise and fall, but the Guild remained.” Forerunner Foray. The Guild in this case is the Thieves’ Guild – organized crime.

“Fear, faith and obsession were akin.” Forerunner Foray. Part of Ogan’s teaching to Ziantha.

“Home,” she said aloud. “I can go home. I may die, but I’ll die with a Riyan wind in my hair.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Marna is still on the isolation satellite, but has just realized that her only reason for staying there is meaningless if she is to die.

Quotes from Jane Austen

All but the last of these quotes are from Mansfield Park, which is 200 years old this year.

“There should be moderation in everything.” Sir Thomas to Fanny, commenting on Fanny’s not having a fire, thanks to Aunt Norris.

“I thought it all might pass for nothing with him. Fanny’s attempt to explain her refusal of Mr. Crawford’s proposal.

“I must be a brute indeed, if I can be really ungrateful.” Grateful to Lord Bertram who had raised Fanny

“You have some touches of the angel in you.” Henry Crawford to Fanny.

“How could you imagine me an advocate for marriage without love?” Edmund to Fanny, talking of Crawford’s proposal.

“As a by-stander, perhaps I saw more than you did.” Fanny to Edmund, talking about the play

“It would have been easier if the Genetics Board had not insisted that she bear his child.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derik is half-wishing Vara had not been forced by the Genetics Board to have his child, but he cannot regret the child.

Quotes From Terry Pratchett

All but the final quotation are from Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett.

“Steal thousands of dollars and you were either a government or a hero.” In contrast to stealing a few dollars. Moist’s thought as he is waiting to be hanged.

“No practical definition of freedom would be completely without the freedom to take the consequences.” Lord Vetinarri to Moist, including that the consequences may be death.

“Weapons made him nervous, which was why he’s never carried one.” Moist to himself, during his first escape, thinking over his situation.

What kind of man would put known criminal in charge of criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Aside from, say, the average voter.” Moist, thinking over his situation,

“Being an absolute ruler today was not as simple as people thought.” “A least, it was not simple if your ambitions included being an absolute ruler tomorrow.”

“Who will tell the tyrant that he is a tyrant? “Lord Vetinari, in a conversation with Drumknott.

“The R’iil’nai said there were certain rules of civilized behavior we had to follow.”—Bowling (yes, me.) The book is Homecoming, and the context is the Human, Cinda, telling Marna about the Confederation. “The R’il’nai said there were certain rules of civilized behavior we had to follow. Like not trying to take over a planet with another intelligent species on it.”

Quotes from Mercedes Lackey

Here are the contexts of a number of quotes. All but the last are from “A Tangled Web” by Mercedes Lackey, in Harvest Moon.

“They fought to keep ordinary folk from extraordinary harm.” From adventurers Leo and Brunnhilde have become protectors.

“This was a bit like being thrown into the deep ocean and told you have to reason your way to land.” Leo’s thought, as he finds himself trying to keep the Olympians from starving.

“This lot of ‘gods’ seemed to be as feckless as a lot of young squires.” Leo doesn’t think much of the Olympian gods.

“The good ones will wash their hands of you pretty quickly.” The attitude of the Fae toward the gods,

“Nothing lasts forever.” Leo to Zeus, regarding the hitherto endless summer of Olympia.

“Those who rule a land are responsible for it.” Especially when things go wrong.

“So we’re going to die, just as I should have died with everyone else, two centuries ago. “ Homecoming, by Sue Ann Bowling. This is Marna , speaking to one of her tinerals as she realizes that the life-support system of the satellite has failed. Tinerals resemble feathered monkeys with wings, can fly as juveniles but are ground-bound as adults, and after millennia of selective breeding sing in harmony with each other or with other singers.

Quotes from JRR Tolkien

Here are the contexts of a number of quotations. All but the last are from The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien.

“It is more treacherous than you are. It may twist your words.” Frodo to Gollum, when Gollum offers to swear on “the precious” (the Ring.)

“Perhaps you can’t even try, not yet anyway.” Frodo has offered Gollum a share of the elven-bread, but Gollum cannot eat it.

“I do not think we need give thought to what comes after that.” Frodo’s first open admission to Sam that they are unlikely to survive the mission to destroy the Ring

“They know that they can only come to morning through the shadow.” And the shadow seems very dark to Frodo and Sam as they catch their first glimpse of the lands before the Gate of Mordor.

“There is another way. Darker, more difficult to find, more secret.” Gollum, offering to show Frodo and Sam a “back door” to Mordor.

“He’s as wise as any, but he’s soft-hearted.” Sam’s opinion of Frodo, as they follow Gollum to Cirith Ungol.

“She had forgotten a lot about planets, Marna decided less than a day after returning to Riya.” Homecoming, Bowling. Marna has spent her last two centuries on an isolation satellite, and is not at all used to being rained on (literally) or in fact any kind of weather.

 

Quotes from Jane Austen

All but the last are the contexts of quotes posted from Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, in honor of the 200^th birthday of that book.

“I am worn out with civility.” Henry Crawford to Fanny, near the end of her first ball.

“I have been talking incessantly all night, and with nothing to say.” Henry Crawford to Fanny.

“Let us have the luxury of silence.” Still Henry Crawford.

“They are all going away, I think. I wish they would stay at home. Lady Bertram, after Sir Thomas gives Julia permission to stay longer with her sister.

“It is every body’s duty to do as well for themselves as they can.” Mary Crawford’s philosophy.

“Ask her to love you, and she will never have the heart to refuse.” Edmond’s advice to Henry Crawford.

“For Zhaim, having power and not using it was a form of weakness. And the weak neither survived nor deserved to.” Homecoming, by Sue Ann Bowling. Zhaim is rationalizing, as usual. He’s the villain of Homecoming, but he himself sees his actions as acceptable, even noble. (Not a spoiler, as the first scene shows him as a torturer through the eyes of one of his victims. He thinks he’s a misunderstood artist in human flesh.)

Quotes from Terry Pratchett

Here are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from @sueannbowling between October 23 and October 29, 2014. All but the last are from Mort, by Terry Pratchet.

“Lonely, dedicated drinkers always generate a mental field which insures complete privacy.” Especially when the lonely, dedicated drinker is Death.

“Death must be the loneliest creature in the Universe.” Mort realizes this when Death has disappeared.

“Funny thing about eyebrows. You never really noticed them until they’d gone.” Cutwell has been trying to create fireworks.

“DEATH IS WHOEVER DOES DEATH’S JOB.” Mort, as he finds he is taking on more and more of Death’s attributes, including the VOICE.

“When you step off a cliff, your life takes a very definite direction.” Mort, when he challenges Death for Keli’s life.

“YOU COULD HAVE HAD ETERNITY.” Death to Mort, after the battle is over. Mort’s reply? “I’ve been very lucky.”

“He may know himself better than you know him.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Marna, speaking to Lai about Roi.

Quotes from Mercedes Lackey

These are the contexts of the quotes tweeted from @sueannbowling between October 16 and October 22, 2014. All but the last are from “A Tangled Web” by Mercedes Lackey, a story in Harvest Moon.

“Having Aphrodite on your side was almost worse than having her as an enemy.” Persephone’s thought as she weaves (reluctantly.)

“Oh, the curse of being able to see clearly, both sides of everything!” Still Persephone, annoyed that she can see her mother’s side as well as her own.

“So much power seemed coupled with so little forethought.” Demeter’s reflection on the Olympian gods as a whole.

“If godmothers are so good at keeping things from getting out of hand, why are gods so bad at it?” Here the reference is to the gods of Olympus or Valhalla.

“Mortals, given the choice, would rather not think too far ahead, or even think at all.” Brunehilde to Leopold, suggesting that the reason these gods are as they are is because they owe their existence to the mortals who worship them – thus they have mortal failings.

“All mothers are like that, I think.” Brunhilde, after Persephone complains that her mother still considers her a child.

“A self-trained esper is always cause for worry.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derry is just beginning to suspect what he may be facing in Roi.