Quotes from Mercedes Lackey

The quotes tweeted between December 6 and December 11 were all from One Good Knight, by Mercedes Lackey.

“How could one write up a treaty with things that were mythical?” Andi considers that the fact there are treaties with the Weirding Others in the Archives is a pretty good indication that they’re real.

“Say as little as you can, and listen as much as you can.” The Lady Thalia’s advice to Andi, when the girl first starts eating dinner with her mother, Casseiopeia. (Yes, Andi is short for Andromeda.)

“Foxes are as bad as cats for twisting orders around to suit themselves.” Solon grumbling to himself about his unfortunate choice of a fox as a familiar.

“Move slowly, that was the key.” Solon thinking to himself about the best way to take over Arcadia.

“The best way to distract attention was to start a war.” Solon still thinking, though he is smart enough to know Arcadia could not survive a war. Summoning a dragon would, however, do just as well.

“A fight creates a pattern you can see only after it is over.” Gina is trying to teach the girls how to fight.

“If computers could breathe sighs of relief, that was what the planetary computer did.” Homecoming, by Sue Ann Bowling Marna has just teleported back to the lodge the instant she sees the crevasse she is exploring move.

Quotes from Andre Norton

If you’re looking for my GUTGAA Meet and Greet, it’s HERE.

These quotes were tweeted from @sueannbowling between August 30 and September 5. 2012

“Be yourself, not ruled by the belief that one man must be like another.” Andre Norton, The Crystal Gryphon. Neevor’s advice to Kerovan.

“There be no more deadly enemies than those of close blood-kin when evil works.” Andre Norton, The Crystal Gryphon. Joisan’s thoughts on seeing Kerovan pitted against his mother.

“None of us can know what lies ahead from one day’s dawning to the next.” Andre Norton, Gryphon in Glory. Joisan, as she sets out to follow Kerovan.

“Great age brings its own privileges.” Andre Norton, Gryphon in Glory. The Past-Abbess is speaking to Joisan, who is a little startled that a man might be able to talk with one cloistered within the abbey.

“Men fear that which has no substance; better they should look with clear eyes, open minds. Andre Norton, Gryphon in Glory. Elys trying to make Kerovan understand that Joisan wishes a closer relationship with him, while he fears himself.

“Understanding comes from within, it cannot be poured from another source.” Andre Norton, Gryphon in Glory. This immediately follows Joisan’s statement, “What I desired most of my lord was that he understand me.”

“Better take advantage of it, even if he didn’t understand it.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Snowy, paralyzed and helpless, but being offered a chance to learn to read.

Quotes from Mercedes Lackey

These are the quotes tweeted last week from @sueannbowling. All but the last quote are from Foundation by Mercedes Lackey, the first volume of the Collegium series.

“Don’t gobble, or you’ll be sorry” Mags’ caution to himself when first offered decent food.

“Why shouldn’t life be fair? What’s keeping it from being fair?” Dallen, trying to explain to Mags what it is that Heralds do.

“I am not telling you to never be afraid. But you must not let fear rule you.” Dallen, when Mags is afraid that Cole Porter will take revenge for what he has told the Heralds.

“When you don’t know what to do, do nothing, watch, and wait.” Mags, trying to deal with being a Herald trainee.

“When you did nothing, you forced them to act even when they didn’t intend to.” Mags rationalizing just watching and being careful to do nothing.

“I think mischief is not such a bad thing, though there are surely people who would be very angry at me for saying hat.” Dallen, when he is talking to Mags about the heralds who are upset by the change to the system for mentoring trainees.

“At least you know that you don’t know everything.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derik’s response to Roi’s admission he’s probably missing something when Derik is teaching him the conservation laws as applied to teleportation.

Quotes from Andre Norton

The first six of these quotes, all tweeted last week from @sueannbowling, are from Year of the Unicorn, by Andre Norton. This is a first person book, with Gillan as the narrator.

“Can anyone accept what they do not know?” Gillan is fighting with her own doubts and fears.

“Can any one truly say what a man is, or may come to be?” Gillan is trying to stand up against the pack, but at this point she does not believe her own words.

“Fear could become so familiar that it no longer was a goad.” This is what Gillan has said earlier, but now that the pack is trying to separate her spirit from her body, she is not so sure.

“Fear can kill.” Gillan, hiding from That which Runs The Ridges.

“Was I only real to myself?” Gillan, realizing that she has no shadow.

“To see ever the cloud and not the sun is to woefully and willingly blind oneself.” Gillan, as she prepares to take on herself the challenge to the pack.

“You’d be cheating them by taking more than your share of the work.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Penny to Roi, when he offers to use his esper abilities to help with camp chores.

Quote Contexts

All of last week’s Twitter quotes but the last were from Owlflight, by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.

“Nobody ever asked me what I wanted, not once.” Darian’s thoughts on being apprenticed to Mage Justyn.

“How could anyone let fear blind him to so much of wonder and beauty?” Darian, scorning the villagers for being afraid to venture into the forest.

“Half of being clever is being certain you are not being stupid.” Shin’a’in proverb, a favorite of Snowfire’s.

“There is no arguing with a feeling.” Snowfire is trying to convince Darian that he should not feel guilt over Justyn’s death.

“Put the guilt where it rightly belongs.” Snowfire is arguing that the real guilt should be laid on the leader of the barbarians who attacked Errol’s Grove.

“I wish people would think before they do things like this to children!” Nightwind is furious with the elders of Errol’s Grove because, in her words, “Before he has lived a single day with these people, he has been given the message that they disapprove of him, it is wrong to care deeply about the parents he loved because they don’t deserve it, and he is to be grateful to people whose ways are utterly at odds with his!”

“The worst of slavery, for her, had been the lack of choice.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Flame’s thoughts on her past slavery, quite different from Timi’s and Amber’s.

Quotes from Andre Norton

The first six quotations are from Three against the Witch World, by Andre Norton.

“If one is content to use a tool, then one shall never know what one can do without it.” Kaththea, arguing that her lack of a witch jewel may not me as much of a handicap as generally thought. 64

“Can you turn your back on all this merely because it suffers from some disease?” Kaththea, arguing that Escore is worth fighting for.

“Not always are light and dark so opposed, one to the other.”  Kaththea, as she prepares to work a magic that is best carried out at sunset. 96

“In due time I would pay for what I had done.” Kyllan, knowing he has weakened his gift by using it to lure a prong-horn to its death that he and his siblings might eat. He pays sooner that he thinks, as he is enthralled by the Keplian early the next morning.

“I cannot hide all thoughts.” Kyllan, about to leave the Lady Dahaun on a mission. He is in love with her and she with him, and they both know it though no explicit word has been spoken.

“They merely supply the impulse, you the actors for carrying it out.” Kemoc to Kyllan as they face the hallucinations of the witches in their rescue of Kaththea.

“There are times when I slap myself on the head and wonder how I could have been so stupid.” Sue Ann  Bowling, Jarn’s Journal. Jarn suddenly realizes that he has the supplies to build a defense against predators.

Quotes from Mercedes Lackey

All of today’s quotes but the last are from Storm Breaking, by Mercedes Lackey.

“When the enemy is “dead” to the world one inhabits, he might as well be dead in totality.” Melles, reluctantly giving up on Tremane’s death.

“History is in the small items as much as the large ones.” Lyam is almost overcome by finding a brush that Urtho himself handled. Modern historians, trying to recreate the life of the past, would probably agree with him.

“One should always begin with friendship, rather than a more ardent emotion.” Sejanes, advising Karal about love.

“Most people don’t believe that a disaster can come, or that it can affect them.” The exact quote, which was a little long for Twitter, was “Most people don’t believe that a disaster is coming, or that it can affect them, even when they’re told repeatedly.” Karal’s side note, as he is talking via teleson with the Council in Haven shortly before the final Storm.

“Keep in mind that a nation is made up of people.” Part of Altra’s response to Karal’s suggestion that all gods should be prayed to for help for all people, even those of the Empire, against the final storm. The full quote is “You manage to keep in mind that a nation is made up of people, most of whom have little or no control over what their leaders do.”

“Life is attention to both the large and the small.” Part of Altra’s lecture to Karal on keeping balance in his life as a priest.

“Part of the fun was to guess who had given each gift.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Birthday celebrations on Central involved gifts to the person with a birthday, but the giver’s name had to be guessed.

McCaffrey Quote Contexts

All of this week’s quotes but the last are from books by Anne McCaffrey.

“One had to know the rules before one could break them.” Pegasus in Flight. Something Tirla learned early from one of her mother’s men.

“We can’t do something right without doing something wrong” Pegasus in Flight. Rhyssa to Peter, shortly after he has demonstrated his ability to land a shuttle full of aid workers in impossible weather.

“There’s been no major forward progress in all of human history that has not been accompanied by some problems.” Pegasus in Flight. Rhyssa speaking to Peter, trying to comfort him for inadvertently creating a problem.

“Bureaucracy in its usual obstructive role.” Pegasus in Space. Rhyssa and Dorotea discussing Admiral Coetzer’s problems with the Space Authority.

“I was told that there were no old, bold pilots.” Pegasus in Space. Peter when their on-board computers do not agree on whether they are go for a moon voyage. The usual form, often heard here in Alaska, is “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.”

“The people who do the work are the last ones to know.” Pegasus in Space. Peter and Johnny, after finding that their telekinetic abilities are explained by quantum mechanics, and saying that this should be one of Murphy’s laws.

“It was hard to trust the judgment of the three youngsters.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derik is beginning to suspect Roi is having more problems in school than he is willing to admit, but getting Roi and his two friends to tell him what’s wrong is a problem.

Quotes from Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey died last month, at 85. Although she is best known for her Pern books, she wrote a number of other series and genres. All but the last quote this week are from To Ride Pegasus, a book of some of her early shorter works on the Talented. Take them as they are meant: as a tribute to one of the authors who has most influenced me. I don’t have all of her books, but I have most, and plan to quote from more of them on Twitter @sueannbowling.

“You’d see a lot from the back of a winged horse.” From “To Ride Pegasus.” Henry speaking to Molly just after he has come up with the metaphor for paranormal Talents as winged horses.

“It’s human nature to fear — and distrust — what is different.” “A Womanly Talent.” Senator Andres, speaking to Daffyd op Owen about some of the problems involved an a law to protect the Talented in the legitimate use of their Talents.

“You’re too honest to be up against us crook politicians.” Also from “A Womanly Talent.”Senator Andres speaking to Daffyd, later in the same conversation.

“Very few people can stand the whole, complete, unvarnished truth.” This one’s from “A Bridle for Pegasus.” Jerry Frames is arguing with Daffyd and pleading with him to conceal information sometimes.

“Different minds react to different stimuli.” Again, from “A Bridle for Pegasus.” This time Daffyd is speaking to Frank Gillings, the Commissioner of Law Enforcement for the city of Jerhatten.

“When you ride a winged horse, you can’t dismount.” Back to the first story, “To Ride Pegasus” as Molly realizes the height – and the danger – to which her Talent might take her.

“Different … and she was looking for difference.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Marna is trying to track down the source of the plague on Eversummer, and has just found an anomalous result.

Mercedes Lackey Quotes

All but the last two of these quotes are from Storm Warning, by Mercedes Lackey.

“Friends help friends.” Karal, just as he is preparing to risk his life to prove to An’desha that he can control his mage-gift.

“Leaders are just people, and they frequently forget to think before they act.” Karal, arguing that the whole Empire should not be blamed for the fact that some of its leaders decided to kill his mentor, Ulrich.

“Cats. They always know.” Elspeth, right after Altra the firecat has summed up her dislike of being forced into anything.

“When we have done all we can, then it is time to add prayer to the rest.” One of Ulrich’s sayings that Karal remembers on the way to the Iftel border.

“Understanding is the essence of not making the same mistakes.” Karal to An’desha, when he hears the doubt in An’desha’s voice as he recounts some of the things that Ma’ar did.

“It does not matter what is, when the people are convinced that the very opposite is what should be. Mercedes Lackey, Storm Rising. An’desha, discussing problems of religion with Karal.

“The younger they are, the easier they take to free fall.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Derik’s comment after helping with a birthday party for two-year-olds in a free fall gym. (The children at the party have had a wonderful time. Derik and Elyra have had to deal with the parents.)