Mercedes Lackey Quotes

All but the last of the quotes I tweeted this past week from @sueannbowling are from a single book, Storm Warning.

“If you want to make your enemy into something you can hate, you first remove his humanity.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Karal can’t remember whether Ulrich or Solaris said that, but he’s having a hard time remembering Heralds aren’t really White Demons.

“You don’t go into a pairing intending to try and change someone to suit you.”  Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Elspeth is trying to explain to An’desha that Firewind’s apparent attempt to seduce Darkwind was only teasing.

“Everything in this world is paid for, in the end.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Karal’s thoughts, his first night at Haven.

“It is wise to be remote in the presence of one who conjures demons.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. A Shin’a’in proverb, quoted by Talia as she tries to explain to Karal that one of the reasons he finds trouble making friends is that people fear him.

“It’s a cliché precisely because it is so often true.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Talia again, and this time the cliché is that “the only cure for anything is time.” She’s speaking to Karal about his homesickness.

“Anyone who is more intelligent than the people around him has troubles as a child.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. An’desha, Karal and Natoli are comparing childhoods.

“Does it matter who he is, then, if you trust him?” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Roi to Marna, on hearing her explanation of Win. Marna’s not sure whether Win is a ghost, her own subconscious, or a guardian angel. (Neither am I.)

Quotes from (mostly) Terry Pratchett

These are the quotes that have been tweeted over the past week from @sueannbowling:

“Positions of power like to keep an eye on one another.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. In this case the positions of power are Lord Vetinari and the Unseen University.

“Smart is only a polished version of dumb. Try intelligence.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Nutt is speaking to Trevor Likely.

“You seldom saw a goddess portrayed as ugly.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. “This probably had something to do with their ability to strike people down instantly.” Glenda’s thoughts on seeing The Truth’s story about an urn with the alleged early rules of football. (Soccer to us Americans.)

“When you watch people, you forget that people are watching you.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Glenda is too fascinated at the dwarf style show to notice that she and Juliet are being watched.

“If I had my way, silk would be reclassified as a metal.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Madame Sharn at the style show. She is discussing micromail (soft as cloth, better than leather and it doesn’t chafe) and lamenting that the more traditional dwarf will not wear cloth.

“A whole box of chocolates is not depraved.” Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals. Madame Sharn is defending herself against Pepe’s accusation that “when she last had some depravity” was Tuesday.

“It all has to fit together. The religion and morality, the economics, the ecology.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Roi trying to explain to Penny what he has learned about societies.

Don’t forget the drawing.

Mercedes Lackey Quotes

Quotes this week were mostly from Mercedes Lackey: Wind of Fury, the last book of the Mage Winds trilogy, and Storm Warning, the first book of the Mage Storms trilogy.

“A shaman is needed, and not a warrior.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. The Avatars are introducing themselves to An’desha.

“Watch. Listen. Learn. And tell us all that you have learned.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. The Avatars’ instruction to An’desha.

“Beware what you ask for, lest you receive it.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. Shin’a’in proverb, remembered by An’desha as he learns what the Avatars want of him.

“Plans seldom survive the first engagement with the enemy.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. A Shin’a’in proverb, quoted by Vanyel’s ghost to the Companion Gwenna.

“Is not there some barbarian curse that wishes your life be interesting?” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Karal musing on the upsettings of life he has been subject to as he and the sun-priest Ulrich wait to enter Valdamar.

“Emotions don’t respond well to logic.” Mercedes Lackey, Storm Warning. Karal, trying to understand why Valdemar doesn’t look any different from Karse.

“He could not let her die alone.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Lai’s thoughts as he first makes contact with Marna.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Quotes

“Identifiable geniuses carved niches for themselves in history.” Poul Anderson, Time Patrolman. Everard reflecting on why the Time Patrol had problems recruiting natives.

“What was legal did not necessarily align with what was actual.” Piers Anthony, Wielding a Red Sword. A reflection on caste, which has been legally abolished in an India with working magic.

“No one is exempt from grief.” Gregory McGuire, Wicked. The Scarecrow agreeing with Dorothy that the Wicket Witch of the East is probably grieving the death of her sister.

“Women drew on the life force; it was they who produced new life.” Jean Auel, Clan of the Cave Bear. Part of the belief system of the Neanderthals, according to this interpretation.

“If it were up to men, there wouldn’t even be weddings.” Katherine Kurtz, St Patrick’s Gargoyle. Comment by the gargoyle Paddy, the gargoyle of St Patrick’s, when Templeton is unhappy about the idea of ordaining female priests. The whole quote is: “Believe me, if it were up to men, there wouldn’t even be weddings. They’d be out gathering the nuts and berries, or whatever it is they do these days, while the woman kept things ticking over at home. But the women want celebrations. They want the big dress, and the flowers, and the music, and the bells and smells, and everybody dressed up in their Sunday-best, including the priest. So all in all, women priests ought to have a better handle on stuff like that, right?”

“Felicity slips quickly by, but affliction walks side by side along our path.” Ernest Bramah, Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat. The mandarin Wong Tsoi has just been fished out of the river by Wen Chung, who was planning to drown himself. Wong Troi uses the proverb above as part of his urging Wong Tsoi to come to his hourse for a meal and dry clothes, after which he can drown himself in comfort if he wishes.

“There was nothing like a good religious conflict to advance the technology of torture.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Zhaim, gloating over his museum of torture implements.

Mercedes Lackey Quotes

The quotes during the last week were again mostly from Mercedes Lackey, for the same reason as two weeks ago: they’re easy to find and Shin’i’an proverbs are just the right length to tweet.

“Just because you feel that an enemy is lurking behind every bush, it doesn’t follow that you are wrong. Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Change. Elspeth, quoting Kero –another Shin’i’an proverb. Elspeth is worried by the apparent malevolence of the K’Sheyna Heartstone.

“In these times, it was no longer possible to hide behind a veil of politeness.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Change. Starblade has invited Tre’valen to his ekele for a purpose, and the normal verbal dance between the two is being curtailed.

“Fire can warm you from a distance, but it burns when you get too close to it.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Change. Elspeth’s comment on Firesong.

“People were often like rabbits; frighten them, and their minds ceased to work.” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury  An‘desha reporting Falconsbane’s thoughts to the Avatars, and thinking that Ancar has some reason behind merely frightening his subordinates.

“Love is worth fighting for!” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. Stephen’s ghost to Skif and Nyara

“Knowledge is good! History is better! Tell me! Tell me all!” Mercedes Lackey, Winds of Fury. Who else but Rris would put that many exclamation points into one utterance? Of course once the destruction of Ancar and Falconsbane is over, he wants to make it into oral history.

“The planet’s name must have been picked out by a publicity agent.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Marna’s initial thought about the planet Eversummer, which has its rotational axis perpendicular to its ecliptic, and hence no seasons.

Mystery Quotes

The past week’s twitter quotes were mostly from mysteries.

“The proper use of bells is to work out mathematical permutations and combinations.” Dorothy Sayers, The Nine Tailors. Sayers’ comment on the English art of change-ringing.

“Truth isn’t in accounts but in account-books.” Josephine Tey, The Daughter of Time. Marta’s “woolly lamb” Brent Carradyne who happens to be a student of history, when faced with the fact that there was no contemporary historian for the alleged murder of the princes in the tower by their uncle, Richard III.

“It’s doin’ good that evil may come that is so embarrassin’” Dorothy Sayers, The Nine Tailors. Lord Peter is speaking, when his sympathies are “all on the wrong side.” The preceding sentence is “I know all about not doin’ evil that good will come.”

“Music is so often a grace and favor kind of business.” Alisa Craig (Charlotte MacLeod) Murder Goes Mumming. Rhys’ mother explaining to his very new finacé why she has identified Donald Condryke as “old money.”

“It’s a poor ringer that can’t raise his own bell.” Dorothy Sayers, The Nine Tailors Lord Peter, who has volunteered to assist with a nine-hour peal, when one of the other ringers offers to raise his bell.

“He was loved in his day.” Josephine Tey, The Daughter of Time. Grant’s comment at the end of their investigation of Richard III — not a bad epitath.

“He must be serious, competent, and above all accepting of his current position.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap.  Zhaim, planning the death of the heir who has supplanted him.