David Eddings

“As soon as a friendship passed a certain point - some obscure and secret boundary - a woman quite automatically became overwhelmed by a raging compulsion to complicate things.”

“You must learn that that’s what friends and family are for – to be imposed upon. One of the Cardinal Rules, if you want to get through life without overexerting yourself, is that, when all else fails, fall back on friends and relations.”

“A great blow it was,' he said in expensive tones, 'worthy of the mightiest warrior and truly struck upon the nose of the foe. The bright blood flew, and the enemy was dismayed and overcame. Like a hero, Garion stood over the vanquished, and, like a true hero, did not boast nor taunt his fallen opponent, but offered instead advice for quelling that crimson blood. with simple dignity then, he quit the field, but the bright-eyed maid would not let him depart unrewarded for his valor. hastily, she pursued him and fondly clasped her snowy arms about his neck. And there she lovingly bestowed that single kiss that is the true hero's greatest reward. Her eyes flamed with admiration, and her chaste bosom heaved with newly wakened passion. But modest Garion innocently departed and tarried not to claim those other sweet rewards the gentle maid's fond demeanor so clearly offered. And thus the adventure ended with our hero tasting victory but tenderly declining victory's true compensation.”

“I want to set the record straight.""The record's never straight, you idiot! Haven't you ever read 1984? They rewrite the record anytime it doesn't suit them. You're spinning your wheels and exposing your bare fanny for nothing.”

“You're going to be a father. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll throw up again.”

“You’ll fight with each other, of course, but never go to sleep angry. That was always my mistake.”

“Centuries pass when nothing happens, and then in a few short years events of such tremendous importance take place that the world is never the same again .... Now's the time to be alive-- to see it happen, to be a part of it. That makes the blood race, and each breath is an adventure.”

“Sparhawk: Niye bizim gibi tam takım değil de basit bir örme zırh giyiyorsunuz? bizimkisi daha avantajlı olmaz mı? Ulath: Nehir geçmek zorundaysan olmaz ve geldiğim Thalesia'da bir sürü nehir vardır. Örme zırhı nehrin dibindeyken bile çıkarabilirsin ama diğeriyle kurtulamazsın. Sparhawk: Bu anlamlı. Ulath: Evet biz de öyle düşündük. Tam takım zırh giymemiz gerektiğini düşünen bir eğitmenimiz vardı. Kardeşlerimizden birisini örme gömlekle nehirden aşağı attık. Gömleğini çözüp yukarı çıkması bir dakikadan az sürdü. Eğitmen tam takım zırh giyiyordu, onu attığımızda yukarı çıkamadı. Belki aşağıda daha ilginç bir şey buldu. Sparhawk: Kendi eğitmeninizi mi boğdunuz yani!!? Ulath: Hayır, onu zırhı boğdu. Sonra Sir Komier'i seçtik. Salakça öneriler yapmayacak kadar anlayışlı.”

“Kurik ve hırsız olmasından utandığı oğlu Talen; "Handan uzaklaşırken dolunay vardı ve hava açıktı. K--> Bu taraftan. T--> Nerden biliyorsun. K--> Yıldızlardan T--> Gerçektan yıldızların yön belirleyebileceğinimi söylüyorsun? K--> Tabiki gemiciler bunu binlerce yıldır yapıyor. T--> Bunu bilmiyordum K--> İşte bu yüzden okulda kalmış olman gerekirdi. T--> Ben denizci olmayı planlamıyorum, Kurik. Balık çalmak bana uygun bir işmiş gibi gelmiyor.”

“Teşekkürler, Lordum," dedi fahişe.Etrafına bakındı."Burası sefil bir yer," dedi, sesinde kesin bir teslimiyet vardı."Eğer sokaklarda çalışmaktan hoşlansaydım buraya hiç gelmezdim." İçini çekti. "Biliyor musunuz?" dedi, "ayaklarım ağrıyor.Oysa benim mesleğimdeki birinin sırtından şikayetçi olması gerekirdi.Tekrar teşekkürler, Lordum." Döndü ve oturduğu masaya doğru ayaklarını sürüye sürüye geri gitti. "Fahişelerle konuşmayı seviyorum," dedi Kalten."Hayata karşı hoş, sade bir bakışları var." "Bir kilise şövalyesi için ilginç bir hobi." "Tanrı beni savaşçı olarak kiraladı Sparhawk, keşiş olarak değil.Bana söylediğinde savaşırım ama diğer zamanlarım bana ait.”

“Once you've decided that something's absolutely true, you've closed your mind on it, and a closed mind doesn't go anywhere. Question everything. That's what education's all about.”

“Silk laughed. "You really should try not to let your knife do all your thinking for you. That's the one quality we find least attractive in our Cherek cousins.""And we find this compulsion to make clever remarks which seems to overwhelm our Drasnian brothers now and then almost equally unattractive," Barak told him coolly.”

“You're going to keep making these mistakes as long as you keep carrying your brain in the same scabbard with your sword, Lelldorin.”

“Keep working. Keep trying. Keep believing. You still might not make it, but at least you gave it your best shot. If you don’t have calluses on your soul, this isn’t for you. Take up knitting instead.”

“Any time there's something so ridiculously dangerous that no rational human being would try it, they send for me.' --Garion”

“Everything is idiocy if you choose to look at it in the proper perspective.”

“One of the less attractive aspects of human nature is our tendency to hate the people we haven't treated very well; it's much easier than accepting guilt. If we can convince ourselves that the people we betrayed or enslaved were subhuman monsters in the first place, then our guilt isn't nearly so black as we secretly know that it is. Humans are very, very good at shifting blame and avoiding guilt.”

“Operating by trial and error mostly, we've evolved a tacitly agreed upon list of the elements that make for a good fantasy. The first decision the aspiring fantasist must make is theological. King Arthur and Charlemagne were Christians. Siegfried and Sigurd the Volsung were pagans. My personal view is that pagans write better stories. When a writer is having fun, it shows, and pagans have more fun than Christians. Let's scrape Horace's Dulche et utile off the plate before we even start the banquet. We're writing for fun, not to provide moral instruction. I had much more fun with the Belgariad/Malloreon than you did, because I know where all the jokes are.All right, then, for item number one, I chose paganism. (Note that Papa Tolkien, a devout Anglo-Catholic, took the same route.)”

“Contemporary fantasists all bow politely to Lord Tennyson and Papa Tolkien, then step around them to go back to the original texts for inspiration--and there are a lot of those texts. We have King Arthur and his gang in English; we've got Siegfried and Brunhild in German; Charlemagne and Roland in French; El Cid in Spanish; Sigurd the Volsung in Icelandic; and assorted 'myghtiest Knights on lyfe' in a half-dozen other cultures. Without shame, we pillage medieval romance for all we're worth.”

“If you're going to maintain any kind of self-respect, you're going to have to keep secrets from yourself.”

“Vanity's ridiculous, be we all fall prey to it from time to time.”

“Salmissra was alone and unguarded. The palace eunuchs were sworn to protect her, but evidently a eunuch's oath doesn't mean all that much to him if it's going to involve bleeding.”

“My daughter accepted without comment the fact that she wasn't going to age. The peculiar thing about the whole business in her case was the fact that she really didn't. Beldin and the twins and I had all achieved the appearance of a certain maturity. We picked up wrinkles and grey hair and a distinguished look. Pol didn't...I guess a sorcerer is supposed to look distinguished and wise, and that implies wrinkles and grey hair. A woman with grey hair and wrinkles is called a crone, and I don't think Pol would have liked that very much. Maybe we all wound up looking the way we thought we ought to look. My brothers and I thought we should look wise and venerable. Pol didn't mind the wise part, but "venerable" wasn't in her vocabulary. I might want to investigate that someday. The notion that we somehow create ourselves in intriguing.”

“...You're going to stay here and help Daran in every way you can. Don't let him sink into melancholia the way his father has...Now, pull yourself together. Blow your nose and fix your face. Daran's talking to the Rivan Warder right now. I'll take you to where they are, and then I have to leave.""You're not even going to stay for the funeral?""I've got the funeral in my heart, Pol, the same as you have. No amount of ceremony's going to make it go away. Now go fix your face. You look awful.”

“There are things we know for certain.""Oh? Name one.""The sun's going to come up tomorrow morning.""Why?""It always has.""Does that really mean that it always will?"A faint look of consternation crossed her face. "It will, won't it?""Probably, but we can't be absolutely certain. Once you've decided that something's absolutely true, you've closed your mind on it, and a closed mind doesn't go anywhere. Question everything, Pol. That's what education's all about.”

“When he reached out with both huge hands to grasp me, I ducked under them and stepped forward, smoothly pulling my knife out of my sleeve. Then, with one quick swipe, I sliced him across the belly. I wasn't certain enough of his anatomy to try stabbing him in the heart. As big as he was, his ribs were probably as thick as my wrist. He stared at me in utter amazement. Then he looked down at the entrails that came boiling out of the gaping wounds that ran from hip to hip across his lower belly."I think you dropped something there, Grul," I suggested.He clutched at his spilling entrails with both hands, a look of consternation on his brutish face. "'Grat cut Grul's belly," he said. "Make Grul's insides fall out.""Yes, I noticed that. Did you want to fight some more, Grul? I think you could spend your time better by sewing yourself back together. You're not going to be able to move very fast with your guts tangled around your feet.""'Grat is not nice," he accused mournfully, sitting down and holding his entrails in his lap.”

“...Zedar was gone...As an owl, though, I was able to drift silently from tree to tree until I caught up with him...He wasn't really hard to follow, since he'd conjured up a dim, greenish light to see by --and to hold off the boogiemen. Did I ever tell you that Zedar's afraid of the dark? That adds another dimension to his present situation, doesn't it?He was bundled to the ears in furs, and he was muttering to himself as he floundered along through the snow. Zedar talks to himself a lot. He always has....I drifted to a nearby tree and watched him --owlishly.Sorry. I couldn't resist that.”

“When my sons told me about what they'd found, I went to the priests of Belar and had them examine the auguries. This is the year to go. The ice up there won't be as thick again for years and years. Then they cast my own auguries, and from what they say, this could be the most fortunate year in my whole life.""Do you actually believe that superstitious nonsense?" I demanded. "Are you so gullible that you think that somebody can foretell the future by fondling a pile of sheep guts?"He looked a little injured. "This was important, Belgarath. I certainly wouldn't trust sheep's entrails for something like this.""I'm glad to hear that.""We used a horse instead. Horse guts never lie.”

“Now do you see why war irritates me? It's always the same. A lot of people get killed, but in the end, the whole thing is settled at the conference table. The notion of having the conference first doesn't seem to occur to people.”

“Have you ever noticed that? We base our assessment of the intelligence of others almost entirely on how closely their thinking matches our own. I'm sure that there are people out there who violently disagree with me on most things, and I'm broad-minded enough to conceded that they might possibly not be completely idiots, but I much prefer the company of people who agree with me.You might want to think about that.”

“Is it my birthday again? Already? Where does the time go?""Behind us --or in front. It depends on which way you are looking.”

“It's the nature of man to ask questions.--Belgarath”

“The Orb is not of itself evil. Evil is a thing that lies only in the hearts and minds of men--and of Gods, also.--Aldur”

“Isn't it odd how the little things can change a man's entire life?”

“The place had enormous possibilities. He realized that at once. The stream, of course, was perfect for sailing toy boats, for skipping stones, and, in the event of failing inspiration, for falling into. Several of the trees appeared to have been specifically designed for climbing, and one huge, white old birch overhanging the stream promised the exhilarating combination of climbing a tree and falling into the water, all at one time.”

“Young lady," Silk said urbanely, "I think you'd be amazed at how little Polgara's concerned about who you are." "Polgara?" Ce'Nedra faltered. "The Polgara? I thought you said that she was your sister." "I lied," Silk confessed. "It's a vice a have.”

“Whatever happened to him?" Silk asked. "He went swimming in the Nedrane." "I didn't know that Thulls swam all that well." "They don't–particularly not with large rocks tied to their feet.”

“Someday you'll have to show me how you did that," Asharak was saying. "I found the experience interesting. My horse had hysterics, however." "My apologies to your horse.”

“Let's kill the big one with the red whiskers then," another suggested. "He looks like he might be troublesome, and he's probably too stupid to know anything useful." "I want that one," Barak whispered.”

“Dost thou question my word, Sir Knight?" Madorallen returned in an ominously quiet voice. "And wilt thou then come down and put thy doubt to the test? Or is it perhaps that thou wouldst prefer to cringe doglike behind thy parapet and yap at thy betters?" "Oh, that was very good," Barak said admiringly.”

“Exaggerating?" Silk sounded shocked. "You don't mean to say that horses can actually lie, do you? Hettar shrugged. "Of course. They lie all the time. They're very good at it." For a moment Silk looked outraged at the thought, and then he suddenly laughed. "Somehow that restores my faith in the order of the universe," he declared. Wolf looked pained. "Silk," he said pointedly, "you're a very evil man. Did you know that?" "One does one's best," Silk replied mockingly.”

“Mandorallen turned to Barak. "If it please thee, my Lord," he requested politely, "deliver my challenge as soon as they approach us." Barak shrugged. "It's your skin," he noted. He eyed the advancing knights and then lifted his voice in a great roar. "Sir Madorallen, Baron of Vo Mandor, desires entertainment," he declaimed. "It would amuse him if each of your parties would select a champion to joust with him. If, however, you are all such cowardly dogs that you have no stomach for such a contest, cease this brawling and stand aside so that your betters may pass." "Splendidly spoken, my Lord Barak," Madorallen said with admiration. "I've always had a way with words," Barak replied modestly.”

“Behold Vo Mimbre," Mandorallen proclaimed with pride, "queen of cities. Upon that rock the tide of Angarak crashed and recoiled and crashed again. Upon this field met they their ruin. The soul and pride of Arendia doth reside within that fortress and the power of the Dark One may not prevail against it.""We've been here before, Mendorallen," Mister Wolf said sourly.”

“The whole world is beautiful, Belgarion' Eriond assured him in response to that unspoken thought. 'You just have to know how to look at it”

“There's a peculiar dichotomy in the nature of almost anyone who calls himself a historian. Such scholars all piously assure us that they're telling us the real truth about what really happened, but if you turn any competent historian over and look at his damp underside, you'll find a storyteller, and you can believe me when I tell you that no storyteller's ever going to tell a story without a few embellishments. Add to that the fact that we've all got assorted political and theological preconceptions that are going to color what we write, and you'll begin to realize that no history of any event is entirely reliable...”

“Could you penetrate this palace, Prince Kheldar?" King Anheg challenged."I already have, your Majesty," Silk said modestly, "a dozen times or more."Anheg looked at Rhodar with one raised eyebrow.Rhodar coughed slightly. "It was some time ago, Anheg. Nothing serious. I was just curious about something, that's all.""All you had to do was ask," Anheg said in a slightly injured tone."I didn't want to bother you," Rhodar said with a shrug. "Besides, it's more fun to do it the other way.”

“I must admit that I haven't heard of the Duchess of Erat before.""You're a fortunate man," Wolf said."She's a great beauty," the man said admiringly."And has a temper to match," Wolf told him."I noticed that," the guard said."We noticed you noticing," Silk told him slyly.”

“Misty Sendaria," Silk said ironically. "Sometimes I'm amazed that the entire kingdom doesn't rust shut.”

“The first thing the boy Garion remembered was the kitchen at Faldor's farm. For all the rest of his life he had a special warm feeling for kitchens and those peculiar sounds and smells that seemed somehow to combine into a bustling seriousness that had to do with love and food and comfort and security and, above all, home. No matter how high Garion rose in life, he never forgot that all his memories began in that kitchen.”

“If you'd just try, I'm sure you'd be able to fly.”