Scott Lynch

"“Better to say nothing and be thought a fool,” said Amarelle, “than to interfere in the business of wizards and remove all doubt.”"

"You have confused me with someone who knows what’s going on."

"“I sometimes think that ‘friend’ is just a word I use for all the people I haven't murdered yet.”"

"“Sure, kid. Look, there's a very old saying in my family: ‘Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is another wizard fucking with you.’”"

"You can’t help being young, but it’s past time that you stopped being stupid."

"Enlightenment! When it comes, it comes like a brick to the head, doesn’t it?"

"Our patron has always sort of danced upon the notion that austerity and piety go hand in hand; down here, we show our appreciation for things by appreciating, if you get me."

"“Liquor does this? Even after you’re sober?” “A cruel joke, isn’t it? The gods put a price tag on everything, it seems.”"

"There’s no freedom quite like the freedom of being constantly underestimated."

"“This entire situation is insane.” Jean slammed his book shut in disgust. “It was insane before; now it’s become malicious.”"

"Time’s a river, Locke, and we’ve always drifted farther down it than we think."

"When you’re a priest, people tend to see the robe rather than the man."

"“Advice,” chuckled Doña Vorchenza. “The years play a sort of alchemical trick, transmuting one’s mutterings to a state of respectability. Give advice at forty and you’re a nag. Give it at seventy and you’re a sage.”"

"“‘Commonly thought,’ you say? Many things are commonly thought, but perhaps not commonly thought all the way through.”"

"I’m sure we can communicate. I speak fluent hatchet."

"It was strange, how readily authority could be conjured with nothing but a bit of strutting jackassery."

"I have always found the presumptions of others to be the best possible disguise—haven’t you?"

"In time, you’ll come to understand that a state like ours cannot afford to offer up a show of weakness for honesty’s sake; Duke Nicovante charges me with vouchsafing his security, not his conscience."

"I can’t live forever. Each time something like this affair lands in my lap, I suddenly recall that I don’t want to live forever."

"Hard lessons were handed out. As many men learned to their sorrow, it’s impossible to be intimidating when one angry woman has your cock between her teeth and another is holding a stiletto to your kidneys."

"I make it a point never to trust men with weapons to my windpipe."

"“What’s your hand [of cards] look like?“ “A parched desert...How’s yours?“ “A wasteland of bitter frustration.“"

"“Here's to charming losers, I suppose.“ “If only we knew where to find some.“"

"“What do you have to say to that?“ “Oh, very little, to be sure, Master Kosta. It’s so hard to think, overawed as I am with the sublime genius of your plan.“ “That bears some vague resemblance to sarcasm.“ “God forfend,“ said Jean. “You wound me! Your inexpressible criminal virtues have triumphed again, as inevitably as the tides come and go. I cast myself at your feet and beg for absolution. Yours is the genius that nourishes the heart of the world.“ “And now you’re—“ “If only there was a leper handy,“ interrupted Jean, "so you could lay your hands on and magically heal him.“"

"“I suspect that drink has made you impulsive.“ “Drink makes me see funny; the gods made me impulsive.“"

"The trouble with creating military dictators, Locke reflected, was getting rid of them after the immediate crisis was past."

"“You needed a bath,“ Jean interrupted. “You were covered in self-pity.“"

"“When I get this door open, you’re dead, Jean!“ “When you get that door open? I look forward to many long years of life, then.“"

"“That’s a sweet piece,“ said Jean, briefly forgetting to be aggravated. “You didn’t snatch that off a street.“ “No,“ said Locke, before taking another deep draught of the warm water in the decanter. “I got it from the neck of the governor’s mistress.“ “You can’t be serious.“ “In the governor’s manor.“ “Of all the—“ “In the governor’s bed.“ “Damned lunatic!“ “With the governor sleeping next to her...It is possible,“ said Locke with a sheepish grin, “that I have been slightly too bold.“"

"Master Kosta...What a pleasure! Selendri tells me you’ve expressed an interest in getting killed."

"“I say again, impossible.” “And I correct you again. Difficult. ‘Difficult’ and ‘impossible’ are cousins often mistaken for one another, with very little in common.”"

"Some mysteries are better off with their throats slit."

"As for history, we are living in its ruins. And as for biographies, we are living with the consequences of all the decisions ever made in them. I tend not to read them for pleasure. It‘s not unlike carefully scrutinizing the map when one has already reached the destination."

"“We met five years ago.“ Jean scratched his beard. “On a sea voyage. We became business partners out of sheer boredom. Since then we‘ve been inseparable.“ “Except that my plan calls for me to be plotting your death.“ “Yes, but I don‘t know that, do I? Boon companion! I suspect nothing.“ “Chump! I can hardly wait to see you get yours!“"

"Time went by with all the speed of a sleepless night."

"By rights he was still outrunning his age, still ahead of most men nearing threescore years, but he knew deep in his heart that there would never be any way of running fast enough."

"I don’t want you to agree with me; I want you to use your misplaced acorn of a brain before the squirrel comes looking for it again."

"“We already know how too—” “I don’t care what you think you know, Kosta. Until further notice, we’re gonna presume that you’re too dumb to count to one.”"

"You’re ten pints of crazy in a one-pint glass."

"Only gods-damned fools die for lines drawn on maps."

"It had the expression common to all kittens, that of a tyrant in the becoming."

"I find it best to make corpses of complications."

"I’m losing my taste for subtlety as fast as I’m depleting my supply."

"”Oh, gods,” he cried. ”Oh, gods protect me! It’s you!” “Of course it’s me,“ said Locke. “You just don’t know who the hell I am yet.“"

"”Is this man, ah, senile?” ”He’s absolutely competent,” she answered coldly. ”I assure you I am,” roared Cordo. Anger changed his countenance utterly. ”And I will not be put off from business by assassins in my own bedroom! Now, you will either kill me immediately or negotiate the price of my release!”"

"“Thank you very much, sir,” said Beth with nothing resembling actual gratitude."

"People die when they get hanged. It’s why they hang them!"

"Refusal noted and cordially declined."

"I’m going to give you a thorough examination. This may cause some discomfort, but don’t complain. I won’t be listening."

"Gods, all this maneuvering for moral advantage. You’d think we were married."