Quotes from Deep Wizardry

Diane Duane ·  384 pages

Rating: (15.1K votes)


Go ahead! Panic!" screamed Picchu from somewhere in the background. "Do it now and avoid the June rush! Fear death by water!”
― Diane Duane, quote from Deep Wizardry


“And we will cause it to be well-made, this Sacrifice. You, young and never loving; I, old and never loved. Such a Song the Sea will never have seen.”
― Diane Duane, quote from Deep Wizardry


“Must I accept the barren Gift?
-learn death, and lose my Mastery?
Then let them know whose blood and breath
will take the Gift and set them free:
whose is the voice and whose the mind
to set at naught the well-sung Game-
when finned Finality arrives
and calls me by my secret Name.

Not old enough to love as yet,
but old enough to die, indeed-
-the death-fear bites my throat and heart,
fanged cousin to the Pale One's breed.
But past the fear lies life for all-
perhaps for me: and, past my dread,
past loss of Mastery and life,
the Sea shall yet give up Her dead!

Lone Power, I accept your Gift!
Freely I make death a part of me;
By my accept it is bound
into the lives of all the Sea-

yet what I do now binds to it
a gift I feel of equal worth:
I take Death with me, out of Time,
and make of it a path, a birth!

Let the teeth come! As they tear me,
they tear Your ancient hate for aye-
-so rage, proud Power! Fail again,
and see my blood teach Death to die!”
― Diane Duane, quote from Deep Wizardry


“Blood in the water I sing,
and one who shed it:
deadliest hunger I sing, and one who fed it-
weaving the ancient-most tale
of the Sea's sending:
singing the tragedy,
singing the joy unending
This is our shame-
this is the whole Ocean's glory:
this is the Song of the Twelve.
Hark to the story!
Hearken, and bring it to pass:
swift lest the sorrow
long ago laid to it's rest
devour us tomarrow! ”
― Diane Duane, quote from Deep Wizardry


“Belief made no difference to the truth.”
― Diane Duane, quote from Deep Wizardry



“Belief as such always has doubt at the bottom. It's knowing that makes wizardry work. Only knowing can banish doubt.”
― Diane Duane, quote from Deep Wizardry


“Most people think it's normal to have a nameless sorrow at the bottom of your soul.”
― Diane Duane, quote from Deep Wizardry


About the author

Diane Duane
Born place: in New York, The United States
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