“The heart of democracy is violence, Miss Tagwynn,” Esterbrook said. “In order to decide what to do, we take a count of everyone for and against it, and then do whatever the larger side wishes to do. We’re having a symbolic battle, its outcome decided by simple numbers. It saves us time and no end of trouble counting actual bodies—but don’t mistake it for anything but ritualized violence. And every few years, if the person we elected doesn’t do the job we wanted, we vote him out of office—we symbolically behead him and replace him with someone else. Again, without the actual pain and bloodshed, but acting out the ritual of violence nonetheless. It’s actually a very practical way of getting things done.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Each creature had something it excelled at, he supposed. Humans could manage knots easily, and cats could do everything else.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Bridget blinked once. “Books do not have souls, sir.” “Those who write them do,” Ferus said. “They leave bits and pieces behind them when they lay down the words, some scraps and smears of their essential nature.” He sniffed. “Most untidy, really—but assemble enough scraps and one might have something approaching a whole.” “You believe that the library has a soul,” Bridget said carefully. “I do not believe it, young lady,” Ferus said rather stiffly. “I know it.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“It's a tradition,” Grimm said. “Were traditions rational, they’d be procedures.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“It was a well-known fact that humans became more addled than usual when running in herds.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“I am cat,” Rowl said smugly, “which means I have made better use of my time.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“One rather thick volume was titled Means of Execution Through the Ages, and was placed with an elegant balance of nonchalance and availability at the eye level of anyone entering the room. As threats went, it was nearly subliminal—and perhaps it was placed there for that very reason.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“A more capable cat is never impressed by a less capable cat.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Now then Captain" He turned back to Grim "Your have questions, I answers, shall we see if they match?"
"Please" Grim said "I appear to be your guest, have I you to thank for caring for me?" Ferrus' shoulders sagged in evident disappointment "Oh.... apparently they do not match... I was going to say strawberries!”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“the worst madmen don’t seem odd at all,” Grimm said. “They appear to be quite calm and rational, in fact. Until the screaming starts.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“...if you go exploring, you might find something that could hurt you."
"If one doesn't , one is not truly exploring”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Rowl was not prepared to tolerate incompetence where his personal human was concerned. He had just gotten her properly trained.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“There are many things you have never done,” Rowl responded. “To be frightened of them is of no use to you.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Let me be clear that I never offered House Astor an insult... Nor did I insult Reginald. I simply described him in accurate terms. If he finds himself insulted by the truth, it's hardly my concern.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“That you are young,” the cat said. “And less wise than one who is old. I am wiser than you, and I say you should go. It is obvious. You should trust a wiser head than your own.” “You aren’t any older than I am,” she countered. “I am cat,” Rowl said smugly, “which means I have made better use of my time.” “Oh, you’re impossible,” Bridget said. “Yes. Cat.” Rowl rose and flowed down onto the floor. He turned to face her, curling his tail around his paws. “Why do you wish to dishonor and humiliate Wordkeeper? Would you change his name?” “No, of course not,” Bridget said. “But I’m just . . . I’m not like him.” “No,” Rowl said. “That is what growing up is for.” “I am not a child,” she said. The cat looked around speculatively and then turned back to her. “Rather than do your duty, you are hiding in the darkest corner of the darkest room in your home. This is very wise. Very mature.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“A human of significantly less clumsiness than most came aboard, a small male, and despite its diminutive stature, it moved with a warrior’s confidence and wore a very large and fine hat. Such hats often signified humans who considered themselves important, which was adorable for the first few moments and trying ever after.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“You can describe it to them as much as you want. You can write books about what you felt, what you experienced. You can compose poems and songs about what it was like. But until they’ve seen it for themselves, they can’t really know what it is you’re talking about. A few people will clearly see the effect it had on you, will understand that much, at least. But they won’t know.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“It is often very useful for others to think you less intelligent than you are, "Benedict said, his tone amused. "It works particularly well against those who aren't as intelligent as you in the first place.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“A wonderful place, the mind, but if it has any kind of disappointing failure, it’s that it always attempts to put new things into the context of things which are already familiar to it.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Ah,” Bridget said, flushing slightly. As the glib-tongued lout in question, she was currently on the receiving end of this facet of the habble’s law. “I’m not sure everyone would agree with you. We’re a civilized society, are we not?” Esterbrook blinked. “Since when, miss? We’re a democracy.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Not even his father would assert that it was practical to manage five humans. It was a well-known fact that humans became more addled than usual when running in herds.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Money is a madness, a delusion-illusion. It’s not made of metal, really. It’s made of time. How much is one’s time worth? If one can convince enough people that one’s time is an invaluable resource, then one has lots and lots of money. That’s why one can spend time—only one can never get a refund.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Those who write them do,” Ferus said. “They leave bits and pieces behind them when they lay down the words, some scraps and smears of their essential nature.” He sniffed. “Most untidy, really—but assemble enough scraps and one might have something approaching a whole.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Predator is not property,” Grimm said in a calm, level tone. “She is not my possession. She is my home. Her crew are not my employees. They are my family. And if you threaten to take my home and destroy the livelihood of my family again, Commodore, I will be inclined to kill you where you stand.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“After the way I left, I suddenly find myself wanting very much to go home. But . . . it won’t be the same when I get back. Will it?” “It will be the same,” Grimm said. “You’re the one who has changed.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Grimm frowned. “Ah. Um. Am I in any danger?” “You’re dead as a stone, man!” “I am?” “Yes. No, actually, not even remotely, but for purposes of this conversation, yes.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“What was the point in all the fighting with gauntlets if they were only going to stop fighting the moment the outnumbered fools decided the fight was over? Rowl flicked his tail in exasperation. Humans.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Truth does not become untruth simply because its existence upsets the scion of a High House.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“Those who had never seen a tribe of cats at war, or at least playing war games, would look upon what came next as utter chaos.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
“It takes calculation to win a duel against a reptile, and you've always been impatient.”
― Jim Butcher, quote from The Aeronaut's Windlass
Jim Butcher
Born place: in Independence, Missouri, The United States
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“If we are still discussing its merits tomorrow, I will agree with you," said Diagoras.
"Cheer up, laddie. Nobody lives forever."
"Oh I expect you will, Druss, Old Horse. It's the mortals around you who always seem to kiss the granite.”
― David Gemmell, quote from White Wolf
“The doctor said softly, “Sometimes I think you realists are the most sentimental people in the world.”
― John Steinbeck, quote from In Dubious Battle
“It could have been ten.” “What’s that mean?” “It’s a Hellion joke. When God threw them from Heaven, they fell for nine days, so when everything goes to shit you say…” “…It could have been ten.”
― Richard Kadrey, quote from Kill the Dead
“She had always given too much of her life over to relationships, and they’d never quite worked out. Now she was simplifying her life in favor of her career. It gave her a sense of control to watch herself succeeding, and a great deal of satisfaction.”
― Jack Ketchum, quote from Off Season
“It’s about an idea. It’s about rebelling against low expectations. It’s about a movement that is changing the attitudes and actions of teens around the world. And we want you to be part of it.”
― Alex Harris, quote from Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations
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