Megan Whalen Turner Quotes

He couldn't have found the whereabouts of the stone from the papers in my study," the magus went on. "I was careful to destroy any records. But he could have followed us and stolen the Gift once it was located.

"The court is watching," she pointed out.
"I thought you wanted me more exposed to the public eye?" he teased.
"I reverse myself," she said coldly, "and argue for a little circumspection." She tugged at his hand, but he didn't release her. She gave up, unwilling to be seen trying to pull away.
"You don't think I can do it."
She didn't think he could.
"I don't care what they think."
She knew that. It worried her.
"No," said the queen, but she wavered.
He sensed it and smiled. "Am I king?" he asked, irrepressibly.
It was the one argument she was in no position to deny. She wanted him to be king, and he was resisting it with all his will.

And now we wait," she said, not bothering to hide her smile of delighted anticipation as her guards conveyed the messenger out of the door.
"Wait for what?" the Mede asked.
"Hmm?" Attolia focused herself on the present. "Good heavens, I don't know," she said. "Eddis produces such lovely threats when her Thief is concerned.

The queen turned back to face him. "I could hang you," she said.
Eugenides looked up at her. "You missed your chance for that," he said.

"...Everything about you reveals your low birth. You'd never be comfortable at the court."
"I'd be famous."
"Oh, you're already that, Gen," he said pityingly.

For a moment Costis could see, not so much what was hidden but that there were things hidden that the king did not choose to reveal. Things that were not for Costis to see. There was no understanding him, but Costis knew he would march into hell for this fathomless king, as he would for his queen. So long, he worried, as they didn't order him in opposite directions at the same time. What he would do when that happened, Costis couldn't guess.

The king paused. "Your master of spies is a liar, and this time he is lying," the king said slowly, "to you." Attolia frowned, then almost imperceptibly shook her head.
"Have him arrested," said the king. After another pause he added unequivocally, "Now."
If he succeeds in having me killed, you could be the next Captain of the Guard. What, then, if the king destroyed Relius? Who would replace him?
Costis hardly breathed. The king hadn't ordered the arrest himself, though he could have, but he had directed the queen to do so, in public. Now they would see if the queen could protect her own or not.

You don't understand your weakness, if you think the greater nations will protect you. We will see how much longer you rule your backwater, Your Majesty. You will soon enough discover the limits of your resources."
"Will I? I think you underestimate me still, Nahuseresh. While we are being forthright with each other, I admit I find it tedious.

"Treachery," said the Mede.
"Diplomacy," said Attolia, "in my own name," as the rest of her guard rose up from the grass behind their captain.

You bastard," said Sounis wearily. "I don't know why I don't stab you here in this alley so I can be the annux over Sounis and Attolia." They were twisting through the narrowest of passages, with Eugenides still in the lead, turning on what seemed to be a whim from one walkway to the next.
"Well, the stabbing would be unkind," said Eugenides, "but you can have the annux part with my goodwill."
"Not Attolia's."
"True," said the king. "Better not stab me.

Would I be wrong," Sounis asked one evening as he walked with Eddis, "to think that I talk to you, you talk to Gen, and Gen talks to Attolia, who talks to the magus, who talks to me?"
Eddis laughed. "Not always. Sometimes, as in this case, someone approaches my Eddisian ambassador Ornon, here in Attolia, and he talks to me, I talk to you, you talk to Attolia, Attolia talks to Gen, and he talks to me."
"I see you appear in that progression twice."
"Oh, more than that, because after Gen talks to me, the process reverses. He goes back to Attolia, who talks to you, who go to the magus, who repeats the information to me, who gives it to Ornon, who takes it back to whoever started this particular political ball rolling in the first place.

Do you warn him not to offend the gods?"
"There was no need," said Attolis, smiling, "He couldn't offend the gods with a pointed stick.

Nahuseresh, if there is one thing a woman understands, it is the nature of gifts. They are bribes when threats do not avail." The queen shook her head. "The problem with bribes, Nahuseresh, is that after your money is gone, threats still do not avail.

The magus described the fighting with the guard in detail and made me look very good indeed.

You eat more than Gen did after prison", he said.
"I have more sympathy with him all the time. Are you going to finish that drumstick?" I asked.
"I am. Stop staring at it."
"What earrings?