Quotes / World of the Five Gods

The Curse of Chalion

Cazaril: Why, sir. I believe she will give me an estate in Chalion that will suit me perfectly. One pace wide and two paces long, to be mine in perpetuity. ... I should probably explain. I bear a tumor in my gut that I expect to kill me shortly. These prizes are for living men, I think. Not dying ones.
The Fox: Five gods! The girl has wit and ruthlessness enough to teach me my trade! No wonder she gave you such powers. By the Bastard's balls, she's sent me an unbribeable ambassador!
(Three thoughts marched across Cazaril's mind: first, that Iselle had no such crafty plan, second, that were it to be pointed out to her, she would say Hm! and file the notion away against some future need, and third, that the Fox did not need to know about the first.)

Cazaril: Lady, do you see anything odd about me?
Ista: I see only with my eyes, now. I've been blind for years, you see. You see?
Cazaril: (to whom this makes perfect sense.) Yes.
Ista: I thought so. There is a look about one who sees with those eyes.

Palli: The Gods are on our side. Can we fail?
Cazaril: Yes. And when we fail, the Gods do, too.

Paladin of Souls

"Lord Arhys, how long have you been dead?"

— Ista, after unsuccessfully trying to cure Arhys with a dowager royina's kiss.

"Lord Bastard, you bastard."

— Ista, telling her god to his face what she thinks of his ambiguous blessings (and horrible sense of humour).

The Hallowed Hunt

Ingrey: If each kin shaman delivered the next, and him the next… What happens to the last shaman left?
The Son of Autumn: We shall have to find out.

"Come in" (thinks: I can do better than that) "Come in"

— Ingrey, using the Weirding Voice to invite the Five Gods into Bloodfield.

Penric's Demon

"And I'm sorry about the boat. But not very."

— Penric, trying to explain and justify his actions in escaping from Clee and Rusillin

"It means congratulations. You’re a sorcerer." He pursed his lips, and added more judiciously, "The gods do not act for our ends, but for Theirs. Presumably, the god has some interesting future in mind for you—for you two. This is not a blessing. Good luck. You’ll need it."

— The Saint of Idau, after the Bastard refuses to take Desdemona.

Penric and the Shaman

Scuolla: But will there be good beer?
The Hunter: If there is beer, it will be very good. If there is not, it will be because there’s something better. It’s not a wager you can lose.

Penric: Take witness of the dogs, Locator?
Oswyl: This benighted case is the strangest I ever worked on. And I’m going to have to report it all when I get home, you realize?
Penric: You’d best pray for eloquence, then.

Penric's Fox

Penric: So... so you went through all this effort, perpetrated all this pointless cruelty, just to make yourself feel better? [...] Is it working?

[The princess-archdivine] looked him over. "My, my, my."
Three mys tonight, goodness. He usually rated only two. He wondered what he'd have to do to win four.