Quotes from John Flanagan

It has to be admitted that, in a sneaking way, although he hated the discomfort of seasickness, once he was over it, he enjoyed the attention and sympathy that it created among attractive young women like Evanlyn and Alyss. And he liked the fact that Will tended to walk on eggshells around him when the problem was mentioned. Keeping Will off balance was always desirable. ~Halt

Don't concentrate on the obvious. They might want you to miss something else.

That's a big nose," he croaked and instantly realized he shouldn't have said something so impolite. I must be light headed, e thought. But the face smiled. The teeth seemed inordinatley white against the dark beard and skin. The only one I have," he said.

Sometimes, he thought wryly, a reputation for being right all the time could be a heavy burden.

Never take your eyes off them," Horace said to Gilan, in an admonishing tone. "Didn't MacNeil ever tell you that?

Sometimes, life threw up problems that even the wisest, most trusted mentor couldn't solve for you. It was part of the pain of growing up. And having to stand by and watch was part of being a mentor.

Damn! I hate farewells!

All we could get out of them was that they were taking us to 'Kurokuma'. We didn't know if that was a place or a person. What does it mean, by the way?' 'I'm told it's a term of great respect,' Horace said, unwilling to admit that he didn't know.

If you're a ghost," he said, "we mean you no disrespect. And if you're not a ghost, tell me who you are-or you soon will be one

Now I know that if you wait until you think you are ready, you'll wait your whole life

Bear with me on this, Evanlyn. I know you're anxious about Horace." WIll was a little puzzled by Halt's words. "No more anxious than the rest of us, surely," he said. Halt turned away and raised his eyebrows as his gaze met Selethen's. Sometimes, he thought, his former apprentice could be remarkably slow on the uptake. He saw the Arridi's slow nod of understanding. ~Halt & Will about Evanlyn and Horace

Shokaku is a crane of some kind.' 'For lifting things?' Will asked. 'For flying. A crane is a large bird,' she corrected him... 'Seems like a logical thing for a crane to do,' Halt mused. 'I suppose you wouldn't expect it to mean 'a hiking crane' or 'a waddling crane.

Got to keep losing horses," he said drowsily. "Bad habit.

She didn't like the fact that she had reduced a man – no matter how evil he might be—to a drooling idiot.

Don't talk to your horse, dear. People are watching," Pauline said quietly. Halt turned a perplexed look toward her. "How do you know when I'm doing that?" She smiled at him. "Your nose twitches." … On the way, Kane [stableboy] kept glancing surreptitiously at the famous Ranger, fascinated by the fact that he kept staring down his nose and tweaking its tip between his forefinger and thumb.

How can you sleep at a time like this?" she asked, but the only answer was a low snore. She looked at him suspiciously. In the short time she had been with him, she had never before heard him snore. "You're faking," she said. "No. I'm really fast asleep," came his voice from under the cowl.

Stig: 'Of course, she'll sail rings around Wolfswind,' Hal: 'Then why didn't you tell him that?' Stig: 'I like my head where it is.

Lend me your helmet

It's not what I expected," he said. "They're far more organized than our intelligence had led us to believe.

The mace prodded Will in the back again. That little habit was starting to annoy him and he was tempted to take the weapon from the sergeant major and do a little prodding of his own.

Arm there," she said. "Other arm, idiot. Now hand there...okay, ready? We're going to start with your left foot. On three. One. Two... What the devil is he doing here?

If and perhaps.... The language of procrastination and uncertainty. That's just people looking to justify their own lack of action.

In a month, the passes into Teutlandt and Skanida will be open and my companion and I will be on our way." He paused and Philemon frowned, trying to understand what he was being told. You want us to come with you?" he asked, at last. "You expect us to follow you?" Halt shook his head. "I have no wish to ever see any of you again," he said flatly.

It was not polite for a Temujai general to allow his emotions to show.