Quotes About Conflict

Without thinking at all deeply about anything, he was chiefly aware of the need to be back in a company of men, fighting something.

Modern war is fought by a number of strong, sweaty horsemen with constipation, who have their eyes on power, on wealth and on glory, and who obey the rules just when it pleases them.

Warfare and trickery. It is your natural element.

I don't need to strike you. Words will do just as well.

He said, 'Don't. That is not a weapon for you. And it destroys what we have.' 'But I have nothing, yet,' Philippa said. 'And all the nicety is on your side. Which means I choose any weapon that suits me.

How old do you think he is?' said Sybilla placidly. 'To tell you the truth, I don't want him hanging about my petticoats for the rest of my life. He is, you must admit, a little disruptive in the home.

I am like the Swiss. I prefer not to fight on a Wednesday.

There are those that want to take time and men to hunt down Lymond and his band of murderers; and those that demand that Culter should lead them as proof of his loyalty. But if Richard Crawford of Culter won't interfere; says he has better business to attend to and refuses flatly to hound down his brother baying like the Wild Jagd, that still doesn't make him a traitor.

On the day that his grannie was killed by the English, Sir William Scott the Younger of Buccleuch was at Melrose Abbey, marrying his aunt.

You don't understand,' she said. In her lap, the loose hands had ground together: between the fair brows a single line showed, of anger and disgust and a kind of futile perplexity. 'You don't understand: how can you? You were born into a household, with parents and wealth; you knew your friends and your enemies; you knew your position in life; whom you were fighting for: whom you were against. I am alone. Every man is my enemy.

The pain beating in his brows was beyond belief. He wanted only to go while he was still master of himself; before this primitive desire to devastate them both should overpower him.

I take back the more personal insults if you will take back your arm without putting it to impious uses.

If you're going to marry the youth, I shan't touch him.' 'But you will be nasty to him,' said Philippa gloomily. 'You know you can't help it.' 'I shall probably be nasty to him,' Lymond agreed firmly. 'But I shan't touch him.

It was odd, Adam thought, that Lymond's harshest opponent should be his brother, and that each man had such power to hurt the other.

There was a brief silence, during which Philippa Somerville fought and won a battle to keep her eyes dry. Lymond said, 'I give you my word. It was a lie.' Philippa looked at him. 'And I don't deserve that ,' she said.

No!' said Master Bailey loudly. 'No, you'll not get these lads to leave me. They're good English lads, and they're here to protect me and mine.' 'From Mistress Philippa?' Lymond said hopefully. 'From you and your mercenaries, you contrary churl!

If you're coming with me, listen,' said Lymond. He ducked, and then swung a punch that did not quite go wide. 'And then knock me out cold.' 'With pleasure,' said Jerott. His dark eyes were bleak. 'And if I succeed?' 'You won't,' Lymond said.

What I cannot control is the stupid man, launched upon a war which is against his material interests. And there is no scavenger of the air, or beast of the earth, or ooze of the sea which will offend nature like two such, opposed to one another.

I think it would be truer to say,' Philippa said, 'that both of us at the time had our reasons for hurting you.

Nicholas had never before felt amused by anything to do with Simon. He divided twelve quickly by three and concluded that he had not been punched seriously on the head.

There is something about wills which brings out the worst side of human nature. People who under ordinary circumstances are perfectly upright and amiable, go as curly as corkscrews and foam at the mouth, whenever they hear the words 'I devise and bequeath.

It has been said, by myself and others, that a love-interest is only an intrusion upon a detective story. But to the characters involved, the detective-interest might well seem an irritating intrusion upon their love-story.

You give me your advice, and stand by ready to rally round with your myrmidons in case there's any roughhousing.

You can't carry through any principle without doing violence to somebody. Either directly or indirectly. Every time you disturb the balance of nature you let in violence. And if you leave nature alone you get violence in any case.