Equal Rites Quotes

“Time passed, which, basically, is its job.”

“"Million-to-one chances," she said, "crop up nine times out of ten."”

“It had been a very long night, and the morning didn't seem to be an improvement.”

“It was a horrible feeling to find things in your head and not know how they fitted.”

“Wizards parted with money slightly less readily than tigers parted with their teeth.”

“I'm surely going to regret this, she told herself, displaying considerable foresight.”

“Wikipedia: Equal Rites”

“Granny had nothing against fortune-telling provided it was done badly by people with no talent for it.”

“They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.”

“She told me that if magic gives people what they want, then not using magic can give them what they need.”

“Although his body had been around quite a lot, his mind had never gone further than the inside of his own head.”

“"You mean it's my destiny?" she said at last.
Granny shrugged. "Something like that. Probably. Who knows?"”

“"Can't you read, Esk?"
The astonishment in his voice stung her.
"I expect so," she said defiantly. "I've never tried."”

“A world like that, which exists only because the gods enjoy a joke, must be a place where magic can survive. And sex too, of course.”

“"Gods are all right," said Granny, as they ate their lunch and looked at the view. "You don't bother gods, and gods don't come bothering you."”

“There would be a price. And Granny knew enough about wizardry to be certain that it would be a high one. But if you were worried about the price, then why were you in the shop?”

“"Who says that?" said Cutangle.
"Generally people who are wrong." said Granny. "I makes a note in my Almanack, see. I checks. Most things most people believe are wrong."”

“"Hmm. Granpone the White. He's going to be Granpone the Grey if he doesn't take better care of his laundry. Aye tell you, girl, a white magician is just a black magician with a good housekeeper."”

“A hint was to Esk what a mosquito bite was to the average rhino because she was already learning that if you ignore the rules people will, half the time, quietly rewrite them so that they don't apply to you.”

“It is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you're attempting can't be done. A person ignorant of the possibility of failure can be a halfbrick in the path of the bicycle of history.”