Interesting Times (Discworld, #17; Rincewind, #5)

by Terry Pratchett

He did not often have a chance to see the gardens, which had been written up in the “How Not To Do It” section of gardening manuals everywhere.

it was something that Ponder had only before encountered in acorns: a tiny soundless voice which said, yes, I am but a small, green, simple object—but I dream about forests.

I heard the Empire has a tyrannical and repressive government!” “What form of government is that?” said Ponder Stibbons. “A tautology,” said the Dean, from above.

But I decided to give it up and make a living by the sword.” “After being a teacher all your life?” “It did mean a change of perspective, yes.” “But … well … surely … the privation, the terrible hazards, the daily risk of death…” Mr. Saveloy brightened up. “Oh, you’ve been a teacher, have you?”

“Hit a man too hard and you can only rob him once; “Hit him just hard enough and you can rob him every week.” If he was in what felt like a cart then someone had some purpose in keeping him alive.

Stars and oceans and intelligent life evolving from arts graduates, that sort of thing?”

Because Rincewind knew very well that when the Four rather small and nasty Horsemen of Panic ride out there is a good job done by Misinformation, Rumor, and Gossip, but they are as nothing compared to the fourth horseman, whose name is Denial.

Of course, it was only a temporary measure, but Rincewind had always considered that life was no more than a series of temporary measures strung together.