Tales of the Dying Earth: The Dying Earth, The Eyes of the Overworld, Cugel's Saga, Rhialto the Marvellous

by Jack Vance

For his outspokenness Slaye received a buffet which sent him staggering.

I urge you to ignore his long spatulate fingers which I last noticed on Larkin the baby-stealer. There is a significant difference between the two: Larkin has been hanged and Cugel has not been hanged.”