Hellspark Quotes

“Art comes from the heart, but the heart is instructed by the culture.”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“Foot,” she said in a matching torrent of Jannisetti curses, “Heel. Sole. Toes, with green toenail polish!”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“Why do they never volunteer a word? Tocohl wondered. Maggy volunteers information to the point of distraction. She smiled to herself at the thought. New definition of sapient: that which gives unsought advice.”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“The crested sprookje let her hand drop. From its own vibrantly colored yoke it tugged a feather and gave it to her. Feathers are good, it told her silently, try them.”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“All in all, Maggy concluded, she had done right. Tocohol knew that she could not see the ship from here, so Maggy had not lied to a friend. She had told a pleasing story, and she was very proud of her new ability.”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“Let me put it this way: Would you like to go off on your own now?” The arachne hunched. Tocohl saw herself reflected in the ebony eye of its lens. “Do you mean without you?” “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.” “I wouldn’t like that at all. Who’d explain things to me? Who would I talk to?” The arachne began to rock. “You wouldn’t make me go away without you, would you, Tocohl? Say you wouldn’t. Say it in Jenji.”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“By the time the arachne caught up with them in Kejesli’s quarters, Maggy found layli-layli calulan in the midst of an elaborate lie. Like Maggy, layli-layli took advantage of Kejesli’s lack of knowledge of her culture, a lack Maggy did not share. Nothing new in technique, Maggy noted, but she recorded it for her growing file on lying, for its style and for its purpose, which she hoped might become clear.”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“Tocohl frowned, and saw Kejesli suddenly for what he was. He was a man trying not to be Sheveschkem, without conscious knowledge of what being Sheveschkem actually entailed. He spoke GalLing’ but danced Sheveschkem; he wore worlds’ motley, but lowered his ceiling.”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark

“The dance is sweeter than the song.’ “Let”
― Janet Kagan, Hellspark