Ring of Swords Quotes

“The man is an asshole."
"You might say that, but you'd be maligning a part of the body that is of unquestioned utility. I prefer to think of Lugala as a tumor.”
― Eleanor Arnason, Ring of Swords

“Do not mislead Perez Anna or malign the people who have sheltered you for over twenty years. We are not - what is the word for eaters of one another?"
"Capitalists," said Anna.”
― Eleanor Arnason, Ring of Swords

“Isn't that petty?"
"Anna, you have not yet seen pettiness. When a couple of tough guys like the general and Lugala Tsu decide to confront each other, vistas of pettiness open up that you and I can barely comprehend.”
― Eleanor Arnason, Ring of Swords

“You acted, as far as I can tell, out of honor and compassion, but your action was unnecessary and inappropriate. Does the fact that your action was unnecessary make it meaningless? “What you did was contrary to the will of the Goddess and to all good sense. But you didn’t know that. How can I judge the behavior of an alien, a person from a culture that does not seem to have the first idea of what is decent?” He paused and drew in a breath, hissing softly. “Does intent matter or only the action? Does action matter or only the result?”
― Eleanor Arnason, Ring of Swords