The Capture Quotes

“Legends were not only for the desperate. Legends were for the brave. (Soren)”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“They did not hear Grimble, as he lay dying, chant in the true voice of the Boreal Owl, in tones like chimes in the night, an ancient owl prayer, “I have redeemed myself by giving belief to the wings of the young. Blessed are those who believe, for indeed they shall fly."”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“A legend, Kludd, is a story that you begin to feel in your gizzard and then over time it becomes true in your heart. And perhaps makes you become a better owl.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Flutter like a hummingbird,
Dive like an eagle,
Ain't no bird that's my equal.
- Twilight”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“You ugly rat-faced birds.
You call yourself a bird?
You call yourself an owl?
You ain't no decent kind of fowl!
They call you Jatt?
They call you Jutt?
I'm gonna toss you in a rut!
Then I'm gonna punch you in the gut!
Then your gonna wind up on your butt!
Think you're all gizzard!
I seen better lizards.
One-Two-Three-Four,
You're goin' down, won't ask for more.
Five-Six-Seven-Eight,
You ain't better than fish bait...
Nine-Ten-Eleven-Twelve,
I'm gonna send you straight to hell.
-Twilight”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Everything here at St. Aggie's is upside down and inside out. It's our job not to get moon blinked and to stand right side up in an upside down world. If we don't do that we'll never be able to escape. We'll never be able to think. And thinking is the only way we'll be able to plan an escape."
-Gylfie”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“What gives a wriggle
And makes you giggle
When you eat'em?
Whose weensy little feet
Make my heart really beat?
Why, it's those little creepy crawlies
That make me feel so jolly.

For the darling centipede
My favorite buggy feed
I always want some more.
That's the insect I adore
More than beetles, more than crickets,
Which at times gives me the hiccups.
I crave only to feed
On a juicy centipede
And I shall be happy forevermore."
-Soren”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“To find one's special quality
One must lead a life of deep humility.
To serve in this way
Never question but obey
Is the blessing of St Aggie's charity.
- The owls of St. Aegolius”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Come to us and quackle and quank.
Relieve us of our stirrings
With your fangs so sharp and bright
Take this blood that's always purring.
Through our hollow bones it flows
To each feather and downy fluff.
Quell the terrible, horrid urge that so often prinkles us,
Still our dreams, make slow our thoughts
Let tranquillity flood our veins.
Come to us and drink your fill
So we might end our pains.
- The Owls at St. Aegolius calling to the bats”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Hail to St. Aegolius
Our Alma Mater.
Hail, our song we raise in praise of thee
Long in the memory of every loyal owl
Thy splendid banner emblazoned be.

Now to thy golden talons
Homage we're bringing.
Guiding symbol of our hopes and fears
Hark to the cries of eternal praises ringing
Long may we triumph in the coming years.
- The Owls of St. Aegolius”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Glad to eat ya', I mean meet ya'" - Digger”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“gardians rule”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Every pellet has a story all its own.
Every pellet has a story all its own.
With its fur and teeth and bones
And one or two stones,
Every pellet has a story all its own.

We shall dissect every pellet with glee.
Perhaps we'll find a rodents knee.
And never shall we tire
In the sacred task that we conspire,
No do our work less perfectly
And those bright flecks at the core,
Which makes our hearts soar,
Shall forever remain the deepest mystery.
- The owlets in the Pelletorium at St. Aegolius”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“For when the world one knew began to crumble away bit by bit, when not only your memories but the memories that others might have of you grew dim with time and distance, when, indeed, you began to fade into a nothingness in the minds of the owls that you loved best, well, perhaps that was when legends could become real.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“All this stuff about serving and stations. We are all the same now. There are no stations, no nests, no hollows. We’re all orphans. We’ve all seen horrible things. The world is different now. And part of that difference is that there is no difference between any of us.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Anything worth doing has risks.” Hortense paused. “And believe me, this is worth doing.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“In the daytime, there was often a lovely patch of blue, and sometimes toward evening, before twilight, the clouds turned bright orange or pink.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“A legend, Kludd, is a story that you begin to feel in your gizzard and then over time it becomes true in your heart. And perhaps makes you become a better owl.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Legends were not only for the desperate. Legends were for the brave.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“I have always believed that there is more goodness than evil in the world.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Zan and I have always believed that there is more goodness than evil in the world. But you know, you still got to work at it.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“I have redeemed myself by giving belief to the wings of the young. Blessed are those who believe, for indeed they shall fly.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Dream on, you addle-brained idiot bird.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“GA’HOOLE”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Moon Scalding”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Gylf, you can practice forever and still never fly if you do not really believe you can.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“And yet he could not stop thinking of them. He did not want to stop thinking of them. He would never stop thinking of them.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“rare contentment to complete a set. I feel this sense of rare contentment every morning at this hour.” Rare? Soren thought. That was a word he knew, for his parents had told them that the family of Barn Owls to which they belonged, the Tyto Alba, had become rare, which meant there were not many of them. So how could this owlet’s contentment be rare if it happened every morning at a particular hour? “I, too, feel perfect.” Another owlet now spoke, turning toward Gylfie this time. It was nearly the same speech. At regular intervals now, the two owls turned alternately to Soren and Gylfie and gave short little reports on their states of contentment. On occasion, these reports became interspersed with comments. “25-2, for an owlet of your exceedingly tiny stature you have a fine posture as you peck.” “Thank you,” Gylfie replied, and dipped her head in what she thought was a docile manner. “You are most welcome, 25-2.” Then the owlet closest to Soren began, “12-1, your beak work is quite advanced. You work with industry and delicacy.” “Thank you,” said Soren. And then for some reason he added, “Thank you very much.” “You’re welcome. But you need not be excessively polite. It wastes energy. Politeness is its own reward—just like flecks.”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“Didn’t sleep a wink, huh?” “‘Fraid not, Auntie,” Soren had replied. “Now, you hear me. Why don’t you”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture

“gizzard”
― Kathryn Lasky, The Capture