Ancillary Sword Quotes

“When they behave properly, you will say there is no problem. When they complain loudly, you will say they cause their own problems with their impropriety. And when they are driven to extremes, you say you will not reward such actions. What will it take for you to listen?”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“For my part,” I replied, “I find forgiveness overrated. There are times and places when it’s appropriate. But not when the demand that you forgive is used to keep you in your place.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Translator Dlique was saying, very earnestly, “Eggs are so inadequate, don’t you think? I mean, they ought to be able to become anything, but instead you always get a chicken. Or a duck. Or whatever they’re programmed to be. You never get anything interesting, like regret, or the middle of the night last week.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Sit up straight, Dlique. Don’t dismember your sister, Dlique, it isn’t nice. Internal organs belong inside your body, Dlique.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“And it’s so easy to just go along. So easy not to see what’s happening. And the longer you don’t see it, the harder it becomes to see it, because then you have to admit that you ignored it all that time.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Water will wear away stone, but it won’t cook supper. Everything has its own strengths. Said with enough irony, it could also imply that since the gods surely had a purpose for everyone the person in question must be good for something, but the speaker couldn’t fathom what it might be.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“You take what you want at the end of a gun, you murder and rape and steal, and you call it bringing civilization. And what is civilization, to you, but us being properly grateful to be murdered and raped and stolen from? You said you knew justice when you heard it. Well, what is your justice but you allowed to treat us as you like, and us condemned for even attempting to defend ourselves?”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Memory is an event horizon What’s caught in it is gone but it’s always there.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“We are all of us only human. We can only forgive so much.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Strange, how equally important, just different always seemed to translate into some “equally important” roles being more worthy of respect and reward than others.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Life is unpredictable,” I said, “and we are not always the people we think we are. If we’re unlucky, that’s when we discover it. When something like that happens, you have two choices.” Or, more than two, but distilled, they came down to two. “You can admit the error and resolve never to repeat it, or you can refuse to admit error and throw every effort behind insisting you were right to do what you did, and would gladly do it again.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“People don’t riot for no reason.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“If there was anything any Radchaai considered essential for civilised life, it was tea.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Oh, how I missed the rest of myself.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“These people are citizens.” I replied, my voice as calm and even as I could make it, without reaching the dead tonelessness of an ancillary. “When they behave properly, you will say there is no problem. When they complain loudly, you will say they cause their own problems with their impropriety. And when they are driven to extremes, you say you will not reward such actions. What will it take for you to listen?”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Betrayer! Long ago we promised
To exchange equally, gift for gift.
Take this curse: What you destroy will destroy you.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“I find forgiveness overrated. There are times and places when it’s appropriate. But not when the demand that you forgive is used to keep you in your place.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“many of the Ychana’s problems would be remedied if only they became better citizens.” “Just how good a citizen does one have to be,” I asked, “in order to have water and air, and medical help?”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Children are all sorts of people, aren’t they, and I suppose if I knew more I’d find some I like and some I don’t, just like everyone else.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“You are so civilized. So polite. So brave coming here alone when you know no one here would dare to touch you. So easy to be all those things, when all the power is on your side.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“It's always for show, Citizen. It is entirely possible to grieve with no outward sign. These things are meant to let others know about it.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Still that expressionless face. “Water will wear away stone, sir.” It was a proverb. Or half of one. Water will wear away stone, but it won’t cook supper. Everything has its own strengths. Said with enough irony, it could also imply that since the gods surely had a purpose for everyone the person in question must be good for something, but the speaker couldn’t fathom what it might be.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Do you love randomly?” She blinked in bewilderment. “What?” “Do you love at random? Like pulling counters out of a box? You love whichever one came to hand? Or is there something about certain people that makes them likely to be loved by you?”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“And what is civilization, to you, but us being properly grateful to be murdered and raped and stolen from?”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“They were prepared to be disgusted with her ignorance, a baby fresh from training, a matter for mocking and exasperation, yes. But also for sympathy, and some anticipatory pride. Her Bos would be able to claim credit for any of Tisarwat’s future accomplishments, because after all they would have raised her. Taught her anything she knew that was really important. They were prepared to be hers. Wanted very much for her to turn out to be the sort of lieutenant they would be proud to serve under.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Say exactly what we told you to and nothing will go wrong, they said. Well, it all went wrong anyway. And they didn’t say anything about this. You’d think they might have, they said lots of other things. Sit up straight, Dlique. Don’t dismember your sister, Dlique, it isn’t nice. Internal organs belong inside your body, Dlique.” She scowled a moment, as though that last one particularly rankled.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“Captain,” I said after ten steps, without breaking stride. “I do understand that this is the Genitalia Festival. But when you say genitalia, doesn’t that usually mean genitals generally? Not just one kind?” For all the steps I’d taken, and as far down the corridor as I could see, the walls were hung with tiny penises. Bright green, hot pink, electric blue, and a particularly eye-searing orange.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“But I had never noticed that anyone profited from needless spite,”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“So much is metaphor, an inadequately material way to speak of immaterial things.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword

“People don’t riot for no reason. And if you’re finding you have to deal with the Ychana carefully now, it’s because of how they’ve been treated in the past.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword