The Serpent Quotes

“Life is lived through things which are not true. We pretend ourselves foolish in order to show our wisdom. We find things funny, which are sad. We smile at those who we would destroy, make alliances with those we do not respect, admire ourselves for our intellect and always look for the ultimate prize. We would be great, every one of us, and to achieve greatness do not bother to look at those we have destroyed in our path. A game is all of this and more, and nobler, for those who play at last transcend themselves, and see both the consequences of their choices, and the board as a whole. I do not think there is a nobler calling than the game, and I would have you a part of it.)”
― Claire North, The Serpent

“Levity and sincerity are not antonyms. We take pleasure in playing chess, but that does not mean we make wasteful moves. You”
― Claire North, The Serpent

“All things are chance. Nature is chance. Life is chance. It is a human madness to cry and find rules where there are none, to invent constraints where none exist. The only thing that matters is the choice. So choose.”
― Claire North, The Serpent

“And in that second, we, who have so long stood and watched, feel a shudder as her gaze sweeps the room, and know that she sees us too. She sees us, impossible though it is, and she knows. She knows who we are, and what we desire, and in that moment when we fear that she will destroy us all, instead it seems to us that she smiles.”
― Claire North, The Serpent

“only ice against which they can whisper, and who has any joy in scheming against winter herself? All”
― Claire North, The Serpent

“will”
― Claire North, The Serpent

“But there is another question, more important, which is what is the first game that I was ever played in. That game began, I think, long before I ever competed for the higher league, and though I have not yet seen its shape, its battle is still ongoing.”
― Claire North, The Serpent