The Empty Grave Quotes

“This is what the Problem means,” he went on. “This is the effect it has. Lives lost, loved ones taken before their time. And then we hide our dead behind iron walls and leave them to the thorns and ivy. We lose them twice over, Lucy. Death’s not the worst of it. We turn our faces away.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“The skull’s…spirit? He…he looks different.”
The youth scowled. “Yeah? You look just the same. I was banking on frostbite taking a few of your fingers, or even your nose. Here’s hoping something else has dropped off that I don’t know about. If not, I’ll be sorely disappointed.”
Lockwood stared. “Does he always talk like this?”
“No. Usually he’s worse. See what I have to put up with?”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Let's have the baddish one first,' George said. 'I prefer my misery to come at me in stages, so I can acclimatize on the way.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Who says I’m dying? Did you see the amount of sheer effort it took me to escape the land of the dead? I’m not going back in now!”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Lockwood didn’t speak until everything was quiet again. “I know you’re worrying about me, Luce,” he said. “But you really mustn’t. These things happen when you’re an agent. You’ve been snared by ghosts in the past, haven’t you? There was the one that made the bloody footprints, and the thing in the tunnels below the Aickmere Brothers store. But it’s fine, because I helped you then, and you’ve helped me now. We’re there to help each other. If we do that, we’ll get through.” Which was a lovely thing to say, and it made me feel a little warmer. I just had to hope it was true.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Looks?” the skull said. “Who cares about that? It’s superficial. Outward appearance doesn’t interest me at all. Why do you think I hang around with you?” It chuckled. “Insult aside, that’s just one way in which I’m superior to every one of you, except for Cubbins.”

I blinked. “What? Why? What’s George got to do with anything?”

“What a person looks like doesn’t bother him much, or hadn’t you noticed?”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“It was higher and shriller than Holly’s, so we knew that it was Kipps.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Do you trust me?' the skull said.
...
'Yes,' I said. 'Sort of.'
'Then break the bloody glass.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“I’d never punched an old lady before; I didn’t have any problem doing so now.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“It was a time of beginnings and a time of endings.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Here we go," the Skull sighed. "Cue crisis!”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“In the meantime,” he said, “There are ghosts to foil and lives to save. But right now, it’s a lovely evening and I’m going for a stroll. That was the other thing I’d wanted, to see if you’ll come with me?”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Ooh, I smell something burning... Wait, wait - it's your pants ! Your pants are on fire, you massive liar ! You so weren't on a case !”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“He was very close to me. Our hands stayed on the windowsill like they were glued there. All at once he stepped back. “In the meantime,” he said, “there are ghosts to foil and lives to save. But right now it’s a lovely evening, and I’m going for a stroll. That was the other thing I wanted, to see if you’d come with me.” He adjusted his collar. “It’s the first outing for my new coat. What do you think of it?”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Holly, you look upset. Crack those doughnuts open.'
'Thanks, I'll have an apple.'
'You've got to learn that when you're stressed, an apple doesn't cut it.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Sparkling…? I bent close, frowning. It was only then that I saw the beautiful golden necklace curled on the papers, with the sapphire glinting at its heart. Lockwood had taken it out of the old crushed box that his mother had kept it in. Even in the dusk, the gem was glorious, undying and undimmed. It was as if all the light and love it had gathered in the past was shining out on me. I stood gazing at it for a long time. Slowly, carefully, I picked up the necklace and hung it around my neck. Then I put on my jacket and ran for the stairs.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“It was as if all the light and love it had gathered in the past was shining out on me.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“The door closed; almost imperceptably, the lift began to rise.
'Going up,' the skull said. 'Next floor: cutlery, condiments and underpants.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Mr Lockwood, you've impressed a lot of people over the years. Personally, I expected you to be ghost-touched long ago, but your agency has flourished. Impress me again now... Let them forget about you... Even now, it's probably not too late. - Inspector Barnes”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“The ghost sniffed dubiously. “Some are psychically dangerous,” it said, “but you’ve got a lot of junk there, too. Particularly that pierced gourd Holly Munro is putting her head in—but that’s an issue of hygiene more than anything.”
“That pointy one? I thought it was a shaman’s mask.”
“It’s worn in tribal rituals, yeah. But those guys didn’t put it on their faces, I’ll tell you that.”
“Er, Holly…”
Her voice was muffled from inside the gourd. “What?”
“Oh, nothing. I like the mask! You look good. Keep it on!”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“This was how you did it. This was how your spirit stayed strong. This was how you looked death in the eye and defied it.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“George will be at home, I should think,” Lockwood said easily. “Probably making one of his chicken-and-sweetcorn pies. He’s really very domesticated.” Sir Rupert smiled approvingly. “Sounds scrumptious. I must pop round to Portland Row sometime.” “Please do,” Lockwood said. “I’d love that.” “Good night, then.” “Good night.” We pattered swiftly down the steps and set off up the Strand. “One day,” Lockwood said, “I’m clearly going to have to kill him. Not now, but sometime soon.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Sorry for what? Your appearance? Your character? Wait, I bet it’s your smell. Twenty-four hours of terror, violence, chases, and being for all intents and purposes dead plays havoc with the armpits. Don’t let Lockwood step downwind of you tonight, that’s all I’m saying.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“They’ll know it was us for sure. And they’ll have to act on it. Which makes it only a matter of time before—”
“Before what?” I asked.
Lockwood smiled at me. “Before the end.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“At the worst, we might have to rough up a few seniors.”
“I think we can cope with that.”
Holly and I had been following this exchange like it was a tennis match, heads turning in bafflement from Quill to Lockwood and back again. Now Holly raised a hand. “There’ll be some roughing up going on right now,” she
said, “if you don’t start filling us in. No ifs or buts, please. Tell us what’s going on.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Thank goodness you’re here. He’s been like a plump whirlwind. And there was a most distressing glimpse of pink flesh when he bent down to pick up a paper clip. I’d have feared for my life if I wasn’t already dead.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“You can’t let any old ghost woman go around
fingering my jar.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Like the rest of the team, neither of us had wanted to do anything much, other than eat and sleep and enjoy the pure mechanics of being alive. But now he was here.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“We trespassed in the city of the dead, and all our skills and talents counted for nothing.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave

“Okay, well, if you do want to come with me, Luce, I’ll be in the hall.” He went to the door, paused, and grinned back at me. “And don’t forget to sign the statement!” With that, he was pattering down the stairs.”
― Jonathan Stroud, The Empty Grave