Torchship Trilogy Quotes

“Fugitives from the law of averages indeed, thought Fincke.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“He looked at the ship’s crest on the fore bulkhead. A silver gladius stood in front of an open book. The motto “SI VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM” had been painted over with “TRANSFUGA EX LEGE MEDIA.” He’d never asked who’d done it. It fit too well.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“I choose to sign this treaty. I choose it because it protects the right of every human to make the most important decision. To pick up and leave where ever they are and find someplace better. Sometimes two men will switch places. If they’re both happier thereby, good. Different people need different things from their neighbors and their governments. “Others will want something that never existed before. They have the right to go where they can and build it. Only by protecting that right can we discover better ways.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“The chatter drifted into tactical jargon Guo didn’t know. “We’re preparing to reenact the Battle of Camlann,” he said softly. Admiral Chang caught the remark. “Camlann? I don’t know that one. Is it Age of Sail?” Guo shook his head. “Older, sir. From the Camelot legends. King Arthur was negotiating with a rebel lord. Their knights lined up beside them, facing each other in long lines. One knight saw a snake about to bite him. He drew his sword to kill it. The knights on the other side thought he meant to attack them and drew their swords. The battle raged until only a handful survived.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“If I drank all those bottles would I be that drunk?” He waved at the shelf to his left. “You’d pass out before you finished a third of them.” “Yes. There’s a limit to how drunk one may be on wine.” Su took another sip. “But there is no limit to being drunk on power.” Guo shifted on his cushion. “Are you saying . . . ?” “I am saying nothing. I am philosophizing. It is in the nature of men who hold power to seek more power. The Master’s teachings prepare rulers for their ascension, so they may use it best for all. But you cannot know the strength of one’s moral character until you have been tempted.” “I’d hope peace would tempt them.” “Peace tempts you. It will tempt you to lie and cheat for its sake. To other men peace is a barrier. It puts a lid on their power, shackles on their means of gaining more. Such men cannot be persuaded to seek peace. They will accept it as an alternative to losing what power they already have.” “Have you said that to them?”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Talk to them. Persuade them to negotiate for peace. You’re one of the most highly respected philosophers in the entire Revivalist movement.” Su slid off his cushion and lay on his side, propping his head up on his elbow. “Am I drunk enough that I can’t sit up straight?” “No, you haven’t had nearly that much wine,” Guo laughed.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“am saying nothing. I am philosophizing. It is in the nature of men who hold power to seek more power. The Master’s teachings prepare rulers for their ascension, so they may use it best for all. But you cannot know the strength of one’s moral character until you have been tempted.” “I’d hope peace would tempt them.” “Peace tempts you. It will tempt you to lie and cheat for its sake. To other men peace is a barrier. It puts a lid on their power, shackles on their means of gaining more. Such men cannot be persuaded to seek peace. They will accept it as an alternative to losing what power they already have.” “Have you said that to them?”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Rough day, wo de airen?”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Right. Miner is taking a shuttle flight. He’s a real foul-mouthed guy, every other word out of his mouth is fuck or shit. A priest sits down next to him. Miner has enough manners to not want to cuss in front of a priest. He nods, priest nods back, priest takes out a paper crossword puzzle and starts working on it. Miner’s happy, he won’t have to say a fucking word all flight. “Halfway there the priest gets stuck. He asks the miner, ‘What’s a four letter word for woman, ending U-N-T?’ Miner panics. He doesn’t want to say that word to a priest. He prays silently, ‘God, please don’t make me say that.’ “And God answered his prayer. Miner says, ‘Aunt. A-U-N-T.’ Priest says, ‘Oh, of course. Got an eraser?”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“You are following your duty. Duty keeps you on the path to righteousness. I trust you to make the right decision. It may not be good. Sometimes there’s no good to choose. But you choose the least bad.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Filial piety is easier when light-years away from your family,”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“boffins”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“filial piety.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“decurions”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Every group of humans has somebody on top. If you can’t tell who it is listen for the one talking about how equal they all are and that’s it.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“pinnace”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Turing Test”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Treyf!”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“You don’t like having smart workers?” “Smarter than average, sure. I’ll take them. It’s the supersmart ones I have trouble with. It’s like putting treads instead of wheels on your groundcar. You can go more places, but when you finally do get stuck no one can get there to help you out. These smart guys get wrapped up in some idea and shoot down any arguments against it. So no matter how badly it works in the real world they’re stuck.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“paean”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“SI VIS PACEM PARA BELLUM” had been painted over with “TRANSFUGA EX LEGE MEDIA.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“baobei,”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“If my shadow inspires great fear, I must place my feet gently.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“In the course of a long life a wise man will be prepared to abandon his baggage many times.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“The French Revolution was another. The nobles couldn’t compete in the new economy based on trade instead of land. They were afraid of becoming peasant farmers with houses they couldn’t maintain, so they enforced their privileges until the rest revolted.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“To Robert Anson Heinlein For a lifetime of inspiration”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“All of these are subsets of omegacide—killing the lowest status member of the band. If there’s no one too young, old, or crippled to contribute to the group’s survival, then the least popular member is killed or expelled.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Humans have an inherent aversion to being permanently at the bottom of a status hierarchy—the omega of a group. Call it omegaphobia. A person feeling stuck in the omega position will take high-risk actions to achieve higher status or force another member of the group into the omega position.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Coatlicue”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy

“Unfortunately the Master Chief had decided a “liver function test” was an essential part of training.”
― Karl K. Gallagher, Torchship Trilogy