What Abigail Did That Summer Quotes

“And they can hold a sustained conversation, which indicates human levels of intelligence. Although, to be fair, I’ve met some bare stupid people who could have a conversation, so that might not prove anything.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“Here is a bit of man’s wisdom for you – when you think things can’t get worse, they usually do.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“All the things laughed then, because there stood man—naked and bereft of all his gifts. All the things save the fox, who looked up at the man and saw long slim fingers unencumbered by claws, fingers that could grasp and take and reshape things to suit man’s own purposes. And saw eyes alive with a dreadful intelligence unencumbered by wisdom. And fox was suddenly afraid.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“According to this thing I saw on the internet, cats and dogs use expressions on us that they don’t use on each other. This being on account of the fact that we effectively co-evolved together. So unless sheep are susceptible to a look of long-suffering patience, I’m going to say that the one Ziggy gave me was reserved for humans.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“Officially it’s known as the Tumulus, but everyone I know calls it Boadicea’s Mount because they think she watched her last battle with the Romans from there. The archaeologists say they’re wrong because (a) the last battle was further north and (b) you got to pronounce her name with a hard “c”.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“Paul makes a noise—it’s all he’s got left, but I’ve taught myself to understand him and he wants me to keep reading. I tune out EastEnders and concentrate on Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett. It’s his favourite and I could do most of it off by heart, except it makes me cry at the end because now I know what magic can really do and what it can’t.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“We walk quickly to the footbridge across the railway line. There’s a dog waste bin here, and in the heat the slope up to the stairs stinks of shit and wee. Indigo lists the dogs whose markers she can smell. Not what their owners call them, unless there are really three dogs called George H-19, George H-15, George H-26. “All gun dogs are designated George,” says Indigo. “The H stands for Heath and the numbers are allocated sequentially.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“floor is bare, there are no cushions or straw, and when I ask Indigo why this is Lucifer interrupts to inform me that since this is the ops room, furniture would be inappropriate. “Also, people used to fight over the cushions,” whispers Indigo.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“We’re walking down to the east side of the Model Boating Pond because I reckon there’ll be fewer people to notice that I’m carrying a talking fox around my neck.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“For a second I think I’ve escaped the stories,”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“It’s getting dark again and I’m thinking I’ve sat here too long listening to fox fairy tales.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“That’s classified,” she says, and snaffles up all the crumbs.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“So is the Shadow Lady the ghost of a practitioner? I thought they were all men, all the portraits in the Folly are men—total trouser fest. Or is it like Mrs Redmayne says about science and art and literature—did all the women get photoshopped into oblivion?”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“Simon gives me that grin—you could use it to guide jets in at Heathrow.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“And saw eyes alive with a dreadful intelligence unencumbered by wisdom.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“Demi-monde- which is French for “half-world” and an old euphemism, according to Miss Redmayne who teaches humanities, for any sexually active woman who failed to conform to the strict patriarchal gender norms that permeated French society in the dark days before Tinder. Meanwhile, back in the today, the demi-monde is the posh term used to talk about the society of the magical adjacent. This includes people who are naturally magical, what Peter and Nightingale call the fae, people who can do magic, like wizards and ting, and people that hang out with them because…reasons. At the top of the pile are the genii locorum, the tutelary spirits of place. Or what my dad might call river spirits.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“We walk across the bridge and Indigo explains that collies are Sugar Dogs, dachshunds, terriers and other dogs bred to catch rats are Rogers, while German shepherds were designated Ables, although Indigo didn’t know why.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“For operational reasons,” says Indigo, “you should call me Gaspode.” “Gaspode?” “That’s my cover name,” says Indigo. “Part of my legend.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer

“I wake up the next morning to find Indigo on the bed with me, her head resting on my hip. “Why didn’t you stay on the floor?” I ask. “I’m not used to sleeping on my own,” she says. “Do the scratchy thing.”
― Ben Aaronovitch, What Abigail Did That Summer