Mark of the Fool 2 Quotes

“Absolutely,” Alex said. “Very likely, absolutely. It’s probably completely certain. There’s a really good chance that it’ll probably work like I want it to. Most likely.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Alex sighed. Of course. Of course his supervisor would be late, and leave him to stand out in the hall all by himself, while he was as nervous as a flea on a scratching dog.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“How do I look? How do I look?” Selina asked the three young men excitedly. “Like a fairy,” Thundar said. “Like a princess.” Khalik smiled. “Like a goblin princess—Aargh!” Alex cried out as Selina punched him in the arm. “You little rat! Who taught you to do that?” She stuck her tongue out at him. He stuck his out right back. “Oh, by the elements, this was a mistake,” Isolde groaned. “This was a mistake. We are going to get there, you are going to humiliate all of us, and then I am going to have to beg for my cousin’s forgiveness…” “Yeah, Selina, don’t ruin Isolde’s night,” Alex said. “I was referring to you.” “What did I do?” “Instigated everything. As usual.” “Oooh bah,” Alex said. “I’ll behave, grandmother.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Isolde groaned. “Perhaps I can convince Giuseppe to cancel your invitations… Anyway, here are the readings and what’s due in your classes, Thundar.” The minotaur groaned. “I am both glad you brought those and curse the day I met you.” Alex laughed. “Hey, it’s thanks to her you get to go to the party with all the booze and dryads, right?” Thundar snorted. “Yeah, you know what? You’re alright, Isolde.” Khalik burst out laughing while Isolde gave Thundar a withering look.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Hey, man,” Alex said. “The quicker you get better, the happier I am. Not gonna lie, I was pretty freaked out there for a bit.” “Oh, there you go getting all mushy on me,” Thundar grunted. “I’m fine, and just happy to hear you horribly killed that thing. Wish they’d let you bring your golem inside for me to see.” Alex made an offended snort. “He would have fit, you know. I don’t know what their problem was. Just a little bit of crouching and he would have gotten in. He fit through my apartment door no problem.” “Alex, if you cannot understand why an infirmary might not want someone bringing a war golem to see one of their patients, then you might have a problem,” Isolde said. “Oh, I do understand it,” Alex murmured. “Still gonna be mad about it.” “That’s quite immature.” “And that’s also my choice.” “Well said.” Thundar nodded in agreement.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“I am going to drink like it’s my last day on earth,” Thundar grunted as he shifted around in bed. “I don’t care if it’s wine, ale, cider, harder stuff; I don’t give a damn. If your cousin is offering, I will drain everything. I’m not gonna be happy unless all of you have to carry me back home.” Isolde made a similar sound to a dog regurgitating a clump of grass. “Now, see, Isolde?” Alex said, handing the minotaur a bag of ‘get well’ cookies he’d baked. “Claygon’s going to be useful! He’ll be able to carry Thundar back using only two of his arms!” Isolde’s ‘sick-dog’ sound upgraded to ‘dying dog.’ Alex could barely stifle his laughter and Khalik was grinning.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Then we are fortunate,” the prince said. “Perhaps with food in hand, it has less interest in its surroundings.” “What do you mean?” Rayne asked. “It is in the nature of apex predators,” he said. “Whether that be the eagle, the lion, the griffon, or even we of the mortal races. When we think we have nothing to fear, and when we have what we desire, attention can slip. That is why small birds do not fear being near eagles when they are landed or already have a kill. The eagle has nothing to fear from them and there is nothing it wants at that moment, and so they feel safe.” He chuckled bitterly. “That is why we of the mortal races are so dangerous: we always want something.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Professor Jules shook her head, looking at the monstrous body Alex and Selina had carved. “My goodness, you did not go for subtlety, now did you?” “Maximum smash,” Alex said intelligently. She gave him a withering look.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“she wanted to know everything about the project,” the chancellor continued. “I told her nothing that would reveal your secrets, but I did say we had a potential lead on a new substance, and what that new substance might be able to do. The gleam in her eye, Alex… I suspect wild dragons wouldn’t be able to keep her away.” Alex chose not to mention the gleam he’d seen in Baelin’s eyes when he’d seen the results of the dungeon core’s analysis. “That’d be kind of cool, though, if she could be involved.” “Oh yes, she would be an excellent asset to any research team,” Baelin agreed. “When she comes with her request to join—after she thoroughly interrogates you, no doubt—I will grant it.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Yeah! It’ll smash everything!” Selina cried giddily. “Ah,” Isolde nodded, smiling warmly. “The excitement of childre⁠—” “Yeah! It will smash everything!” Alex also cried giddily. The words died on Isolde’s lips and she just shook her head. She gave Theresa a pointed, questioning look and the other young woman just shrugged her shoulders.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“All the secrecy and agonizing, and trouble, just for things to turn out okay? How dare his friends be so supportive! Where was the disaster he’d been imagining in his mind for the past six months? Why wasn’t he in chains, being dragged back to Thameland! “Er, Alex, are you okay?” Isolde raised an eyebrow. “You have been… twitching, strangely, for a while now.” She paused as though in realization, and then leaned in. “Is it because of the Mark? Is it working right now?” Alex barely resisted the urge to jump up from the bench and throw himself into the sea.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Look, I got this uncle, right?” Thundar held up a hand and made a swiping motion across his wrist. “Deadliest guy with a bow in the entire tribe. Horrifying. Then one day, a forest drake bites his hand off. So, he gored it to death with his horns, then had the crafters make him a hook out of its bones. Wasn’t as good with a longbow anymore—but he could still hit a bullseye well enough from close—so he got it into his head to train with the war-axe, and strap a shield to the hook-hand instead. Now, he’s the deadliest guy with an axe in the entire tribe.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“I’m better now,” Alex insisted. “I don’t think I’m going to come across much more that’ll make me change the design again. I’m pretty sure Lord Smasho the First is coming into his final shape.” “No!” Selina shouted. “No, not that name!” “Alex, I swear on my mother and father’s honour,” Khalik warned him. “If you name your war golem ‘Lord Smasho the First,’ I will pick you up and toss you into the sea myself, then blindfold Grimloch and tell him there’s a wounded seal for him to eat in the waters.” “Alright, alright, jeez! I was joking!” Alex said, laughing. “Come on, guys, it’s just a joke! Even I wouldn’t name a golem something stupid like Lord Smasho the First.” Selina and Khalik exchanged glances. Later that evening, Alex Roth opened his golem-building notebook, flipped to the page that had his list of potential names and crossed out Lord Smasho the First.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“H-hey, Khalik,” Alex said, embarrassment washing over him. “H-how long have you been there?” “Around the moment you lied to your little sister. And told her that the first thing one learned in alchemy was that there’s never too much smash.” Khalik shut the door behind him and sauntered into the room. Selina looked at her brother like he was the most offensive thing that had ever lived. “Alex,” she said dangerously. “Okay, okay, okay, to be fair. In my defence. To be my own advocate here,” he said with his hands held up as though in surrender. “The first thing they teach you in alchemy is a bunch of safety stuff that you’d find suuuuper boring, so really, I just did you a favour by saying what I said.” Her eyes narrowed in a heated glare. “Oh, come on, I’m entertaining you!” She continued to glare at him, clearly disgusted, though he could see she was fighting a smile. “Ah yes, that mix of disgust and amusement,” he said. “That fuels me, Selina.” His sister groaned and turned back to the golem. Khalik shook his head. “I know what it is like to have such an immature sibling.” “Yeah, that’s right—” Alex began. “My condolences for having such an immature sibling, Selina,” Khalik said. “Hey!” Alex protested. Selina beamed and began puffing out her chest. “Thank you, Khalik.” “You are most welcome.” “You’re both bullies!” Alex cried. “You’re both bullies and I’m the victim here!”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Her eyes narrowed. “You’re going to let me name it, aren’t you?” “Pffft, I can name my golem.” “No, you can’t! The name will be stupid!” “Y-your name is stupid!” he said quite maturely. The little girl rolled her green eyes so hard, they could’ve rolled out of her head. “No, your name is stupid!” “No.” He drew himself up to his full height. “Your name is stupi⁠—” “By the sapphire sea, really?” Khalik’s deep voice came from the entrance to the room. “This is how you two argue when no one is around? And here I thought you were crafting wonders.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“It’s quite alright…” She looked at him suspiciously. “What is it?” Alex asked, looking as innocent as the Mark made possible. “Oh nothing.” She chuckled. “It’s just I have a feeling you will end up one of those wizards that won’t be satisfied until you craft something truly horrifying one day.” “What? Me?” “Yes. You, naturally. Somehow, I can imagine you in a smoky dungeon somewhere shouting, ‘It’s alive! It’s alive!’ after building some sort of blasphemous homunculus,” she said. “…Maybe in the future,” he chuckled.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Thundar, don’t you like cooking with us?” Selina asked the minotaur, her green eyes wide and filled with innocence. “Does it bother you that much?” Alex glanced over his shoulder to see Thundar freeze in front of his cutting board. If it weren’t for the fur, he was sure he would have seen all the colour draining from the minotaur’s face. “Uh… uh… well, the thing is…” he stuttered. “Hah! Let us see you get out of this one!” Khalik called from near the kitchen door. “I am going to strangle you with your own beard!” Thundar yelled at him.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“It was what it was. Sometimes things would be easy. Sometimes things would be frustrating. He just needed to adapt along the way.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Three pages before, someone had drawn a rather creative depiction of an emperor and an octopus in a… ‘loving embrace’ shall we say.” Alex shuddered. “Gross.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“One day, I’m gonna toss you off a cliff.” “Understandable.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Alex, if you cannot understand why an infirmary might not want someone bringing a war golem to see one of their patients, then you might have a problem,”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“crossbow the size of a ballista”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Well, I’ll try and make you proud, Prof,” Alex said, remembering her masked figure riding around on her skeletal horse. “And make something truly horrifying.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Well, alchemists are supposed to craft horrifying things, so there is no judgement from me. As long as you do it correctly and as safely as possible, Mr. Roth, what you do with your gifts is your choice. That is the point of training wizards.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“It’s just I have a feeling you will end up one of those wizards that won’t be satisfied until you craft something truly horrifying one day.” “What? Me?” “Yes. You, naturally. Somehow, I can imagine you in a smoky dungeon somewhere shouting, ‘It’s alive! It’s alive!’ after building some sort of blasphemous homunculus,” she said.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Really, man?’ he thought to himself. ‘You don’t really get jealous when someone shows Theresa a bunch of attention—except for maybe that mana vampire on Fan-Dor’s ship when you thought he was a man staring at her—but you turn into a green-eyed monster when the three-headed dog warms up to someone?’ He shook his head. Each time he examined himself, he found that his issues ran deeper.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Fetch.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“A specter terror loomed over them all. One which threatened to steal the the courage from mightiest heart. Midterms "You know." Thundar grumbled. "I think maybe choking the life out of one of my professors would be easier than studying from one of his lectures.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2

“Ach, I should’ve taken potions instead,” Thundar whispered. Khalik glanced at him. “Do you even have any interest in potions? I’ve heard it’s quite difficult.” “Yeah, but at least I’d have big-brain over here to teach me.” He nodded to Alex. Alex extended his hand toward the minotaur and tapped his empty palm. “You want the material conveyed? Then I got to be paid.” “We went through life and death together.” Thundar held up his charm-necklace. “That makes us bonded.” “We are bonded.” Alex smiled. “But bonds can be strengthened for the low, low price of—” “You’re a terrible friend.” “But I’d be a rich friend.”
― J.M. Clarke, Mark of the Fool 2