It wasn’t that they didn’t take an interest in the world around them. On the contrary, they had a deep, personal and passionate involvement in it, but instead of asking, ‘Why are we here?’ they asked, 'Is it going to rain before the harvest?’ A philosopher might have deplored this lack of mental ambition, but only if he was really certain about where his next meal was coming from.
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
It wasn’t that they didn’t take an interest in the world around them. On the contrary, they had a deep, personal and passionate involvement in it, but instead of asking, ‘Why are we here?’ they asked, ‘Is it going to rain before the harvest?’ A philosopher might have deplored this lack of mental ambition, but only if he was really certain about where his next meal was coming from.
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
She’d been a witch here all her life. And one of the things a witch did was stand right on the edge, where the decisions had to be made. You made them so that others didn’t have to, so that others could even pretend to themselves that there were no decisions to be made, no little secrets, that things just happened. You never said what you knew. And you didn’t ask for anything in return.
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
It was the sort of grin that Agnes supposed was called infectious but, then, so was measles.
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
‘I’m going to have a word with young Verence,’ said Nanny.
'He is the King, Nanny,’ said Agnes.
'That’s no reason for him to go around acting like he was royalty.’
'I think it is, actually.’
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
They lined up and looked down into the new place and then, weapons waving, raised a battle cry. It would have been more impressive if they’d agreed on one before, but as it was it sounded as though every single small warrior had a battle cry of his very own and would fight anyone who tried to take it away from him. ‘Nac mac Feegle!’ ‘Ach, stickit yer trakkans!’ ‘Gie you sich a kickin’!’ ‘Bigjobs!’ ‘Dere c’n onlie be whin t’ousand!’ ‘Nac mac Feegle wha hae!’ ‘Wha hae yersel, ya boggin!’
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
‘I can’t start repenting at my time of life. I’d never get any work done. Anyway,’ she added, 'I ain’t sorry for most of it.’
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
Oats tightened his grip on the axe. It was, he had to admit, slightly more comforting than prayer at that moment. Perhaps you could start with the small truths. Like: he had an axe in his hand.
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
‘… Because of you, some died who may have lived …’ The words lashed at her, leaving livid lines across her mind.
‘Some lived who surely would have died,’ she said.
The dark pulled at her sleeves. ‘… you killed …’
‘No. I showed the way.’
‘… hah! That’s just words …’
‘Words is important,’ Granny whispered into the night.
‘… you took the right to judge others …’
‘I took the duty. I’ll own up to it.’
‘… I know every evil thought you’ve ever had …’
‘I know.’
‘… the ones you’d never dare tell anyone …’
‘I know.’
‘… all the little secrets, never to be told …’
‘I know.’
‘… how often you longed to embrace the dark …’
‘Yes.’
‘… such strength you could have …’
‘Yes.’
‘… embrace the dark …’
‘No.’
‘… give in to me …’
‘No.’
‘… Lilith Weatherwax did. Alison Weatherwax did …’
‘That’s never been proved!’
‘… give in to me …’
‘No. I know you. I’ve always known you. The Count just let you out to torment me, but I’ve always known you were there. I’ve fought you every day of my life and you’ll get no victory now.’ She opened her eyes and stared into the blackness. ‘I knows who you are now, Esmerelda Weatherwax,’ she said. ‘You don’t scare me no more.’
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum
And she thought of the way one man could so easily control a herd of cows, any one of which could have left him as a small damp depression in the ground had it wanted to. Somehow, they never got around to thinking about it.
– Terry Pratchett - Carpe Jugulum