Quotes by David Eddings

“This technology will take games such as ”

God save us from religion.

What was that? Belgarath asked, coming back around the corner.Brill, Silk replied blandly, pulling his Murgo robe back on.Again? Belgarath demanded with exasperation. What was he doing this time?Trying to fly, last time I saw him. Silk smirked.The old man looked puzzled.He wasnt doing it very well, Silk added.Belgarath shrugged. Maybe itll come to him in time.He doesnt really have all that much time. Silk glanced out over the edge.From far below - terribly far below - there came a faint, muffled crash; then, after several seconds, another. Does bouncing count? Silk asked.Belgarath made a wry face. Not really.Then Id say he didnt learn in time. Silk said blithely.

I thought you said you were the one in charge! CeNedra exclaimed.I lied. Silk said. Its a vice I have.

...only in the surrender of the light could the darkness prevail.

Life without any wonder left in it is flat and stale.

The whole world is beautiful, Belgarion Eriond assured him in response to that unspoken thought. You just have to know how to look at it

Zakath stared at the floor. I suddenly feel very helpless, he admitted, and I dont like the feeling. Ive been rather effectively dethroned, you know. This morning I was the Emperor of the largest nation on earth; this afternoon, Im going to be a vagabond.You might find it refreshing, Silk told him lightly.Shut up, Kheldar, Zakath said almost absently. He looked back at Polgara. You know something rather peculiar?Whats that?Even if I hadnt given my word, Id still have to go to Kell. Its almost like a compulsion. I feel as if Im being driven, and my driver is a blindfolded girl whos hardly more than a child.There are rewards, she told him.Such as what?Who knows? Happiness, perhaps.He laughed ironically. Happiness has never been a driving ambition of mine, Lady Polgara, not for a long time now.You may have to accept it anyway, She smiled. We arent allowed to choose our rewards any more than we are our tasks. Those decisions are made for us.

Once youve decided that somethings absolutely true, youve closed your mind on it, and a closed mind doesnt go anywhere. Question everything. Thats what educations all about.

When you get down to the bottom of it, only about half of what we remember really happened. We tend to modify things to make ourselves look better in our own eyes and in the eyes of others. Then, if what we did wasnt really very admirable, we tend to forget that it ever happened. A normal human beings grasp on reality is very tenuous at best. Our imaginary lives are usually much nicer.

Sorgan tried his very best not to think about how long it must have taken for a stream that small to eat its way down through solid rock to form its current bed. Sorgan knew exactly what the word “hundred” meant, but when numbers wandered off toward “thousand”—or even “million”—and the people who used those terms were talking about years, Sorgan’s mind shied back in horror.

The old man was peering intently at the shelves. Ill have to admit that hes a very competent scholar.Isnt he just a librarian? Garion asked, somebody who looks after books?Thats where all the rest of scholarship starts, Garion. All the books in the world wont help you if theyre just piled up in a heap.

Garion, she said very calmly, the universe knew your name before that moon up there was spun out of the emptiness. Whole constellations have been waiting for you since the beginning of time.I didnt want them to, Aunt Pol.There are those of us who arent given that option, Garion. There are things that gave to be done and certain people who have to do them. Its as simple as that.He smiled rather sadly at her flawless face and gently touched the snowy white lock at her brow. Then, for the last time in his life, he asked the question that had been on his lips since he was a tiny boy. Why me, Aunt Pol? Why me?Can you possibly think of anyone else youd trust to deal with these matters, Garion?He had not really been prepared for that question. It came at him in stark simplicity. Now at last he fully understood. No, he sighed, I suppose not. Somehow it seems a little unfair, though. I wasnt even consulted.Neither was I, Garion, she answered. But we didnt have to be consulted, did we? The knowledge of what we have to do is born into us.

We call this a “bow”, Cap’n, and the thing that’s sticking out of that fellow’s head over on the other side of the trench is called an “arrow”. If you put them together just right, they’ll do all sorts of nice things to people who aren’t nice.

The place had enormous possibilities. He realized that at once. The stream, of course, was perfect for sailing toy boats, for skipping stones, and, in the event of failing inspiration, for falling into. Several of the trees appeared to have been specifically designed for climbing, and one huge, white old birch overhanging the stream promised the exhilarating combination of climbing a tree and falling into the water, all at one time.

A man should never miss an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.

This is Trenicia, the queen of the warrior women of the Isle of Akalla. Different places have different traditions and different customs. On the Isle of Akalla, the women rule, and the women do the fighting.What do the men do? the horseman Ekial asked curiously.As little as they possibly can, the warrior woman said in a sardonic tone. Over the years, they’ve foisted just about everything off on us. We have to grow the food, hunt the meat, and fight the wars. The men sit around getting fat and arguing with each other about something they call philosophy - most of which is pure nonsense.

The men sit around getting fat and arguing with each other about something they call “philosophy” - most of which is pure nonsense.

It keeps him happy, Dahlaine, and happy people are nicer than gloomy ones. Havent you noticed that before?

I thought the trees down in Lady Zelana’s country were about as big as a tree could get,” he said, “but the ones around here are so tall that they probably tickle the moon’s tummy when she goes by.