Ancillary Mercy Quotes
"One moment asleep. Awake the next, to the familiar small noises of someone making tea."
"Lieutenant Ekalu was on watch. Indignant about something. A little angry, even."
"I sat up, pushed the blanket away. Three days before, my shoulder had been encased in a corrective, numbing and immobilizing that arm. I was still appreciating the restored freedom of movement."
"Seivarden continued, 'I think Lieutenant Seivarden misses this sometimes.'"
"Fleet Captain Uemi was my counterpart one gate away, in Hrad System. In command over any Radchaai military ships stationed there."
"The Lord of Mianaai, who else?" she replied, with a faint smile.
"There was no point in trying not to show my reaction to Ship's words, it could see every detail of my physical responses."
"I felt, for an instant, as though the ship’s gravity had failed."
"It was an old song, older than Eight and Ten themselves, older, probably, than their grandparents."
"I met Governor Giarod in her office, its cream-and-green silk hangings today covering even the broad window."
"Governor Giarod couldn’t help but notice the soldier looming straight and stiff behind me, but pretended she did not."
"The furor over that! But the hierophant stood her ground. Everyone meant everyone, not everyone but."
"No doubt, I replied, 'that some of the more recently annexed systems may try to break away.'"
"She sighed. 'It’ll be a while before the Gardens are back to what they were.'"
"When you think they have, it’s just you looking at it wrong."
"Well, if you’re certain. Are you certain?"
"She went and got herself killed, didn’t she."
"I’ve never had one of these before! And look, it matches yours."
"I didn’t think you Radchaai did that sort of thing."
"I’m Justice of Toren. All that’s left of it. It was Anaander Mianaai who destroyed me."
"Have you ever had one of those days when nothing seems to make any sense?"
"You’ll never do it again. In fact, you’d think she’d be likely to never even go near any fires, ever, not after that."
"I wish I knew whether that ship—any of these ships, or any of the people on them—really wanted to be here."
"It’s one thing to ask your Kalrs to give you a hug now and then, but they’re really not up for giving more."
"I can’t imagine why they would want a weapon made to destroy Radchaai ships."
"We’ve both been thinking about it. And maybe it isn’t that ships don’t love other ships."
"How can this be happening? How can there be any benefit at all?"
"I just wanted her to stop being angry with me."
"I still want to take kef. But the thought of taking it makes me sick to my stomach."
"Our Tisarwat has suddenly displayed quite a few unexpected abilities."
"But I can’t do it anymore, I couldn’t do what she told me, just shoot me!"
"It’s entirely possible not everyone aboard that shuttle died."
"And if I don’t come back, will you … that other Tisarwat’s family. You won’t tell them what happened to her, will you?"
"And so what’s the point, sir? What’s the point of talking about training and promotions as though it’s all going to just go on like it always has?"
"Sometimes it’s nothing more than I have to find a way to put one foot in front of the other, or I’ll die here."
"What’s happening down there is a threat. It is this station—and an alarming number of this station’s residents—refusing to accept my authority."
"And Station had done the one thing it could do to defend its residents, the one thing that had worked, or seemed to, just a few days ago—make sure everyone knew just exactly what was happening."
"Why can't I just get a couple hours' sleep without some kind of crisis appearing?"
"I'm sure Hetnys is a much better tea table than she ever was a captain."
"I'm sorry, Ship. That was uncalled for."
"It's not a mob, it's a complaint. Citizens do have the right to complain to Administration."
"I'm done with you. I'm going to Medical."
"She is, I am told, emotionally traumatized and needs medication on account of it."
"I'm not leaving you. Don't you remember when I told you you were stuck with me?"
"Every ending is an arbitrary one. Every ending is, from another angle, not really an ending."
"We find Citizen Queter not at fault, but she is warned to behave more properly in the future."
"I'm not sending anyone anywhere. It may come to nothing."
"There are no real endings, no final perfect happiness, no irredeemable despair."
"In the end it's only ever been one step, and then the next."