Ancillary Mercy Quotes

“There is always more after the ending. Always the next morning, and the next. Always changes, losses and gains. Always one step after the other. Until the one true ending that none of us can escape. But even that ending is only a small one, larges as it looms for us. There is still the next morning for everyone else. For the vast majority of the rest of the universe that ending might as well not ever have happened. Every ending is an arbitrary one. Everything ending is from another angle, not really an ending.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“There are two parts to reacting aren't there? How you feel and what you do. And its the thing you do that is the important one.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“In the end it’s only ever been one step, and then the next.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“In a thousand years, Lieutenant, nothing you care about will matter. Not even to you—you’ll be dead. So will I, and no one alive will care. Maybe—just maybe—someone will remember our names. More likely those names will be engraved on some dusty memorial pin at the bottom of an old box no one ever opens.” Or Ekalu’s would. There was no reason anyone would make any memorials to me, after my death. “And that thousand years will come, and another and another, to the end of the universe. Think of all the griefs and tragedies, and yes, the triumphs, buried in the past, millions of years of it. Everything for the people who lived them. Nothing now.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I had learned to be wary whenever a priest suggested that her personal aims were, in fact, God's will.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Good, good. Always remember, Fleet Captain—internal organs belong inside your body. And blood belongs inside your veins.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Thank all the gods,” said Sphene. “I was afraid you were going to suggest we sing that song about the thousand eggs.” “A thousand eggs all nice and warm,” I sang. “Crack, crack, crack, a little chick is born. Peep peep peep peep! Peep peep peep peep!” “Why, Fleet Captain,” Translator Zeiat exclaimed, “that’s a charming song! Why haven’t I heard you sing it before now?” I took a breath. “Nine hundred ninety-nine eggs all nice and warm…” “Crack, crack, crack,” Translator Zeiat joined me, her voice a bit breathy but otherwise quite pleasant, “a little chick is born. Peep peep peep peep! What fun! Are there more verses?” “Nine hundred and ninety-eight of them, Translator,” I said. “We’re not cousins anymore,” said Sphene.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“You don’t need to know the odds. You need to know how to do the thing you’re trying to do. And then you need to do it.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“The point is, there is no point. Choose your own!”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“We sit here arguing, we can hardly agree on anything, and then you go straight to my heart like that. We must be family.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“No real endings, no final perfect happiness, no irredeemable despair. Meetings, yes, breakfasts and suppers.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Every ending is an arbitrary one. Every ending is, from another angle, not really an ending.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“She was born surrounded by wealth and privilege. She thinks she’s learned to question that. But she hasn’t learned quite as much as she thinks she has, and having that pointed out to her, well, she doesn’t react well to it.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I would like to point out that as soon as Lieutenant Ekalu let you know that actually, your intended compliment was offensive to her, you immediately stopped trying to be nice.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Security is here to protect citizens. You can’t do that if you insist on seeing any of them as adversaries.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Governor Giarod was fairly good at not panicking visibly, but, I had discovered, not good at actually not panicking.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I still don’t understand exactly why what I said hurt you so much. But I don’t need to. It hurt you, and when you told me it hurt you I should have apologized and stopped saying whatever it was. And maybe spent some time trying to understand. Instead of insisting that you manage your feelings to suit me. And I want to say I’m sorry. And I actually mean it this time.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Your very great pardon, Cousin,” said Sphene, “but this having meetings so we can plan to have meetings business is bullshit. I want to talk about ancillaries.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I will share one of them with you now: most people don’t want trouble, but frightened people are liable to do very dangerous things.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“In a thousand years, Lieutenant, nothing you care about will matter. Not even to you—you’ll be dead. So will I, and no one alive will care. Maybe—just maybe—someone will remember our names. More likely those names will be engraved on some dusty memorial pin at the bottom of an old box no one ever opens.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Oh and next time you feel like getting hammered, message me. That was some damn good stuff you puked all over yourself, I think it'd only fair I should get some, too. That hasn't already been through you, I mean.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Entertainments nearly always end with triumph or disaster—happiness achieved, or total, tragic defeat precluding any hope of it. But there is always more after the ending—always the next morning and the next, always changes, losses and gains. Always one step after the other. Until the one true ending that none of us can escape. But even that ending is only a small one, large as it looms for us. There is still the next morning for everyone else. For the vast majority of the rest of the universe, that ending might as well not ever have happened. Every ending is an arbitrary one. Every ending is, from another angle, not really an ending.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Varden’s suppurating cuticles,” said Seivarden. “Lieutenant,”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I’ve been thinking about it, since you said it,” said Seivarden. No, said Mercy of Kalr. “And I’ve concluded that I don’t want to be a captain. But I find I like the thought that I could be.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I don’t think that story communicates the point you seem to imagine it does.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I’ve found that not eating is generally a bad decision,” I replied.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Please, sir.” Tisarwat seemed not to have heard either of them. “We can’t leave things the way they are, and I have an idea.” That got the translator’s full attention. She looked up from the game, frowned intently at Tisarwat. “What’s it like? Does it hurt?” Tisarwat only blinked at her. “Sometimes I think I might like to get an idea, but then it occurs to me that it’s exactly the sort of thing Dlique would do.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“How comforting,' I replied, my voice and my expression steadily serious, 'to think that in these difficult times God is still concerned with the details of the housing assignments. I myself have no time to discuss them just now.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“I had met quite a few priests in my long life, and found that they were, by and large, like anyone else—some generous, some grasping; some kind, some cruel; some humble, some self-aggrandizing. Most were all of those things, in various proportions, at various times. Like anyone else, as I said. But I had learned to be wary whenever a priest suggested that her personal aims were, in fact, God’s will.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy

“Always remember, Fleet Captain—internal organs belong inside your body. And blood belongs inside your veins.”
― Ann Leckie, Ancillary Mercy