Home > Work > Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)
81 " Surprise, my tenebrous overlord!” said Gideon. “Ghosts and you might die is my middle name. "
― Tamsyn Muir , Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb, #1)
82 " She had found a nasty, forbidden little book in the great Ninth repositories of nasty, forbidden little books, and all the Houses would have had a collective aneurysm if they knew she’d even read it. "
83 " Your heart is a party for five thousand nails,’ said Gideon. "
84 " The blood all drained away from Gideon’s cheeks for some reason. The world spun off its axis. Bright spots sparked in her vision. She found herself saying, intelligently, “Mmf. "
85 " you disrespect my retainers, you lie and cheat and sneak and steal—you know full well what you’ve done, and you know that you are a disgusting little cuckoo! "
86 " As for your instruction here, this is what the First House asks of you.” The room drew breath together—or at least, all the necromancers did, alongside a goodly proportion of their cavaliers. Harrow’s knuckles whitened. Gideon wished that she could flop into a seat or take a sly nap. Everybody was poised in readiness for the outlined syllabus, and scholarship made her want to die. "
87 " So what is the training, then—how to attain Lyctorhood?” The little priest looked at them again. “Well, I don’t know,” he said. "
88 " [...] cause by itself is an empty concept. [...] choices cause all sorts of things to happen. That doesn't make you responsible. "
89 " Love between a necromancer and cavalier is vital to differentiate them from a soldier’s love of the Emperor: they are carrying out a personal devotion that beautifies both types of adoration. "
90 " Why was I born so attractive?” “Because everyone would have throttled you within the first five minutes otherwise,” said her necromancer. "
91 " Please elaborate opened up, because my imagination is better than your description and I am not having a lot of fun here,” said Gideon. "
92 " Evidence,” he said, “outweighs testimony. "
93 " Gideon had to stare pretty hard at skimpy nighties to get over that one. "
94 " This calls for rigor, Nav.’‘Maybe rigor…mortis,’ said Gideon, who assumed that puns were funny automatically. "
95 " Gideon slid her glasses back onto her face, obscuring feelings with tint. "
96 " Blessed Sister Lachrimorta and Blessed Sister Aisamorta were unaltered. They were still tiny, their faces still tight, grey-painted dribbles, and as the Ninth was free from miracles, they were still blind. "
97 " Hail to the Lady of the Ninth House,” warbled a voice delightedly, bringing the count of people who had ever been happy to see Harrow up to three. "
98 " Harrowhark smiled. This smile was unusual too: it betokened conspiracy, which was normal, except that this one invited Gideon to be part of it. Her eyes glowed like coals with sheer collusion. Gideon didn't know if she could handle all these new expressions on Harrow: she needed a lie down. "
99 " Once Gideon would have loved to hear Corona talk to her with that low, breathy intensity, maybe saying “Your biceps … they’re eleven out of ten,” but right now she did not want anyone to talk to her at all. "
100 " Harrow turned to her for the first time since they left the shuttle, eyes glittering like beetles beneath the veil, mouth puckered up like a cat’s asshole. "