Jane Maree > Jane's Quotes

“Other men look up and down, left and right; but men like us are different. We are visionaries.”
― Eoin Colfer, Airman

“Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To seek the pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword.

On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun.

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold; where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves.

The pines were roaring on the height,
The wind was moaning in the night.
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light.

The bells were ringing in the dale
And men looked up with faces pale;
The dragon's ire more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon;
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Far over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“A monkey glances up and sees a banana, and that's as far as he looks. A visionary looks up and sees the moon.”
― Eoin Colfer, Airman

“If things go badly for me tonight, I want you to stay with Mr. Wynter; he will pay you a decent wage.”

“Will he make me bathe?”

“No, he will debate the matter with you until you decide to wash.”

“Ah. One of those.”
― Eoin Colfer, Airman

“A pity to survive night flights over St. Georges Channel only to crack my skull falling from a ladder.”
― Eoin Colfer, Airman

“Connor Broekhart was born to fly, or more accurately he was born flying.”
― Eoin Colfer, Airman

“Conor, I could search the world for another swashbuckling scientist, but I doubt if I would find one like you.”
― Eoin Colfer, Airman

“It's a sword, not a fairy wand, you know.”
― John Flanagan, The Outcasts

“Hal: "...Then we'll leave in a huff, taking you with us."
"I've always wanted to travel in a huff," Ingvar mused. "It sounds very comfortable. I imagine they're well padded."
"Lined with feathers, in fact," Gilan put in.”
― John Flanagan, Slaves of Socorro

“Mind yourself in that guardroom," Gilan told him. Thorn grinned cheerfully. He never had any stomach butterflies before a fight. "I plan to be subtle," he said.
Gilan looked at him, his head tilted curiously. "How's that?"
"Once we go through that door, I'll bash anything that moves. And if they don't move, Stig will bash them."
"You have a strange concept of subtle," Gilan said.
Thorn's grin grew wider, "So I've been told.”
― John Flanagan, Slaves of Socorro

“The Herons! The Herons!
The mighty, fighting Herons!
No other Brotherband you'll see
Is even half as darin'

We sailed away from Hallasholm, we had to be real quick,
For Kloof had eaten Erak's ax and chewed his walking stick.

We sailed across the Stormwite and we struck a mighty storm.
We had to wear our woolly caps to keep us nice and warm.

We sailed around Cape Shelter and then south to Araluen.
We called upon the people there to find out what was doin'.

We chased an evil slaver to the market of Socorro.
"We can't rescue them tonight," said Hal. "We'll get them out tomorrow."
Lydia and the Ranger burned the market to the ground.
The rest of us, we freed the slaves then headed out of town.

The Herons! The Herons!
The mighty, fighting Herons!
No other Brotherband you'll see
Is even half as darin'

The slave master named Mahmel was a nasty kind of thug,
So Stiggy dropped a rock and crushed him like a bug.

We sailed back to Cresthaven and we set the captives free.
King Duncan said, "Well done, my lads, you're just the boys for me.
My Ranger Gilan has to go hunt down some assassins
So go along with him and give these wicked types a thrashin'."

A pirate galley barred our way. We quickly overtook 'em.
And Ingvar led the charge aboard to stab and chop and hook 'em.

We beat the Tualaghi and the Scorpions as well.
The Ranger stuck his saxe into the leader, the Shurmel.
When all the assassins threw a fit of wild hysterics,
Hal grabbed up the Shurmel's staff and brought it back for Erak.

The Herons! The Herons!
The mighty, fighting Herons!
No other Brotherband you'll see
Is even half as darin”
― John Flanagan

“Sometimes I'm so devious I confuse myself.”
― John Flanagan, The Lost Stories

“Well, we can ride together for a while longer. The highway south is farther along this way. I'll be glad of some cheerful company."

"First time anyone's said that about me," Halt replied.”
― John Flanagan, The Lost Stories

“My leg hurts," the soldier whined.

"Of course it does," Halt told him. "I put an arrow through it. Did you expect it not to hurt?”
― John Flanagan, The Lost Stories

“All we can hope for is that he will fall into the ocean with a bar of soap in his pocket.”
― Eoin Colfer, Airman

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“So I sent Halt to straighten matters out. Thought it might be a good idea to give him something to keep him busy."
So what's Digby got to complain about?" Rodney asked. It was obvious from his tone that he felt no sympathy for the recalcitrant commander of Barga Hold.
The Baron gestured for Lady Pauline to explain.
Apparently," she said,"Halt threw him into the moat.”
― John Flanagan, The Burning Bridge

“Very impressive. Where did you learn that?"
Made it up just now.”
― John Flanagan, The Battle for Skandia

“Any sign of them yet? he asked. Will looked at him. 'Yes', he said. 'A party of fifty Scotti came though just twenty minutes ago'.
Really? Horace looked startled. He wasn't fully awake yet. Will rolled his eyes to heaven. 'Oh, my word, yes', he said. 'They were riding on oxen and playing bagpipes and drums. Of course not,' he went on. 'If they had come past, I would have woken you-if only to stop your snoring'.
I don't snore', Horace said, with dignity. Will raised his eyebrows. 'Is that so?' he said. 'Then in that case, you'd better chase out that colony of walruses who are in the tent with you...of course you snore.”
― John Flanagan, The Siege of Macindaw

“Always expect something to go wrong," he told him. "Believe me, if you're wrong, you're not dissapointed. If you're right, you're ready for it.”
― John Flanagan, Erak's Ransom

“Strange, he thought, how seldom people tend to look up”
― John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan

“What now?" Lydia asked. "I assume we have a plan B?"
He shook his head. "We're way past plan B," he told her. "And we've gone past plan C as well. We're up to plan D now."
"And what's plan D?"
He jerked his head down the alley to the corner. "Anyone comes round that corner, we shoot them."
She pursed her lips critically. "Doesn't sound too ingenious," she said.
He shrugged. "I'm not good at ingenious. I'm good at dangerous.”
― John Flanagan, Slaves of Socorro

“No," Hal said. "The sea is moving constantly and you have to make little adjustments to keep it going smoothly. You can't take it for granted."
"Just like a friendship," she said smiling. And Hal nodded.
"Maybe that's why the word ends in ship," he said.”
― John Flanagan, Scorpion Mountain

“Never laugh at live dragons.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

“Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again

“Courage is found in unlikely places.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien

“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings