Quotes from Gurder
'Of course I can read it,’ he said. ‘I know what every word means.’
‘Well, then?’ said Masklin.
Gurder looked embarrassed. ‘It’s what every sentence means that's giving me trouble,’ he said. (Dig)
'Why can’t women be Stationeri, then?’ said Grimma.
‘It’s a well-known fact that women can’t read,’ said Gurder. ‘It’s not their fault, of course. Apparently their brains get too hot. With the strain, you know.' (Truck)
'Can he hear me?' said Gurder.
'Maybe,' said Grimma. 'Perhaps. But he won't be able to answer you, because he's dead.' (Truck)
'She's a servant of the Store,' said Gurder, who was still trembling. 'She's the enemy of the dreadful Prices Slashed, who wanders the corridors at night with his terrible shining light, to catch evil nomes!'
'It's a good job you don't believe in him, then,' said Masklin.
'Of course I don't,' agreed Gurder.
'Your teeth are chattering, though.'
'That's because my teeth believe in him. And so do my knees. and my stomach. It's only mt head that doesn't and it's being carried around by a load of superstitious cowards.' (Truck)
'I thought you always said kids spent far too much time running around and getting into mischief these days?’
‘Ah. Yes. Well, that’s juvenile delinquency,’ said Gurder sternly. ‘It's quite different from our youthful high spirits.' (Wings)
'That's an important theological point,' he muttered. 'But I'm too hungry to think about it, so let's eat first, and then if it turns out to be wrong to eat it, I promise to be very sorry.' (Wings)
'Flexible? Flexible? My mind’s got so flexible I could pull it out of my ears and tie it under my chin!’ snapped Gurder. (Wings)
'There’s more than one kind of truth.' (Wings)
'If it is alligators,’ said Gurder, trying to look noble, ‘I shall show them how a nome can die with dignity.’
‘Please yourself,’said Angalo, his eyes scanning the undergrowth. ‘I'm planning to show them how a nome can run away with speed.' (Wings)
'It is a helicopter.’
‘It’s certainly noisy,’ said Gurder, who had never come across the word.
‘It is a “plane without wings”,’ said Angalo, who had.
Gurder gave this a few moments’ careful and terrified thought.
‘Thing?’ he said slowly.
‘Yes?’
‘What keeps it up in the-’ Gurder began.
‘Science.’
‘Oh. Well. Science? Good. That’s all right, then.' (Wings)
'I was embarrassed. It’s always embarrassing, meeting deities,’ said Gurder. (Wings)
'What was that thing, Thing?’ said Masklin.
The Thing extended one of its sensors.
‘A long-necked turtle.’
‘Oh.’
The turtle swam peascefully away.
‘Lucky, really,’ said Gurder.
‘What?’ said Angalo.
‘It having a long neck like that and being called a long-necked turtle. It’d be really awkward having a name like that if it had a short neck.' (Wings)
'You're not supposed to eat like that,' said Gurder severely. 'You're not supposed to shove it all in your mouth and then cut off what won't fit.' (Wings)
'Is it dead?' said Gurder.
'It can't die! It's existed for thousands of years!'
Gurder shook his head. 'Sounds like a good reason for dying,' he said. (Wings)
Some parts of the world had night while other parts had day. This, Gurder said, was bad organization. (Wings)
'It's a wild-life preserve,' said the Thing.
Gurder looked shocked. 'What? Like jam? Made of animals?' (Wings)
‘Well, then?’ said Masklin.
Gurder looked embarrassed. ‘It’s what every sentence means that's giving me trouble,’ he said. (Dig)
'Why can’t women be Stationeri, then?’ said Grimma.
‘It’s a well-known fact that women can’t read,’ said Gurder. ‘It’s not their fault, of course. Apparently their brains get too hot. With the strain, you know.' (Truck)
'Can he hear me?' said Gurder.
'Maybe,' said Grimma. 'Perhaps. But he won't be able to answer you, because he's dead.' (Truck)
'She's a servant of the Store,' said Gurder, who was still trembling. 'She's the enemy of the dreadful Prices Slashed, who wanders the corridors at night with his terrible shining light, to catch evil nomes!'
'It's a good job you don't believe in him, then,' said Masklin.
'Of course I don't,' agreed Gurder.
'Your teeth are chattering, though.'
'That's because my teeth believe in him. And so do my knees. and my stomach. It's only mt head that doesn't and it's being carried around by a load of superstitious cowards.' (Truck)
'I thought you always said kids spent far too much time running around and getting into mischief these days?’
‘Ah. Yes. Well, that’s juvenile delinquency,’ said Gurder sternly. ‘It's quite different from our youthful high spirits.' (Wings)
'That's an important theological point,' he muttered. 'But I'm too hungry to think about it, so let's eat first, and then if it turns out to be wrong to eat it, I promise to be very sorry.' (Wings)
'Flexible? Flexible? My mind’s got so flexible I could pull it out of my ears and tie it under my chin!’ snapped Gurder. (Wings)
'There’s more than one kind of truth.' (Wings)
'If it is alligators,’ said Gurder, trying to look noble, ‘I shall show them how a nome can die with dignity.’
‘Please yourself,’said Angalo, his eyes scanning the undergrowth. ‘I'm planning to show them how a nome can run away with speed.' (Wings)
'It is a helicopter.’
‘It’s certainly noisy,’ said Gurder, who had never come across the word.
‘It is a “plane without wings”,’ said Angalo, who had.
Gurder gave this a few moments’ careful and terrified thought.
‘Thing?’ he said slowly.
‘Yes?’
‘What keeps it up in the-’ Gurder began.
‘Science.’
‘Oh. Well. Science? Good. That’s all right, then.' (Wings)
'I was embarrassed. It’s always embarrassing, meeting deities,’ said Gurder. (Wings)
'What was that thing, Thing?’ said Masklin.
The Thing extended one of its sensors.
‘A long-necked turtle.’
‘Oh.’
The turtle swam peascefully away.
‘Lucky, really,’ said Gurder.
‘What?’ said Angalo.
‘It having a long neck like that and being called a long-necked turtle. It’d be really awkward having a name like that if it had a short neck.' (Wings)
'You're not supposed to eat like that,' said Gurder severely. 'You're not supposed to shove it all in your mouth and then cut off what won't fit.' (Wings)
'Is it dead?' said Gurder.
'It can't die! It's existed for thousands of years!'
Gurder shook his head. 'Sounds like a good reason for dying,' he said. (Wings)
Some parts of the world had night while other parts had day. This, Gurder said, was bad organization. (Wings)
'It's a wild-life preserve,' said the Thing.
Gurder looked shocked. 'What? Like jam? Made of animals?' (Wings)
