Honorverse favorite one-liners

Hutch wrote:

"One of 'our people,' as you put it, most definitely was responsible," he continued after a heartbeat or two. "Whether someone deliberately sold the information to this . . . this . . . individual Hayes or not, that information had to come from someone inside the Center. Someone with access to our confidential records. Someone who, if he or she didn't deliberately sell the information was still criminally—and I use the adverb advisedly, in light of our confidentiality agreements with our patients—negligent. Someone who either gossiped about it where he or she shouldn't have or allowed someone else unauthorized access. In either case, I want his—or her—ass. I want it broiled, on a silver platter, with a nice side of fried potatoes, and I intend to see to it that whoever it was never works in this field—or any other branch of the medical profession—in the Star Kingdom again."

Dr. Illescue is not amused....

And the delivery was perfect. He's not raving. He's not yelling. He is just distilled, cold, articulate FURY. Best read aloud for maximum effect.

From EoH:

Brilliant sunlight, double filtered through the dome covering Harrington City and then again by the smaller one covering Harrington House, streamed incongruously through the window. It should be night outside, she told herself. Blackest night, to mirror the darkness in her own soul, and she closed her eyes in pain.

Allison's thoughts before watching Honor's "execution" on HD.

Amaroq wrote:From AoV:

Brilliant sunlight, double filtered through the dome covering Harrington City and then again by the smaller one covering Harrington House, streamed incongruously through the window. It should be night outside, she told herself. Blackest night, to mirror the darkness in her own soul, and she closed her eyes in pain.

Allison's thoughts before watching Honor's "execution" on HD.

Pithy translation: "Excuse me while I rip out your guts and use them for garters," says RFC with infernal politeness.

From EoH again:

. But [Honor Harrington] would be in fitting company even then, he told himself, for the empty crypt which would be hers lay between the equally empty crypts of Edward Saganami and Ellen D'Orville.

Duke Cromarty during Honor's funeral on Manticore.

And a little further along in the scene:

"No, he doesn't expect them to 'abuse' their prisoners," Alexander said grimly. "He's afraid they'll simply refuse to take any after this."

Commenting on Grayson's probable response to HH's "murder".

Not a quote, per se, but a one-liner worthy of entry to this thread.

Some background included as Helen Zilwicki tells the story from Crown of Slaves to her fellow Midshipmen:

"Not all the Masadans had been involved in the actual abduction; another batch of them had managed to hijack a Jessyk Combine transport that happened to have an entire consignment of genetic slaves on board, and they threatened to blow up the freighter, with those thousands of slaves, unless their surviving buddies and the Princess were delivered to them. Unfortunately, by that time all of their buddies were already dead, although they didn't know that. So the Princess—" meaning my sister, the little idiot! "—decided it was her responsibility to hand herself over to them. Which she did."

Accompanied only by what sounds like the scariest son of a bitch in the entire Havenite secret service.

Just for the VIctor Cachat reference...

And last quotes of the week from me (I referee youth Soccer on Saturday and spend Sunday recuperating)

From a conversation Prince Michael is having with Honor in her one scene from Crown of Slaves (Made me wish we'd seem more of him and Judith during the saga...but then that's true of dozens of the MWW characters....

Michael's voice was hard and low. "My sister, as much as I love and respect her, is not entirely rational on the subject of the Republic of Haven." He held up a hand. "Don't say anything, Honor. I don't expect you to agree with me—certainly not to say so aloud. But I'll tell you that it's true. And the day may come when the damage that irrationality will do to our people needs to be contained, as best as possible."

"Just remember this, Admiral. If and when that day ever comes, the existence of a neutral planet where Manticore and Haven have been able to maintain informal liaisons may save a lot of lives. Even if creating such a planet came at the cost of our daughter's life."

Nice to know that if anything had happened to Elizabeth before her children was born, another Winton of intelligence....and steel..was available. With a wife who was also tempered in fire.

Here's to you, Ruth Winton. And you too, Berry Zilwicki. I hope you both make it. But if you don't . . . the universe needs princesses, too. Real ones, even if they die in the making.

And Honor's last line in this book is worth quoting.

And just one more-from Torch of Freedom, to leave you with a smile to start the weekend:

Have I displeased you, Your Majesty?"

"Not hardly. I just can't deal with this any longer. I want your resignation. Now."

Hugh didn't hesitate for more than perhaps a second. "As you wish, Your Majesty. I resign as your chief of security."

"Don't call me that. My name is Berry and you damn well don't have any excuse any longer not to use it."

He bowed, slightly, and then extended his elbow. "All right, Berry. In that case, may I escort you to J. Quesenberry's?"

The smile that came to her face then was the same gleaming smile that had captivated Hugh Arai since the first time he'd seen it. But it was as if a star had become a supernova.

"Ice cream would be nice. Later. Right now, I'd be much happier if you'd take me to bed."

Hugh and Berry--there's another one for you, rose.

Hutch wrote:

Accompanied only by what sounds like the scariest son of a bitch in the entire Havenite secret service.

Just for the Victor Cachat reference...

Another, from Cauldron:

[Yana] shook her head. "He's a bad, bad man, Anton."
"They don't call him Achmed the Atrocious for nothing."

How about a Treecat named Ronco.

Because it slices, it dices and julians.

Cauldron of Ghosts

The Mesan Alignment: a centuries-old cabal that seeks to impose its vision of a society dominated by genetic rank onto the human race.

Genetic rank. Why does that taste so sour?
What I'd like to see...is freed Mesan Slaves retrained, joined the GA Navy and out for blood themselves! Against the MA!!

cthia wrote:Cauldron of Ghosts

The Mesan Alignment: a centuries-old cabal that seeks to impose its vision of a society dominated by genetic rank onto the human race.

Genetic rank. Why does that taste so sour?
What I'd like to see...is freed Mesan Slaves retrained, joined the GA Navy and out for blood themselves! Against the MA!!

There are already more than a few already in SEM service...Paulo d'Arezzo for one and others are mentioned. And of course there is Torch....

If you mean the slaves actually on Mesa, well, I suspect they'll be...interested...in what happens next.