Quotes about magic

“How is that possible?”

“To a Wizard, anything is possible,” the Dervish said with more than a hint of scorn. “Or so they lead themselves to believe.”

Magic's far too important to be used for rulin' people. (p. 316)

Perhaps the magic would last. Perhaps it wouldn't. But then, what does? (p. 355; closing words)

The senior wizards know that the proper purpose of magic is to form a social pyramid with the wizards on top of it, eating big dinners. (p. 189)

Some people think this is paranoia, but it isn't. Paranoids only think everyone is out to get them. Wizards know it.

A popular spell at the time was Pelepel's Temporal Compressor, which on one occasion resulted in a race of giant reptiles being created, evolving, spreading, flourishing and then being destroyed in the space of about five minutes, leaving only its bones in the earth to mislead forthcoming generations completely.

It was octarine, the colour of magic. It was alive and glowing and vibrant and it was the undisputed pigment of the imagination, because wherever it appeared it was a sign that mere matter was a servant of the powers of the magical mind. It was enchantment itself.

That's what's so stupid about the whole magic thing, you know. You spend twenty years learning the spell that makes nude virgins appear in your bedroom, and then you're so poisoned by quicksilver fumes and half-blind from reading old grimoires that you can't remember what happens next.

There is no such thing as magic, though there is such a thing as a knowledge of the secrets of nature.

"They're both magic. If you can't learn to ride an elephant, you can at least learn to ride a horse."

A world like that, which exists only because the gods enjoy a joke, must be a place where magic can survive. And sex too, of course.

There would be a price. And Granny knew enough about wizardry to be certain that it would be a high one. But if you were worried about the price, then why were you in the shop?