Soul Music:
Overview
Be careful what you wish for. You never know who will be listening.
Or what, for that matter.
[p. 15]
'And I suppose you know what sound is made by one hand clapping, do you?' said the holy man nastily.
YES. CL. THE OTHER HAND MAKES THE AP.
[p. 24]
'I'm a raven, aren't I?' it said. 'One of the few birds who speak. The first thing people say is, oh, you're a raven, go on, say the N word... If I had a penny for every time that's happened, I'd-'
[Quoth the raven, p. 50]
This was music that had not only escaped but had robbed a bank on the way out. It was music with its sleeves rolled up and its top button undone, raising its hat and grinning and stealing the silver.
It was music that went down to the feet by way of the pelvis without paying a call on Mr. Brain.
[p. 113]
(...) perfectly ordinary books, printed on commonplace paper in mundane ink. It would be a mistake to think that they weren't also dangerous, just because reading them didn't make fireworks go off in the sky. Reading them sometimes did the more dangerous trick of making fireworks go off in the privacy of the reader's brain.
[p.132/133]
TO CHANGE THE FATE OF ONE INDIVIDUAL IS TO CHANGE THE WORLD. I REMEMBER THAT. SO SHOULD YOU.
Death still hadn't turned to face her.
'I don't see why we shouldn't change things if it makes the world better,' said Susan.
HAH.
'Are you too scared to change the world?'
Death turned. The very sight of his expression made Susan back away.
He advanced slowly towards her. His voice, when it came, was a hiss.
YOU SAY THAT TO ME? YOU STAND THERE IN YOUR PRETTY DRESS AND SAY THAT TO ME? YOU? YOU PRATTLE ON ABOUT CHANGING THE WORLD? COULD YOU FIND THE COURAGE TO ACCEPT IT? TO KNOW WHAT MUST BE DONE AND DO IT, WHATEVER THE COST? IS THERE ONE HUMAN BEING ANYWHERE WHO KNOWS WHAT DUTY MEANS?
[p. 155]
'(...) And the Patrician has been ironical at me,' said Mr. Clete. 'I'm not having that again.'
[p.269]
Sometimes the only thing you could do for people was to be there.
[p. 309]
'Who's that playing now, Mr. Dibbler?'
'"And you".'
'Sorry, Mr. Dibbler?'
'Only they write it &U,' said Dibbler.
[p. 325]
It was sad music. But it waved its sadness like a battle flag. It said the universe had done all it could, but you were still alive.
[p. 331]
Never age. Never die. Live for ever in that one last white-hot moment, when the crowd screamed. When every note was a heartbeat. Burn across the sky.
You will never grow old. They will never say you died.
[p. 355]
You could save people. You could get there in the nick of time. And something could snap its fingers and say, no , it has to be that way. Let me tell you how it has to be. This is how the legend goes.
[p. 363]
SOME SHADOWS ARE SO LONG, THEY ARRIVE BEFORE THE LIGHT.
[p. 370]