Gregor the Overlander Quotes

“The Underlanders hadn’t been rude when they’d wanted him to bathe. They had been trying to keep him alive!”

“‘I guess after tonight Boots won’t think the whole world is her friend,‘” thought Gregor. She had to find out sometime, but it still made him sad.”

“He felt around desperately for a weapon. What did he have? Diapers? Cookies? Oh, why hadn’t they given him a sword? He was the stupid warrior, wasn’t he? His fingers dug in the leather bag and closed around the root beer can. Root beer! He yanked out the can shaking it with all his might. ‘Attack! Attack!’ he yelled.”

“In one horrible moment the last piece of the prophecy became clear. So bid him take care, bid him look where he leaps, As life may be death and death life again reaps. He had to leap, and by his death, the others would live. That was it. That was what Sandwich had been trying to say all along, and by now he believed in Sandwich. He put on a final burst of speed, just like the coach taught him in track. He gave everything he had. In the last few steps before the canyon he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg, and then the ground gave way under his feet. Gregor the Overlander leaped.”

“It is the Ring Dance. It is said the crawlers perform it only in the greatest secrecy for ones they believe to be chosen.′ [...] ‘Chosen to give them time,’ said Vikus, as if that explained it all. Gregor translated that in his head to mean’chosen to give them life.‘”

“His mom said Boots never knew a stranger, which meant she though everybody in the world was her friend.”

″‘Whether he is banished for treason or bond breakage, I care not. I just want him gone. Who among us could ever trust him again?’ shouted a woman. [...] ‘I could!’ yelled Gregor, silencing the crowd. ‘I trust him with my life!’ And then he knew what he needed to do.”

“A light was on in the kitchen. His mother sat at the kitchen table, as still as a statue. Her hands were clasped together, and she stared fixatedly at a small stain on the tablecloth. Gregor remembered seeing her that way so many nights after his dad had disappeared. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to scare her or shock her or ever give her any more pain. So, he stepped into the light of the kitchen and said the one thing he knew she wanted to hear most in the world. ‘Hey, Mom. We’re home.‘”

“Now Gregor knew what all the fuss was about. To his eyes, Temp looked exactly like the other twenty roaches sitting around. How on Earth could Boots have picked him out of the crowd?”

″‘Fly you high, Gregor the Overlander,’ said Vikus. Gregor struggled with how to respond. Should he ignore Vikus? Let him know that none of them, not even an Overlander, could forgive him? Just as he had steeled himself against replying, Gregor thought of the last two years, seven months, and was it fifteen days now? There were so many things he wished he’d said to his dad when he’d had the chance. Things like how special it was when they went on the roof at night and tried to find the stars. Or how much he loved it when they took the subway out to the stadium to watch a baseball game. Or just that he felt lucky that out of all the people in the world, his dad was his dad. He didn’t have room inside him for any more unspoken words. The bats were rising into the air. He only had a second. ‘Fly you high, Vikus!’ he yelled. ‘Fly you high!’ Vikus turned back, and Gregor could see tears shining on his cheeks. He lifted up a hand to Gregor in thanks.” And then they were gone.”

“And then there was Tick. Brave little Tick, who had flown into the faces of an army of rats to save his baby sister. Tick - who never spoke much. Tick - who shared her food. Tick - who was after all just a roach. Just a roach who had given all the time she had left so that Boots could have more.”

“‘Hope,’ said Vikus. ‘There are times it will be very hard to find. Times when it will be much easier to choose hate instead. But if you want to find peace, you must first be able to hope it is possible.‘”

“Beware, Underlanders, time hangs by a thread. The hunters are hunted, white water runs red. The Gnawers will strike to extinguish the rest. The hope of the hopeless resides in a quest. An Overland warrior, a son of the sun, May bring us back light, he may bring us back none. But gather your neighbors and follow his call Or rats will most surely devour us all. Two over, two under, of royal descent, Two flyers, two crawlers, two spinners assent. One gnawer beside and one lost up ahead. And eight will be left when we count up the dead. The last who will die must decide where he stands. The fate of the eight is contained in his hands. So bid him take care, bid him look where he leaps, As life may be death and death life again reaps.”

″‘There are evils beyond death,‘said his sister. ‘Fly you high, Henry. Fly you high.‘”

“‘You asked why the rats hate Overlanders so deeply. It is because they know one will be the warrior of the prophecy,’ said Vikus. ‘Oh, I see,’ said Gregor. ‘So, when’s he coming?’ Vikus fixed his eyes on Gregor. ‘I believe he is already here.‘”

“Of course, courage only counts when you can count.”

“‘And then, if you make it to bedtime, you feel the joy of cheating death out of one more day,’ she said. ‘Do you see?‘”

“I will say this for you Warrior, you do not lack boldness.”

“‘Yes, I’m a mouse. Squeak, squeak. Now shoo-shoo back to your little bug friends,’ said Ripred, picking up a hunk of dried beef. He tore a off a piece with his teeth and noticed Boots hadn’t moved. He pulled back his lips to reveal a row of jagged teeth and gave her a sharp hiss.”

“The mighty warrior excused himself and changed a diaper.”