You see?" Damien leaned over his desk and spread out half a dozen charcoal sketches. "These are only quick studies of course. But my agent in Florence tells me this artist, Leonardo, is a master and also quite an inventor of mechanical devices--which, as you know, are my passion. Leonardo just completed a portrait of Lisa de Giocondo. He calls it the Mona Lisa . I thought I might commission him to do a portrait of me, and while he's here, I can pick his mind for mechanical secrets. How does that sound?" "Expensive," Gideon murmured.
Rick Riordan
Related You must save what you can of your life; you musn't lose it all simply because you've lost a part. HENRY JAMES I don't understand why people think everything has to have meaning. While painting the Mona Lisa did... DEVIN J. MONROE I’m glad you still have your survival instinct.” “We’ve all got something.” I l... PAULA STOKES He looks at me. His face is dotted with raindrops but I think there are tears too. 'I love her... SALLY GREEN I don't know if I have a favorite color. KATE MIDDLETON It's very special having a new little girl. KATE MIDDLETON Like all best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and... QUEEN ELIZABETH II My husband has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years, and I owe him a debt greater ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have been aware all the time that my peoples, spread far and wide throughout every continent and o... QUEEN ELIZABETH II The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendor that are g... QUEEN ELIZABETH II The events that I have attended to mark my Diamond Jubilee have been a humbling experience. It has t... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughou... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I hope that tomorrow we can all, wherever we are, join in expressing our grief at Diana's loss, ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters... QUEEN ELIZABETH II He slouched back in his seat, looking tired, and leaned his face on his shoulder to look at me while... MAGGIE STIEFVATER I love you.” I stared stupidly at him. Was he joking again, reciting another line from ... JENNIFER ECHOLS Take me to the height where success would seek my help to succeed! I ARE First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something e... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your s... QUEEN ELIZABETH II We lost the American colonies because we lacked the statesmanship to know the right time and the man... QUEEN ELIZABETH II These wretched babies don't come until they are ready. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II It is easy enough to define what the Commonwealth is not. Indeed this is quite a popular pastime. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have to be seen to be believed. QUEEN ELIZABETH II He smirks, shaking his head and letting his eyes wander. I watch him carefully, wondering what I can... ASHLEY EARLEY At Christmas, I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Chr... QUEEN ELIZABETH II For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses w... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I myself prefer my New Zealand eggs for breakfast. QUEEN ELIZABETH II The British constitution has always been puzzling and always will be. QUEEN ELIZABETH II Madam President, speaking here in Dublin Castle it is impossible to ignore the weight of history, as... QUEEN ELIZABETH II If you leave without me, I’ll just follow you. You can’t stop me, Cassie. How are you going to s... RICK YANCEY In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognise how precious is the peace ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass; it is almost exactly 13 years since ... QUEEN ELIZABETH II To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts an... QUEEN ELIZABETH II Grief is the price we pay for love. QUEEN ELIZABETH II At its heart, engineering is about using science to find creative, practical solutions. It is a nobl... QUEEN ELIZABETH II To what greater inspiration and counsel can we turn than to the imperishable truth to be found in th... QUEEN ELIZABETH II It's all to do with the training: you can do a lot if you're properly trained. QUEEN ELIZABETH II I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years but t... QUEEN ELIZABETH II No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew... QUEEN ELIZABETH II I realized that day that blessings come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. CRAIG GROESCHEL What did you do?” I mumble. He is just a few feet away from me now, but not close enough to hear m... VERONICA ROTH I wanted to become a cartoon artist, a portrait artist, and an illustrator. This was my first idea. KARL LAGERFELD You look different." His words, normally crisp,are now sluggish. "So do you," I say.And he does... VERONICA ROTH It makes you wonder why the human race can be so selfish and self-centered sometimes, when on cold w... GARY F EVANS... Thank you,” she whispered, sending up a quick prayer for his continued recovery. “You’re ... JULIA QUINN You know I love you," I whispered in his ear. "I know," he whispered back, turned, I pulled my ... KRISTEN ASHLEY The spell. Victor said you had to want me... to care about me... for it to work." When he didn't say... RICHELLE MEAD She was scarcely a year older than I was, dark-haired, slender, with a face that would break your he... GEORGE R.R. MARTIN Tell me a truth, Senna." "I don't know how," I breath. "Then tell me a lie." "I don't... TARRYN FISHER I am broken and healing, but every piece of my heart belong to you. SARAH J. MAAS You do what you love, what you need SARAH J. MAAS You are the blood of the dragon. You can make a hat. GEORGE R.R. MARTIN Yes. Kissing. Overrated." "I could change your mind," Zach said, surprising the hell out ... TRACY SUMNER Not fair,” I muttered. “Your sword was bigger than mine.” “My sword is bigger than ever... KODY KEPLINGER He thinks he'll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain... SARAH J. MAAS I jumped up from the bed and paced the small space in front of Romeo. He was absolutely nuts. "... CAMBRIA HEBERT The issue isn't whether he loved you, it's how much. Too much. Love can be poison SARAH J. MAAS I turned. Rhysand leaned against the archway into the sitting room, arms crossed, wings nowhere... SARAH J. MAAS Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold ... GEORGE R.R. MARTIN Hodor," said Hodor. GEORGE R.R. MARTIN She made a fence of phrases, which seemed a treachery to herself. ELIZABETH TAYLOR Do you really have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept at all of how much I love you?"... STEPHENIE MEYER He makes a face and tosses the flower at me. It lands on my cheek, and I pick it up and twirl it bet... JESSICA KHOURY He trapped my hand against his chest and yanked my sleeve down past my wrist, covering my hand with ... BECCA FITZPATRICK Thank you,” I said, turning around a little so I could talk to him. “You’re a good friend.”<... MONICA ALEXANDER I felt him closing in on me. My insides twisted and my cheeks grew warmer with his approach as if I ... ALICIA DETERS I'm a producer. I'm a musician. And my job is to come in and, you know, put - you know, I tr... PHARRELL WILLIAMS I will love you forever,” I murmured, and he stroked the hair off of my forehead. I will hold... AMY LANE A slow smile curved over my face, and I leaned down over him. "No," I said. "Wishes are lies. Tell m... KIM HARRISON Tyrion felt the heat rise in him. “It was not my dagger,” he insisted. “How many times must I ... GEORGE R.R. MARTIN I used to always sing my way into the movies and the basketball games or whatever. I'd sing for ... AARON NEVILLE What do you think will happen in a forced marriage? With an uneducated man, an animal. What would I ... QANDEEL BALOCH I shove him back. “I can convince him.” “What? By seducing him?” Morpheus scof... A.G. HOWARD You know I can't do that. Pete's probably already spent a ton of money. He's a nice guy. I can't BREE DESPAIN It is the mundanes who look at me and see something they do not understand—a boy who is not quite ... CASSANDRA CLARE Shane lowered his glasses on his nose and gave me his version of a severe stare. I leaned a lit... ILONA ANDREWS I did not run to him, but I did wrap my arms around him, press my ear to his chest, hold on to him a... LAURELL K. HAMILTON He stopped and took my hand. "If we die, or if I die..." He was speaking of dying, and I couldn... GAIL CARSON LEVINE Every work of art belongs to his time. I would not paint again the Mona Lisa in the third dimension. ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY Over the course of my career, I have come to accept that some of my more provocative work courts con... TERRY RICHARDSON I am eye. I am a mechanical eye. I, a machine, am showing you a world, the likes of which only I can... DZIGA VERTOV Haunted You haunt me in my dreams I can only hear my drowning screams Is it bec... STACE LEE I did a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, and his skill level was eons ahead of mine. It was really more... JOHN C. REILLY When he first put his arms around me, it was tentative, like maybe he expected I'd pull away. W... SARAH DESSEN I waited for him to say something more, but he was quiet. "Was there something you wanted?" I a... STEPHENIE MEYER (The Mona Lisa), that really is the ugliest portrait I’ve seen, the only thing that supposedly mak... E.A. BUCCHIANERI I clinked my bottle against his. “To being the only girl a guy with no standards doesn’t w... JAMIE MCGUIRE Where are you going?” I demanded. He looked over his shoulder at me with an exasperated sigh.... KODY KEPLINGER He should give the entire picture, not just pick out a piece where it kind of looks like, you know, ... FRIEDERIKE BOSZKO The Farmer and the Stork
A farmer placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cra... AESOP Where's your car? Miles asks, glancing at him as he slams his door shut and slings his backpack over... ALYSON NOEL His noise is getting quieter, but I can still see it there still- See how he feels the skin of ... PATRICK NESS Why not? It's true. My best hope is to not disgrace myself and..." He hesitates. And what... SUZANNE COLLINS Don't do that!" she exclaimed, shivering at the realization that it had been his fingers touching he... RICHELLE MEAD Stop fighting me!" he said, trying to pull on the arm he held. He was in a precarious pos... RICHELLE MEAD No sex?" He looked at me in disbelief. "Well if you can't have ze sex, what can you do?" ... ELNA BAKER
More Rick Riordan
I, Horus, son of Osiris, claim the throne of the heavens as my birthright!" he shouted."What was onc... RICK RIORDAN Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can." Grover cracked a smile.... RICK RIORDAN You will suffer, son of Hades!’ What else is new? Nico thought. RICK RIORDAN Remake the world, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. RICK RIORDAN Yours in demigodishness, and all that. Peace out! RICK RIORDAN Everyone thinks you've been kidnapped," he said. "We've been scouring the ship. When Coach Hedge fin... RICK RIORDAN Dreams like a podcast, Downloading truth in my ears. They tell me cool stuff." "Apoll... RICK RIORDAN There!" Mars finished writing and threw the scroll at Octavian. "A prophecy. You can add it to your ... RICK RIORDAN Nico danced around like he needed to use the restroom. "Does Zeus really have lightning bolts t... RICK RIORDAN My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. 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RICK RIORDAN Right," she said, "We're going to the Land of the Dead and I shouldn't think negative. RICK RIORDAN The store had a hand-painted sign the read: MOOSE PASS GAS. "That's just wrong," Frank said. RICK RIORDAN The old women only stuck around this long out of a sense of duty. Your mom was the same way. That's ... RICK RIORDAN It wasn't exactly like talking, but it went something like this: Could you give us a ride north, Per... RICK RIORDAN At the Feast of Fortune, she'll awaken, and the demigods will be cut down like-- like---" "Like... RICK RIORDAN He remembered his home now, and that gave him new determination to succeed. He was fighting for two ... RICK RIORDAN Percy’d heard stories about amputees who had phantom pains where their missing legs and arms ... RICK RIORDAN Look, ladies, we've been over this. I don't even remember killing Medusa. I don't remember anything!... RICK RIORDAN The second Amazon they met wasn't so friendly. She was dressed in full armor, blocking the throne-ro... RICK RIORDAN On sentry duty with Hazel, he would try to take his mind off it. He loved spending time with her. He... RICK RIORDAN Life is only precious because it ends. RICK RIORDAN Life is only precious because it ends, kid RICK RIORDAN scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers, and a large bowl filled with jelly beans, RICK RIORDAN The stupid snack tray did not have power steering. RICK RIORDAN Wow." Percy handed back the book. "Maybe Mars is different than Ares. I don't think Ares can read. RICK RIORDAN You do the easy thing, the appealing thing, the peaceful thing, mostly it turns out sour in... RICK RIORDAN His last image of Grandmother was of her glaring out the window, as if thinking about the terrible s... RICK RIORDAN The coffee shops were doing a brisk business, and street musicians filled the air with the sounds of... RICK RIORDAN Come on, new friend. Let’s go chalk up my thirteenth defeat in a row! RICK RIORDAN ____________________. He RICK RIORDAN red-nosed reindeer did not stand a chance. RICK RIORDAN Then Frank and Percy burst into the open and began to massacre every source of fiber they could find... RICK RIORDAN The metal is called Celestial bronze. It’s deadly to monsters, like Imperial gold, but even rarer. RICK RIORDAN Hazel shuddered, remembering her close call with Don that afternoon. If she hadn’t moved quickly a... RICK RIORDAN My sister and I need to talk. RICK RIORDAN bad blood.” Hazel RICK RIORDAN Disculparse por algo que no has hecho es mejor que morir por ello. RICK RIORDAN La vida es preciosa porque tiene final. RICK RIORDAN Multigrain fighting is not allowed!” The RICK RIORDAN It was fun to burn. RICK RIORDAN Grover cleared his throat. "We're in a public place ... You mean, our friend downstairs?" "Um, ... RICK RIORDAN Anyway, I'm glad you found her. (Calypso) You promised to find a way back to her, and I just wanted ... 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RICK RIORDAN You know, how much order is good? And when does order become too restrictive? Is a little bit of cha... RICK RIORDAN Forget the chicken-nugget smoke screen. Percy wanted Leo to invent an anti-dream hat. RICK RIORDAN Those movies... ridiculously inaccurate. The real gods of Asgard — Thor, Loki, Odin, and the rest ... RICK RIORDAN I love Norse mythology - Thor and Odin and Loki - amazing characters. RICK RIORDAN This brings to mind an expression I coined ages ago: A peach a day keeps the plague spirits away!' RICK RIORDAN I turned and faced the Olympians. "We need a shroud," I announced, my voice cracking. "A shroud... RICK RIORDAN Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions ... RICK RIORDAN Perseus Jackson, I do expect you to refrain from causing any more trouble. " "Trouble?" I ... RICK RIORDAN Are you suggesting that the gods have trouble acting together, young lady?" Dionysus asked. RICK RIORDAN You do know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously. "I'm afraid not," I said. "... RICK RIORDAN I stared at him (Dionysus). "You're...you're married? But I thought you got in trouble for chasing a... RICK RIORDAN Annabeth hesitated. "Then we'll all go." "No," I said. "It's too dangerous. If they got hold o... RICK RIORDAN Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen. RICK RIORDAN Thankfully,two old friends stood next to the throne. Horus wore full battle armor and a khopesh swor... RICK RIORDAN If I were a flowerpot, I would've checked my hair. ~Carter Kane RICK RIORDAN No," I said. "I choose the prophecy. It will be about me." "Why are you saying that?" she cried... RICK RIORDAN The others were a little surprised when Piper came back on a pegasus with two unconscious demigods. RICK RIORDAN Leo dropped into the pool and approched the cage. "Hola, Tia. Little bit of trouble?" She [Hera... RICK RIORDAN Oh, and Drew, honey?” The former counselor looked back reluctantly. “In case you thin... RICK RIORDAN Percy: I’ll walk down to the cabins and Connor and Travis are stealing stuff from the camp store, ... RICK RIORDAN He’s a restless soul, always looking for another chance to drive,’ Nico said. ‘The last few ye... RICK RIORDAN I love New York. You can pop out of the Underworld in Central Park, hail a taxi, head down Fifth Ave... RICK RIORDAN I wanted to get angry, this guy pushed me so hard. RICK RIORDAN The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles. RICK RIORDAN It was an annoying name to have. People tended to spell in Mangus, rhymes with Angus. I always corre... RICK RIORDAN I hate this plan,” I said. “Let’s do it. RICK RIORDAN APOLLO'S DAILY MOTIVATIONAL SPEECH "You are gorgeous and people love you! RICK RIORDAN Like your zodiac sign? Percy asked. 'I'm a Leo. 'No, stupid,' Leo said. I'm a Leo. You're a Per... RICK RIORDAN With great power... comes need to take a nap. Wake me up later RICK RIORDAN I held out the rune for Hearthstone. ‘I know what it feels like to be an empty cup, to have everyt... RICK RIORDAN Pain was unimportant. Failure was unthinkable. RICK RIORDAN ...you shouldn't try to carry a problem alone. But if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay. RICK RIORDAN They want to cook you and eat you," she said distatefully, "which is ridiculous. You'd taste terribl... RICK RIORDAN This is the Propylon." He waved toward a stone path lined with crumbling columns. "One of the main g... RICK RIORDAN