Really, these wizards! You'd think no one had ever had a cold before! Well, what is it?" she asked, hobbling through the bedroom door onto the filthy carpet." I'm dying of boredom," Howl said pathetically. "Or maybe just dying.

— Diana Wynne Jones

Slender Youth. A tour companion who may be either a lost prince or a girl/princess in disguise. In the latter case it is tactful to pretend you think she is a boy. She/he will be ignorant, hasty and shy, and will need hauling out of trouble quite a lot. But she/he will grow up in the course of the Tour. In fact, she/he will be the only Companion who will change in any way. Quite often, she/he will soon exhibit a very useful talent for magic and end up by hauling everyone else out of trouble. But this will not be until midway through your second brochure.

— Diana Wynne Jones

Small Man can be a very funny or a very tiresome Tour Companion, depending on how this kind of thing grabs you. He gambles, he drinks too much, and he always runs away. Since the Rules allow him to make Jokes, he will excuse his behavior in a variety of comical ways. Physically he is stunted and not at all handsome, although he usually dresses flamboyantly. He tends to wear hats with feathers in. You will discover he is very vain. But, if you can avoid smacking him, you will come to tolerate if not love him. He will contrive, in some cowardly way, to play a major part in saving the world.

— Diana Wynne Jones

Some people are thoroughly self-centered. This thing goes with me. I need it for moral support.

— Diana Wynne Jones

So you were going to rescue the Prince! Why did you pretend to run away? To deceive the Witch?"" Not likely! I'm a coward. Only way I can do something this frightening is to tell myself I'm not doing it!

— Diana Wynne Jones

Take it from me, Fate doesn't care most of the time.

— Diana Wynne Jones

Tantrums are seldom about the thing they appear to be about.

— Diana Wynne Jones

Tell me of this Wizard Howl of yours". Sophie's teeth chattered, but she said proudly, "He's the best wizard in Injury or anywhere else. If he'd only had time, he would have defeated that jinn. And he's sly and selfish and vain as a peacock and cowardly, and you can't pin him down to anything.

— Diana Wynne Jones

The demon at length fell to singing a gentle, flickering little song. It was not in any language Sophie knew - or she thought not, until she distinctly heard the word "saucepan" in it several times...

— Diana Wynne Jones

There is very seldom any true secret.

— Diana Wynne Jones