"I would never have done it had it not been for the girl. But she had been quite correct, back in the Other Place, to appeal to me in Ptolemy’s name. As she’d instantly perceived, that was my weak spot, my open wound. And two thousand years of accumulated cynicism hadn’t managed to heal it up, try as I might. For all that long and weary time I’d carried round the memory of his hope — that djinn and humans might one day act together, without malice, without treachery, without slaughter.
Let’s face it, it was a stupid idea and I didn’t believe it for an instant — there was simply too much evidence to the contrary. But Ptolemy had believed it and that was enough. Just the echo of his faith was powerful enough to win me over when Kitty repeated his great gesture, and came across to meet me."

The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Ptolemy’s Gate, Jonathan Stroud. (via herculepoirots)

(Source: chadefallstar, via stolidity)