Rules and Order Quotes in Stardust

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"If only we knew where the truth path was […] even a serewood couldn't destroy the true path. Just hide it from us, lure us off of it […]" (4.81)

According to the hairy little man, there are rules that even predatory forests must follow. It's impossible for a serewood to actually destroy the true path that runs through the forest, though it is possible for the serewood to conceal it or use other tricks to lure travelers off of it. Huh.

Quote #5

"You are my guest, my dear. You swore your oath. You've tasted of my food. According to the laws of our sisterhood, there is nothing you can do to harm me." (5.86)

So says Madame Semele to the witch-queen, whom she's duped into eating a truth-telling herb. Due to the rules of hospitality, and the oath the witch-queen swore, the witch-queen is forbidden to harm Madame Semele, even though Madame Semele tricked the intel about the star out of her. But as we've seen, the witch-queen is very powerful, so she gets creative and makes it impossible for Madame Semele to use her deceptively-gained information to benefit herself. Well played, we suppose.

Quote #6

"You must take revenge upon your brother's killer before anything else, now. It's blood-law." (8.8)

The ghost of Secundus makes this remark to his other ghostly brothers as they observe Septimus finding Primus's corpse. If Septimus didn't have to take revenge on the witch-queen, he'd be able to go straight to the star and claim his throne. But alas, he's got to get revenge on her before he can proceed to his goal. Stupid blood-laws.