---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So he's tame,' said Estienne, and reached…"
description: "\"“So he's tame,' said Estienne, and reached out tentatively, as though to pat a wild animal. It was a question of which part of the animal he was pattin..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/c-s-pacat-628_animals_so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-o_1476205.jpg"
---

#  So he's tame,' said Estienne, and reached out tentatively…

![“So he's tame,' said Estienne, and reached out tentatively, as though to pat a wild animal. It was a question of which part of the animal he was patting. Damen cknocked his hand away. Estienne gave a yelp and snatched his hand back, nursing it against his chest. 'No that tame,' said Laurent.” quote by C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/c-s-pacat-628_animals_so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-o_1476205.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/c-s-pacat-628_animals_so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-o_1476205.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/c-s-pacat-628_animals_so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-o_1476205.jpg)

> ““So he's tame,' said Estienne, and reached out tentatively, as though to pat a wild animal. It was a question of which part of the animal he was patting. Damen cknocked his hand away. Estienne gave a yelp and snatched his hand back, nursing it against his chest. 'No that tame,' said Laurent.””

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A character attempts gentle contact, but the other resists, showing mistrust and the difficulty of approaching a guarded being.

**In simple terms:** Trying to be gentle can be rejected when trust is lacking.

Key Takeaway

Respect boundaries and read signals before approaching.

Themes

trust communication boundaries vulnerability power dynamics

Mood

tense cautious reflective

Type

dialogue literary character interaction

When to use this quote

- romantic tension
- conflict resolution
- personal safety
- relationship building

Key Concepts

psychology social interaction intimacy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you gauge another’s comfort level?
- What signals indicate a need for distance?

A Different Perspective

Even cautious gestures can be misinterpreted, leading to conflict.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Damen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/damen/) [Laurent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laurent/) [Wild animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-animal/)

## Related quotes

> [“Please-tame me!' he said. 'I want to, very much,' the little prince replied. 'But I have not much time. I have friends to discover,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/please-tame-me-he-said-i-want-to-very-much-the-little-prince-replied/)

[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [“Damen said, 'Men, sometimes.' 'In the absence of women?' 'When I want them.' 'If I'd known that, I might have felt a frisson of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/damen-said-men-sometimes-in-the-absence-of-women-when-i-want-them-if/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“The dogsman said, 'Tread lightly. Your master's in a vicious mood.' Well, that was order restored.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/the-dogsman-said-tread-lightly-your-master-s-in-a-vicious-mood-well/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“You seem to vacillate between assistance and assault. Which is it?' 'I'm not surprised you've driven three men to try and kill you, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-seem-to-vacillate-between-assistance-and-assault-which-is-it-i-m/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“I would court you, with all the grace and courtesy that you deserve. There’d be no lies between us. We’d have time to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-would-court-you-with-all-the-grace-and-courtesy-that-you-deserve-2/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“But he had asked himself the question in Ravenel, and now he knew the answer. A kingdom, or this”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/but-he-had-asked-himself-the-question-in-ravenel-and-now-he-knew-the/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“Laurent said, 'I didn't think anyone was good enough to get past your guard.' 'One person,' said Damen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/laurent-said-i-didn-t-think-anyone-was-good-enough-to-get-past-your/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“I would court you, with all the grace and courtesy that you deserve,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-would-court-you-with-all-the-grace-and-courtesy-that-you-deserve/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“You came', said Laurent. 'You knew I would', said Damen. 'If you need an army to take your capital', said Laurent, 'I seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-came-said-laurent-you-knew-i-would-said-damen-if-you-need-an-army/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“I want you to know,' said Damen, carefully, 'that I haven't done anything to encourage the idea that I-that you and I-' 'If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-want-you-to-know-said-damen-carefully-that-i-haven-t-done-anything/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“He was content to wait, his bare limbs on the sheets heavy, the gold slave cuffs and collar his only adornments. He felt the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/he-was-content-to-wait-his-bare-limbs-on-the-sheets-heavy-the-gold/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“Trust you?' said Damen. 'You flayed the skin from my back. I have seen you do nothing but cheat and lie to every person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/trust-you-said-damen-you-flayed-the-skin-from-my-back-i-have-seen-you/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“All right,' he heard Lazar say. He'd forgotten Lazar was there. After a long moment, he took his eyes off Laurent and looked back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/all-right-he-heard-lazar-say-he-d-forgotten-lazar-was-there-after-a/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“How can you trust me, after what your own brother did to you?" "Because he was false", said Damen, "and you are true. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/how-can-you-trust-me-after-what-your-own-brother-did-to-you-because/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [ “Friends,' said Laurent, 'Is that what we are?' \[...\] Damen said, with helpless honesty, 'Laurent, I am your slave.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/friends-said-laurent-is-that-what-we-are-damen-said-with-helpless/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

## More by C.S. Pacat

> [“Not everyone could have the blissful equanimity of Lamen, who seemed to pay the Prince no deference of rank, a piece of very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/not-everyone-could-have-the-blissful-equanimity-of-lamen-who-seemed/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“The ache of loss didn’t make sense, because Laurent had never been his. He had known that. The delicate thing that had grown between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/the-ache-of-loss-didn-t-make-sense-because-laurent-had-never-been-his/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“His hands slid impotently down Laurent’s tight-laced clothing. Beneath him, Laurent’s kisses were all open-mouthed. Desire flamed, painful and bright. It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/his-hands-slid-impotently-down-laurent-s-tight-laced-clothing-beneath/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“He let his lips form a half-smile. ‘You aren’t going to offer me one of your gaudy Veretian handkerchiefs?’ ‘You could use the clothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/he-let-his-lips-form-a-half-smile-you-aren-t-going-to-offer-me-one-of/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“My uncle plans everything,’ said Laurent, as though reading Damen’s thoughts. ‘He plans for victory and he plans for defeat. It was you who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/my-uncle-plans-everything-said-laurent-as-though-reading-damen-s/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“You want to hear the truth about my uncle? I’ll tell you,’ said Laurent, a new light in his eyes. ‘I’ll tell you what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-want-to-hear-the-truth-about-my-uncle-i-ll-tell-you-said-laurent/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“I would court you, with all the grace and courtesy that you deserve,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-would-court-you-with-all-the-grace-and-courtesy-that-you-deserve/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“Instead of leaning in, Damen took Laurent’s hand, brought it towards himself, and kissed his palm, once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/instead-of-leaning-in-damen-took-laurent-s-hand-brought-it-towards/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“Laurent, he realised, had guarded his solitude for him. And his people, fearing the fierce, strange foreign prince, had done as Laurent ordered, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/laurent-he-realised-had-guarded-his-solitude-for-him-and-his-people/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“I’m not your slave,’ said Damen. ‘I’m a man.’ Don’t”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/i-m-not-your-slave-said-damen-i-m-a-man-don-t/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“Stirring drowsily, Laurent shifted a fraction closer and made a soft, unthinking sound of pleasure that Damen was going to remember for the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/stirring-drowsily-laurent-shifted-a-fraction-closer-and-made-a-soft/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“You are too quick to pledge yourself to me.’ He felt the hard, bright edges of the pin in his fist. ‘You are my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-are-too-quick-to-pledge-yourself-to-me-he-felt-the-hard-bright/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“Dear Charls. Whatever will you do with your own Kemptian silk? It will spoil on the road.’ ‘We aren’t carrying any Kemptian silk,’ said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/dear-charls-whatever-will-you-do-with-your-own-kemptian-silk-it-will/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“What changed your mind?” Damen said, carefully. Laurent didn’t answer him, just looked at him with hostility. “Don’t speak, unless you’re asked a question.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/what-changed-your-mind-damen-said-carefully-laurent-didn-t-answer-him/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [“A fourth son, thought Damen, waiting for someone to notice him. When he wasn’t trying to please, he was baiting authority, as though negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/a-fourth-son-thought-damen-waiting-for-someone-to-notice-him-when-he/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

[Explore all 438 C.S. Pacat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

## More Animals quotes

> [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/)

[Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/)

> [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/)

[Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/)

> [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/)

Mak\_786

> [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/)

[Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/)

> [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/)

[Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/)

> [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/)

[Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/)

> [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/)

[Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/)

> [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/)

[Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/)

> [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/)

[Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/)

[Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“So he's tame,' said Estienne, and reached out tentatively, as though to pat a wild animal. It was a question of which part of the animal he was patting. Damen cknocked his hand away. Estienne gave a yelp and snatched his hand back, nursing it against his chest. 'No that tame,' said Laurent.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "C.S. Pacat"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-out-tentatively-as-though-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Animals"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-out-tentatively-as-though-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/c-s-pacat-628_animals_so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-o_1476205.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/c-s-pacat-628_animals_so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-o_1476205.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45b/c-s-pacat-628_animals_so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-o_1476205.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“So he's tame,' said Estienne, and reached out tentatively, as though to pat a wild animal. It was a question…” — C.S. Pacat",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "C.S. Pacat",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“So he's tame,' said Estienne, and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-out-tentatively-as-though-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/so-he-s-tame-said-estienne-and-reached-out-tentatively-as-though-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
