--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When nine-and-ninety hostages had…" description: "\"“When nine-and-ninety hostages had shuffled by them to pass beneath the Wall, Tormund Giantsbane produced the last one. “My son Dryn. You’ll see he’s w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/george-r-r-martin-48_hostages_when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffl_3220481.jpg" --- # When nine-and-ninety hostages had shuffled by them to pass… ![“When nine-and-ninety hostages had shuffled by them to pass beneath the Wall, Tormund Giantsbane produced the last one. “My son Dryn. You’ll see he’s well taken care of, crow, or I’ll cook your black liver up and eat it.” quote by George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/george-r-r-martin-48_hostages_when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffl_3220481.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/george-r-r-martin-48_hostages_when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffl_3220481.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/george-r-r-martin-48_hostages_when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffl_3220481.jpg) > ““When nine-and-ninety hostages had shuffled by them to pass beneath the Wall, Tormund Giantsbane produced the last one. “My son Dryn. You’ll see he’s well taken care of, crow, or I’ll cook your black liver up and eat it.”” [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) ## 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 threatens a hostage’s family to secure loyalty, showing brutal pragmatism in war. **In simple terms:** Threatening a loved one forces obedience. Key Takeaway Use leverage wisely, but beware cruelty. Themes power loyalty coercion war family Mood tense grim dramatic Type dialogue dramatic political When to use this quote - negotiations with enemies - protecting allies - intimidation tactics Key Concepts political strategy psychological manipulation survival tactics Questions to Reflect On - Is intimidation ever justified? - What are the long‑term costs of using fear? A Different Perspective Such threats can breed lasting resentment and rebellion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hostages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostages/) ## Related quotes > [Any father whose son raises his hand against him is guilty of having produced a son who raised his hand against him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-peguy/any-father-whose-son-raises-his-hand-against-him-is-guilty-of-having/) [Charles Peguy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-peguy/) > [When death gives us a long lease of life, it takes as hostages all those whom we have loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-curchod/when-death-gives-us-a-long-lease-of-life-it-takes-as-hostages-all/) [Suzanne Curchod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-curchod/) > [I would have promised those terrorists a trip to Disneyland if it would have gotten the hostages released. I thank God they were satisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-would-have-promised-those-terrorists-a-trip-to-disneyland-if-it/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [No commandment surpasses the one concerning the liberation of hostages, for they are among the starving, the thirsting, the stripped, always in danger of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/no-commandment-surpasses-the-one-concerning-the-liberation-of/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“The goal with hostages is to gradually lower expectations; in nonhostage crises, it's to lower emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-cullen/the-goal-with-hostages-is-to-gradually-lower-expectations-in/) [Dave Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-cullen/) > [President Carter famously said the hostages were the first thing he thought about in the morning and the last thing he thought about at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/president-carter-famously-said-the-hostages-were-the-first-thing-he/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > ['Betrayed' starts off with Shane Gallagher rescuing Elena Reyes and a group of hostages from a madman with a gun. And as the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-glick/betrayed-starts-off-with-shane-gallagher-rescuing-elena-reyes-and-a/) [Ruth Glick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-glick/) > [“now ringing the superintendent at the field command post, and praying that she was in time. \* \* \* Heart beating like a jack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/now-ringing-the-superintendent-at-the-field-command-post-and-praying/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [At the beginning, because the lives of the hostages were at stake, then during this silent period we have taken several measures like not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-fujimori/at-the-beginning-because-the-lives-of-the-hostages-were-at-stake-then/) [Alberto Fujimori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-fujimori/) > [I have a wife, I have sons; all these hostages have I given to fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-l-lucas/i-have-a-wife-i-have-sons-all-these-hostages-have-i-given-to-fortune/) [F. L. Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-l-lucas/) > [We should never remain hostages of our past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmerson-mnangagwa/we-should-never-remain-hostages-of-our-past/) [Emmerson Mnangagwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmerson-mnangagwa/) > [I have a wife, I have sons: all of them hostages given to fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucan/i-have-a-wife-i-have-sons-all-of-them-hostages-given-to-fate/) [Lucan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucan/) > [I stand on the side of the United States government in making sure we do everything we can to get our hostages home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/i-stand-on-the-side-of-the-united-states-government-in-making-sure-we/) [Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/) > [“Ten years ago I saw a documentary on the siege of that Moscow theater. After just forty-eight hours of the terrorists confining the hostages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/ten-years-ago-i-saw-a-documentary-on-the-siege-of-that-moscow-theater/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [“You’re the man who used to rescue hostages for a living. You are not allowed to not get out of this one. So stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/you-re-the-man-who-used-to-rescue-hostages-for-a-living-you-are-not/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) ## More by George R.R. Martin > [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“You are the queen, he ought to be begging leave of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/you-are-the-queen-he-ought-to-be-begging-leave-of-you/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“It is my look they will flinch from now, my frown that they must fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/it-is-my-look-they-will-flinch-from-now-my-frown-that-they-must-fear/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“A good threat is often more telling than a blow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/a-good-threat-is-often-more-telling-than-a-blow/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“This wine is very choice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/this-wine-is-very-choice/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Everything Syrio Forel had ever taught her vanished in a heartbeat. In that instant of sudden terror, the only lesson Arya could remember was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/everything-syrio-forel-had-ever-taught-her-vanished-in-a-heartbeat-in/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Megga couldn’t sing, but she was mad to be kissed. She and Alla played a kissing game sometimes, she confessed, but it wasn’t the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/megga-couldn-t-sing-but-she-was-mad-to-be-kissed-she-and-alla-played/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“The rain feels good against my face, Sam. It feels like tears. Let me stay a while longer, I pray you. It has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-rain-feels-good-against-my-face-sam-it-feels-like-tears-let-me/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Every man who walks the earth casts a shadow on the world. Some are thin and weak, others long and dark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/every-man-who-walks-the-earth-casts-a-shadow-on-the-world-some-are/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“The shy girl she had known at Riverrun had grown into a woman who was by turns proud, fearful, cruel, dreamy, reckless, timid, stubborn,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-shy-girl-she-had-known-at-riverrun-had-grown-into-a-woman-who-was/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“He won the war on the battlefield and lost it in a bedchamber, poor fool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/he-won-the-war-on-the-battlefield-and-lost-it-in-a-bedchamber-poor/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“On the morning after battle the crows had feasted on victors and vanquished alike. How much can a crown be worth when a crow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/on-the-morning-after-battle-the-crows-had-feasted-on-victors-and/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“The little man gave the big one a look. One of his eyes was green, one was black, and both were cool.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-little-man-gave-the-big-one-a-look-one-of-his-eyes-was-green-one/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Jon, could there be honor in a lie, if it were told for a...good purpose? - Samwell”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/jon-could-there-be-honor-in-a-lie-if-it-were-told-for-a-good-purpose/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“My mother said my father had a drop of dragon blood.” “Two drops. That, or a cock six feet long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/my-mother-said-my-father-had-a-drop-of-dragon-blood-two-drops-that-or/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) [Explore all 1,761 George R.R. Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) ## More Hostages quotes > [When death gives us a long lease of life, it takes as hostages all those whom we have loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-curchod/when-death-gives-us-a-long-lease-of-life-it-takes-as-hostages-all/) [Suzanne Curchod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-curchod/) > [“Ten years ago I saw a documentary on the siege of that Moscow theater. After just forty-eight hours of the terrorists confining the hostages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/ten-years-ago-i-saw-a-documentary-on-the-siege-of-that-moscow-theater/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [I stand on the side of the United States government in making sure we do everything we can to get our hostages home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-shapiro/i-stand-on-the-side-of-the-united-states-government-in-making-sure-we/) [Josh Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-shapiro/) > [I have a wife, I have sons: all of them hostages given to fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucan/i-have-a-wife-i-have-sons-all-of-them-hostages-given-to-fate/) [Lucan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucan/) > [We should never remain hostages of our past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmerson-mnangagwa/we-should-never-remain-hostages-of-our-past/) [Emmerson Mnangagwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmerson-mnangagwa/) > [I have a wife, I have sons; all these hostages have I given to fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-l-lucas/i-have-a-wife-i-have-sons-all-these-hostages-have-i-given-to-fortune/) [F. L. Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-l-lucas/) > [At the beginning, because the lives of the hostages were at stake, then during this silent period we have taken several measures like not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-fujimori/at-the-beginning-because-the-lives-of-the-hostages-were-at-stake-then/) [Alberto Fujimori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-fujimori/) > [“now ringing the superintendent at the field command post, and praying that she was in time. \* \* \* Heart beating like a jack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/now-ringing-the-superintendent-at-the-field-command-post-and-praying/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > ['Betrayed' starts off with Shane Gallagher rescuing Elena Reyes and a group of hostages from a madman with a gun. And as the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-glick/betrayed-starts-off-with-shane-gallagher-rescuing-elena-reyes-and-a/) [Ruth Glick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-glick/) > [President Carter famously said the hostages were the first thing he thought about in the morning and the last thing he thought about at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/president-carter-famously-said-the-hostages-were-the-first-thing-he/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > [“The goal with hostages is to gradually lower expectations; in nonhostage crises, it's to lower emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-cullen/the-goal-with-hostages-is-to-gradually-lower-expectations-in/) [Dave Cullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-cullen/) > [No commandment surpasses the one concerning the liberation of hostages, for they are among the starving, the thirsting, the stripped, always in danger of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/no-commandment-surpasses-the-one-concerning-the-liberation-of/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I would have promised those terrorists a trip to Disneyland if it would have gotten the hostages released. I thank God they were satisfied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/i-would-have-promised-those-terrorists-a-trip-to-disneyland-if-it/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [“You’re the man who used to rescue hostages for a living. You are not allowed to not get out of this one. So stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/you-re-the-man-who-used-to-rescue-hostages-for-a-living-you-are-not/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Terrorists don't take black hostages. That's the truth. I have yet to see one of us on the news reading a hostage letter. Like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-chappelle/terrorists-don-t-take-black-hostages-that-s-the-truth-i-have-yet-to/) [Dave Chappelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-chappelle/) [Browse all 44 Hostages quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostages/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When nine-and-ninety hostages had shuffled by them to pass beneath the Wall, Tormund Giantsbane produced the last one. “My son Dryn. You’ll see he’s well taken care of, crow, or I’ll cook your black liver up and eat it.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George R.R. Martin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffled-by-them-to-pass-beneath/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hostages" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffled-by-them-to-pass-beneath/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/george-r-r-martin-48_hostages_when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffl_3220481.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/george-r-r-martin-48_hostages_when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffl_3220481.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29b/george-r-r-martin-48_hostages_when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffl_3220481.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When nine-and-ninety hostages had shuffled by them to pass beneath the Wall, Tormund Giantsbane produced the…” — George R.R. Martin", "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": "George R.R. Martin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When nine-and-ninety hostages had shuffled by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffled-by-them-to-pass-beneath/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/when-nine-and-ninety-hostages-had-shuffled-by-them-to-pass-beneath/#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 } } ] } ```