--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Try to distract them for as long as you…" description: "\"“Try to distract them for as long as you can,” Metabus instructed Puer, throwing his silver wine goblet against the wall, spilling its contents, and co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/ingrid-de-haas-107731_slaves_try-to-distract-them-for-as-long-as-you_2634131.jpg" --- # Try to distract them for as long as you can,” Metabus… ![“Try to distract them for as long as you can,” Metabus instructed Puer, throwing his silver wine goblet against the wall, spilling its contents, and completely ignoring the flute players. They had stopped playing when the slave came barging in and just stood there, staring at the floor. With that…” quote by Ingrid de Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/ingrid-de-haas-107731_slaves_try-to-distract-them-for-as-long-as-you_2634131.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/ingrid-de-haas-107731_slaves_try-to-distract-them-for-as-long-as-you_2634131.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/ingrid-de-haas-107731_slaves_try-to-distract-them-for-as-long-as-you_2634131.jpg) > ““Try to distract them for as long as you can,” Metabus instructed Puer, throwing his silver wine goblet against the wall, spilling its contents, and completely ignoring the flute players. They had stopped playing when the slave came barging in and just stood there, staring at the floor. With that, grabbing his oakwood spear, which was leaning against the wall, Metabus ran to the women’s quarters of the palace. Kicking open the door of the nursery, he snatched the baby girl out of her wet-nurse’s arms, barking at her to get lost. The terrified wet-nurse did as she was told. After taking off his exquisitely-embroidered royal robe and quickly wrapping Camilla in it, Metabus flew out the back entrance of the palace, the one usually reserved for the kitchen slaves, and headed for the forest.”” Ingrid de Haas ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Metabus distracts guards, rescues a baby, and escapes through a back entrance. **In simple terms:** A daring rescue amid chaos. Key Takeaway Act decisively in urgent situations. Themes heroism strategy conflict escape Mood tense dramatic heroic Type Slaves:1 Metabus Flew:1 Slave Came:0 Nursery Snatched:1 Wall Metabus:0 When to use this quote - analysis - storytelling Key Concepts emergency response quick thinking Questions to Reflect On - What risks are justified to save a life? - How does distraction aid rescue? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) ## Related quotes > [The first slave came to Florida in 1526. The first one we know by name, Esteban, which means Stephen, came a couple of years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-gates/the-first-slave-came-to-florida-in-1526-the-first-one-we-know-by-name/) [Henry Louis Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-gates/) > [“The influences and associations that had always surrounded him, blinded him to the inherent wrong at the bottom of the system of Slavery. 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Dacron-shiffers!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/slaves-of-plastic-leather-shoe-chino-pants-prisoners-haircut-junkies/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [Democracy is the suggestion box for slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/democracy-is-the-suggestion-box-for-slaves/) [Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/) > [That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred ans sixty-three, all persons held as slaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/that-on-the-first-day-of-january-in-the-year-of-our-lord-one-thousand/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. 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My father would talk to us like we were grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-always-read-all-these-books-about-the-slaves-my-mother-is-very/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [If we gotta fight and die for America, why should we be treated like slaves in America?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hosea-williams/if-we-gotta-fight-and-die-for-america-why-should-we-be-treated-like/) Hosea Williams > [“The master doesn’t need to chain his slaves; their needs will chain them to him. You can end slavery by the stroke of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/the-master-doesn-t-need-to-chain-his-slaves-their-needs-will-chain/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“Every nation is part of the history we inherit, blacks and whites, slaves and gods; we have no other option, embracing each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/every-nation-is-part-of-the-history-we-inherit-blacks-and-whites/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [In a lot of movies, African-Americans are either maids or slaves, but that's not all they were. We need to show that. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-schroeder/in-a-lot-of-movies-african-americans-are-either-maids-or-slaves-but/) [Allison Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-schroeder/) > [I free slaves because I believe we are all created equal. I just can't think of anything that has a higher purpose than putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-williams/i-free-slaves-because-i-believe-we-are-all-created-equal-i-just-can-t/) [Virginia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-williams/) ## More by Ingrid de Haas > [“Alexander the Great was not worried about what other people would think if he made a deal with a woman. It helped that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-de-haas/alexander-the-great-was-not-worried-about-what-other-people-would/) Ingrid de Haas Explore all 2 Ingrid de Haas quotes ## More Slaves quotes > [I free slaves because I believe we are all created equal. 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My father would talk to us like we were grown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/i-always-read-all-these-books-about-the-slaves-my-mother-is-very/) [Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/) > [The slave and those whose present life is miserable and who can find no consolation in the heavens are assured that at least the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-slave-and-those-whose-present-life-is-miserable-and-who-can-find/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. 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Dacron-shiffers!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/slaves-of-plastic-leather-shoe-chino-pants-prisoners-haircut-junkies/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) > [Are we not the son of slaves? Yeah! Are we not the children that run away from plantations?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-delgado/are-we-not-the-son-of-slaves-yeah-are-we-not-the-children-that-run/) [Junior Delgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-delgado/) > [My father was a man of great charity towards the poor, and compassion for the sick, and also for servants; so much so, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-father-was-a-man-of-great-charity-towards-the-poor-and-compassion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I’d like to run away, to flee from what I know, from what is mine, from what I love. I want to set off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/i-d-like-to-run-away-to-flee-from-what-i-know-from-what-is-mine-from/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) [Browse all 792 Slaves quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Try to distract them for as long as you can,” Metabus instructed Puer, throwing his silver wine goblet against the wall, spilling its contents, and completely ignoring the flute players. They had stopped playing when the slave came barging in and just stood there, staring at the floor. With that, grabbing his oakwood spear, which was leaning against the wall, Metabus ran to the women’s quarters of the palace. Kicking open the door of the nursery, he snatched the baby girl out of her wet-nurse’s arms, barking at her to get lost. The terrified wet-nurse did as she was told. 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